Bass of the Week: Stanley Clarke’s Custom Lieber Spider Grinder Folk Bass
Designer and luthier Tom Lieber has been an innovative force in the bass building world for decades. After apprenticing with Doug Irwin and working on instruments for the Grateful Dead, he built The Dragon for Jefferson Starship’s Pete Sears. He began working with Stanley Clarke in the ’70s, and this week we’re featuring an instrument that reflects their continued collaboration: the Lieber Instruments Spider Grinder Folk Bass.
This custom version of Lieber’s acoustic bass guitar model was built for Clarke’s 70th birthday and features ornate Mother of Pearl and abalone binding along the body and headstock, as well as a commemorative inlay at the 24th fret.
The body is built with a carbon fiber parabolic bowl back and a hand-carved spruce top, which is suspended with zero bracing. Its curly maple and ebony neck is adorned with an ivy-like inlay that runs the length of the fingerboard.
Lieber designed the Spider Grinder in 1976 to create an acoustic bass that was well-voiced and capable of cutting through in live performances. This latest version is fitted with a pair of Fishman piezo pickups and a preamp for plugging into an amp.
More than a birthday celebration, the bass is a full-circle moment. Clarke first acquired one of Lieber’s Spider Grinders in 1979, which led to their collaboration on many bass designs over the next four decades. It’s a continuation of each man’s lifelong pursuit of tone, innovation, and artistry.
Lieber Instruments Spider Grinder Folk Bass Photos:
Lieber Instruments Spider Grinder Folk Bass Specs:
| Scale: | 34″ |
| Body: | Carbon Fiber Parabolic Bowl Back |
| Top: | Arched, Hand-Carved Spruce |
| Binding: | Mother of Pearl and Abalone |
| Neck: | Curly Maple |
| Fingerboard: | Ebony |
| Frets: | 24 |
| Inlays: | Decorative Mother of Pearl and Abalone, 70th Birthday Plate at 24th Fret |
| Pickups: | Fishman Piezo |
| Electronics: | Fishman Preamp |
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.
