If you happen to follow Esperanza Spalding’s Facebook page, you might have seen from photos of her Radio Music Society summer tours that she’s wielding a slick new 5-string fretless.
The bass is a South Paw, created by NYC luthier Simon Propert, and it’s one of a kind.
“Each bass is custom and a little different, so there is no model name,” Propert shared. “They’re all the same basic shape, but each one evolves into something different.”
Esperanza’s bass is centered around a maple body with off-center maple and ebony strips that complement its jet black ebony fingerboard and maple neck. The pickup is a Bartolini Stingray Five that’s wired to a three way switch that toggles between the coils. It has three modes: series double coil, parallel double coil, and single coil, which utilizes only the neck coil.
Esperanza Spalding’s South Paw Bass Photo Gallery:
Esperanza Spalding’s South Paw Bass Details:
| Body: | Mahogany, Maple, Ebony |
| Neck: | Maple |
| Fingerboard: | Ebony |
| Pickup: | Bartolini Stringray 5 |
| Controls: | Volume, Tone, 3-way Toggle |
Photos of Esperanza Spalding performing by Daniele Solavaggione, Russ Kirby and Willeke Machiels.
