4-string Bass Archives - Page 31

After introducing the American Professional line in December, Fender has unveiled the Limited Edition Exotic Collection. The series includes the 2017 Limited Edition American Professional Jazz Bass FMT, which combines the features of the Professional model with a figured maple top. The bass is built with an alder body, quartersawn maple neck, and rosewood fretboard. The neck has a slim...

German bass building artist Jens Ritter has revealed two new bass models for 2017, which will debut at the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim, California. The Princess Isabella Bass and Cora Concept are riffs on previous instruments with a fresh take that have been introduced as part of the Royal Family due to their uniqueness. The Princess Isabella Bass is...

Jake Serek of Serek Basses has a unique way of blending old school and new school to create a fresh looking bass that remains rooted in the instrument’s history. This week we’re checking out the Midwestern, which blends aspects of Fender and Gibson basses. “The Midwestern is a short-scale powerhouse that is compact in size, but does not lack in...

Sadowsky Guitars has teamed up with Earth, Wind, & Fire bassist Verdine White to create a special signature model that will be part of their new NYC Satin Series. Based on White’s first Sadowsky bass from the ’90s, the instrument is set apart with an undersized J-style body of chambered alder, PJ pickups, and a J-bass width neck. It’s more...

Fodera is gearing up for NAMM by introducing two new Standard models with the Fodera Emperor-J Classic and Monarch-P Classic. The retro-styled basses are built in Fodera’s Brooklyn shop alongside their custom instruments but are built in batch with limited options to keep costs and wait time to a minimum. The Monarch-P Classic comes in two configurations: an ash body...

This week we’re taking a look at the Hex 4 by BNJ Guitars. The sleek, blacked-out, semi-hollow bass is built with a lime and mahogany body finished in a matte black and matched with an ebony fingerboard. It’s fitted with red strings that really pop against the black background. BNJ fits the Hex 4 with an MM/J pickup configuration by...

After unveiling the Satin Series earlier this year, Sadowsky Guitars has announced the Deluxe Satin line. The basses are made in the company’s New York City shop in batch to keep costs down. The series will be available in their traditional vintage-styled 4-21 and 5-21 models as well as their more modern 4-24 and 5-24 models. The Deluxe Satin basses...

The Painted Player Guitar Company makes some fantastic finishes for their instruments, but they really went all out on this bass tribute to the Beatles. Their “Yellow Submarine” bass is a heavily modded Fender Mexican Precision that was crafted to resemble the psychedelic boat. “[The bass was created] in the UK using a stunning Fender Mexican Precision Bass as a...

This week we’re checking out a cool one-off that Yamaha built for bass shredder Billy Sheehan. Based on his signature Attitude LTD3 model, the bass brings together some interesting elements tied around Sheehan’s band The Winery Dogs. “Before The Winery Dogs’ touring cycle in support of their second album Hot Streak, Billy asked us to build him an Attitude LTD3...

Kiesel Guitars has introduced two new multi-scale versions of their Vanquish bass. The VM49K and VM59K are four- and five-string basses, respectively, that are the Kiesel custom shop’s first multiscale bass instruments. The design includes fanned frets and offers some technical improvements. “The advantage of a multiscale bass over a traditional instrument is that the lower strings have a greater...

Fender has unveiled the American Professional Series, which takes the place of their recently discontinued American Standard line. The new series will, of course, include Precision and Jazz bass models, but each will have new features. Updated specs include a new fret shape, new pickups, new electronics, new hardware, and new colors. Both the American Professional P-Bass and Jazz Bass...

I love it when luthiers think outside the box with the woods they use for their instruments. A recent trend has been to recycle old skateboards to create instant mojo, and Brazilian bass builder Antonio Cesar Scopel nailed it with his P-Board bass. Inspired by the Fender Precisions from 1951 to 1957, the P-Board’s body is made entirely from used...