5-string Bass Archives - Page 9

This week we’re checking out a total monster of a bass built by Dimitris Matkaris, who says he likes to build “weird” basses to test his building skills. This instrument, which he dubbed The Bass of Navarone, has a multi-scale neck with a behemoth 47-inch scale B-string. For comparison, that’s 13 inches longer than a standard bass scale. “Electric guitars...

Sire Guitars has announced several major upgrades to their Marcus Miller line of bass guitars ranging from the pickups to the serial number system. Nearly every bass they make has been upgraded in some way. The biggest change is in the second generation pickups, which applies to the V7, V7 Vintage, V9, P7, M7, and V3 models. Sire writes that...

This DTC Bass Guitars instrument caught my eye for its intense purple finish over the burl top, which looks like you’re staring into space. However, it’s got loads of other great features, too. Built with a mahogany body, the bass is a singlecut and multiscale design for a modern approach to bass playing. The stabilized burl top almost hides its...

This week we’re checking out a gorgeous new instrument with roots that date back hundreds of years. German luthier Michael Bornhak built this incredible Viennese-styled violone, which was an early form of the double bass, and took it out to the Black Forest to photograph it. Complete with beautiful inlays, the bass takes its cues from a baroque instrument. “It’s...

The L-Bow by BassLab Guitars is one of the most attention-grabbing designs in the bass world, but its extra bow in the neck is not for shock factor. This week we’re checking out a recent five-string L-Bow-V that, like their other instruments, features a tuneable composite material in place of wood. “This is the bass, that most often generates typical...

Fodera has added a five-string version of their Emperor-J to the Standard Classic line. The retro-styled instrument can be ordered in two different layouts to represent the tones of different eras. “The Emperor-J 5 is available in either a 60’s jazz-style configuration of an Alder body/ Rosewood FB with its pickups in 60’s location or in a 70’s jazz-style configuration...

This week we’re checking out the Waja Bass Soma NT five-string, which features a striking body shape in an equally striking high gloss blue finish. The neck-through bass is crafted from a three-piece swamp ash body topped with flamed maple and a seven-piece birdseye maple and bubinga neck. Its fingerboard is ebony. Waja fits the bass with a pair of...

Fodera has teamed up with bassist James Genus to release a new signature model of their Emperor 5 Elite bass. Genus, who has worked with the top names in jazz and is currently the house bassist for Saturday Night Live, worked with the company to make the bass comfortable and tonally versatile. “The James Genus Signature Emperor is designed to...

Germany’s Bassline went over the top for the Musikmesse show one year with what they called a “multi-scale, multi-layer” version of their Re:Belle model. Besides the obvious multi-scale design, the company routed out the sapele pommele body and actually inlaid the flashy quilted maple top. Its pickguard is made from the same piece of maple. Bassline opted to use Canadian...

Amorite Guitars has introduced their first bass model called the Kothar. The bass was two years in the making and will be available alongside other Amorite instruments. Designed in part with bassist Omar Harb, the Kothar features neck-through construction with a five-piece maple and walnut neck with an asymmetric profile. Its neck is also reinforced by carbon fiber rods in...

Last week, Corey had it with all the political posts on Facebook and asked to see some basses instead. The No Treble community responded with hundreds of basses including this cool instrument called the Morgan from Colibrí Guitars and Basses. “My name is Rodrigo Castellanos and I have been building basses for the last 13 years,” the luthier shared. “11...

This week we’re checking out a gorgeous J5 Classic Fretless from Devon Bass. It features a stunning chambered and scorched swamp ash body that has an almost caramel color in the grain. The warm color is accented with black hardware and an ebony fingerboard. Devon fitted the bass with a pair of Nordstrand Audio Big Blades matched to an Aguilar...