Bass of the Week: James Colby’s Homemade “Glitzy” Bass

James Colby Homemade Glitzy Bass

Sometimes if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. We love it when bassists take building their instrument into their own hands, and Jim Colby nailed it with his bass that he calls “Glitzy.”

”‘Glitzy’ came about due to my love of 60’s Fender basses, and a meager paycheck,” the bassist shares. “Built in 1995 and evolving since, it has a maple body with a birds-eye maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. I got the main components from Warmoth and ordered second or blem stock to keep the cost down.”

Other features include Fender pickup covers, a pair of Fender Custom Shop 60’s Jazz pickups, and a unique finish. “It is sort of a Franken-bass but I really surfed it up for my gig with Reverb Galaxy. Guitar tech Jay Monterose is a good friend of mine and I had him spray it ‘Yellow Jacket’ holoflake, with a nitro top coat. The finish really is stupid, I love it!”

Get a load of Colby playing his bass on the song “Save the Waves” with Reverb Galaxy:

James Colby’s “Glitzy” Bass Photos:

James Colby’s “Glitzy” Bass Specs:

Body:Maple
Neck:Birdseye maple
Fretboard:Rosewood
Radius:9.5
Scale length:34″
Pickups:Fender Custom Shop 60’s
Bridge:Standard Jazz
Tuners:Stewmac 22:1
Nut:Graphite
Neck attachment:Vintique threaded neck inserts
Controls:2 Volume, no tone
Finish:Yellow Jacket Holoflake/ Nitro Cellulose lacquer

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Leave a Reply to Jim Colby Cancel reply

  1. Adri Tunggono

    Disco!

  2. Oh cool! My dad is famous this week!

  3. No mea culpas needed here bro. You and the band sound fantastic. Baby-green-snot-metallic -flake for the win! Also – there’s nothing quite like clean Fenders, is there?

  4. great are there plans to fill in the mystery hole by the control
    plate ??

  5. Hurricane Jimmie

    The Bass is cool, the band’s white jumpsuits are cool, the surf guitars are cool…..but those Go Go Dancers take me back to Shindig!!

  6. Bob Cotter

    Surf music, go go dancers gigging at the beach, bespoke bass….what could be better!