The Bass, MAD: Quartz Transformer

My first and only bass—at least so far. A budget-entry model acquired when I was fifteen, inspired by seeing Murdoc from Gorillaz, Scott Pilgrim (not exactly a role model), and local Costa Rican bands like Magpie Jay Sexy Sinister Sex, Alphabetics Frutista, and Mechas Café Frontera.

Originally a light sparkling silver, its first modification was simple: a pickguard covered in black floral doodles and its former name, Afrodita, inscribed on the headstock.

Decay and RebirthYears passed. It endured falls, intonation issues, wood dehydration, and a general lack of maintenance. Eventually, due to its precarious factory electronics and the passage of time, a wire came loose and a pickup died. That moment became the catalyst—or rather, the excuse—for a complete transformation into what it is today: MAD: Quartz Transformer.

Technical Specifications & Electronics

I approached the restoration with a “salvage” mindset, rebuilding the internal logic of the instrument:

• Shielding: I replaced every factory wire with shielded cabling salvaged from an old DVD player. To eliminate interference, I created a Faraday cage using aluminum foil, ensuring every cavity wall maintained contact with the instrument’s common ground.
• Tone Capacitance: I replaced the stock \(0.068\mu F\) capacitor with a toggle switch. This allows me to select between:

– \(0.047\mu F\): For that classic 1960s Fender Jazz Bass tone. – \(0.1\mu F\) (MPK type): For a deeper, more crystalline low-end.

• The Saturation Circuit: Using two current transformers from the same DVD player and a custom-routed cavity in the body, I installed a unique saturation path: – Switch A: Toggles between the “Natural” signal and the “Saturated” path.

• The Gain Stage: The signal passes through a common-emitter amplifier.

• Switch B (The Esoteric Path): Toggles between a standard transformer or a transformer preceded by a Handmade Quartz Capacitor.

The Physics of the Quartz:

Physically, a capacitor consists of two conductors separated by a dielectric. I built this one using a raw, polished quartz crystal taken from a wind chime gifted to me by my therapist, Adriana Solano.

Quartz (\(SiO_2\)) is piezoelectric: mechanical stress generates an electric charge, and vice versa. By sending the signal through a parallel diode bridge, the pulses cause the crystal to vibrate. This vibration returns a distorted signal—incredibly faint, but carrying the “heart” of the crystal. This is then boosted by a final amplifier stage. To reach saturation faster, the transformers are fitted with neodymium magnets.

Aesthetics & Symbology

The visual identity of the Quartz Transformer is a collage of my history and interests:

• Body & Hardware: The pickguard is decoupaged with 1970s nuclear physics magazines and scientific illustrations of moths. The tuning pegs feature my old drawings.
• The “Cassette” Mod: The new electronics cavity is covered by half of an old cassette shell, decorated with an illustration of a female torso and moth cutouts. This houses the saturation switches for easy access.
• The Headstock: Matches the pickguard’s aesthetic, featuring my personal logo (BOR) and the instrument’s new name.

Personal Relics:

• Cards & Stickers: A Dark Magician Girl card (Yu-Gi-Oh!), “The World” (XXI) Tarot card, a sticker from my first concert at the UCR Planetarium, the UCR logo, and a Nasty vape sticker.
• The “Soul”: At the base of the neck, near the truss rod (named “alma” in spanish), lies a Post-it note with a hidden message and a baby tooth from my “star,” my cat Sirius.

This bass is now an extension of myself—scarred by the years but evolved. It carries the weight of those who matter to me, even those who are no longer in my life.