{"id":12771,"date":"2019-03-19T08:04:01","date_gmt":"2019-03-19T13:04:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bestbassgear.com\/ebass\/?p=12771"},"modified":"2019-03-19T08:06:55","modified_gmt":"2019-03-19T13:06:55","slug":"episteme-instruments-the-objectivist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bestbassgear.com\/ebass\/bass-of-the-week\/episteme-instruments-the-objectivist.html","title":{"rendered":"[Bass of the Week] Episteme Instruments “The Objectivist”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This week’s selection is from Paul Tausch from Episteme Instruments. Here’s the story of the build in his own words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’m a long-time wood-worker that fell in love with the bass when I first heard Geddy Lee play on 2112 back when I was in Junior High, so building instruments is a perfect fusion for these two passions.  The Objectivist came about as a desire to build a neck-through 5-string with a foundation of Maple and then adding in Wenge and Padauk – once I saw this slab of Zebrawood, I knew that would be the veneer layer.  I wanted the sound and range of a 34″, but had been used to playing a short-scale and was concerned about the reach on a longer scale, so I added the cut-away at the end of the upper wing where the arm contour would usually be so I could add a guitar strap button there as well and pull the lower register of the fingerboard a little closer; it also eliminated any symmetry across the bottom of the bass and gave the instrument a unique profile.  I’m sure all the luthiers out there relate to that feeling of “just having to get that design out of your head” and bring it to life by giving it form, 
function, and a voice! Too many designs and not enough time.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

About the Build:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a 5-string, 34″ scale, neck-through design with the neck composed of 10 laminates – Maple (3), Wenge (4), and Padauk (3). The neck has a dual action truss rod adjustable at the headstock.The fingerboard is made of Black Walnut stained with a Cabernet stain and has 27 frets at the G-string and a single Omega symbol to mark the 12th fret. The wings are a base of Maple, a layer of Wenge, and a thick veneer of Zebrawood, so the bass is all heavy tonewoods giving it great sustain.  The top wing has an extended horn and a relief cut away instead of an arm contour.  The instrument is finished in Danish Oil to highlight the Zebrawood and waxed.  I used a passive jazz-style pick-up configuration with a single volume control (tone is adjustable through an opening in the electronics cavity cover), a brass nut, and individual string saddles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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