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Bass of the Week - Page 35

The old adage is true: so many basses, so little time. That’s why we’re bringing you the “Bass of the Week,” a column featuring low-end instruments ranging from beautiful to bizarre. Have a bass you think we should feature? Drop us a note at [email protected]

Bass of the Week: Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Special SS

Bass of the Week: Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Special SS

In 2011, Squier added to their retro-styled Vintage Modified series with the Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Special SS. The model riffs on the Fender Jaguar but pares things down on the controls as well as the scale. Squier describes the 30-inch scale bass as “short and sweet with a big sound”. Its overall design is based on the Fender Jaguar...

Bass of the Week: ESP E-II Stream SL-5

Bass of the Week: ESP E-II Stream SL-5

This week we’re taking a look at the ESP E-II Stream SL-5, a bigger variation on the bass model they debuted in 2014. The SL-5 is a five-string version with a 35-inch scale and larger body than its predecessors. As part of the E-II series, the Stream SL-5 is built in ESP’s Japanese factory. Available in Deep Red Metallic Satin...

Bass of the Week: Tom Clement Basses Angel Bass

Bass of the Week: Tom Clement Basses Angel Bass

This week we’re checking out the Tom Clement Basses Angel bass, an instrument that the luthier describes as borrowing ideas from the Gibson Thunderbird to combine retro vibe with custom features. The bass was designed alongside long-time customer Jon-Inge Paulsen. “The name Angel reflects on the people we love, the people who mean the world to us, the people we...

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Bass of the Week: Alembic Series II “Leap of Faith”

Bass of the Week: Alembic Series II “Leap of Faith”

Alembic’s basses have been a big influence on custom builders, and it’s easy to see why. They started in 1969 as a live sound consulting operation. Founders Ron and Susan Wickersham then moved into instrument electronics, creating low impedance pickups and what would become first set of active electronics for a guitar. Their first bass was built in 1972 for...

Bass of the Week: Hot Wire Blues Bass

Bass of the Week: Hot Wire Blues Bass

Hot Wire Basses took a page out of the old school with their Blues Bass. Modeled after the early fifties Kay Electric Bass, the Blues Bass is a vintage-style hollowbody, which the company notes was often played by four-stringers backing up Blues legends like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. While the design imitates an old Kay, Hot Wire made some...

Bass of the Week: Wreck Guitars W Minor 5

Bass of the Week: Wreck Guitars W Minor 5

This week we’re checking out the W Minor 5 by Wreck Guitars. Introduced late last year, the model can be fitted with a number of woods and pickup configurations. “This is a modern bass for light right arm playing with bridge moved more to the end of an instrument,” the company writes. “[The W Minor 5’s] balance is perfect for...

Bass of the Week: Ritter Instruments R8 Singlecut #1237

Bass of the Week: Ritter Instruments R8 Singlecut #1237

Jens Ritter’s basses have a style and finesse that makes them instantly recognizable. This week we’re checking out one of his R8 Singlecut models featuring a stark black and white contrast as its motif. The 5-string bass is built with a swamp ash body and maple top, all finished in white. Its three-piece maple neck is also finished in white,...

Bass of the Week: Skjold Design Drakkar

Bass of the Week: Skjold Design Drakkar

Pete Skjold has been wowing bassists with his incredible instruments for nearly two decades. Last year he introduced a trio of new models based on his most popular body shapes, and this week we’re checking out the singlecut Drakkar bass. “The Drakkar is the modern version of the classic Whaleback,” Skjold explains on his website. “A focus on ergonomics took...

Bass of the Week: Enfield Guitars Lionheart English Rose

Bass of the Week: Enfield Guitars Lionheart English Rose

This week we’re checking out the Enfield Guitars Lionheart English Rose, a rosewood-themed bass with tons of tonal flexibility. The UK-made bass takes the company’s Lionheart design and upgrades it with a solid rosewood neck and fingerboard for feel as well as tone. “There’s no denying the natural feel of solid rosewood. It really is so inspiring to handle,” company...

Bass of the Week: Wahlbrink Hades 4-String Salmo Salar

Bass of the Week: Wahlbrink Hades 4-String Salmo Salar

Germany’s Wahlbrink Basses created the Hades as a workhorse bass that is “less fancy” than their Art-Line, but even so the model is a beauty. Here we’re checking out a four-string Hades dubbed the Salmo Salar, or Atlantic Salmon. The clean white finish is accented by a pickguard covered with genuine salmon leather, which Wahlbrink describes as “tough, pleasant to...

Bass of the Week: Duesenberg Guitars Fullerton Bass

Bass of the Week: Duesenberg Guitars Fullerton Bass

This week we’re checking out a sultry hollowbody called the Duesenberg Fullerton Bass. Built after they introduced the Eagles Signature Bass, the company calls the bass a “dynamic brother to the Fullerton Series.” Its body features a laminated spruce top with flamed maple top and sides with cream binding to add a touch of elegance to its smoky finish. The...

Bass of the Week: Prat Basses Original I

Bass of the Week: Prat Basses Original I

This week we’re checking out an exquisite Original I by Prat Basses. This particular six-string, built by luthier Oscar Prat, will get Buckeye Burl lovers going with its prime top and matching headstock. The bolt-on bass has a 34-inch scale with a curly maple and walnut neck attached to its one-piece swamp ash body. Its bright birdseye maple fingerboard is...