Bass of the Week: LeCompte Electric Bass’ Prototype 1.5

LeCompte Basses Prototype 1.5 - 4-String Spalted Bass

Texas-based luthier Bud LeCompte has lots of cool designs on his website, but his Prototype 1.5 (aka PT 1.5) really caught our eye. With one foot rooted in the past and one stepping forward, the cool singlecut body shape has LeCompte’s unique style written all over it.

“I like a lot of the traditional instruments, but I don’t want to build clones,” he told us in a Custom Shop interview. “I try to put my own twist on the traditional designs. I have developed my own way of building instruments, so I try to make the traditionally influenced designs also fit the way I build.”

As LeCompte is a one-man shop, each bass is built to order, so woods for the body, top, neck, and fingerboard vary. The style features bolt-on construction, while the scale is 34? on the 4-string and 35? on 5 and 6-string versions. LeCompte typically utilizes Nordstrand pickups and Hipshot hardware.

The LeCompte Prototype 1.5 is built by hand in Texas with a starting price of $1,400 for a 4-string. For more details and options, check out the LeCompte website.

LeCompte Prototype 1.5 Bass Photo Gallery:

LeCompte Prototype 1.5 Bass Specs:

  • 4-, 5-, or 6-String Versions
  • 34? Scale for 4-string, 35? Scale for 5 and 6-String
  • Solid Body
  • Bolt-on Construction
  • Choice of Woods
  • Satin Finish
  • Nordstrand Pickups
  • Hipshot Hardware
  • Fretted or Fretless
  • Left-handed upon request
  • Custom Options

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 Jay Stevens Cancel reply

  1. Love to hear some comments from someone who has played one.

  2. sorry they still look like shit… :( the one with the spalted maple top is ok, but the rest…

    • youre right, the website is awesome. i especially like the ST model basses. i must say that no treble made a poor job selecting the pictures to introduce this manufacturer. The guitars in this article represent a horrible taste and absolutely no beauty. i´m sure lecompt is’nt fault for his customers’ shit taste / tastelessness

    • A bit arrogant to think you set the standard for taste and beauty, yes? Everyone has their own preferences.

    • Zsolt, we used pictures LaCompte not only provided, but showcases on their own site for this model. I see you post quite a bit here, and don’t seem to like very much of what we cover (new or otherwise). What is your favorite bass(es)?

    • hey there Corey, don’t worry, i love your stuff! it’s great to see all the new gear on the site, regardless of looks/quality. it just happens to be so, that some (not all) of the so-called “innovations” are useless/stupid/copied/ugly ideas (in my perspective). but it’s great to learn from them (here at notreble, or NAMM, or MusikMesse), as they enrich the palette of stuff available – they enforce our democratic culture the same way my hate-comments do. my top-favs: Ritter, Paul Lairat, @[1469448330:2048:Luthman Basses], @[114677206240:274:Fibenare Guitars Co.] (ill have my own custom-shop Globe Bass done in august). and of course Fender (i have the new USA DLX jazz), Höfner (i own a mint “185 artist model” from 1964). i’ll make sure to send you some pix of my new fibenare in august :)

    • Looking forward to it, Zsolt. Would also like to think about doing an “Old School” interview with you about that Hofner. Drop us a line @ [email protected] if you’d be up for it.

    • Your vocabulary does not seem to have other adjectives to describe bass guitars than “shit” and… “shit”. Make your own basses then, or expand your vocabulary a bit more Mr. Criticism.

    • I looked at pictures of the basses that Zsolt likes and they’re all shit. Of course I’ve never actually seen them in person or touched them, but they’re all shit. Even Fender hasn’t done anything worth a damn since 1960…shit….everything you think is innovative and beautiful is shit.
      Aren’t opinions wonderful!