Bass of the Week: BassLab Guitars L-Bow
The L-Bow by BassLab Guitars is one of the most attention-grabbing designs in the bass world, but its extra bow in the neck is not for shock factor. This week we’re checking out a recent five-string L-Bow-V that, like their other instruments, features a tuneable composite material in place of wood.
“This is the bass, that most often generates typical ‘love it or hate it’ reactions,” says BassLab’s Heiko Hoepfinger. “Although many would think, it was done for aesthetics, we can clearly say, that the bow is there to add something to the tone, that wouldn’t be possible with any other shape. (Keep in mind, that both, the neck and bow are hollow!) While adding a huge low-end and also some extra “meat” to all strings, it gives you the most defined and tight “B”, we can think of.”
This particular L-Bow is fitted with Alumitone Bassbar pickups with a 3-band preamp as well as five piezo pickups. A piezo preamp allows for separate volume levels for each string. Other features include FretFX fretboard LEDs, an ETS headless tuning system, and a body decal that says “Liz.” Hoepfinger explains that “As with all the options the customer of this bass chose: I don’t know who ‘Liz’ is and have never seen or met her!”
BassLab Guitars L-Bow Bass Specs:
Strings: | 5 |
Scale length: | 34″ |
Body: | Tunable Mixed Composite |
Neck: | Tunable Mixed Composite |
Frets: | 25 + zero fret |
Side Markers: | FretFX Fretboard LEDs |
Hardware: | ETS headless system in satin-silver, |
String Spacing at Bridge: | 17mm |
Pickups: | Lace Alumitone BassBars in satin-silver, 5 individual piezos |
Preamp: | 5-Channel BassXX Piezo Preamp (Separate Volume for Each String), BassXX 3-Band Preamp With Parametric Mids and Battery-Control LED |
Controls: | 2x Volume + P/P-mute, bass, treble, parametric mids, piezo/magnetic balance |
Color: | Satin Mare blue |
Weight: | 5.5lbs |