The Story
This week we’re checking out a custom bass built by Robbie McDade of RIM Custom Guitars. This Marseer Swallowtail 5 was crafted with neck-through construction, complete with an ash and wenge neck with sycamore body wings. It has a zebrano fingerboard with 24 Evo gold frets, and though most of the bass’s woods are a light color, McDade dyed a piece of Birdseye maple black for the headstock cap.
McDade chose a pair of Kent Armstrong KS soapbar pickups wired in series matched to a Darkglass preamp for electronics. Although the bass has a light theme, it can sound awfully heavy. (Check out his demos on the RIM Facebook page.) Hardware includes a set of Sperzel tuners and a Sandberg bridge.
