{"id":157,"date":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-20T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/?post_type=bass&p=157"},"modified":"2026-09-13T08:46:39","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T08:46:39","slug":"bass-of-the-week-mbj-guitars-chewy-bass","status":"publish","type":"bass","link":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/?bass=bass-of-the-week-mbj-guitars-chewy-bass","title":{"rendered":"Bass of the Week: MBJ Guitars Chewy Bass"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MBJ<\/p>\n

Meeting other bassists is one of my favorite things about being on the road. Sometimes, I\u2019m even lucky enough to try out their basses, which is exactly what happened after a show at Parkway Brewing in Salem, Virginia. <\/p>\n

Jake Dempsey<\/strong> brought out his unbelievable new axe by MBJ Guitars, which he dubbed \u201cChewy.\u201d Dempsey himself ordered the bass after getting to try Lespecial bassist Luke Bermand\u2019s MBJ when they were on tour in the area. <\/p>\n

\u201cChewy\u201d showcases incredible craftsmanship and attention to detail. That\u2019s no surprise when you know that MBJ luthier Joe Kruse learned the trade by working with Carl Thompson and Roger Sadowsky. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe specs we came up with were a fun combination of simple but luxurious. Many of my builds end up a bit more complicated on paper, but Jake\u2019s bass has a sort of refined charm to it,\u201d Kruse tells us. \u201cComing from the Carl Thompson shop, I\u2019ve been known to go a smidge heavy with the laminating. This bass is a step back from that, but by doing so, it really just lets the gorgeous wood do the talking. It\u2019s tough to compete with nature sometimes!\u201d<\/p>\n

The five-string bass has a 35-inch scale. Kruse crafted the body with Spanish cedar for the core and Claro walnut for the top. Its roasted, flamed maple neck is fitted with a Macassar ebony fingerboard matched with an ebony headstock veneer. <\/p>\n

Sterling silver and turquoise inlays are all over the bass: the headstock, the top, the fingerboard, the back, and even the side. They help to make you really inspect all the beauty of the instrument. Finally, the bass has Hipshot hardware and a pair of Kent Armstrong soapbar pickups. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an amazing instrument, and Joe\u2019s attention to detail is unlike anything I\u2019ve seen,\u201d Dempsey shared. \u201cHe\u2019s easy to communicate with and a generally good dude. Nothing I\u2019ve ever played touches the ergonomics and feel of this bass.\u201d<\/p>\n

I can attest that even with the extended scale length, this bass plays like butter. Its neck and body profile are both fairly thin, making it super comfortable to play. Its sound is huge, and the B-string is one of the best I\u2019ve ever played. Needless to say, I\u2019m looking forward to playing in Salem again. Thanks, Jake!<\/p>\n

MBJ Guitars Chewy Bass Photos:<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

\n\t\t <\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\n\t\t <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Meeting other bassists is one of my favorite things about being on the road. Sometimes, I\u2019m even lucky enough to try out their basses, which is exactly what happened after a show at Parkway Brewing\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":999,"template":"","meta":[],"builder":[],"class_list":["post-157","bass","type-bass","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/bass\/157","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\/999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"builder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fbuilder&post=157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}