Bass of the Week: John Sullivan 5-String Custom
We previously featured a bass by John Sullivan, who built his own bass to be a versatile workhorse. Now he’s shared a killer five-string.
The bolt-on design is crafted with a roasted swamp ash body, splayed maple top, and a neck of wenge, maple, and padauk. Sullivan reinforced the neck with graphite rods before fitting it with a Madagascar ebony fretboard finished with a compound radius.
For electronics, the bass has a pair of Delano Xtenders and a Sonar 3 preamp. Finally, Hipshot hardware ties it all together.
John Sullivan 5-String Custom Bass Specs:
| Scale: | 34.5″ |
| Construction: | Bolt-on |
| Body: | Swamp Ash |
| Top: | Spalted Maple |
| Neck: | Wenge, Maple, Padauk with graphite reinforcement rods |
| Fretboard: | Madagascar Ebony |
| Fretboard Radius: | 10″-18″ |
| Pickups: | Delano Xtender 5HE/S |
| Electronics: | Sonar 3 |
| Hardware: | Hipshot |
| String Spacing at Bridge: | 18.5mm |
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.
