Bass of the Week: Esperanza Spalding’s South Paw Fretless 5-String
If you happen to follow Esperanza Spalding’s Facebook page, you might have seen from photos of her Radio Music Society summer tours that she’s wielding a slick new 5-string fretless.
The bass is a South Paw, created by NYC luthier Simon Propert, and it’s one of a kind.
“Each bass is custom and a little different, so there is no model name,” Propert shared. “They’re all the same basic shape, but each one evolves into something different.”
Esperanza’s bass is centered around a maple body with off-center maple and ebony strips that complement its jet black ebony fingerboard and maple neck. The pickup is a Bartolini Stingray Five that’s wired to a three way switch that toggles between the coils. It has three modes: series double coil, parallel double coil, and single coil, which utilizes only the neck coil.
Esperanza Spalding’s South Paw Bass Photo Gallery:
Esperanza Spalding’s South Paw Bass Details:
| Body: | Mahogany, Maple, Ebony |
| Neck: | Maple |
| Fingerboard: | Ebony |
| Pickup: | Bartolini Stringray 5 |
| Controls: | Volume, Tone, 3-way Toggle |
Photos of Esperanza Spalding performing by Daniele Solavaggione, Russ Kirby and Willeke Machiels.
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
Now that’s cool! I’ll have to find some video of this in action!
“Esperanza Spalding npr live” on YouTube.
Beautiful instrument. It plugs in in the back!
How, in any way, is this a “left-handed” instrument?
thats a real cool bass,even cooler with esperanza behind it
It makes so much more sense to put the jack in back. Why doesn’t anyone else do this?
Does the toggle control series/parallel action?
Sorry didn’t read all of article……
Not a south paw (left handed) bass but very nice
.
Why is it called a South Paw if it isn’t left handed?
New world -wow! I would love to play an instrument this ergonomically clever and forward-thinking.
Lovely Bass with some similarities to Fenders Tony Franklin signature Precision. Ebony neck, 3 stage toggle. The Fender isn’t a 5, but it does have a Hipshot on the E.