Bass of the Week: Lawalin Guitars Chamele Bass

This week we’re checking out a bass that went viral on Facebook. If you didn’t see this video of the Lawalin Chamele yet, watch it, and you’ll understand why it was so popular:

Besides the incredible light show, the Chamele is not your typical bass. It features a hollow fiberglass body that’s fitted with programmable LEDs as well as a carbon fiber neck topped with a fiberglass fretboard. Electronics include a set of EMG jazz pickups.

It’s built by Jason Lawalin, a self-proclaimed dad, and husband living in southern Indiana that crafts basses in his spare time. “I’ll be honest, it’s a work of passion, not profit,” he wrote on Facebook. “I spend a lot of time on the details. I strive to make every piece better than and even more unique than the last.”

The company started when Lawalin, who has been playing bass for nearly two decades, wanted to build his own bass. He didn’t have much knowledge of woodworking, but his outside the box thinking got his dreams into production. “I had been working with composite materials almost as long as I had been playing music and I’m very good at it,” he explains. “After much trial and error, I found the right combination of materials. Current builds now weigh less than most wood guitars. And better yet, the tone is fantastic.”

As for the LED system, Lawalin recruited his friend Erik George for a hand. A button allows for different lighting patterns and colors.

We’re looking forward to seeing more from Lawalin Guitars.

Lawalin Guitars Chamele Bass Details:

Scale:34″
Body:Hollow fiberglass with Programmable LED internal lighting
Neck:Carbon fiber (graphite)
Fretboard:Fiberglass
Pickups:EMG jazz pickup set
Tuners:Hipshot Ultralite

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