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Root Beer Bass
A heavily customized bass which started as a custom-built, ebony-equipped violin Engelhardt. This one sports the Flame-top option, having figured maple on all sides of the bass -- back, sides and top. The finish is a translucent root beer brown, set off by beautiful "natural binding," where no color is used at all. The binding on the top and back also sport a razor-thin black pinstripe for contrast. The bass was set up to customer specifications, and features a LaBella GoldenTone G&G and Lenzner plain gut E&A string combination for old-school pizzicato and classic rockabilly slap. Big, warm tone from this one. The bass is decked out with a host of upgraded components, including nickel individual tuners, Despieau A-quality bridge with aluminum adjusters and an ebony plug, nickel-trimmed end pin assembly. A custom tailpiece badge was also produced for this client. The bass has a rockabilly edge, but with class for days...
Texas' Bill Swinford, owner of the Root Beer, recently recorded a couple of short sound clips showcasing the bass' old-school tone. The clips are his take on solos originally played by accomplished bassists Kevin Smith and Ric Ramirez. Have a listen:
