Anaconda Basses Unveils the Ultra J5 – Essence Bass

Anaconda Basses has unveiled its latest model called the Ultra J5 – Essence, which will debut at the UK Bass Guitar Show on March 28th and 29th. The new bass is a five-string model of their Ultra J4 – Essence, which received the 2019 award for “best fretted bass” in Bass Guitar Magazine.

“We are excited that the 5 String UJ5 – Essence is here and lives up to expectations,” the company writes. “We have incorporated some of the best features from our hand-made basses into the Ultra J Essence range. The Ultra J Essence range is our affordable, South Korean manufactured model, built to our exacting remit and standards.”

The bass is built with an alder body with several color options as well as the option for a flame maple top. Its six-bolt Rock Maple neck can also be upgraded to a roasted maple neck. Anaconda gives the five-string a 34.5-inch scale, slightly longer than the standard 34 inches.

“The 34.5″ scale length means that you get an excellent tight B string, which is balanced in response with the other strings and suffers from none of the floppiness that can be a problem with some 34″ scale, 5 string Basses,” they write. “The extended distance from the nut to the B string tuner also adds extra string tension, resulting in a killer B string.” The neck also has a profile that flattens out as you get further up the neck, which offers more comfort playing in higher registers.

Electronics include a set of Tesla hum-canceling pickups in a “70s Jazz” position matched to an 18-volt active/passive three-band preamp. The preamp module has a variable gain for balancing the output of the active and passive stages. Finally, the hardware includes black Hipshot-licensed Ultralite tuners and a black Sung II monorail bridge with 19mm spacing.

The Anaconda Basses Ultra J5 – Essence will be debuting at the UK Bass Guitar Show (Booth 2) and will be available soon. It will have a base price of $1,250 for solid colors, $1,300 for a flame maple top, and $1,350 for a flame maple top and roasted maple neck.

Anaconda Basses Ultra J5 – Essence Bass Specs: