Bass of the Week: Deimel Guitarworks Firestar Bass Laguna Bay
Luthier Frank Deimel of Deimel Guitarworks recently shared photos of this version of his Firestar Bass, for which he seems to have pulled out all the stops. Aside from the Hipshot tremolo system, the three-pickup design has more than meets the eye.
“What a sound machine! This Firestar Bass comes with 3 Deimel B90 pickups, a built-in piezo AND a built-in LesLee!” Demiel wrote.
The LesLee is Deimel’s own take on the effect of a Leslie speaker. “We revitalized a revolutionary idea of my old pal Pascal Stoffels: the unit he invented, is to literally rotate the two pickups of any guitar, and let this rotation of bridge and neck pickup be adjustable in speed and intensity. After years of research and prototyping, we are proud to finally offer this unit as an onboard effect on our guitars.”
Other features on the bass include a one-piece swamp ash body, a figured maple neck, a pau ferro fretboard, and a Hipshot B-style bridge. All that plus a Laguna Bay finish makes it the total package.
Deimel Guitarworks Firestar Bass Laguna Bay Specs:
| Body: | Swamp ash, one-piece |
| Neck: | Figured maple, transparent laquer matte finish |
| Fretboard: | Pau ferro |
| Frets: | 20, Stew Mac 0158, Plek profile PH01815 |
| Scale length: | 34″ longscale with compound radius 9,5″ to 12″ |
| Neck shape: | 64TB |
| Headstock: | Black fiber with pearl logo inlay, 4R |
| Color: | Laguna Bay, transparent matt |
| Pickguard: | Aluminum silver anodized |
| Pickups: | 3 Deimel B90, black cover; built in piezo |
| LesLee: | built in LesLee |
| Bridge: | Hipshot B-Style bass bridge, string through body, nickel with brass saddles |
| Vibrato: | Hipshot bass tremolo |
| Tuners: | Hipshot Ultralite HB6 1/2″, Lollypop nickel |
| Case: | Made in Canada universal bass case |
