Progress has been made. We toyed around with many different ideas for how the bass could look and what materials to use. We’ve gone from one that was pure white with clear jewels to lights and colored jewels to a variety of exotic hard woods. We decided that the first one would be all hardwoods as we prove out the concept of a great sounding and playing bass. I made the body wings in the shape of Jermaine’s trademark “J” out of Ziricote (the blackish wood), Quilted Maple (center of the “J”), African Mahogany and Padauk (body core layers). The neck is made from Eastern rock Maple and Wenge with Bubinga stripes. As you can see, we’re going to inlay the rest of Jermain’s name into the fret board.

click image to enlarge

It’s clear from this photo that there’s plenty of work left to do. The neck looks a tad thick and perhaps lacks a bit of grace? This would be called the “blocking stage” of the Prototype.

click image to enlarge

At this point, the center of the “J” shape has been inlaid with Quilted Maple. But we have big plans for hollowing part of that out. It will provide a neat carrying handle, will add a cool dimensional look, and on a practical level, will lighten the bass a bit. (When you’re using all these wonderful dense tone woods, you’re always looking for ways to reduce the weight.) A Cocbolo board sits where the fret board will be. We haven’t decided whether the fret board will be Maccasar Ebony or Cocobolo. You’re just gonna have to wait for the next installment to see!!!! Stay tuned!!!

click image to enlarge

Jermaine Jackson has a unique look and style about everything he does. I welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with Jermaine to build him a very custom bass. He came over one night with our mutual friend, Dammo Farmer, and we went about discussing bass construction, ergonomics, materials, and just about everything else we could think of!!

click image to enlarge

During a second visit with Jermaine, he brought up the idea of designing the body of the guitar based on the way he writes the capital letter “J” when signing his name. The graphic way he does it has a nice balance and design to it and we left it that I’d play with the shapes and see what I came up with. On Jermaine’s third visit, I had pasted these drawing onto a board so we could explore the possibilities. There are of course lots of factors involved. In addition to the graphic design, we have to come up with a shape that’s ergonomically playable and balanced for those “little practicalities” like being able to put a strap on it and play it.

click image to enlarge

The next fun thing to do is to get a cheap material like cardboard or in this case, 1/8″ masonite, and do a quick cut out of a couple of full scale shapes to start to see if these small drawings could really translate into a working guitar. Seeing things at their proper size, even though flat as a pancake, will tell you a lot in a hurry about proportions and playability.

click image to enlarge

Since the body is the “J”, what about inlaying the fretboard with “ermaine”? Folks, this movie writes itself!! Okay, Mr. Jermaine, “that’ll be a piece of cake.” (no it won’t, but it’ll sure look cool) Jermaine grabbed a pencil and spaced out his name. We’re like a couple of kids that broke into the science lab at this point, dreaming up elaborate inlays and finishes. Some how I’m pretty sure that leaving it in tan masonite is not going to be the look that Jermaine is going for!!

click image to enlarge

Okay, carefully observe the child like look on Jermaine’s face. Does this look like a kid that’s just found his favorite present under the tree or what? More to come ……………………..

click image to enlarge

I deviously made Jermaine sign the bass design that he approved. I told him it was procedure (In a very procedural sort of way). (I really just wanted a cool keep sake from all the fun we’re having. I don’t want to brag, but he completely fell for it!!!)

click image to enlarge

First is a 5-string with a highly figured Pomelle Bubinga top, a thick Wenge tone layer, African Mahogany body core and a Figured Bubinga back. The neck is made with four layers of Eastern Hard Rock Maple and three layers of Wenge with a Maccassar Ebony fret board. Nordstrand Fatstack pickups, Aguilar OBP-3 Preamp, Hipshot hardware and Rosewood knobs. This guitar has a HUGE but very defined sound and went to a great Chicago player.

click image to enlarge

The next two photos are of a Flamed Koa 6-string with a Wenge tone layer, African Mahogany core and Koa back. The neck is comprised of 7 layers – a two piece tapering Wenge core, three Padauk stripes and two Wenge outer rails. The fretboard is highly figured Cocobolo. Nordstrand Fatstacks, Hipshot hardware, Aguilar pre, and Tigerwood knobs!!!

