The L-Bow by BassLab Guitars is one of the most attention-grabbing designs in the bass world, but its extra bow in the neck is not for shock factor. This week we’re checking out a recent five-string L-Bow-V that, like their other instruments, features a tuneable composite material in place of wood.
“This is the bass, that most often generates typical ‘love it or hate it’ reactions,” says BassLab’s Heiko Hoepfinger. “Although many would think, it was done for aesthetics, we can clearly say, that the bow is there to add something to the tone, that wouldn’t be possible with any other shape. (Keep in mind, that both, the neck and bow are hollow!) While adding a huge low-end and also some extra “meat” to all strings, it gives you the most defined and tight “B”, we can think of.”
This particular L-Bow is fitted with Alumitone Bassbar pickups with a 3-band preamp as well as five piezo pickups. A piezo preamp allows for separate volume levels for each string. Other features include FretFX fretboard LEDs, an ETS headless tuning system, and a body decal that says “Liz.” Hoepfinger explains that “As with all the options the customer of this bass chose: I don’t know who ‘Liz’ is and have never seen or met her!”
