See the business listing for this bass builder here
This week’s BotW is in the style of a Fender Starcaster – but with the full 34-inch scale length.
Roger Cowan of Dog Tired Guitars writes:
One of the bass players in our church worship band asked me to build this after having seen the guitars I built for our worship leader. Since I’d not done a bass before, she was willing to be the guinea pig for the prototype.She wanted a 5 string fretless, and the main points were that it needed to be fairly light and well-balanced. I’ve got a good friend who also happens to be an incredible bassist and devout gear geek, so he helped me with the design.
We based the body off the Fender Starcaster but made it a full 34″ scale rather than short scale. That meant that I didn’t have enough room behind the bridge to do a proper top carve like on the original, so I had to find some other way of breaking up all the real estate on the top. I came up with the idea of elevating the wings and doing recessed control knobs. That helped to add a bit more visual interest without taking away from the spectacular figure in the maple.
– Heavily chambered mahogany body with curly maple cap
– 5 piece neck (walnut/maple)
– Ebony fingerboard with curly maple fret lines
– Carbon fiber stiffening rods and dual action truss rod
– Seymour Duncan Jazz bass neck pickup and Musicman-style bridge humbucker
– Active preamp with volume, blend, treble, mid, bass controls
– Walnut accent stripes inlaid into body
– Finish is tinted shellac under lacquer top coat
Well done, Roger!
Want YOUR bass to be featured as Bass of the Week?
Submit yours now using our easy web form
VERY nice work, brother!
One of the finest instruments I’ve seen on BOTW here.
How much does it weigh? How does it sound?
My client has told me that it weighs just slightly more than her 4 string Jazz bass, but feels really good balance-wise. I’ve been told by other bassists that it sounds great.
Very nice..like the pickup configuration and would love to hear how it sounds. Do you have a website with sound samples ?
I don’t have any sound samples up, but I’ll definitely work on that. Thank you.
Beautiful instrument. GAS inducing.
Why hasn’t someone done this sooner! GREAT work!
I’m the friend and devout gear geek. Its a great sounding and playing bass. I was really shocked too at how light it was for the body size and how balanced it was given that it has a longer scale than the original. Those walnut inlays in the top are something to see too.
What a beautiful bass Blessings on your work
Really pretty and nice pick up configuration. Only think I’d like to see is no fret markers, since dots on the side (audience won’t see) is usually sufficient and it lets everyone see the clean fretboard.
Thank you. The fret lines were a decision of the client. She doesn’t usually play fretless (though she is a classical strings teacher. Weird, I know) and was worried about the lack of reference points.
Thank you for the kind words, everyone. Since I’m not a bassist, it was definitely a different venture for me. – Roger
Very impressive.
Man, this looks lovely. Perhaps, I’d have darkened the burst around the periphery so as to hide that little added piece of wood on lower bout, but man: lovely.
Gorgeous instrument! Well done!
I have been playing for a very long time , and I own more basses than I can easily count, but this is the kicker for me, it is absolutely the most beautiful bass I have seen in many years, not too fancy, just perfect!! I would love to play t!
beautiful instrument. well done