Bass of the Week: Omer Al-Katib’s Double-Neck Bass-Tar
Double-neck instruments have captured the imagination of rock fans for decades. Today, we’re featuring a bass that’s also a dream come true.
Forty years after he saw one in a Toto music video, Omer Al-Katib took matters into his own hands and crafted his own double-neck “bass-tar,” and it’s our bass of the week.
“In late 2022, I undertook a project to build a double-neck ‘bass-tar’ where I took a double-neck body from Warmoth and a Squier Classic Vibe 60’s Strat and Squier Classic Vibe 60’s Precision bass for parts and assembled the absolutely absurd instrument that I have coveted for my entire life (well at least since 1982 when I saw David Hungate play one in the ‘Hold The Line’ video and Geddy Lee on a ‘Moving Pictures’ poster I had in my bedroom),” he wrote to us. “I documented the process on my Facebook page with it all culminating in an ‘Omer Plays Bass…’ video of the song from Toto that started the whole dream for me of this instrument on my YouTube channel.”
Check out the bass in Omer’s playalong for “Hold The Line”:
If you want to see more about his process, be sure to check out his series of posts documenting its creation on Facebook.
Omer Al-Katib’s Double-Neck Bass-Tar Photo Gallery:
Omer Al-Katib’s Double-Neck Bass-Tar Specs:
| Body: | Warmoth Double Neck S/P-Style Guitar/Bass Body, |
| Body Wood: | Alder |
| Finish: | Vintage Tint, Clear Gloss Finish |
| Pickguard: | 3 Ply pickguard |
| Bass Neck: | Maple (Squier Classic Vibe 60’s PrecisionBass) |
| Bass Fingerboard: | Indian Laurel |
| Bass Bridge and Hardware: | Gotoh 201, Hipshot Bass Extender; stacked 250k pots with chrome dome knob, Farm Dual Output Jack Plate with Pure Tone Mono Output Jack |
| Guitar Neck: | Maple (Squier Classic Vibe 60’s Stratocaster) |
| Guitar Fingerboard: | Indian Laurel |
| Guitar Bridge and Hardware: | Fender American Tremolo, stacked 250k pots with chrome dome knob, Farm Dual Output Jack Plate with Pure Tone Mono Output Jack |
| Weight: | 12.5 lbs |
But he didn’t play the guitar!