Bass of the Week: JanAid Guitars’ Bob Abbott Yolanda 5

JanAid Guitars: Bob Abbott Yolanda 5 Bass

Named after a butterfly found in southern Spain, the JanAid Yolanda 5 bass draws inspiration from nature. This week, we check out the latest incarnation of the bass, which is also a signature model for Baltimore-based player Bob Abbott.

The Yolanda 5 was built with a variety of woods, utilizing their “defects” to create a a piece of art. The body’s core is purpleheart and cedar with a curly southern Spanish olive top, while the back is made from big leaf maple. The neck is African elondo and purpleheart. The headstock is Spanish cherry with a southern Spanish Olive top.

Besides the beautiful color stains used to bring out the figures from the woods, this bass is the first of JanAid’s to feature glass accents. The glasses adorning the headstock and knobs were created specially for the instrument by Spanish glass artisans Taller De Vidriomundo.

In staying true to the nature theme, lady bug and frog inlays are featured on the pickups and preamp cover on the back. The inlays are covered with LightAid, the company’s natural glow-in-the-dark base.

The electronics on the bass include a pair of SoundAid Hybrid model pickups made by JanAid and a CombiEq3 18 volts preamp, which offers treble, bass, and mid controls as well as high and low pass filters.

JanAid creates each bass custom and by hand, so pricing varies. The Yolanda 5 has a base price of €2900, which is approximately $3,884 USD. For more info, visit the JanAid website.

JanAid Guitars’ Bob Abbott Yolanda 5 Photo Gallery:

JanAid Guitars’ Bob Abbott Yolanda 5 Specs:

  • Top: Curly Southern Spanish Olive
  • Core: PurpleHeart and Cedar
  • Back: Big Leaf Maple
  • Central Block: Curly South spanish Olive
  • Neck: African Elondo and PurpleHeart
  • Headstock: Spanish Cherry
  • Headstock Top: Curly Olive
  • Fingerboard: Curly and spalted Olive
  • Nut: PurpleHeart (5.7mm)
  • Glass parts on Headstock by Taller de Vidriomundo
  • Wooden knobs, glass parts by Taller de Vidriomundo
  • Scale: 34.2”
  • Bridge: Aluminium
  • String Spacing: 18mm at bridge
  • Wilkinson tuners
  • 0.7mm action in C string
  • 1.2mm action in C string
  • 0.8mm relief on fret 12
  • Pickups: 2 SoundAid professional series Pickups Hybrid model by JanAid Guitars
  • Preamp: CombiEq3 preamp 18 volts
  • Finish: Nitro laquer finish, with LightAid on the entire body
  • Frog inlay on preamp cover with LightAid
  • 2 ladybug inlays on pickups covers with LightAid

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Leave a Reply to Centipede Farmer Cancel reply

  1. Tobempto Senzatempo

    very very stunning!!!The natural wood details are wonderful! and glass decorations are great…
    and the unmistakable sound!!!

  2. Centipede Farmer

    wow, ok. I imagine it plays and sounds great, but it looks like a glob of regurgitated partially-digested entrails.

  3. Vincenzo Maurogiovanni

    Every time something new splits the opinions: someone told Jacowhen he soloing: “Hey man, that’s not a guitar, it’s a bass”, or when the fifth and sixth string were introduced on the classical guitar someone thought “why? a four string guitar is enough”… and the all the people now imitates Jaco and all the people play a 6 string classical guitar. Evolution got the last word, ever,:-))
    Sometimes musicians are the worst enemies of the music and the instruments, because they think about their limits, they have in mind a “traditional shape”, but traditional at its time was Revolutionary:-))
    Janaid instruments are pieces of contemporary art, like Salvador Dali, you may like or not, but that art stands proud of its mediterranean colors, from the hand of the genius Javier Lopez.
    Go Janaid, you rock brother!!

    • Vincenzo Maurogiovanni

      @[710603376:2048:Bob Abbott]
      I agree Bob! Javier is an amazing person, and his instruments totally reflect his bright soul!:-))
      I am waiting for my janaid n.5 !!:-)))

    • Bob Abbott

      @[1310896761:2048:Vincenzo Maurogiovanni] – My brother Viz I can not wait for you to get your new JanAid n.5!!! It will be great having another family reunion with everyone:)

    • Vincenzo Maurogiovanni

      @[710603376:2048:Bob Abbott] Me too bro!! It’s awesome, all the friendship and love that grows around@[100000528387965:2048:JanAid Guitars], so many people love him and his basses!! , I’m sure Javier will be proud of this. You’re making the world better with your basses Janaid:-)

    • @[1559074378:2048:Dejan Zec] Thanks!:-)

    • Wise words master Viz!!
      I am so proud of my Janaid bass, looks and sounds different!! i will buy soon my second one , fretless. Anyway i love this Yolanda model, it looks like a tropical plant, a moving effect:-)

    • Viz – what makes JanAid Guitars so wonderful is it is constantly changing and growing – just like people and nature….

