{"id":440,"date":"2018-11-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-26T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/?post_type=bass&p=440"},"modified":"2026-09-13T08:46:49","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T08:46:49","slug":"bass-of-the-week-xtrm-basses-the-bass-of-navarone","status":"publish","type":"bass","link":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/?bass=bass-of-the-week-xtrm-basses-the-bass-of-navarone","title":{"rendered":"Bass of the Week: XTRM Basses \u201cThe Bass of Navarone\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"XTRM<\/p>\n

This week we\u2019re checking out a total monster of a bass built by Dimitris Matkaris, who says he likes to build \u201cweird\u201d basses to test his building skills. This instrument, which he dubbed The Bass of Navarone, has a multi-scale neck with a behemoth 47-inch scale B-string. For comparison, that\u2019s 13 inches longer than a standard bass scale.<\/p>\n

\u201cElectric guitars are 25.5\u2033 scale length. If we make them 5 frets longer, we get 34\u2033 scale length, like the most basses out there,\u201d Matkaris explains. \u201cIf we make a bass guitar 5 frets longer, it becomes 45.38\u2033 scale length. It has to be multiscale. So, the A string will be 45.5\u2033 scale and the B 47\u2033 scale and G 44\u2033 scale. But, I will not be able to reach the tuners to tune it. It has to be headless. Challenge accepted.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The builder reached out to the UK\u2019s Newton Strings to custom build the strings, which have gauges ranging from .110 to .33. This gives them 52 pounds of tension when tuned to standard BEADG. \u201cLonger scale needs thinner strings with bigger tension. Even with 52 LBS tension, they are very light and easy to play,\u201d he says. \u201cThinner strings are more flexible with bigger harmonic content, clearer fundamental and the sound is full, with overtones and has a bigger definition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Check out some sound samples of the Bass of Navarone:\n<\/p>\n

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This week we\u2019re checking out a total monster of a bass built by Dimitris Matkaris, who says he likes to build \u201cweird\u201d basses to test his building skills. This instrument, which he dubbed The Bass\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1632,"template":"","meta":[],"builder":[91],"class_list":["post-440","bass","type-bass","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","builder-xtrm-basses"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/bass\/440","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\/1632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"builder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fbuilder&post=440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}