The Story
The Bass VI has long held a unique place among fretted instruments. Introduced by Fender in 1961, the six-string sits somewhere between a guitar and a bass, often sparking debate about what makes a bass. This week we’re checking out a custom instrument called the Spellbinder Custom VI by Uberfrank Guitars for Tom Herbert that leans more towards the bass.
“The idea behind this build was to make a Bass VI very much from a bassist’s perspective,” the company shares on Instagram. “The Bass VI has traditionally sat closer to the guitar world, so this was a chance to rethink the format around the way Tom actually plays.”
This bass has a dual-output system with a separate pickup for the three treble strings, which you can send to its own amp or effects chain. Uberfrank explains that this can open up possibilities for how you process each register of the instrument. A push/pull on the tone knob reverses the phase of the bridge pickup.
“Tom also wanted unusually wide 65mm string spacing, which meant a custom bridge from [Halon Guitar Parts] and an extra-wide bridge pickup wound by [Mojo Pickups]. At the neck is a Novak H22,” the company explains.
The body is a revised version of Uberfrank’s Spellbinder shape. It’s chambered with mahogany on top and a stunning piece of London plane lacewood on the back. The roasted maple neck is reinforced with carbon fiber rods and topped with a ziricote fingerboard. Herbert’s wider neck features a reverse headstock that looks great and serves a practical purpose.
“It allowed us to use Tom’s favourite standard length Thomastik Jazz flatwound strings with round wounds on the high E and B,” Uberfrank writes. “The scale length was stretched slightly to 30.75”, rather than the more usual 30”, adding a little extra tension and definition while still retaining that short-scale bass thud.”
Finally, the vintage celluloid pickguard and custom retro tailpiece give the bass tons of personality. It all adds up to a gorgeous instrument that came from imagination and collaboration.
“Definitely one of the most challenging builds I’ve taken on, but also one of the most rewarding — and a great example of just how far a genuinely custom and collaborative instrument can go,” Uberfrank reflects.
Uberfrank Guitars Bass VI Photos:
