David Emm’s Ultralight Bass Combines Swiss Craftsmanship and Nylon Strings
I love a streamlined bass design, and David Emm hit the nail on the head with his Ultralight Bass model. Its sleek lines and simple beauty come together for a gorgeous instrument.
“These are hand built in Switzerland and are extremely light, coming in at around 2kgs (that’s only 4.5lbs),” Emm writes. “The instruments have been designed to be ergonomic, comfortable and to take pressure off the body making them easy to play and to sound fantastic.”
It has a short scale at 29.92 inches, and this particular Ultralight is built with a Swiss Spruce body core that’s sandwiched between pieces of Swiss Maple. Its three-piece Swiss maple neck features a fretless Pao Rosa fingerboard with a simple inlay at the octave mark and a small gap for access to the truss rod wheel.
The bass has a unique tone: Emm fits it with a RMC piezo bridge and nylon strings. “These are Classical bass strings. These strings offer lower tension which allows less pressure in the fingers along with a bigger dynamic range than steel strings,” Emm writes. “The preferred string for this concept is the Savarez 6CB640R set and is readily available.”
Hear some other Ultralight models demoed by Davor Busic.
David Emm Ultralight Bass Photos:
David Emm Ultralight Bass Specs:
| Scale: | 29.92″ |
| Body: | Swiss Spruce Core |
| Top and Back: | Swiss Maple |
| Neck: | 3-piece Swiss Spruce |
| Fingerboard: | Pao Rosa |
| Frets: | Fretless |
| Inlays: | Emm Logo at Octave |
| Pickups: | RMC Piezo Bridge |
| Electronics: | Richter Electronics |
| Bridge: | Custom |
| Tuners: | Gotoh Resolite |
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.
