Bass of the Week: DeMars Guitars Long Trail Bass

DeMars Guitars Long Trail Bass

DeMars Guitars’ Long Trail bass is no doubt an instrument for proud players of the low end. Inspired by Vermont’s hiking trail of the same name, the Long Trail is a a chambered solid-body instrument sporting the company’s patented bass clef soundhole, which the company calls “a stunning visual signature for forward-thinking bassists.”

We call it righteous.

The Long Trail comes in 4 and 5-string versions and is built with a basswood body and either a AAA Englemann spruce or AAAAA flame maple top. For an added touch, the bass has rosewood edge binding with contrasting edge purfling around the top. The 3-piece rock maple neck features an integrated headstock and is topped with either a rosewood or ebony fingerboard.

Hardware on the bass includes Gotoh tuners, a 2-way adjustable truss rod, a TUSQ nut, and an Earvana compensated acoustic saddle, though the 5-string model replaces the Earvana with a TUSQ bridge. The pickups are a pair of piezo transducers placed under the saddle and at the neck heel, with the latter location capturing more of the influence of the neck. These are then fed into a K&K PowerBlend 2-channel 9V preamp. DeMars ships the bass with the “sweet spot” already set, but users can adjust each channel’s EQ independently via the preamp board in the control cavity. A rosewood master volume knob is situated on the lower side of the bridge.

The DeMars Long Trail bass is made in Vermont and carries a list price of $3,300 for a 4-string and $3,600 for a 5-string version. For more info, check out the DeMars Guitars website.

DeMars Guitars Long Trail Photo Gallery:

DeMars Guitars Long Trail Bass Specs:

  • Body: Basswood (opaque black finish); optional mahogany (clear finish)
  • Neck: 3-piece rock maple with integrated headstock
  • Fingerboard: Rosewood or fretless ebony; radius: 10” (4-string), 16” (5-string)
  • Tops: AAA Englemann spruce (natural finish only), AAAAA flame maple (natural)
  • Edge binding: Rosewood with b/w/b border, contrasting edge purfling around top
  • Length: 43.8”; 45.5” for 5-string
  • Scale length: 34”; 35” for 5-string
  • Width: 14”
  • Thickness: 2”
  • Weight: 5.8 lbs; 6.3 lbs for 5-string
  • Nut width: 1.75”; 1.81” for 5-string
  • Nut material: TUSQ
  • Bridge material: Earvana Compensated Acoustic Saddle; TUSQ on 5-string
  • Tuners: Gotoh compact bass tuners (gold finish standard)
  • Truss rod: 2-way, adjustable; graphite rod neck inserts
  • Pickups & electronics by K&K Sound: Two piezo transducers: under-saddle and at neck heel; 2-channel 9-volt preamp, master volume control located on bridge, mono output

Get Bass of the Week in your inbox.

Don’t miss a Bass of the Week. Sign up for email alerts (every Monday).

Leave a Reply to Francisco Quirarte Cancel reply

  1. reallly? thats like havin a piano with a G clef on top…. not classy

  2. how do ya restring it?

  3. love the bass clef sound hole…laser cut?