LEH Guitars Launches the Offset 4-String Bass
LEH Guitars has launched their new flagship bass called the Offset 4-String. Built by luthier Lisa Ellis Hahn, the instrument features an offset alder body with a maple burl top and “strategic chambering in the body to reduce weight and prevent neck dive.”
Hahn, who is also the shop manager/top builder for Sadowsky Guitars, hand-carves the neck from maple and fits it with 21 frets. The body is loaded with a Nordstrand NP-4 pickup and a Big Rig pickup. Each are fed into a Nordstrand 3-band preamp with a unique set of controls. The preamp is modded for boost only with three Bornes faders.
“A fader is a more visual way to dial in your eq,” Hahn explains. “Knobs can be hard to see onstage and it’s easy to second guess your settings. With sliders, you can instantly ‘see’ your sound.”
“This bass has been in my imagination for years,” she adds. “After playing it and hearing it in the hands of much better players, I’ve been impressed with its tone and versatility. My favorite thing is the sustain: it doesn’t stop. This is partly because of the exaggerated neck-to-body joint, but it’s really the sum of all the parts.”
The LEH Guitars Offset 4-String is available for order with a base price of $3,700.
LEH Guitars Offset 4-String Bass Specs:
| Scale: | 34″ |
| Construction: | Bolt-On |
| Body: | Chambered Alder |
| Top: | Maple Burl |
| Neck: | Hand-Carved Maple |
| Fretboard: | Maple |
| Frets: | 21 |
| Pickups: | Nordstrand Audio NP-4A and Big Rig |
| Electronics: | Custom-wired Nordstrand Audio 3-band |
| Controls: | Bornes Faders |
| Tuners: | Hipshot Ultralite |
| Bridge: | Gotoh Quick Release |
How does making the body lighter prevent neck dive? That is the worst looking pick-guard!! Doesn’t follow the body shape.
My guess is that the ‘strategic chambering’ is done in the top right of the body near the strap button.
Strategic chambering means that wood was taken out for weight relief but not in a way that causes neck dive. Many companies do this. It’s a smart way to design an instrument.
Wow – awesome! I’ve heard amazing things from people who have played an LEH Guitar / Bass. I can’t wait to get my hands on one.