Jens Ritter’s Hawaiian Pyro Okon Bass: A Fully Pyrographed Masterpiece by Dino Muradian
Pyrography is the art of burning wood, and this week we’re featuring an amazing example of the craft. The Hawaiian Pyro Okon Bass by Jens Ritter Instruments was decorated by Dino Muradian, who has also made guitar art for everyone from Metallica to B.B. King. Its ornate design covers the entire bass, front and back.
“I’ve worked with violins, mandolins, cellos, you name it,” Muradian told Guitar World. “The owners all tell me that afterwards, ‘They sound amazing’ – especially if the whole instrument has been covered. The burning process changes something in the wood. It changes its structure, and it makes the instrument sound more powerful.”
Ritter built the bass with an alder body, maple neck, and maple fingerboard. The five-string bass, which has a 35-inch scale, is fitted with Triplebucker pickups and a Ritter Master Parametric EQ. If the body shape reminds you of a certain other luthier, then you have a good eye.
“I was asked by Stefan Okon to design a bass inspired by the American luthier Carl Thompson,” Ritter says on his website. “This resulted in a body shape with a fancy cutaway scroll and bony lower cutaway.”
Jens Ritter Instruments Hawaiian Pyro Okon Bass Photos:
Jens Ritter Instruments Hawaiian Pyro Okon Bass Specs:
| Construction: | 3-piece Bolt-On |
| Scale: | 35″ |
| Body: | Alder |
| Neck: | Maple |
| Fingerboard: | Maple |
| Frets: | 24 |
| Pickups: | Ritter Master Triplebucker M |
| Electronics: | Ritter Master Parametric |
| Bridge: | Ritter 3D/B1 String Attachment |
| Tuners: | Ritter BT - Custom Made by Gotoh |
| Finish: | Hawaiian Pyro - Frosted Transparent |
| Other: | Pyrography by Dino Muradian |
| Weight: | 8.36 lbs |
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
