[Bass of the Week] Kaster B1

See the business listing for this bass builder here

This week’s BotW comes from John Kaster (also the builder) who wanted to create a small, super-light instrument, and nailed it!

John writes:

The idea for this bass was to build a small body super-light weight bass. The only way to make a super-light bass is to pare down the body and use a great light weight tone wood. I chose bass wood for the body (seemed like a natural choice). Everything on the instrument was chosen for light weight except the Schaller bridge which is high quality and added ballast.

The instrument weights 7 lbs. 3 oz. total and has zero “neck dive”. If you suspend the bass from the upper bass bout strap button the instrument will hang with the neck up at approximately 45 degrees. A benefit from the body design and slim waist is your right hand is in great position for easy string access whether you are sitting or standing using a strap. If you like to anchor your right thumb the pick guard or pick-up works well.

During the build I wondered, “How would it sound with just a volume control”? I have never made an instrument that did not have a tone control and did not know what to expect. Would it sound harsh because there was no treble bleed from the tone pot and capacitor? Would it sound thin from the pick-up’s close proximity to the bridge? Plugging-in for the first time was disconcerting but I am very happy with the sound, in a word the sound is “Fantastic”. The sound is clean, articulate, and full with wonderful sustain. Everything the instrument is capable of producing is sent straight to the amplifier and was better than expected!

My amplifier has settings for treble, mid, bass, clean channels, as well as sampling circuits for other amps and effects and the B1 sounded great on everything. Reverb with delay sounded like Roger Waters lead-in on “One of These Days”. The point is, if you want to you can use your amps effects or put them on a pedal board.

One more thing, this bass is loud. I am currently building a 5-string with EMG pick-up/pre-amp configuration.

Specifications:

Precision Bass: 7 lbs. 3 oz.
Mint Green with White Pearloid pick guard 3-ply (W,B,M)
Body: Basswood
Body Length (strap button to strap button): 20”
Body Width (lower bout): 11” (waist): 5 1/8th” (upper bout): 7 ½” (approx.)
Scale: 34”
Neck Wood: Hard Rock Maple with sunburst
Neck Shape: Modified C Neck
Depth at Nut: 21mm Neck
Depth at 12th fret: 24mm
Frets: Medium Jumbo
Bone Nut Width: 42mm, 1 5/8”, 1.625
Nut String Spacing: 33.5mm
Fingerboard: Rosewood with pearl fret markers
String Spacing at Bridge: 57mm, 2 ¼”
Pick-up: Stewart-McDonald P-Bass: Split Coils wired in-series for hum cancellation, AWG 42 wire, wound to 10.5 k ohm, wax potted.
Bridge: Schaller Bass Bridge adjustable string spacing, height, intonation.
Tuning Machines: Hip Shot Ultra-light
Potentiometer: Alpha 250 k ohm

Simplicity at its best with a cool design and color. Well done, John!

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