La Bella Strings Launches First Bass Guitar: The Olinto

La Bella Strings Olinto Bass

With nearly 100 years in the string manufacturing business, La Bella Strings is getting into producing instruments starting with the Olinto Bass Guitar. Taking its name from one of the company’s founding brothers, the Olinto is handcrafted in New York City’s Lower East Side by renowned luthier Mas Hino.

The vintage style bass is built with hand-carved Alder that is finished with a nitro-lacquer and comes in Sunburst, Olympic White, Black, and Natural colors. The maple neck has a classic “C” shape profile and is topped with a Madagascar rosewood fingerboard.

La Bella Olinto Bass HeadstockHardware on the Olinto includes a bone string nut, vintage style reverse tuning machines, and an American Vintage 4 saddle bridge. More vintage mojo is added with chrome bridge and pickup covers. Its pickup is a single split-coil controlled with a volume knob and a tone knob.

La Bella ships the bass with a choice of their strings as well as an extra set. A gig bag is included.

The La Bella Olinto is available for order now directly from the company’s website for $2,950.

La Bella Olinto Bass Guitar Specs:

  • Body: Hand-carved Alder
  • Finish: Nitro-lacquered
  • Colors: Sunburst, Olympic White, Black, Natural
  • Scale: 34?
  • Neck: Hand-carved Maple
  • Neck Profile: “C” Shape
  • Frets: 20
  • Fret Size: Vintage Style
  • Fretboard: Madagascar Rosewood
  • Position Inlays: Clay Dot
  • Neck Plate: 4-Bolt
  • Truss Rod: Dual Adjustable
  • Nut: Hand-Shaped Bone
  • Nut Width: 1.75?
  • Radius: 7.25?
  • Pickup: Single Split-Coil
  • Controls: One Master Volume, One Master Tone
  • Hardware: Nickel/Chrome
  • Bridge: American Vintage 4 Saddle Bass
  • Bridge Tailpiece: Includes Chrome Bridge Cover
  • String Nut: Bone
  • Tuning Machines: Vintage Style Reverse Tuning Machines
  • Pickup Covers: Chrome Pickup Covers
  • Made in New York City, New York
  • Gig Bag Included

Get Bass Gear News in your inbox.

Stay up to date on the latest bass gear news (every Thursday).

Share your thoughts

  1. No invention!
    Go and Purchase a Fender!

  2. Not trying to be rude, but for that price and to be looking like a Jazz Bass, why not buy the real thing? Sorry, La Bella, you might have your reasons, but…

  3. nearly 100 years in the string manufacturing business , and cant make an original design for a bass? , too many FENDER clones out there for me.

    • La Bella wants $2,950 for this untested bass. If they want people to try it, they are going to have to lower the price. Why would someone spend this much for a copy with no chance of recouping your investment if you decide to sell it. This would be a bad investment in my opinion.

  4. Can buy a couple of Fender P basses for that price.

  5. You had me right up till I saw the price tag. Too much for what’s being offered, in my opinion.

  6. A 62 RI Precision with C profile? I’m sure it sounds nice & all, but c’mon….

  7. “vintage”??!! LMAO! Evidently, that’s code for lame a22 fender knock off.

  8. Hey, come on guys. You get a free gig bag…..

  9. Mas has been building better than the original Fender clones since many of us were in diapers. Go ask Jimmy Coppolo or John Suhr about how great Mas is at what he does.

  10. That’s a ridiculous price for p-bass. After all, the pre-cbs fenders were supposed to be cheaply made, hence their main stream consumption and success. buy a vintage reissue for about 1000 dollars cheaper. It cant be that much of an improvement. C’mon its a pbass, the simplest bass design ever.

  11. they should call it the funk machine. its probably a nice ax. at that price I would get something custom or relic fender.

  12. Hmm.. I think it’s interesting that they chose to do this, but I really don’t see a market for it. As the comments state, most buyers would rather have a legitimate pre-CBS Fender, Fender Custom Shop or AVRI. I know I would.

  13. You know, Lakland, Sadowsky, and Elrick all make J and P style basses, and I haven’t heard any complaints about them. In fact, I see quite a few in use, and considering that the dead mint 1960 Jazz I just looked at is priced at $25,000 dollars, this bass may not be such a bad deal.

  14. what? another overrated overpriced fender copy? yaaaay. seriously: go an buy a Fender if you want one, not an unspectacular copy bullshit.

  15. That shape looks familiar…

  16. This is a very nice bass guitar! My brother wold really enjoy this! I’ll let him see this.. @Muhammad kilany what is that Fender your talking about? also a base? -http://www.rockstarmusicstore.com/

  17. You can get top notch custom P-basses for half the price… I had one built for less than $1,500 and it plays better than any Fender I’ve ever touched.

    I think LaBella needs to reconsider their pricing.

  18. Nice ’62 reiss…nevermind

    • That’s actually a reasonable price for a hand-made electric bass with those spec’s. It looks as if the craftsmanship is top notch, too. But the problem is, one can pick up a used Custom Shop Fender P-Bass like that for less, or even a USA ’62 re-issue, which also includes a nitro finish. Basses like this La Bella, or those made by Lakland and other Fender-esque, but pricey, manufacturers ask a question that was answered by Leo Fender many decades ago. Simply, the original is still the best – just buy the Made in USA models, that’s all. And BTW, La Bella, a $2,900 hand-made bass and the best you can do is a gig bag? My “lowly” USA Jazz, seen in a pic below, even came with a hard shell case. Come on!

  19. Mas Hino is a great builder. I like that it is hand made by a master.