{"id":333,"date":"2020-12-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-14T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/?post_type=bass&p=333"},"modified":"2026-09-13T08:46:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T08:46:45","slug":"bass-of-the-week-benavente-guitars-scb-hybrid-7-string","status":"publish","type":"bass","link":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/?bass=bass-of-the-week-benavente-guitars-scb-hybrid-7-string","title":{"rendered":"Bass of the Week: Benavente Guitars SCB Hybrid 7-String"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Benavente<\/p>\n

This week we\u2019re checking out an amazing seven-string bass built by Chris Benavente for the great Al Caldwell. The beastly instrument features an alder hollow body design that is four inches thick and topped with a gorgeous piece of 5A quilted maple. <\/p>\n

Caldwell, who is renowned for his use of extended-range basses, tells us he had the bass built as a middle ground between solid bass and rhythm guitar. While he has nine and even eleven-string basses, this hybrid design offers a different tonality. <\/p>\n

\u201cI play a lot of different instruments so I need something that allows me to do double duty. I felt that this Benavente HYBRID 7 would be the answer. I love my 9 string that goes down to LOW F# and has a piano-like quality to it but I wanted a semi-acoustic property to the sound as well,\u201d he explains. \u201cI love Anthony Jackson, Jack Cassidy and Thundercat, and Paul McCartney. These players have a great sound that\u2019s based on a semi-acoustic bass. I\u2019ve been practicing more with a pick and am trying to extend my playing style. I\u2019m 60 years old but I\u2019m hearing music and sounds in my head that I\u2019m still chasing. When I was younger, I chased licks and speed, but now I\u2019m older and wiser so now I chase tone.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bass has a 33-inch scale with a three-piece maple neck and an Indian rosewood fingerboard. It\u2019s fitted with a pair of Benavente\/Ulyate dual-coil pickups under rosewood covers as well as a Benavente three-band EQ. Hardware includes a Hipshot A-type bridge and Ultralite \u201cY\u201d key tuners. <\/p>\n

As you can imagine, the bass is very personal for Caldwell. He even has two things you can call it. \u201cI\u2019m naming my bass \u2018V\u2019, after one of the hardest working women that I have ever known,\u201d he says. \u201cI have much to learn. I am and will forever more be a student of the EXTENDED Range instrument (also known as) MY MF BASS!!!\u201d<\/p>\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":"

This week we\u2019re checking out an amazing seven-string bass built by Chris Benavente for the great Al Caldwell. The beastly instrument features an alder hollow body design that is four inches thick and topped with\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1396,"template":"","meta":[],"builder":[],"class_list":["post-333","bass","type-bass","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/bass\/333","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\/1396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"builder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fbuilder&post=333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}