Bass of the Week: BL Design Barbary Fretless 5-String
Our featured bass this week is a BL Design Barbary 5-string. This custom fretless bass is a single cutaway design built with a redwood theme, the body is birdseye redwood with a maple veneer, while the stunning top is exhibition grade redwood burl.
From there, the body is accented by a 9-piece padauk neck that has wenge and maple pinstripes and a bubinga heelblock. The fretboard is figured bubinga with bubinga and maple binding.
Luthier Beau Leopard’s attention to detail is displayed in the continuous pickup covers, which keep the flow of the burl accurate. The knobs were built by DKnob, and accent the top with redwood burl and bubinga and maple markers.
The pickups are Nordstrand Dual Coils (with coil switches) and a piezo bridge. Electronics include an Aguilar OBP-3 and a Bartolini piezo buffer, while the bass’s hardware are Hipshot Ultralite tuners and an ETS Tuning Fork Bridge. The cavity cover and truss rod cover are magnetic for easy removal.
A 5-string Barbary has a base price of $3600. For more info, visit the BL Design website.
BL Design Barbary Fretless 5-String Gallery:
BL Design Barbary Fretless 5-String Specs:
- Scale Length: 35″
- Weight: 9 pounds
- Nut Width: 1 3/4″
- Bridge: 19mm
- Fretboard: 14″-20″ compound radius
- Top: Exhibition Grade Redwood Burl
- Body: Birdseye Redwood with maple veneer
- Neck: 9-piece Padauk, wenge and maple pinstripes, bubinga heelblock
- Fretboard: Figured Bubinga with bubinga and maple binding. Pearl side markers
- Hardware: Hipshot Ultralite tuners and an ETS Tuning Fork bridge
- Pickups: Nordstrand Dual Coils with coil switches, Piezo bridge
- Preamp: Aguilar OBP-3 and a Bartolini piezo buffer
- Finish: High Gloss, Epoxy coated fingerboard
- Continuous Pickup Covers
- Magnetic cavity cover and truss rod cover
- Knobs by DKnob
- Redwood burl and Bubinga with maple markers
Photo Credits: Tim Fuss
