The old adage is true: so many basses, so little time. That’s why we’re bringing you the “Bass of the Week,” a column featuring low-end instruments ranging from beautiful to bizarre. Have a bass you think we should feature? Drop us a note at [email protected].
Want to explore the complete archive? Visit BassOfTheWeek.com to browse hundreds of incredible instruments or spin the Bass Roulette and discover one at random.
Have you ever looked at a coffee table and thought, “That could be a bass?” That thought occurred to Jacques Legault, who shared this wild bass he built.
This week we’re checking out a killer Progress Series IV Standard 5-string bass by Overwater Basses. Its swamp ash body has a gorgeous walnut top that’s matched with a walnut headstock cap, walnut fingerboard binding, and walnut block inlays.
Badstroke Guitars used the force to create this killer Sallos 4FF bass with an incredible full-body custom inlay of the Death Star from Star Wars, complete with a laser inlay that fires across the fingerboard. As if that's not enough, the entire display is glow-in-the-dark.
Bassist Markus Setzer shared a video recently and the bass he was using caught my eye and my ear. This Ruokangas Steam Classic is a beautiful fretless that’s fitted with their Valvebucker MkII system. The setup matches a magnetic pickup capsule with a tube-powered preamp circuit that’s powered by a floor unit.
This week, we’re checking out the Z Bass Guitar EV2 Custom Exotic Woodpecker. The bass is built with a Marupá body marked with Ambrosia Beetle holes, giving an organic and unique look.
I love it when readers share their basses with us. Jonathan Chase sent us the details of his new axe from luthier Chris Stambaugh, and it’s a real beauty.
This week, we’re checking out a beautiful Heirloom model bass from New York’s JClef Basses. Billed as their most exclusive bass build yet, this bass celebrates the company’s fifth anniversary.
Ray Ramirez is renowned for his take on the Baby Bass, but this week, we’re checking out an incredible custom build bass he made for Tony Senatore.
Blake Burley of Burls Art states on his website that all of his instruments begin as an idea, “with some ideas being more daring than others.” This week we’re checking out a super cool build called the Burst 5-string bass.
This week we’re checking out one of the new collaborations between Spector Basses and Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center. The two companies teamed up for a line of one-of-a-kind NS-2 models featuring special graffiti artwork by airbrush artist Dan Lawrence that celebrates New York City.
Rob van den Broek of Brooks has shared another killer mashup design he calls the EB-TB-IV. Built for Swedish bassist Roger Hedin, the axe blends two vintage basses for a fresh instrument.
Our “Bass of the Week” series debuted in 2011 and has always been popular. Kevin’s goal since the beginning was to feature “low-end instruments ranging from beautiful to bizarre.” Here are the top 10 reader-favorite BoTW’s for 2023.