This week we’re checking out the Africa 5 bass by MG Bass, which is a signature model for bassist Andy Irvine. “We worked together on the design of this instrument, selecting the wood specs, the electronics, and the hardware,” Irvine says, adding that the wood specs are what he calls a “blend of functional tone woods and eye candy.”
The bass is built with a mahogany body that topped with a stunning buckeye burl top. Its three-piece maple neck has a birdseye maple fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets, and the body shape includes a deep cutaway for access all the way to the last frets.
It has a brass Hipshot bridge as well as Hipshot Ultralite tuners. For electronics, Irvine opted for a pair of Nordstrand Big Blademan pickups and a 2-band EQ. Each of the pickups has a coil-tapping switch to offer tons of tonal variety.
Check out Irvine’s demo for an in-depth look at the instrument: