Summary of Contents for Doner Design Fight Back Series
- Page 1 Doner Designs Warming Hearts with Cool Guitars “Fight Back” Series Air Force Bass User Guide For Serial Number 0003 1 ...
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Page 2: Table Of Contents
Doner Designs www.donerdesigns.org Contents 1. Estimated Value 2. Description and Specifications 3. Instructions 4. Photographs 5. About Doner Designs 2 ... -
Page 3: Estimated Value
Doner Designs www.donerdesigns.org Estimated Value We have estimated that the fair value of the Doner Designs Fight Back Series Air Force Bass (serial number 0003) is approximately $1,700. This is a one of a kind item and value is difficult to assess because of a lack of comparable products and sales channels, however… In a fundraiser auction, we recommend a minimum starting bid of $750 which approximates our materials cost. Labor invested by Steve and Richard Doner (at no tangible cost) is approximately 100 hours. In a fundraiser auction, we would hope to see bidding activity well above our estimated value. A target sales value approaching $3,000 would not be unreasonable. 3 ... -
Page 4: Description And Specifications
Doner Designs www.donerdesigns.org Description and Specifications Encourage a Fighting Spirit with the Doner Designs Air Force Bass Description The Doner Designs “Fight Back” military theme guitars and basses were developed to encourage kids who are fighting life‐threatening illnesses as well as the friends and family who support them. These guitars are fully functional and constructed with premium hardware and electronics sure to please any musician, but are also works of art suitable for display for the inspiration of anyone. For new or aspiring players, a headphone amplifier and self‐study lesson book are included. The Air Force theme bass guitar is based on Leo Fender’s famous Precision Bass. The body and neck are from a value‐priced SX bass guitar. Doner Designs then completely rebuilt the guitar by replacing the pickup, hardware and electronics with premium aftermarket components. Two additional pickups and an onboard preamp were added. The two added pickups are similar to those used on a Gibson EB‐3 bass. Body routes were added to house the additional pickups, preamp and battery. The unusual 3 pickup configuration enables the Air Force Bass to emulate the sound of several classic bass designs including the Precision bass (middle pickup only) Jazz bass (middle and bridge pickups) EB‐0 (neck pickup only), EB‐3 (neck and bridge) and Stingray (bridge only). With all 3 pickups on, the bass has its own unique tone. The onboard preamp and passive bass and treble controls are somewhat akin to those found on G&L basses. Tonal flexibility and control is enhanced by three separate volume controls and on/off switches ‐ one for each pickup. Aircraft graphics include the Air Force Roundel symbol, USAF stencil lettering and the shark teeth most commonly seen on the famed P‐51 Mustang WWII aircraft. In addition, a red covered military switch along with 10 dials and switches give the control panel a cockpit‐like feel. The silver and chrome paint scheme and a strap made of seat belt material also contribute to the overall look. A semi‐gloss clear lacquer helps protect the lettering and contributes to the rugged industrial equipment look. ... - Page 5 Doner Designs www.donerdesigns.org Description and Specifications (continued) Features & Specifications • Custom design, construction, finish and setup by Doner Designs in suburban Chicago • Lacquer finished maple neck with maple fingerboard and two way truss rod • Contoured Precision‐style alder body • Dimarzio Willpower Middle P bass pickups • Gotoh Neck sidewinder pickup • Gotoh Bridge sidewinder pickup • Bartolini TC‐3 booster preamp • Babicz Full Contact Hardware premium bass bridge • Hipshot Ultralight tuning machines • Hipshot Xtender (drop‐D tuner) • Hipshot string retainer • Custom pickguard and backplates manufactured by Axetreme Creations • Separate volume controls for each of the 3 pickups • On/off toggle switches for each pickup • Passive/active boost switch ...
- Page 6 Doner Designs www.donerdesigns.org Description and Specifications (continued) Support Doner Designs is a father/son part‐time charitable enterprise. Each guitar is put together and set up with our own four hands using high quality components. We do not anticipate any user issues and have limited resources in terms of time and money. However, we want our users to be happy and able to make the most of their purchases. If the original owner experiences any issues, we will do our best to make it right. In addition, if you are delighted with your purchase, we would love to hear about that too. Please feel free to contact me (Steve Doner) at the email address indicated on our website: www.donerdesigns.org . Donation Information Doner Designs guitars and basses are paid for by Doner Designs and given to the charitable organization. A few parts are donated by suppliers and some suppliers offer discounts, but most of the parts cost and all of the labor is donated by Doner Designs. One hundred percent of the amount paid at auction goes to support the charity. ...
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Page 7: Instructions
Doner Designs www.donerdesigns.org User Instructions Controls Diagram The picture below shows the Air Force Bass controls at a glance. The next pages go into detailed explanations of each. Refer to our website or Facebook page for a video with sound clips demonstrating the tone of each pickup. 7 ... - Page 8 Doner Designs www.donerdesigns.org User Instructions Description of Controls The Air Force Bass includes three pickups, each with its own volume control and on/off switch. • Military Toggle Switch: The guitar will not operate unless this switch is in the “on” position. To turn on, lift cover and flip the switch. To turn off, close the cover – closing the cover will return the switch lever to the off position. • Volume Controls: The three larger knobs control the volume of each individual pickup. The knob nearest the neck controls the pickup nearest the neck, etc. • Chrome Mini Toggle Switches: The three chrome mini toggle switches turn each individual pickup on and off. The switch nearest the neck controls the pickup nearest the neck, etc. • Black Mini Toggle Switch: The black chrome mini toggle activates an onboard booster preamp which increases the output of the bass. This is intended more as an effect, thus we consider the “normal” setting to be “off”. • Small Gray Knobs: The smaller grayish knobs are master treble and bass controls. These controls are “passive” which means they operate even when the preamp is off. The controls are cut‐only meaning that the normal/flat setting is fully clockwise. Bass or treble boost can be accomplished through pickup selection – favor the neck pickup for bass boost or favor the bridge pickup for treble boost. • Recommended Settings: A wide variety of tonal options are available from this bass. We recommend experimentation beginning with all controls fully clockwise, with preamp off and with pickups off. Then, try each of the three pickups one at a time. Next try each of the four possible combinations of pickups. Then, select one pickup combination and experiment with each of the tone controls. ...
- Page 9 Doner Designs www.donerdesigns.org User Instructions (continued) Battery Replacement • Battery Life: The booster preamp in the bass requires a single nine volt battery to operate. Plugging an instrument cable into the bass activates the preamp, therefore leaving the cable plugged in when not playing will drain the battery within a matter of days even if the black toggle switch is in the preamp bypass position. Battery life will range from a few months to over a year if the bass is unplugged when not in use. • Battery Cover: The round Plexiglas cover (which looks like a gas cap) covers the battery compartment. It can be removed with an allen wrench of the appropriate size (included with accessories). • Battery removal: The battery fits snugly into the bass body to eliminate any vibration. To remove, gently pry the battery loose using a thin metal object like a butter knife or small screwdriver. • Passive operation: The Air Force Bass is designed to sound its best with the booster preamp off. If the user never activates the booster preamp, the battery is not needed. Without the battery in place, the black mini toggle switch will act as a master on/off switch. Care • Cleaning: We do not recommend use of any wax, polish or cleaning products. The bass should be wiped after each use with a soft cotton cloth (like an old t‐shirt). • Temperature Control: Whenever possible, keep the bass from extreme temperature conditions and avoid rapid temperature changes. When transporting the bass, leave it in the case after for at least 30 minutes after arrival to allow for a gradual warm up or cool down. • Humidity Control: Humidity control is helpful, but not as important with a solid body instrument as it is with an acoustic guitar. In moderate climates, the bass can be safely displayed outside its ...
- Page 10 Doner Designs www.donerdesigns.org User Instructions (continued) The Headphone Amplifier A Danelectro mini amplifier has been included with the intention of use as a headphone amplifier. The amplifier is not recommended for any other purpose even though it has a small built in speaker. It can be used with any headphones including the ear buds included. A short instrument cable has been included to facilitate use of the mini amp with its belt clip. If this is Your First Guitar If you are new to playing bass, a number of links are included on the next page which you may find helpful. If you don’t have an amplifier, that’s step one to getting the most out of your new bass. The headphone amp will allow you to play right away but is not how the bass is intended to be used. If you don’t have an amp, visit a Guitar Center or Sam Ash with your bass, plug it in and be amazed. We have also included links for online amp purchase, lesson books, online lessons, etc. Let us Hear from You We want to hear from you with any feedback or questions you might have. If this is your first guitar, we’ll be happy to coach you on picking out an amp if you want us to. Visit our website at www.donerdesigns.org for contact information. 10 ...
