Bass of the Week: Fodera Zebrawood AJ Contrabass Shape 12 Elite

Fodera Zebrawood AJ Contrabass Shape 12 Elite Bass

This week we’re checking out a very unique Fodera. This Zebrawood AJ Contrabass Shape 12 Elite is a 12-string fretless built specially for bassist Steuart Liebig. Featuring the “AJ Contrabass” body shape, the instrument is built with a mahogany body with a Flame Maple tone block and zebrawood top.

The neck is a five-piece laminate with maple and South American Rosewood stringers. Its Indian Rosewood fingerboard is inlaid with ebony dots. Fodera fitted with bass with passive electronics and a massive custom Nordstrand pickup. Liebig explained the pickup and controls on Facebook.

“[It’s] 4 P-bass coils [and] 2 J-bass coils,” he writes. “Front 4 on one 5-position rotary switch so I can get front layer P, back layer P, split-P, reverse-split-P, or all four P coils. 3-position toggle allows me to do P coils, J coils or combination P/J coils. A lot of variation possible. Passive volume and tone. Kill switch. The space behind the pickup is because I have a few extended techniques/prepared things that I do that require that space.”

We can’t wait until there’s a clip of this beast in action!

Edit: Liebig has uploaded these sample tracks to Soundcloud. Check it out:

Fodera Zebrawood AJ Contrabass Shape 12 Elite Bass Specs:

Scale:34″
Construction:Neck-Through
Strings:12
Body:Mahogany
Tone Block:Flame Maple
Top:Zebrawood
Neck:5-piece Maple with South American Rosewood Stringers
Fingerboard:Indian Rosewood
Frets:Fretless
Inlays:Ebony Dot
Pickup:Custom Nordstrand Pickup

Get Bass of the Week in your inbox.

Don’t miss a Bass of the Week. Sign up for email alerts (every Monday).

Share your thoughts