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This week’s BotW that arrived in the featureme@bestbassgear.com inbox comes all the way from New Zealand.
Rob writes:
I got interested in ergonomic guitar and bass design and successfully built and now play a ” Klien” style headless guitar. I found that it was so comfortable stress-free to play over long extended gigs that I decided to build an ergonomic style bass, so here is my first attempt.
The scale length is 34 inch, 24 frets. The fingerboard is Australian Jarrah as well as the center laminate in the maple neck. Position markers are aluminum.
The neck is secured to the mahogany body with machine screws which screw into “T” bolts that are embeded in the neck under the fingerboard.
The neck has a double acting truss rod, the end of which can be seen in the photo of the custom made aluminum string anchor which I designed and made along with the “pullers” (machine heads) using an ordinary woodworking router and drill press.
There is a straight-line pull on the strings from head to pullers.
Pickups are Seymour Duncan SJB-2 Hot with standard “J” bass passive wiring.
The bass has a nice solid punchy sound with great sustain.
Weighing in at 9.2lbs (4.1kg) and in combination with the deeply carved back and chambering of the body make it a dream to play.
The balance is great, completely neutral whether standing or sitting to play.
I used the Dunlop flush mount Straplock strap retainer system.
The bass is finished with hand rubbed oil, giving a very natural wood feel.
Very good for a first-attempt at an ergonomic bass design, isn’t it? Well done, Rob!
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I think it’s quite interesting looking and pretty nice. I would definitely give it a go.
Fantastic!
Status graphite -style (but with a cut up body)
Nice bass but I still prefer my Kubicki X Factor !!!
looks good for “any” atempt. nice job!
Can you use this to row to Australia ? Seriously, nice work!
Looks weird, I would not want it but if he is happy that’s all that matters
If Klein had basses, they would look like this. Beautiful job.
Wow, nice work!!!
well done Rob Garry thinks it’s beautiful and the sound is pristine
Lovely job Rob, I see you have not lost your artistic skills over the many years… Ted.