Bass of the Week: Andre Instruments Maya 3

Andre Instruments Maya 3 Bass

Photo credits: William Ritter

We’ve got another rare bird for you this week with the Andre Instruments Maya 3. The acoustic/electric bass guitar has a unique design with stunning craftsmanship.

Luthier Thierry André built the bass, which is the third in the Maya series, in 2017 built its body with an Alaska yellow cedar top plate with red spruce, padauk, and carbon fiber bracing. The rest of the body is Alaska sitka spruce, which is attached to a Canadian roasted rock maple fingerboard that’s also reinforced with carbon fiber. Andre utilized Canadian black cherry binding to decorate the body and slanted armrest.

The bass can certainly be used acoustically with its soundhole placement, but it’s also fitted with a Dimarzio DP-145 Will Power that sits snugly between the ebony fingerboard and thumb rest. Other features include a KSM foundation bridge and Hipshot elephant ear tuners.

Andre Instruments Maya 3 Bass Specs:

Scale:34″
Body:Alaska Sitka Spruce
Top:Alaska Yellow Cedar
Bracing:Red Spruce, Padauk, And Carbon Fiber
Neck:Canadian Roasted Rock Maple W/Carbon Fiber Reinforcement
Fingerboard:Macassar Ebony
Frets:19
Pickup:Dimarzio DP-145 Will Power
Electronics:Handmade Shielded Control Box W/Coil-Tap Switch, Volume/Tone Knobs
Bridge:Nickel Plated 6061-T6 Aluminum KSM Foundation
Tuners:Hipshot Elephant Ear Ultra-Lite Tuners
Case:Custom Wooden Case
Other:Gabon Ebony Nut And Thumb Rest

Get Bass of the Week in your inbox.

Don’t miss a Bass of the Week. Sign up for email alerts (every Monday).

Share your thoughts

  1. Greywoulf

    “Can be played acoustically with its sound hole…” Where it be? In the back? The opening in it’s headstock maybe? A beautiful looking hunk of a wooden instrument, but it also looks somewhat ~heavy~? Why, with something like weight so important in a strapped-on instrument, do almost all bass guitar reviews TOTALLY IGNORE this vitally important spec????

    • Greywoulf

      Ooops! -On further checking I did find the sound hole in the front of this bass. Nevah mind….

  2. Mark Jensen

    Splendid imagination, decievingly simple in execution. l would love to hear this being played both acoustically and plugged into an exceptional acoustic bass amp. Well done!