- Page 11 Doner Designs www.donerdesigns.org Online Resources Doner Designs: http://www.donerdesigns.org/ https://www.facebook.com/donerdesigns?ref=hl General Information: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php? http://www.harmonycentral.com/index.jspa http://www.talkbass.com/forum/ Setup & Repair at Home: http://www.sweetwater.com/expert‐center/techtips/d‐‐02/21/2007 http://www.musiciansfriend.com/browse/article.jsp?mediaId=m710672 http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/tutorial1.htm http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_setup/ Setup & Repair Service: http://www.thirdcoastguitar.com/ Lesson Books: http://www.halleonard.com/ http://www.amazon.com/Hal‐Leonard‐Guitar‐Method‐Complete/dp/B000RQ73GQ http://www.amazon.com/Leonard‐Bass‐Method‐Easy‐Use/dp/0793563836 http://www.amazon.com/Guitar‐For‐Dummies‐Mark‐Phillips/dp/0764599046 http://www.amazon.com/Bass‐Guitar‐Dummies‐Patrick‐Pfeiffer/dp/0470539615 Online Lessons: http://www.fender.com/features/onlinelessons/ http://www.guitarlessons.com/ http://www.jamplay.com/ http://www.guitartricks.com/ http://www.studybass.com/ http://www.cyberfretbass.com/ ...
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Page 12: Photographs
Doner Designs www.donerdesigns.org Photographs 12 ... - Page 13 Doner Designs www.donerdesigns.org Photographs (continued) 13 ...
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- Page 17 Doner Designs www.donerdesigns.org Photographs (continued) Air Force Bass includes the bass itself and a single set of the accessories shown in the picture above. The Army Guitar is not included with the Air Force Bass. A case and guitar stand (not shown) are also included. 17 ...
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Page 18: About Doner Designs
Doner Designs www.donerdesigns.org About Doner Designs In 2008 my son Richard purchased his first electric guitar. A week later we returned to Guitar Center to buy an electric bass for me. Soon thereafter we started tinkering with upgrades of hardware and electronics. Jamming and guitar building have been great father‐son activities for us ever since. Past experience with building stereo equipment and RC models helped working on guitars to come somewhat naturally. Dozens of sources on the internet helped fill the holes in our knowledge base. By the fall of 2012, when Doner Designs was founded, we had built or significantly modified eight guitars and had made significant styling modifications to a handful others. During 2012, as we considered the idea of building for charity auctions, our thoughts quickly turned to a family we have been close to for many years and who lost their daughter Jenna to cancer in 2011. We decided that the first two Doner Designs guitars would be dedicated to her. A metallic blue leopard themed guitar was built with and for Jenna’s family, in her memory, using her favorite colors. The experience of building the guitar with Jenna’s family also served as a pilot for potentially offering guitar building workshops in the future. The first “Fight Back” Army Guitar was built in memory and honor of Jenna’s brave fight against her illness. The military theme was important during her final days when friends and family visited and sent pictures of themselves in camo attire symbolizing their support of her battle. Our Air Force Bass guitar is being donated to the Chicago area Make‐A‐Wish Foundation for auction at their annual “Wish Ball” fundraiser in May of 2013. Make‐A‐Wish had previously granted Jenna’s wish to “swim with the dolphins” in Florida while she was undergoing treatment for her disease. Looking to the future, we think that “Fight Back” military style guitars like the Army Guitar and the Air Force Bass may be of interest to organizations near to our hearts like Make‐A‐Wish, Children’s Memorial Hospital and the American Cancer Society. Time will tell. We also have a close family connection to a child with Cystic Fibrosis which is why we are donating the Army Guitar to the CF 2013 Chef’s Gala. In summary, we build guitars for enjoyment, but also with the hope that we can help bring joy to others. Jenna’s memory is a part of the motive to help others. Another part comes from our Faith, ... - Page 19 Doner Designs www.donerdesigns.org About Doner Designs (continued) We donated this guitar to the Make‐A‐Wish Foundation because our lives are connected to Make‐A‐Wish through Jenna and her parents who are close friends of our family. During her treatments for Lymphoma, Jenna was granted her wish to go to Florida and swim with dolphins. The experience gave her a much needed respite from her arduous treatments and lifted her sprits significantly. Following a double lung transplant, friends and family sent her pictures of themselves dressed in camouflage attire. This was to encourage her with the thought that, in spirit, we were all fighting alongside her. This was the original inspiration for Doner Designs. All of our Fight Back series guitars are part of Jenna’s legacy. Thank you for joining with Doner Designs and the Make‐A‐Wish Foundation to help bring hope, joy and encouragement to children who are battling life threatening illness. 19 ...
- Page 20 Doner Designs www.donerdesigns.org About Doner Designs (continued) We thank you for your interest in Doner Designs and our Fight Back series of guitars! Steve Doner Richard Doner www.donerdesigns.org https://www.facebook.com/donerdesigns?ref=hl 20 ...
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