Bass of the Week: The UFO Bass? Tristan Devaucoup’s 6EQUJ5 Redefines What a Bass Can Be
In the heart of the French Alps, Tristan Devaucoup has been developing unique bass guitars with a minimalist approach. This week we’re checking out the 6EQUJ5, which takes its name from “Wow” signal detected on August 15th, 1977 that was long considered an extraterrestrial signal.
“With its unique shape and construction, this bass has all the features of a UFO in the world of music,” Devaucoup tells us.
The entire bass is made from a single piece of maple, making for a single surface running from the body up the fingerboard along the neck. Devaucoup says the ergonomic design takes each of its curves to fulfill a specific function, wasting no energy. “[It is] eco-designed, thanks to a meticulous selection of materials, with preference given to those made in France. 0% plastic, animal, hazardous or endangered materials,” he adds.
The fretless bass has a short 30-inch scale with a hard V-neck shape. A headless design puts the tuners at the end of the body.
Aside from its one-piece construction, a fascinating aspect is its pickup configuration. The 6EQUJ5 has a hole in the center of its body through which the pickups are mounted. There are three positions on which pickup brackets can be mounted, and Devaucoup offers four pickups: Hofner 511, a custom Humbucker, or two custom single coils. If you want to change positions, all it takes is screwing the bracket into a different position in the back.
“You can even screw on 1 or 2 additional sets of pickup+jack to play with multiple outputs,” the luthier says.
A stainless steel thumb rest runs across the length of the pickup positions for playing comfort.
The minimalist design also carries over into the weight of the bass. It comes in at a feathery 3.75 pounds.
“The bass is finished with grey linseed oil (from Rubio Monocoat), renowned for high friction resistance, certified 0% VOC, and solvent-free. Also available in charcoal, bleached maple, and cherry red,” Devaucoup concludes.
For more on Tristan Devaucoup’s designs, check out his Instagram page.
Tristan Devaucoup 6EQUJ5 Bass Specs:
| Scale: | 30″ |
| Body: | Maple |
| Neck: | Maple |
| Neck Shape: | Hard V |
| Fingerboard: | Maple |
| Frets: | Fretless |
| Pickups: | Hofner 511, Custom Humbucker or custom single coils |
| Bridge: | Stainless Steel |
| Hardware: | Headless Bridge/Tuners |
| Finish: | Linseed Oil |
| Weight: | 3.75 lbs |
| Other: | Certificate of Authenticity, FEFC Certified, Wall Bracket Included |
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
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