The Icosa-4 Helix Bass is a thin line acoustic only 1-7/8” (47.5mm) thick at the side.

This is the version that I had shown at the 2019 Winter NAMM last year. It got a lot of attention.

This version has a 7 degree twist which is CNC’d into the neck. This Helix / Twist reduces the amount the bass player has to bend his wrist. This makes the bass much more comfortable to play especially in the first positions and reduces the development of carpal tunnel and fatigue in the hand and wrist. This product is indorsed by Dr. Randall Kertz.  Dr. Kerts has many musician patients that have found great relief in using this helix neck. Please visit Dr. Kerts web site for more insight to the benefits of a Helix neck  https://www.drkertz.com/

As stated the Helix neck has a 7 degree twist. So as you look down the neck you can see that it is twisted. This twist allows you to play the bass in the 1st position with out having to bend your wrist at the 90 degree angle. This reduced angle of the wrist reduces the strain and tension on the wrist and is much easier to paly. Especially anyone dealing with Carpels tunnel would greatly benefit for this type of  helix neck.

The construction of this instrument is quite different from that of the Icosa guitars. The main difference is the Icosa guitars have a more traditional top X type braising. Whereas the Bass has A bracing. Also the Icosa Bass is made unlike anything that I have ever seen before. It also has piers under the bridge which support the top and the bracing. This makes for a more of an electric-acoustic instrument as opposed to the more acoustic-electric instrument. The back of the guitar and the interior piers are made of one block of Mahogany which is completely hollowed out, essentially the back and sides are one. The top of the guitar is Solid Spruce or Laminated Spruce depending on your preference and the rosette is Rosewood inlayed into the spruce top. The carved spruce braces are arranged in our own A bracing pattern.

The top dome is larger than you would find on most acoustics in order to get the most movement from such a thin sided acoustic instrument. In order to perfectly mate the dome of the Spruce top plate to the side top rim (side mating surface) we CNC the side top bearing edge to give us perfect mating of the top plate to the sides all the way around the instrument. In practice these complex multi radial surfaces cannot be accomplished by hand. Other than this process the entire instrument is built by hand. The Bridge is made of Rosewood with a compensated graphite polymer saddle. A piezo transducer is installed under the saddle to drive the active preamplifier. The preamp requires a 9 volt battery and the battery box is recessed into the back cover for convenient and easy access.

The control layout is one volume control for overall volume. A center notched tone control for cut /boot treble and a center notched Bass control to cut or boot Bass frequencies. This setup allows for a diverse array of tonal sounds.

The neck is made of three-piece quarter sawn maple. It is further reinforced with Graphite laths and fitted with a two-way adjustable truss rod system accessed for the headstock. This makes for a very strong and stable neck. The nut is made of bone 1-9/16” (40mm) in width.

The 30-3/4” scale length Jatoba fingerboard has 22 medium Jumbo hardened nickel silver frets and is fitted with Elliptical pearloid position markers. The neck/body joint used is a reinforced tenon and mortise joint. The Machine heads are gold plated Diecast 17:1 gear ratio with gold buttons.

Perfect for both amplified and acoustic performances.

• Scale: 30.75” (781mm)
• Neck: Hard Rock Maple
• Helix 7.8 degree Neck
• Reinforcement: Graphite
• Machines: 17:1 Die Cast
• Nut: Bone 1-9/16” (40mm)
• Finger board: Brazilian Jatoba
• Fingerboard Radius: 12” (304.8mm)
• Inlay: Pearloid Ellipse
• Frets: 22 Nickle Silver
• Body Top: Solid Spruce
• Back: Solid Mahogany
• Pickups: Piezo w/Preamp
• Bridge: Diamond Wood
• Tail Piece: Diamond Wood
• Controls: 1 Volume, 2 Tone,
• Knobs: Ebony
• Includes Deluxe Tweed Hard Shell Case

Helix Technology is licensed by Lace Music Products

For more information about the  Icosa Helix scroll down.