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]
Bass of the Week - Page 42
Bass of the Week: Scopel P-Board Bass
I love it when luthiers think outside the box with the woods they use for their instruments. A recent trend has been to recycle old skateboards to create instant mojo, and Brazilian bass builder Antonio Cesar Scopel nailed it with his P-Board bass. Inspired by the Fender Precisions from 1951 to 1957, the P-Board’s body is made entirely from used...
Bass of the Week: Zon Guitars Zemi Acoustik Bass
Meshuggah’s Dick Lovgren has gotten a crazy new bass from Zon Guitars, and it’s our bass of the week. The one-of-a-kind Zemi Acoustik is based on Zon’s Sonus body style but has a thicker, hollow mahogany body with a stunning flame maple top. Its set neck is made of a composite, while the phenowood fingerboard holds 24 frets. The pickups...
Bass of the Week: Cunningham Bass & Guitarz RLJ-5 Splendour Jazz Bass
Jamaica-born, Australia-based luthier Dwight Cunningham creates some stunning basses, including this gorgeous RLJ-5 Splendour Jazz Bass. The semi-hollow bass features a myrtle and alder body loaded with a Nordstrand Bigman pickup in the bridge position with a split coil in the neck position. Its seven-piece neck is crafted from Myrtle, Indian Rosewood, Maple and Mahogany. The lined fretless fingerboard is...
Bass of the Week: D’ARCO Shakti 5-String Bass
This week we’re checking out the D’ARCO Shakti 5-string bass by French Luthier Clément D’Arco. The striking bass has a host of beautiful, exotic woods to create a rich visual appeal. Its body is crafted from lacewood, purpleheart, wenge, and flamed maple while the 13-piece neck is made of flamed maple, wenge and a bubinga/wenge veneer. The neck is reinforced...
Bass of the Week: Barton Basses 11-String Fretless Harpbass
Barton Applewhite of Barton Basses sent this in for us to check out and it stopped me in my tracks. This monstrous 11-string fretless Harpbass includes a four regular bass strings plus seven standalone harp strings. “[The bass is] constructed of swamp ash [and] a flame maple neck through with a cocobolo top,” the luthier shares. “It has Bartolini pickups...
Bass of the Week: Höfner Guitars Gold Label Paisley 500/2 Club Bass
Höfner’s Gold Label series gives the company a chance to make limited runs of special designs created by their master luthiers in Hagenau, Germany. This week we’re checking out a version of their 500/2 Club bass that’s finished in a retro, 60’s paisley top. “Introduced in 1964 the Club bass has for many years only been available in Sunburst,” Höfner...
Bass of the Week: Ploughman Guitars Semi-Hollow Bass
This week we’re checking out another beautiful instrument by Serbia’s Ploughman Guitars. Their take on a semi-hollow body bass is crafted with a one-piece Sipo body that topped with book-matched, hand-carved, Bosnian maple. Its five-piece maple and mahogany neck is topped with a wenge fingerboard adorned with mother of pearl block inlays. The hardware includes a solid brass LP-style bridge...
Bass of the Week: Bacce Guitars Bold X-Bird 4
This week we’re checking out the Bacce Guitars Bold X-Bird 4, built by Spanish luthier Daniel Cabezas. Featuring a distinct body shape, the bass is built with lots of beautiful woods for an amazing look. Cabezas crafted the instrument with a swamp ash body topped with a premium flamed maple top. It has a black stain on the top and...
Bass of the Week: Versoul Swan 8
It’s not often you see an 8-string fretless, but this one takes the cake. This week we’re checking out the Swan 8 by Finland’s Versoul, which the company describes as having traditional looks with an innovative body construction. “Solid Finnish Aspen flat top on solid Alder sides, a flat back and the long scale neck (34″) create an exceptionally mature...
Bass of the Week: Bassart Guitars Phönix
The Bassart Guitars Phönix is a handmade bass from Braunschweig, Germany created by master luthier Matthias Meyer. This week we’re checking out a Phönix (German for Phoenix) in a dazzling blue sparkle finish. It’s built with a curly maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, and an alder body, although the model can also be built with a swamp ash or mahogany body....
Bass of the Week: J Ferro Basses Escalon
This week we’re checking out the J Ferro Escalon bass. The model is part of a new series created by industry veteran Jose Ferro, who spent 17 years as Executive Vice President of ESP Guitars. Available in four- and five-string versions, the Escalon features neck-through construction with a five-piece maple and mahogany neck matched to mahogany body wings. Its top...
Bass of the Week: Pachyderm Basses Blonde Bass
Les Claypool has always played distinct basses, and this week we’re checking out one of those basses he helped design: The Pachyderm Basses Blonde Bass. Claypool worked with luthier and longtime friend Dan Maloney to form the company and create his idea of the ultimate bass. “My idea was to incorporate the traits of the instruments I have loved over...