Bass of the Week: Brett Wall’s “ThunderBacker”
Brett Wall has been making his own basses ever since he started playing. He dropped us an email with a couple of his latest creations including what he calls The ThunderBacker. The dual-course, 8-string bass brings together elements of a Rickenbacker, a Thunderbird and a Precision bass for a unique blend and stunning design.
The Ric-inspired body is made of maple while the neck is laminated wenge and flame maple topped with a pau ferro fingerboard.
“The neck shape is much like a Precision bass to accommodate the width and tension of the added course of strings,” Wall shared.
Its pickups, which are Wall’s take on the T-Bird style, are wired through a traditional toggle and standard volume and tone controls with wenge knobs. He then added flair to the bass with a light burst finish and a “a couple of coats of Tru-Oil” on the neck.
Brett Wall’s ThunderBacker 8-string Bass Photos:
Brett Wall’s ThunderBacker 8-string Bass Specs:
- Scale: 33?
- Body: Maple
- Neck: Maple/Wenge
- Fingerboard: Pau Ferro
- Pickups: T-Bird Style
- Controls: 3-way Pickup Selector, Master Volume, Master Tone
- Hardware: Hipshot Lightweight
Want to suggest a Bass of the Week? Send a note to [email protected].
Cool bass! The head stock looks like an old Tobias bass.
Way cool!
Thanks, gents! The Tobias was my inspiration for the headstock, Kevin… good eye!
I love paired 8 string basses, and this one’s nice looking too.
Looks like a lovely bass! I’m intrigued to hear what it sounds like, any videos on youtube or the like I could watch?
WANT!