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.

Brett Wall ThunderBacker bass

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

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  1. Cool bass! The head stock looks like an old Tobias bass.

  2. Thanks, gents! The Tobias was my inspiration for the headstock, Kevin… good eye!

  3. I love paired 8 string basses, and this one’s nice looking too.

  4. Looks like a lovely bass! I’m intrigued to hear what it sounds like, any videos on youtube or the like I could watch?