  4. Ilias Rotsias

    When you know what you want, and which path you want your music to follow, all of the above (inspirational visual art on master luthiery) are even more helpfull.So instead of walking into labyrinths with the eyes looking down, make your own musical filters work, exploit your full potential and create your own art, just like Viz and Javier! All these visual additions are not “noise”, the problem was always the lack of musicians with a clear mind, and. vision

  5. Israel Hijo Del Altisimo

    Definitivamente el bajo de mis sueños, una Artesania nunca antes vista, es impresionante la estética de ese instrumento, y definitivamente en su sonido es indiscutible, una maravilla!!! LOS INSTRUMENTOS DEL FUTURO!!! Un saludo JanAid!!

  6. Travis Sandvig

    I’ve been playing a JanAid bass of a little over a year now. I have sold all of my other basses because none compare to the sound of my JanAid. Javier’s designs are beautiful and each one is unique and impossible to replicate. So many custom designers simply put some fancy finish on the same bass over and over. Each JanAid is built specifically for its player and there is no formula for a JanAid, Javier is an artist and a great friend.

  7. Stella Maurogiovanni

    congratulations Janaid guitars, you are a real master, your basses are inspired by nature, they are like great paintings and the they sound great

  8. Daniele Petrocchi

    All i can say is that every Javier’s creation is a masterpiece…i’m a fortunate owner of a JanAid bass and i can tell you that they sound like you immagine that your bass should sound…just because Javier will build your bass with your stile, personality and expectations in mind…every JanAid bass is unique, just like you… I love JanAid basses and of course the beautiful Yolanda 5… ;-)

  9. Bob Abbott

    Viz, Daniele, Travis, Dejan, Goran, and eveyone – I completely agree with you 100000% about JanAid Guitars – To me the craftsmanship if wonderful – very much like an master from the from one of the classic periods. What makes JanAid Guitars so wonderful is that Javier not only custom builds for the individual that he is building the instrument for but also respects the material that he is using. Every bass that I have had the honor of seeing and playing in person is completely different. JanAid Guitars is allowing nature to come alive and show off through a musical instrument. It is not an instrument for everyone. For me it has allowed and inspired me to feel more a part of the of the artistic musical process by having an instrument that inspires me to play and become more creative. My musical voice has been opened fully due JanAid Guitars. I know that I have been truly blessed by owning such a great instrument. It is truly wonderful having someone who is my great friend and brother who has shared his time and talents to build it for me. If you have not taken the time to look at JanAid Guitars, please take the time to view some works of art and be amazed by a modern master…..

  10. Michele Campobasso

    Amazing sound and construction !!! Every Janaid bass has a particoular soul and tris model Yolanda is an evolution of all Javier Lopez experience and art. From today, all bassists have a new SUPER gear in their hand !

  11. Giu Mast

    Literally astonishing!!! It has a beautiful sound, it’s very easy to handle, very fast fretboard, and simply fantastic appearance; you can play EVERYTHING with this beautiful instrument. EVERYTHING.

  12. Bob Abbott

    @[1559074378:2048:Dejan Zec] – I’m sure you are like me – I am amazed every time that I pick up my @[100000528387965:2048:JanAid Guitars] – There are things that I am still discovering every day…..

  13. This thing looks hideous, the shapes and colors just don’t work, at least to me. Your preferences may vary. Impressive materials list, though. I guess the neck looks cool.

  14. There’s a reason we’re musicians instead of visual artists, I guess :D

  15. hmmm.. looks like a school pupils woodwork assignment. no thanks

  16. Nice Bass! Great work Javier.

  17. Since the first time i saw Janaid basses on web i fell in love. That’s pure art, a great sounding sculpture

  18. Janaid sounds are all beautiful…each wood has a different sound, it’s fantastic…!!!!

  19. Not just a great basses, but also Javier is a great guy!

  20. Just thought I would give everyone an update – I had the chance to turn the lights of with the bass in the room and it had started to glow – JanAid Guitars has applied their LightAid Lacquer all over the bass and the shading that we see on the body glows and is reflected by the LightAid. JanAid Guitars not only has the ability to make beautiful instruments and works of art from nature but they also have the ability to create works of art that will light up the night!