Marleaux Unveils Artio Bass With Three Delano Pickups and a Multiscale Neck
Marleaux Bass Guitars unveiled the Artio bass at last week’s Guitar Summit in Mannheim, Germany. The sleek design is based on the shape of the company’s fretless Diva model, but they call it more than a fretted version of the Diva.
“While the idea originated from the frequent request for a fretted Marleaux bass with the unmistakable feel of the Diva, Gerald Marleaux never intended to simply add frets to an existing design,” the Marleaux website explains. “His vision was to develop a new instrument with its own identity—combining innovative construction, a distinctive tonal character, and a playing experience unlike any other in the Marleaux lineup.”
After many prototypes, the Artio was born. Marleaux offers many options for the tone woods of the body and top. It features a 3-piece maple neck laminated with smoked oak veneers. Its bolt-on neck features carbon reinforcement and a rigid six-point connection. Marleaux says the specially designed neck joint maximizes vibration transfer, while the multiscale design offers more even string tension. The fingerboard is ebony with maple, rosewood, or birdseye maple available as options.
The Artio is fitted with three custom-configured Delano pickups including an X-Tender pickup between two JSBC pickups. The combination of single-coil textures and humbucking voices offer “exceptional punch, definition, and presence,” Marleaux states. A new Marleaux Artio 3-band preamp offers versatile tone shaping tools.
Hear Bass Bonedo take the Marleaux Artio through some of its many sounds:
The Marleaux Artio comes in four or five-string versions as well as right and left-handed orientations. It’s available for order with a base price of €6,300 (approx. $7,155 USD) for the four-string.
Marleaux Bass Guitars Artio Bass Photos:
Marleaux Bass Guitars Artio Bass Specs:
| Construction: | Bolt-on |
| Scale: | 33.5″ – 34.5″ |
| Body: | 2-piece body (choice of wood) |
| Top: | Choice of Wood |
| Neck: | 3-piece maple neck, laminated with smoked oak veneer |
| Fingerboard: | Ebony, Choice of maple, rosewood, or birdseye maple |
| Fingerboard Radius: | 12″ to 16″ |
| Frets: | 26, plus Zero Fret |
| Inlays: | Side Dots Only |
| Pickups: | 1 Delano Artio XTender pickup, 2 Delano JSBC pickups |
| Electronics: | Marleaux Artio 3-band-EQ, active/passive, with passive tone |
| Bridge: | Marleaux Custom V-Scale Bridge |
| Tuners: | Tuners by Schaller or Gotoh |
| Finish: | Matte Lacquered |
| Other: | different tone woods, combinations of your own choice, Security Locks, Tools, Marleaux Gig Bag |
| Orientation: | Right-Hand or Left-Hand |
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.
