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Bass of the Week - Page 46

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: Grove Guitars FHP Bull Moose 5

Bass of the Week: Grove Guitars FHP Bull Moose 5

Grove Guitars does something really cool for their bass tops. Instead of an exotic hardwood, the company will sometimes use old crate tops to “provide a genuine vintage feel without the faux finish.” A good example is our bass of the week, the FHP Bull Moose 5. Described as a super spec’ed MM bass, the Bull Moose 5 is built...

Bass of the Week: Chadwick Folding Bass

Bass of the Week: Chadwick Folding Bass

Ask any double bassist what the biggest pain is about their instrument of choice, and they’ll likely tell you it is the task of lugging it around. Enter the Chadwick Folding Bass: a standard 3/4 bass that folds in on itself for travel. The bass has a removable panel on the back that allows the entire neck to fold into....

Bass of the Week: AV Basses AVB1

Bass of the Week: AV Basses AVB1

This week we check out the AVB1 from AV Basses, a versatile custom bass that comes in 4-, 5-, 6- or 7-string versions. Made in the Czech Republic by luthier Aleš Vychodil, the AVB1 comes with tons of options ranging from bolt-on or neck-thru construction to choice of woods to choice of pickups. While the bass can be made in...

Bass of the Week: Aquilina Basses DB

Bass of the Week: Aquilina Basses DB

Sébastien Aquilina of Aquilina Basses is making some beautiful instruments. Case in point: the Aquilina DB, a suave singlecut design with French aesthetic. The neck-through bass is built around a sycamore and ash neck with carbon reinforcements, topped with a sycamore fingerboard. The body wings are mahogany with a stunning flamed sycamore that continues the theme. It’s fitted with a...

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Bass of the Week: Electrical Guitar Company Series One Bass

Bass of the Week: Electrical Guitar Company Series One Bass

This week we take a look at the Electrical Guitar Company Series One Bass, an instrument built around a hollow “C” shaped anodized aluminum neck. The neck assembly is completely isolated from the body for maximum sustain. “All aluminum rings out in a very unique way,” EGC writes. “It almost has a natural chorus to it. For as many highs...

Bass of the Week: Mensinger Cazpar

Bass of the Week: Mensinger Cazpar

Featuring a 30-inch scale, Mensinger describes their Cazpar bass as designed with players with smaller hands in mind. It also works nicely in both piccolo and standard tuning for versatility. Available in 4-, 5-, and 6-string versions, the Cazpar is built with a body consisting of an alder or mahogany core sandwiched between two pieces of maple as well as...

Bass of the Week: Esperanza Spalding’s South Paw Fretless 5-String

Bass of the Week: Esperanza Spalding’s South Paw Fretless 5-String

If you happen to follow Esperanza Spalding’s Facebook page, you might have seen from photos of her Radio Music Society summer tours that she’s wielding a slick new 5-string fretless. The bass is a South Paw, created by NYC luthier Simon Propert, and it’s one of a kind. “Each bass is custom and a little different, so there is no...

Bass of the Week: Ella Basses #0015

Bass of the Week: Ella Basses #0015

No Treble columnist Ryan Madora covered Summer NAMM for us this year, and one of the most striking pictures she took was at the Ella Basses booth. This week we check out company’s #0015 bass, which centers around a beautiful blend of exotic woods. The front of the bass is adorned with an interesting selection of cocobolo on its body...

Bass of the Week: Rybski Wooten Woods Camp Bass

Bass of the Week: Rybski Wooten Woods Camp Bass

In 2010, extreme flooding left a trail of destruction across much of Tennessee including the area surrounding Nashville. Many musicians from all walks of life were affected by the natural disaster. Wooten Woods, Victor Wooten’s home base and teaching haven located near the Duck River, was temporarily overrun by water and had to be evacuated. Thankfully it was restored with...

Bass of the Week: Lipe Guitars Lupara

Bass of the Week: Lipe Guitars Lupara

The Lipe Guitars Lupara bass is handmade in California by veteran luthier Mike Lipe. Based on his guitar models, the Lupara comes in 4- and 5-string versions with a choice of P/J, J/J, and humbucker pickup configurations. The bass comes standard with an alder body that’s contoured for comfort. Several choices for exotic tops are available including mango, quilted maple,...

Bass of the Week: Manne Guitars Kayenta

Bass of the Week: Manne Guitars Kayenta

This week we check out the Kayenta bass from the Italian bass builders at Manne Guitars. Designed around an offset body, the bass’s shape puts it in a more upward angled position when playing that the company says is suited well for players that wear their instrument higher. Its korina body is also multi-chambered to add a more complex midrange...

Bass of the Week: Toby Chennell Arco Acoustic Bass Guitar

Bass of the Week: Toby Chennell Arco Acoustic Bass Guitar

In July, we posted a cool video of Bart Soeters displaying a wide variety of basses, and one of his instruments really stood out to me: the Toby Chennell Arco Acoustic Bass Guitar. The electric bass and upright bass share several qualities, but overall they’re really different instruments. UK-based luthier Toby Chennell set out to bring more of their elements...