See the business listing for this bass builder here
The feature bass this week started with a mistake by a wood supplier that actually ended up being the best thing to happen.
Builder Steve Arnett writes:
I met Lelsie (the customer) at a Victor Wooten Jam Camp last year. He expressed interest in a custom build and contacted me a few months after we parted camp. Our discussion began with the typical choice of woods, scale length, string spacing, etc. He knew from the beginning that he wanted a Cocobolo top and sent several pictures of ones he’d found online that he liked. With that in mind, I went on the search for a really special piece. I “thought” I’d found one only to find out after I’d paid for it, the vendor had mistakenly sold it. What!?! As fate would have it, the vendor found THIS piece in his undocumented inventory. Wow!! Touchdown!!
As our conversation expanded regarding the build, Leslie told me he had built a bass in his high school shop class and wondered if I could harvest a piece of the Padauk from that bass and incorporate it into his custom build. If you look at the “swoopie” inlay where the neck joins the body, you’ll see a piece of his high school build. He loves it. So do I.
Leslie has a nickname of “The Velvet Hammer” so I did a special 12th fret inlay depicting his nickname.
Here are the build specs:
34″ scale; 17mm string spacing (per customer)
The body is African Mahogony wings with an Alder center core.
There is a thin veneer of Makore sandwiched between the body and the Bookmatched Cocobolo top. You’ll notice there is also a matching bookmatched ramp and truss rod cover from the same material.
The neck is a seven piece laminate. The center is Cherry. The outer parts are quarter sawn Rock Maple, as are the very thing stringers. The other stringers are Purple Heart. Inside is a double action truss rod and two graphite rods.
The fretboard is Macassar Ebony.
The Hardware is Hipshot. Ultralight tuners and an aluminum bridge. I chose aluminum because the Cocobolo is a very heavy wood. I used a Graphtech nut.
Electronics are DCB pickups and a Mike Pope Flexcore 2 preamp.
Final weight on UPS digital scales: 9.35 lbs.
Well done!
Want YOUR bass to be featured for Bass of the Week?
Submit yours now using our easy web form
I’m not a big fan of single cuts, but this is a beautiful piece of work. I would lo e to play it. I bet it’s real nice and snappy when you want it to Be! Nice work
Same here. Never was a fan of single cuts but that is some beautiful wood right there. Very nice laminating too.
Beautiful work–I love looking, even though I am retired and no longer building, it’s great to see all the custom builds being made by such talented luthiers ! Keep it up!
Gorgeous bass. I really like the logo treatment on the headstock.