This bass was custom made for Bill Dickens. He asked to have Ebony ramps installed, a paper thin neck, super low string action and a very high pickup setting. If you’re familiar with Bill’s amazing lightning fast playing, you can quickly see that every nuance in a basses set up is going to be critically important. I struggled to get everything to his liking, but eventually I feel I pretty much did and of course when you work with demanding players, you always learn a ton!! All good and the bass has an extremely dynamic and yet bell clear tone.

click image to enlarge

I capped the back of the head stock with Flamed Koa for no particular reason other than I’d never done that before and I thought that Bill would appreciate it. (I like it!!)

click image to enlarge

Next we have a Ziricote topped 5 string. I’ve decided that Ziricote, like Wenge is pure magic. Wenge produces great mids and super lows with attitude and focus. Ziricote produces great clarity across all frequencies with a sweet purity in the highs. You put these two woods together and you have a pretty great chance of ending up with a very musical sounding bass. The first time I used this combination was on Abraham Laboriel’s 6 string. The California player that ordered this bass wanted to get as close to what I had done for Abraham as possible. The neck is a 7 lamination neck with two taper cores of Wenge, Padauk stripes and outer rails of Bubinga. Figured Cocobolo fretboard. Sweet!!

click image to enlarge

The next Cocobolo 6-string bass went to the Canadian Jon Laws, Drake’s Bassist. The top is comprised of heartwood (reddish) and sap wood, (whitish). The sap wood is the newest growth to the outside of the tree, the heartwood, older growth in the tree’s center. I love to find this combination (somewhat rare) when I can as it graphically redefines the shape of the guitar. Cocobolo is also a great tone wood and is fairly even across all frequencies. A full Wenge neck with Padauk stripes. This bass knocked down my neighbors garage before Jon got it. It had to go to Canada for the safety of all Americans!!!

click image to enlarge

This Cocobolo 5-string went to David “Bassman” Celestin in New York, Ashanti’s bassist and one of our newest Wyn players. There’s that Wenge and Padauk 7 lamination neck again!! I seem to have a pattern going here!! With the Wenge tone layer on the body, this bass has that same HUGE authoritative sound.

click image to enlarge

And finally the last three photos are of Eric “Pikfunk” Smith’s Ziricote bass. We worked together over a number of months to get the look that Eric was going for. His main request was that he wanted a visual flow to go uninterrupted from one end of the bass to the other. I ended up doing several unusual things to his guitar to achieve this look.

First, the guitar is a neck thru like all my basses, but I laminated Ziricote onto the front of the neck as it passes through the body. I basically built a mosaic of woods that connected in design from the top wing to the middle to the bottom wing. They look like one continuous board, but believe me, they’re not. Then I cut the fret board out of a matching Ziricote board maintaining the light streak on the upper side of the neck. I cut a truss rod cover out of Ziricote and I had a headstock cap out of Ziricote. But then I looked at the guitar and decided it needed an accent. A patch of red. I mean common you guys, you can overdose on Ziricote ya know!! So I found a Cocobolo piece that maintained the light pattern but then went to red. To me it just made the rest of the bass pop!

click image to enlarge

Eric also requested that I carve the base of the bass in a way that supported the Ziricote grain patterns. And with a thick tone layer of Wenge right under the Ziricote top, it provided a nice dark textured grain to go with the top. Eric liked it so much that he very nicely explained to me that if I ever made anyone else a bass that looked anything like his, he would come down and kill me!!! So you guys heard it first here!! Don’t anybody ask for a bass that looks just like this one!!

click image to enlarge

And finally, here’s the back of the bass with a Ziricote back and solid Wenge neckthru. Really, he did……… he said he’d kill me………….

click image to enlarge