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Bolivian Rosewood 6 string fretted bass
The Wood
Bolivian Rosewood top
Black Limba body core
Padauk back
3 piece curly maple neck
Macassar ebony fretboard
35" scale and curly maple binding
Graphite nut
Matching wood for truss rod cover
Dark walnut for front of headstock and Zebrawood for back of headstock
The Hardware
Hipshot bridge and tuners
Bartolini P-100 soapbar pick-ups
Stellartone 10 position ToneStyler to give a range of pre-equalized positions
Stringjoy light gauge heavy bottom strings
2-way adjustable truss rod to control height of action and dual carbon fiber rods to add strength to the neck without adding weight.
The Design
Although this bass is not for sale, I am making another single cut soon. As a bass maker, I truly get attached to all of my instruments, but I made this one for myself from the start and used the pick-ups I got in 1994 on my first bass. It's actually a pretty funny story. I had completed an apprenticeship and was ready to invest in my career as a luthier by attending the four year program at the Violin Making school of Chicago. I had my heart set on making a 6 string bass, but I didn't have a shop or power tools. So, I made my first wenge 6 string out of my apartment closet by buying small power tools from Sears, using them and returning them the next day. Yes, it was a "starving student" move and I keep that first bass in my shop to remember my humble beginnings. Decades later, I knew I wanted to make myself a 6 string bass that lived up to my current standards and skill level, but I took those Bartollini P-100 Soap Bar pick-ups and installed them into the new one as an homage.
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