This Tiny Yellow Bass Was Built From 18th-Century Monastery Wood: Meet the Red Bird Mini Gemini
When I first laid eyes on the Red Bird Instruments Mini Gemini, it caught my attention with its bright yellow finish and pink aluminum pickguard. Then its scale length piqued my interest. Then I was intrigued by the pickup. Then I was shocked by its construction. Altogether, it’s an incredible instrument – and it’s our bass of the week.
Red Bird, based in the Czech Republic, shared the bass on its Facebook page, explaining that it was ordered by a customer for his children. The Mini Gemini is an even shorter scale version of their 30-inch scale Gemini XXX. It has a 23.5-inch scale, which is a full 11 inches shorter than a standard long-scale bass.
“The aim of this bass was to create a genuine instrument that would entertain children and be accessible to them, while also creating a serious and fully-operational instrument for adults,” they share. “Everything works here just like on a normal bass guitar – plus it’s incredibly fun to play.”
The company fitted the Mini Gemini with one of its own handmade P90 pickups, explicitly designed for its short-scale instruments. Hardware includes Hipshot Ultralite tuners and a Gotoh bridge, but it’s the wood materials that stand out.
“Our goal is to make instruments from quality reclaimed wood for its weight, sound features, for its story and also for environmental reasons,” Red Bird tells No Treble. “Wood used for these basses comes from a monastery in Rajhrad (Czechia). This spruce dates back to the 18th century, when there were extensive Baroque buildings designed by [architect Jan Santini Aichel] himself. Unfortunately, the wooden ceiling, from which these beams are also, collapsed due to the poor condition of the building. Currently, the wing of the monastery is undergoing extensive reconstruction. The second wing of the monastery is still functional and the monks live here. This wood is super light and it resonates beautifully, an absolute gem.”
The neck and fretboard are made from reclaimed maple from Wihelmsburg, Austria.
Red Bird Instruments Mini Gemini Photos:
Red Bird Instruments Mini Gemini Specs:
| Scale: | 23.5″ |
| Body: | Reclaimed spruce from Monastery in Rajhrad (18th century) |
| Neck: | Reclaimed maple from Wilhelmsburg (Austria, 1993) |
| Neck Profile: | C |
| Fretboard: | Reclaimed maple from Wilhelmsburg (Austria, 1993) |
| Fretboard radius: | 12″ |
| Frets: | 20 |
| Pickup: | Handmade Red Bird Bass P90 |
| Tuners: | Hipshot Ultralite |
| Bridge: | Gotoh with strings through body option |
| Pickguard: | Aluminium with pink finish |
| Finish: | Nitro |
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.
