Check out my new fretless Stradi bass! This is the most expressive instrument I’ve ever had, the vibrato, sustain, and definition are spectacular. Here’s the first solo piece with lots of fun double stops, mwah, staccato fingerstyle, slides and some funky improvisation. It took 3 weeks a few hours a day to write, rehearse, and perform this in one take. The first bonding time with a new instrument is always special, but this bass triggers my brain like no other, it’s beyond inspiring to experience its sonic possibilities. Been playing fretless for some time but didn’t know this much definition in tone, sustain and resonance could be present, seems an ultimate blend of modern in-your-face sound and classical finesse with all its benefits.
Marek Dąbek is one of the finest luthiers around today, together with his wife Agnieszka this most wonderful couple builds these amazing instruments with incredible eye for detail. The stunning fingerboard is made of Bocote, with an Amazaque neck and solid roasted Alder body, the top wood is quartersawn Oak with a Shou Sugi Ban finish, all woods are made from one piece. Pickups are Delano Xtender and a custom piezo with Glockenklang preamp, slide pots and coil switch are on the back. It has an Ebony bridge and nut, Gotoh tuners and strap locks, glow in the dark Luminlay side markers and silver eyelets with crushed turquoise. The top wood is treated with fire, Japanese Yakisugi style.
I used Ernie Ball Super Slinky strings, the bocote fingerboard is hard and takes roundwounds well. I used 3 pedals: a Rodenberg 707b clean booster, a Darkglass Hyper Luminal compressor and at some parts a Boss OC-2 octaver. I used my Eich T-1000 amp and recorded into a Focusrite preamp into my laptop into Cubase.
Drums by Jack Irons (RHCP/Pearl Jam). He recorded and mixed it himself, I recorded this take on his stereo mix and mixed it in Cubase. No post processing or plugins used, just some volume adjustments, mastering was done with Ozone. More recordings in the works!
This type of Stradi bass is called Symphony. I named this bass Symphony Cora, after my dear late mother who loved my fretless playing for its soothing sound. I wrote “White Orchid” (czcams.com/video/ZZ4_iuYCQ5I/video.html) beside her during her last months back in 2011 and with this Stradi bass I’m now recording the full band version of the song. I’m fortunate to be friends with Marek and Agnieszka and they were around when we started the studio recording in LA last February, we envisioned it would take the sound to the next level. I played White Orchid on a 5-string Stradi similar to this bass, owned by producer John Heintz, and we couldn’t think of a better fretless sound to fit the song. Only thing was, for my fingerstyle playing I need some space underneath the strings, so for this built Marek made a recess in the extended fingerboard at my plucking position, the result couldn’t have turned out better and I’m very grateful. White Orchid should be out later this year!
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