{"id":10,"date":"2026-08-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/?post_type=bass&p=10"},"modified":"2026-09-13T08:46:34","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T08:46:34","slug":"3kj-studios-malevich-bass-blurs-the-line-between-instrument-and-sculpture","status":"publish","type":"bass","link":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/?bass=3kj-studios-malevich-bass-blurs-the-line-between-instrument-and-sculpture","title":{"rendered":"3KJ Studio\u2019s Malevich Bass Blurs the Line Between Instrument and Sculpture"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"3KJ<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen a ton of basses in my time, but I can safely say that 3KJ Studio makes some of the most memorable. The designs, built by luthier Kamran Jithendran, are described as \u201cabstract form electric instruments\u201d and feature striking shapes and colors.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn instrument has certain obligations. It must balance. It must hold together. It must play comfortably. It must sound alive. Between the nut and the bridge, there is little room for fantasy; the work has to be precise,\u201d Jithendran states on his website. \u201cBut beyond those requirements, the instrument becomes a place where material, colour, and form can take on a life of their own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Our Bass of the Week is the 3KJ Studio Malevich, named after Russian avant-garde artist Kazimir Malevich, whose Suprematism style of geometric art focused on basic shapes and colors. Jithendran reflects on the bass on his website.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis build introduced the exposed maple\/wenge center block as a defining feature of the series,\u201d he said. \u201cRevealing the structure improved control during construction and made the center block part of the composition rather than something concealed. Color draws from Afrocentric palettes while the silhouette stays rooted in Malevich and the Memphis era.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aside from the maple\/wenge center block, the Malevich is built with an alder body, three-piece maple neck, and a 24-fret rosewood fingerboard. It\u2019s fitted with a pair of 3KJ\u2019s own Single A5 pickups and Riviera Headless hardware. It weighs in at 7.5 pounds.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, it\u2019s a playable piece of art.<\/p>\n

\u201cLightweight, perfectly balanced, and effortless up to the 24th fret,\u201d Jithendran says. \u201cIt has everything you\u2019d expect from a performance instrument, but it fills a room the way a dynamic sculpture does.\u201d<\/p>\n

3KJ Studio Malevich Bass Photos:<\/h2>\n
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I’ve seen a ton of basses in my time, but I can safely say that 3KJ Studio makes some of the most memorable. The designs, built by luthier Kamran Jithendran, are described as “abstract form\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":823,"template":"","meta":[],"builder":[2],"class_list":["post-10","bass","type-bass","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","builder-3kj-studio"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/bass\/10","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/bass"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/bass"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"builder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fbuilder&post=10"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}