It’s not often you see an 8-string fretless, but this one takes the cake. This week we’re checking out the Swan 8 by Finland’s Versoul, which the company describes as having traditional looks with an innovative body construction.
“Solid Finnish Aspen flat top on solid Alder sides, a flat back and the long scale neck (34″) create an exceptionally mature acoustic bass sound from this compact size,” Versoul writes. “[It’s tone is] colorful, deep and clear with a broad dynamic range. Swan’s sound is exceptionally even: the G-string does not have those common dead note and E-string’s lower notes are solid and clear.”
The bass has a slick ebony fingerboard to match its ebony tailpiece. Versoul fits the Swan 8 with a single Model 2 humbucker as well as a Schertler Lydia Acoustic Transducer And Preamp. This gives flexible controls with volume and tone for the Versoul humbucker and a volume for the Schertler Lydia. There are separate outputs for each.
Other unique features include a Finnish Visa Birch headstock veneer, 23-carat gold leaf inlays, and black and white ABS plastic binding. Several options are available such as gold plated hardware, maple binding, a Finnish Curly Birch top, or a fretted fingerboard.
