Pistol Pete Midtgard's (Unnamed)

Detroit's Twistin' Tarantulas have been one of this town's hardest-working bands for over 12 years now. Equally hard-working has been frontman Pistol Pete's bass - an old, been-around-the-block post-war plywood affectionately referred to as the "Undertaker."

Pete at one time had owned an old American Standard upright, and had regretted the day he sold it since. When he came across Arnold Schnitzer and Wil DeSola's line of New Standard basses, Pete saw an opportunity for a second chance with a broad-shouldered cannon. The fellas at NS whipped up a Cleveland model, complete with custom considerations such as fully laminated ribs, outer linings and all-around beefier construction. Pete took delivery of his new monster sans finish, or in the white.

With the bass safely in Detroit and after a fair amount of deliberation, Pete decided on a gorgeous House of Kolor flake job. But for additional flair, he enlisted the help of area tattooist and pinstriper Jeff Shea to add some custom silver pinstriping before the clear went on. Though I normally shy away from using automotive systems on basses, Pete wanted the additional durability afforded by a catalyzed finish, and I was able to keep film build to the absolute minimum necessary to achieve his desired look. The result is an full-custom New Standard that exhibits all the tone these basses are known for.