The Carbonetti Guitars “Bowery” Bass Is What Happens When Vintage DNA Gets Reimagined
James Carbonetti has a special way of infusing the spirit of vintage instruments with a modern, artistic sophistication. His style keeps evolving, and this week we’re featuring his latest and greatest: the Carbonetti “Bowery” Bass.
“I’ve always been inspired by and have a love for vintage Gibsons and unique vintage Fenders,” the Brooklyn-based luther tells us. “When one of my awesome clients, Oldrich Muller, asked me to build him my version of a classic—I knew this was an opportunity to dig into creating a fun new model.”
Digging into old school Gibson construction, Carbonetti opted to build the bass with mahogany for the body and neck. Its ebony fretboard has 20 frets marked by dot inlays. Carbonetti built three custom humbuckers that he describes as “super big sounding, but still very open and articulate.” They’re also configured for a wide palette of sounds.
“The bridge/ middle pick up are in vintage Thunderbird position and I made a Sub-Bucker for the neck,” he explains. “I love to either keep it super simple or give you every option, so we went with a 5 way switch for the most versatility.”
Aside from playability and sound, the bass has tons of unique features that bring its character to life.
“I’m super obsessed with the details,” Carbonetti admits. “That’s where so much personality or the magic of an instrument lives. I cut some turquoise out for the fret makers. I also made weird one off pick guard/rings control plates – a process I love. Most importantly with all my builds is the soft/bubbly feel to the touch for maximum comfort and familiarity, like an old friend.”
You can hear the bass in this quick clip by Mitch Friedman:
As with all Carbonetti instruments, the Bowery Bass was made in Brooklyn at The Guitar Shop NYC.
Carbonetti Bowery Bass Photos:
Carbonetti Bowery Bass Specs:
| Construction: | Bolt-on |
| Scale: | 34” |
| Body: | Mahogany |
| Neck: | Mahogany |
| Truss Rod: | Dual Truss Rod |
| Fingerboard: | Ebony |
| Inlays: | Turquoise Dots |
| Fingerboard Radius: | 7.25” |
| Nut: | Bone |
| Nut Width: | 1.68” |
| Bridge: | Classic Bridge w/ 19mm Spacing |
| Pickups: | Custom Carbonetti Humbuckers ( B’ 19.80k - M’ 17.28k - N’ 17.20k) |
| Controls: | 5 Way Switch - Master Vol. Tone |
| Capacitors: | N.O.S Oil Cap 0.047° |
| Finish: | Nitro Lacquer |
| Tuners: | Hipshot |
| Strings: | La Bella Super Polished (47-107) |
| Weight: | 7.4 Lbs |
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.
