Bass of the Week: Nishgaki Guitars Tempesta 5 Indigo Blue
Luthier Yuki Nishgaki of Nishgaki Guitars draws his inspiration from nature. That’s clear on this gorgeous semi-hollow Tempesta bass, which summons visions of huge waves of sound.
“‘Tempesta’ means ‘storm’ in Italy,” Nishgaki explains. “Its top and back wood curve are shaped by hand. Semi-solid structure with an original designed center block. Tempesta blends two opposite directions of sounds: acoustic like a vintage cello with electric bass overtones. A player can express its various sound just by his/her sensitive touch.”
This particular bass, made with bassist Ryo Miyachi, has a body crafted with an alder center, exotic maple back, and a Tochi top. (Nishgaki calls Tochi a “Japanese Horse Chestnut.) Its set neck is made from both flame maple and hard maple, while its fretboard is African Blackwood. The head plate is Kaede Tamamoku, a Japanese exotic maple.
The bass has a dazzling blue Indigo blue finish that Nishgaki creates from a rare traditional Japanese method. “I use ‘Awa Ai’ from Tokushima prefecture for indigo dyeing,” the builder shares. “Highly-pure precipitated Indigo can mix with the natural color of the wood well, and it makes unique color and a good feel. This special material of Indigo is from Leki Nagahara who is a producer of ‘Awa Ai.’”
Other features include a set of Nordstrand Big Single pickups, a Hipshot bridge, and Gotoh tuners. You can hear this incredible piece of work in the capable hands of Miyachi on the bassists’s Facebook page.
Nishgaki Guitars Tempesta 5 Indigo Blue Bass Specs:
| Construction: | Set Neck |
| Scale: | 34-inch |
| Body Construction: | Semi-Hollow |
| Body: | Alder |
| Body Back: | Exotic Maple |
| Top: | Tochi (Japanese Horse Chestnut) |
| Neck: | 3-piece Flame Maple/Hard Maple |
| Head Plate: | Kaede Tamamoku (Japanese Exotic Maple) |
| Fretboard: | African Blackwood |
| Fretboard Radius: | 9.5″-16″ Compound |
| Frets: | 24 |
| Pickups: | Nordstrand Big Single |
| Controls: | Volume, Tone, Blend |
| Bridge: | Hipshot B-Style with Original Titanium Saddles |
| String Spacing: | 18mm |
| Tuners: | Gotoh |
| Color: | Aizome (Japanese Indigo Dyeing) |
| Finish: | Shellac |
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.
