When you look at this bass, you might suspect it was built in the Southwest due to its design and turquoise coloring. However, the NB5 Dream Catcher 33 is a custom bass made by Japan’s Sugi Guitars for bassist Takumi “Fire” Matsuda.
Built with a 33-inch scale, the unique instrument has a Native American theme. “The eye-catching woodwork and fretboard inlays were designed based on the [American] Indian dream of the Ojibwa tribe, the dream catcher and rug pattern,” Sugi writes. “The model is named after its dream catcher. The head is equipped with a pierced earring made by DiA.”
Its five-ply neck is made of maple, some of which is supplied by Aqua Timber, a company that supplies old-growth lumber recovered from under water. The body back is mahogany, while the ebony fingerboard is inlaid with abalone feathers. Other features include Sugi custom shop single-coil pickups, Gotoh hardware, and a lacquer finish.
While this clip is a demo for an amp, you can hear Matsuda digging into his bass:
