Bass of the Week: Pachyderm Basses Blonde Bass

Pachyderm Basses Blonde Bass

Les Claypool has always played distinct basses, and this week we’re checking out one of those basses he helped design: The Pachyderm Basses Blonde Bass. Claypool worked with luthier and longtime friend Dan Maloney to form the company and create his idea of the ultimate bass.

“My idea was to incorporate the traits of the instruments I have loved over the years and throw in a few innovations of my own,” Claypool writes. “I wanted the basses to be incredibly easy to play and feel comfortable in the lap as well as on the strap.”

Pachyderm Basses have been very limited and mostly have been made available to the public through charity auctions. The first ever was auctioned off for his nephew’s medical fund while the Blonde Bass was auctioned to raise money for Jacob’s Heart.

The bass’s birdseye maple body, which is accented with a marbled cocobolo pickguard, gave the instrument its name as well as its unique tone.

“I’ve always found that maple instruments have a very forward attack and this bass is one punchy bastard. The bottom end is solid yet has a knocking hollowness to it when the low E is struck with the thumb,” Claypool says. “The upper pluck is bright and when playing pizzicato the notes leap off the fretboard. This bass is a fog cutter of an instrument with its forward punch and growly finish. I used this bass on specific songs that needed a bit more edge during the Primus tours in March in Mexico, May – June in the US and June in Alaska of 2013.”

It’s fitted with an EMG PA pickup accompanied by volume and tone knobs. Other features include raised LED fret markers with a dimmer, a Kahler Whammy bridge, and a bronze Pachyderm medallion.

Pachyderm Basses Blonde Bass Specs:

Body:Birdseye Maple
Top:Birdseye Maple
Neck:Graphite Reinforced Maple
Headstock:Birdseye Maple
Pickguard:Cocobolo
Fingerboard:Ebony
Inlays:Raised LED Side Fret Markers with Dimmer for LED Brightness
Pickup:EMG PA
Controls:Volume, Tone
Knobs:Ebony
Tuners:Sperzel Locking Tuning Machines
Finish:Hand Rubbed Oil
Case:Gator Case
Other:Bronze Pachyderm Medallion

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Leave a Reply to Smeg Cancel reply

  1. Smeg

    Gorgeous. Tell them to sell me one left-handed.