5-string Bass Archives - Page 35

Ken Bebensee of KB Guitars made this gorgeous acoustic bass guitar for jazz bassist Robert Hurst, whose work ranges from stints with Wynton Marsalis to being a member of The Tonight Show Band. The 5-string bass brings together elements of a cello and an archtop jazz guitar for a unique hybrid bass. It’s built with an extra deep body made...

DBZ Guitars has introduced the Barchetta Bass, a model based on DBZ’s flagship guitar. The bass follows the company’s trend of blending modern and traditional styles for unique instruments. The Barchetta Bass comes in three versions based on their tops: Standard (ST), Flame Maple (FM), and Spalt Maple (SM). Common features include a maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, and a matching...

Jens Ritter has expanded on the idea of his R8-Singlecut bass with the R8-Concept Fretless Bass. The new models set themselves apart by utilizing the Ritter Backside Tuning System, which puts the tuning machines on the back of the bass’s body while accepting standard single-ball strings. Another distinguishing feature is the R8-Concept’s extended fingerboard, which reaches all the way down...

BassLab isn’t your ordinary bass manufacturer and they certainly don’t make your average bass. Developed by a musician and a physicist, the company uses a tuneable composite material instead of wood. “We use carbon for stiffness, but add other [elements] to the mix for tone,” they shared. “It’s called ‘tuneable’, because we can also alter the tone.” BassLab’s flagship instrument...

Mike Lull has taken the classic non-reversed T-Bird style bass concept and combined it with his own engineering. The result is the new NRT4 and NRT5 basses. The NRT4 and NRT5 offer up the same specs as the company’s T4 and T5 models, but with the non-reversed body shape. Lull wanted to take the classic deep tones of the original...

German luthier Gerald Marleaux has introduced a new model for 2013 named the Votan XS Deluxe. Continuing on the traditionally inspired Votan series, the XS Deluxe features a slim birdseye maple neck and a smaller solid African Dibetou hardwood body. The Votan XS Deluxe is fitted with a pair of Delano JSBC custom single coil pickups and a Marleaux 2-band...

Lakland has given their Skyline 44-01 and 55-01 models the Deluxe treatment this year. Sporting four and five strings respectively, the Lakland 44-01 and 55-01 Deluxe Spalt models add to their predecessors with spalted maple tops for visual flair. The models are built with ash bodies, maple necks, and rosewood fingerboards. The 4-string has a 34? scale, while the 5-string...

This week we check out the CallowHill Guitars’ flagship bass, the MDM. The MDM was born out of three separate instrument models, and eventually evolved into a single model with several options. The MDM is offered in 5- and 6-string versions with standard features including lightweight swamp ash bodies, Nordstrand pickups and a fully passive wiring stage with a modified...

Ibanez has updated their Artcore series of basses with the AGB205 and the AFB200SRD. As part of the Artcore line, the acoustic/electric basses follow vintage aesthetic and sport 30.3″ scales. The AFB200SRD is built constructed with a 3-piece maple/mahogany neck, a maple body, and a bound rosewood fingerboard. It offers a new Sunset Red finish and a newly designed pickguard....

Warwick’s limited edition bass this year is the Thumb BO LTD 2013, an upgraded version of the company’s existing model. Available in 4- and 5-string versions, the new model features bolt-on construction and is crafted from FSC certified woods. The Thumb BO LTD 2013 is built with a US Swamp Ash body topped with Vavona Burl with a matching headstock....

The F Bass BNF is a fretless version of their BN model that the company says offers a “traditional fretless tone.” Available in 4-, 5- and 6-string versions, the BNF features a sleek Gabon ebony fingerboard, a 3-piece quartersawn maple neck, and a body constructed of a maple center block and ash wings. Its pickups are a pair of stacked,...

Ibanez has added to their Premium line of basses once again with the BTB Premium. Building on the “boutique-style” of the BTB series, the Premium models take things a step further with upgraded materials and are built in Ibanez’s Premium factory. Available in 5- and 6-string models, the BTB Premium models feature 35? scale for increased string tension, resulting in...