Bass of the Week - Page 38

This week we’re checking out the Godin A4. Available in fretted and fretless versions, the semi-acoustic bass is fitted with a low profile Lace Sensor with side-mounted controls as well as custom Godin Saddle transducers with their own custom preamp. The extensive tonal options can be output via 1/4″ and 13-pin connectors, allowing for computer and synth access. The A4...

This week we’re featuring the work of Aaron “Ray” Ross, a Missouri-based builder who began making basses to supplement his own collection. “I make basses by hand in a VERY modest shop,” Ross explains. “This started when I wanted a fretless bass but could not afford one.” Ross builds each bass by hand with an assortment of materials. His five-string...

Extended-range basses have become a huge trend in the last few years with instruments having anywhere from five to twenty-four strings. While Russian custom shop Padalka Guitars has built several seven and nine-string basses, they decided to take a more minimalist approach with the Ennea Hotchkiss, a three-string bass with bold contours. A riff on their flagship Ennea model, the...

This week we’re checking out the Orchid bass by CG Lutherie, a headless bass with some sleek features. The unique body shape includes a forearm contour and an extended upper horn, while the majority of the bass’s top sits flush thanks to recessed volume and tone controls. While the bass is fully customizable, this fretless Orchid features a stunning poplar...

We’re featuring another incredible bass made by an amateur builder this week. Bassist Joe Goldsmith sent us some pictures of a stunning singlecut bass he built to suit his style. The eighteen-year-old, who mainly plays double bass, decided to make something that would make him feel more at home on an electric. “As a double bassist, I’ve found that I’m...

This week we’re checking out an awesome instrument built by Italian amateur bass builder Matteo Marziali, who started building basses after being inspired by the work of Carl Thompson. His latest creation, which he dubbed “The Bad” bass, brings has a dark theme that draws on the work of several of his favorite luthiers. “I started to design this bass...

Bassist Sam Battaglino shared some details of his new RG Custom Basses Pathos on a Facebook group called Best Boutique Basses, and it stopped me in my tracks. The left-handed bass features a neck-through design with solid spalted Ambrosia maple body wings that give it a raw, organic, and yet refined aesthetic. Its five-piece neck brings together spalted Ambrosia maple...

It’s always good to look back at your work when you hit a milestone, but Fodera does it with style. They recently completed a special Flame Koa Monarch 4 Elite that they’ve dubbed Fodera #4,000, and it’s a beauty. “Our Monarch design was our very first bass design and the second instrument that we ever built was a Monarch Bass...

Bass builder Mark Vinciguerra recently posted photos of a recently completed BAJ Signature six-string bass and it stopped me in my tracks. The model, designed with bassist Brent-Anthony Johnson, comes with plenty of options, but this one seems just right. It features a black limba body topped with a stunning maple burl in a natural finish. The neck is an...

This week we’re taking a look at the Sniper bass by 3G Handmade Instruments. Made in Italy, the bass was designed for portability while keeping a full size bass experience. “[The] Sniper Bass was born to solve transport problems due to the electric bass pack size while maintaining the traditional scale and balance of a typical bass, whether you play...

There’s something uniquely beautiful about the double bass, and Nick Lloyd knows how to accentuate it. This week we check out his 3/4 Lloyd Standard Model featuring gorgeous woods and interesting twist. The bass’s design includes walnut back and sides with a classic flatback. “Previously I came across some beautiful, centuries-old Italian basses made from Walnut,” the luthier explains. “I...

And now for something completely different. We recently featured a video by Indian music enthusiast and seven-string bassist Jason Everett. While a seven-string may be outlandish to some, he sent me some info on a special bass he modded to fill another role for his style. After being inspired by John McLaughlin’s guitar work with Shakti, Everett turned his Rickenbacker...