{"id":278,"date":"2022-01-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-17T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/?post_type=bass&p=278"},"modified":"2026-09-13T08:46:43","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T08:46:43","slug":"bass-of-the-week-prophecy-instruments-plasma-4","status":"publish","type":"bass","link":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/?bass=bass-of-the-week-prophecy-instruments-plasma-4","title":{"rendered":"Bass of the Week: Prophecy Instruments PLASMA-4"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Prophecy<\/p>\n

This week we\u2019re checking out one of the most evocative basses I\u2019ve seen in a while. The Prophecy Instruments PLASMA-4 has an aesthetic design that pulls from both organic and synthetic themes, creating curvatures that summon visions of \u201cstrange bioforms and technologies of science fiction.\u201d Baltimore-based luthier Nick Wilson explains the model is not just for looks. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis PLASMA-4 features a contoured solid ash body in a custom satin finish that lets you feel the grain beneath sweeping surfaces that join to form an ergonomically-considered whole,\u201d he states. \u201cThe bass rests comfortably in a natural playing position, with all 30 frets within comfortable reach.\u201d <\/p>\n

Wilson crafted the headless bass with a neck of walnut and wenge with blue birch accents. Its sapwood ziricote fingerboard has that enormous range with 30 stainless steel frets on the G-string. Even the blue glow inlay fret markers evoke a sense of sci-fi while complementing the turquoise finish. <\/p>\n

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It looks great, but how does it sound?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe philosophy behind this build was to have a compact, high-performance instrument with simple yet versatile tonal options,\u201d he tells us. \u201cThe single Nordstrand Zen Blade in the bridge position absolutely delivers on this goal \u2013 with clear and full tones in both series and parallel mode.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilson streamlined the controls with two 3D-printed, oversized knobs: one Master Volume with push\/pull for series or parallel, and one Master Tone. Hear the bass\u2019s punchy nature in this demo clip featuring bassist Tre Watson. <\/p>\n

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This week we\u2019re checking out one of the most evocative basses I\u2019ve seen in a while. The Prophecy Instruments PLASMA-4 has an aesthetic design that pulls from both organic and synthetic themes, creating curvatures that\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1272,"template":"","meta":[],"builder":[],"class_list":["post-278","bass","type-bass","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/bass\/278","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\/1272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"builder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fbuilder&post=278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}