Bass of the Week: Alpher Instruments Mako Elite MBL 5

by Kevin Johnson Thursday, March 13th, 2014

Chris from Alpher Instruments sent us a few shots of their latest creation, a Mako Elite MBL 5, and we were stunned. The sheer beauty of the deluxe walnut top in the company’s curvy Mako shape makes for one gorgeous instrument.

Alpher Instruments Mako Elite MBL 5 - full view

Alpher makes their instruments by hand in their Yorkshire, England shop. This particular bass was commissioned by the Manchester Bass Lounge and is built with a one-piece swamp ash body and wenge veneer under the figured English walnut. It’s wenge neck is also a one-piece that’s topped with an ebony fingerboard.

The bass is fitted with custom wound Wizard pickups in a JJ/J configuration. A switch in the bass’s controls toggles between series, parallel, and coil tap modes. Its preamp is a John East 2-band EQ with Volume, Blend, Bass and Treble knobs. The volume knob is a push/pull to switch the bass into active or passive operation. Alpher rounded the bass out with Hipshot hardware and straplocks.

Alpher Instruments Mako Elite MBL 5 Photos:

Alpher Instruments Mako Elite MBL 5 Specs:

Body:	1-piece Swamp Ash
Veneer:	Wenge
Top:	“Specialist” Grade English Walnut Top
Neck:	1-piece Wenge
Fingerboard:	Ebony
Pickups:	Wizard JJ/J
Electronics:	John East 2-Band Preamp
Controls:	Volume (push/pull for active/passive), Pickup Blend, Bass, Treble, Parallel/Series/Coil Tap Switch
Bridge:	Solid Brass Hipshot A Style Bridge
Tuners:	Hipshot Ultralites

For more, check out the Alpher Instruments website.

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.