5-string Bass Archives - Page 37

This week we take a look at Spanish custom shop o3 Guitars’ Palladium bass. Available in 4-, 5- and 6-string versions, the bass takes its moniker from the chemical element, which is a “rare and lustrous silvery-white metal.” All of o3’s basses are hand made, so each is customized. Standard features include an ebony fingerboard, mahogany body, and a 5-piece...

Mike Lull mashed up his M-series body and T-bass pickups to create the JT4 and JT5, a bass with a modern yet familiar feel and “T-bass boom.” And while the body is a modern take on a classic style, Lull designed the pickups by trying to get the same sound of an original Thunderbird bass while creating his own T-Bass....

The Gus Guitars G3 is an awesome bass with futuristic aesthetic. First introduced as a 4-string model in 1996, the G3 follows the company’s G1 guitar and is constructed using a special carbon fiber over cedar technique for the body with chrome plated aluminum tube for the horns. While the features are extraordinary, they’re far from arbitrary. Gus Guitars proprietor...

Spector has reintroduced the NS-5 to their USA Neck-Thru Series of basses. First made between 1987 and 1990 during the company’s Kramer era, the new NS-5 retains the same features while offering current Spector build options. Its neck is a 3-piece laminate of Rock Maple fitted with AAAA figured maple body wings or optional exotic top wings (Buckeye Burl shown)....

Warwick has unveiled the Corvette $$ NT Special Edition 68, a custom shop bass inspired by the General Motors 1968 Model Corvette Stingray. The hot-rodded bass shares the car’s style with a Candy Apple red finish and an airbrushed aluminum center section while the Corvette name is inlaid into the tigerstripe ebony fingerboard. Available in 4-, 5-, and 6-string versions,...

Ernie Ball/Music Man has unveiled the Sledge basses, a new special offering available through their Premier Dealer Network. Designed in conjunction with Tony Levin, the Music Man Sledge has a custom metallic flake finish that shifts colors depending on your viewing angle. Offered on Classic Stingray 4 and 5s, the Sledge is also available on the Music Man Sabre bass,...

Ibanez is now offering a 5-string version of their GSR Mikro bass. Sporting a 28.6? scale, the company explains the GSRM25 is perfectly suited for young students as well as adult players who prefer a short scale. Besides an extra string, the GSRM25 sets itself apart from its 4-string companion with a pair of Ibanez’s STD J5 pickups. The body...

The upper horn on the Datum RM Series bass may look cool, but it’s there for more than looks. The G-shape adds more contact between the body and neck, essentially giving the benefits of a singlecut bass to double cutaway design. Handmade in Italy, each bass is available with several options, including the number of strings, fretted or fretless, and...

Jon Hill of Bootleg Guitars decided to get back to basics with his new Dawg Pounder model. “I’ve been preaching simplicity lately: 1 humbucker 1 knob,” the luthier explained. “I feel guitars kinda went through a ‘Big Hair’ phase and I’m back in the garage with the garage bands!” Delivered in a sleek, black satin finish, the Pounder lives up...

Pavel de la Fuente has announced a new line of basses through his custom shop, Pavel Musical Instruments. The new Jazz Pro Vintage USA bass models include both 4- and 5-string basses, with a choice of Alder or Ash for the body, Rock Maple neck and a choice of Maple or Rosewood fretboard. The basses are available in natural, white,...

G&L has unveiled a new line of instruments labeled the “Black Ice Collection”. The new basses and guitars feature a “Black Ice” finish, which incorporates the company’s Nearly Naked (NENA) finish with a sleek matte black base and silver highlights in the body’s wood grain. Introduced last year, NENA is a super thin finish the company says promotes body resonance....

This week we take a look at Pavel Musical Instrument’s flagship singlecut bass, the Aryel. Described as the “Roaring Lion” of basses, the bass’s upper horn section connects to the neck at the 12th fret, which the company says adds more tone transmission to the body. The Aryel is hand-built to order in Texas and comes in Deluxe and Signature...