{"id":554,"date":"2016-09-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-09-19T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/?post_type=bass&p=554"},"modified":"2026-09-13T08:46:54","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T08:46:54","slug":"bass-of-the-week-pachyderm-basses-blonde-bass","status":"publish","type":"bass","link":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/?bass=bass-of-the-week-pachyderm-basses-blonde-bass","title":{"rendered":"Bass of the Week: Pachyderm Basses Blonde Bass"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Pachyderm<\/p>\n

Les Claypool<\/strong> has always played distinct basses, and this week we\u2019re checking out one of those basses he helped design: The Pachyderm Basses Blonde Bass. Claypool worked with luthier and longtime friend Dan Maloney to form the company and create his idea of the ultimate bass. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy idea was to incorporate the traits of the instruments I have loved over the years and throw in a few innovations of my own,\u201d Claypool writes. \u201cI wanted the basses to be incredibly easy to play and feel comfortable in the lap as well as on the strap.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pachyderm Basses have been very limited and mostly have been made available to the public through charity auctions. The first ever was auctioned off for his nephew\u2019s medical fund while the Blonde Bass was auctioned to raise money for Jacob\u2019s Heart<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The bass\u2019s birdseye maple body, which is accented with a marbled cocobolo pickguard, gave the instrument its name as well as its unique tone. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always found that maple instruments have a very forward attack and this bass is one punchy bastard. The bottom end is solid yet has a knocking hollowness to it when the low E is struck with the thumb,\u201d Claypool says. \u201cThe upper pluck is bright and when playing pizzicato the notes leap off the fretboard. This bass is a fog cutter of an instrument with its forward punch and growly finish. I used this bass on specific songs that needed a bit more edge during the Primus tours in March in Mexico, May \u2013 June in the US and June in Alaska of 2013.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s fitted with an EMG PA pickup accompanied by volume and tone knobs. Other features include raised LED fret markers with a dimmer, a Kahler Whammy bridge, and a bronze Pachyderm medallion. <\/p>\n

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Les Claypool has always played distinct basses, and this week we\u2019re checking out one of those basses he helped design: The Pachyderm Basses Blonde Bass. Claypool worked with luthier and longtime friend Dan Maloney to\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1848,"template":"","meta":[],"builder":[],"class_list":["post-554","bass","type-bass","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/bass\/554","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\/1848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"builder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bassoftheweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fbuilder&post=554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}