Bass of the Week - Page 46

Made in the USA, the Wilkins Road Tested Roasted Cayenne WRTJ5 Bass is an instrument that the builder says will make you feel right at home. Luthier Pat Wilkins, who has been in the industry since 1976, writes that the WRTJ was developed from years of extensive research on one of the most widely used basses in the world. This...

This week we’re checking out the Sirius by Aquilina Basses. Available in passive and active versions, the bass has several options to dial it towards a modern tone or take you back in time with old school thump. The active version of the bass features an ash body, an American maple neck, and a maple fingerboard with 20 frets. More...

This week we’re checking out a 35″ Scale Four-String model by luthier Ben Lambdin of Lambdin Guitars. The California-based builder opened shop recently, but he’s no new-comer to the industry. “After nearly a decade of working for and learning from some of the most respected guitar manufacturers in the world, such as the Santa Cruz Guitar Co, Zon Guitars, and...

Prog bassist Colin Edwin has been sharing details of his bass arsenal on his blog, including his exquisite Wal Mk 1 Fretless. The Porcupine Tree member explains that the model is probably his most played bass as he used it exclusively for several years. “Made in 1984 at Electric Wood in the UK, my Wal fretless has a Brazillian Mahogany...

When we first started this column, our goal was to present instruments that range from beautiful to bizarre. This week we’re featuring a bass that falls somewhere in between. The Spalt Instruments Terminator bass is part musical instrument and part modern art, thanks to luthier Michael Spalt’s creative background. He studied painting, photography, film, and set construction between schools in...

This week we’re checking out the Chowny CHB-1, a semi-hollow body bass with lots of flair. Designed in the UK and manufactured in China, the bass centers around a maple body and neck. It comes in a variety of flamed maple finishes as well as flat black or flat white colors, all of which are accented with 5-layer binding. Its...

Roger Sadowsky and his crew have been making some of the world’s best basses for decades, and bass #7210 is another fine example. The instrument is one of the company’s 21-fret standard style five-stringers with some gorgeous styling. “It’s what we classify as Standard Style, which means no pickguard or control plate,” Sadowsky Shop Manager Lisa Hahn tells us. That...

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...