NBD - 2001 Basslab L-Bow

[Chris2112]

Evening all,

 

I thought a few here may be interested to see and read about a new bass that arrived for me a couple of weeks ago from Germany, a 2001 Basslab L-Bow. This is a company that I've been interested in for a long time because I have something of an affinity for 'high tech' basses. I've been into those sorts of instruments since I was sixteen, when I got my first Kubicki Ex Factor. Over the years I've sought out basses of a similar ilk; designed by forward-thinkers who sought to create a great instrument by rewriting the rulebook.

 

Basslab had always been on the periphery of my sphere of interest because it seemed like I was unlikely to just see one in the wild. In the UK, I can recall just two being for sale on the forums I regularly visit and that's going back nearly twenty years. However, they seemed like such a unique proposition that I always had a tab on that page in my mind.

 

Well, just recently I found out that for over a year my work had been failing to pay me an unsocial hours payment for overnight work. With that in mind, I decided to casually look and see if there were any interesting basses around. I spotted this very cool 2001 L-Bow on the Basslab website and made some enquiries with the company. I was soon speaking to the builder, Heiko Hoepfinger, who was handling the sale on behalf of the owner. After a couple of weeks of discussion in setting up the deal, payment was made and the bass was shipped. A couple of weeks of the bass sitting in customs followed and I picked it up as soon as I could.

 

 

 

Despite it's wild looks it has an instantly familiar feel. It may appear 'alien' but in terms of form and function it is nailed on to perform. The instrument is hollow, being made of the 'tunable mixed composite' material with some carbon fibre inside for reinforcement/shielding. The body skin is around 3-4mm thick with the rest of it being hollow. Interestingly, Heiko indicates that the shape and construction was chosen specifically with tone and feel in mind, so the unusual looks are nothing more than a byproduct of putting function first.

 

The famous 'bow' connects to the headstock and gives the impression that the neck is extremely strong, stiff and resonates freely. The 'bow' is actually angled backward from the plane that the neck is on so it doesn't obscure your vision when looking down at the neck. The neck is of a medium thickness with pronounced, flat shoulders in an almost squared 'D' profile. It is very reminiscent of a first generation Status Stealth bass I used to own and is very fast. The fretboard is flat, coated in the same finish as the rest of the bass and adorned with a single bass clef inlay at the 12th position. It's an unusually fast and easy neck to play. I can usually get on well with pretty much any neck but I prefer some shapes to others (my favourite being Spector NS necks). I really like this one.

 

The bass is extremely light, probably between 3 to 3.5kg at the most. It balances very well on a strap and in the classical position. On the right knee with out a strap the small lower horn can lead to a fairly insignificant neck dive, however I never play without a strap and I only discovered this in testing. The upper strap button is on the back of the 'bow', ideally placed to allow for the optimum balance. Because of this, I'd recommend a locking strap.

 

The body is small and sculpted and I absolutely LOVE the relaxed position it allows for my right wrist. I can easily play however I should fancy over both pickups without any feeling of stress or strain. The controls are offset on the lower bout, being mounted in a curve that keeps them out of the way of your plucking hand but still easily visible and in reach.

 

 

 

The ergonomic facets of the bass merit the most discussion because they are inherently tied to the physical experience of playing the bass. It is probably the most comfortable and least physically demanding bass I've ever played. The tone on the other hand is superb but perhaps more 'tradtional' than you might expect.

 

Whilst you can spec your Basslab instrument with whatever you should fancy, mine happens to have Kent Armstrong pickups and a Da Capo preamp fitted. It produces a rich, bright and superbly focused sound. The low B string is extremely rich and resonant and the sense of volume across all the strings and positions is just uncanny. I am extremely fond of basses that have this quality. Chords on the L-Bow are just uncanny for their richness; the intonation is almost eerie and the clarity between notes is fantastic. The overall tonal character is modern, bright and open sounding with a very strong midrange. The output between the neck and bridge pickup is superbly balanced, such that I find myself using the neck pickup blended in now more than I ever have done before.

 

 

I've been absolutely obsessed with the music of Casiopea over recent months and I have been giving this bass a workout to some of their albums. If you see one of these basses around or get a chance to try it, I'd recommend that you do! I am looking forward to playing it with others and whilst I expect a few surprised looks when I first get it out of the fitted soft-case that it came in, other musicians will surely warm quickly to the tones it produces. Space to store instruments is the primary limiting factor in stopping me from buying basses, however I can safely say that this will one be a keeper so I can now count myself one space short.

 

 

Now, let me edit in some pics...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[MEDIA=imgur]jUgtmSq[/MEDIA]

 

[MEDIA=imgur]ASVnU4p[/MEDIA]

[Chris2112]

 

 

 

 

[Chris2112]

[Chris2112]

Getting those pictures loaded in was harder than it should have been! 😅

[Grahambythesea]

I should think devising that design was pretty difficult too. I don’t want to be rude and each to his own, but that’s probably the ugliest bass I’ve ever seen.

[Chris2112]

21 minutes ago, Grahambythesea said:

I should think devising that design was pretty difficult too. I don’t want to be rude and each to his own, but that’s probably the ugliest bass I’ve ever seen.

 

If that's how you feel I suggest you never look up a Rickenbacker 🤣🤣

 

I was interested in these basses because I wanted to know if the wild looks were a gimmick or if there was something deeper to the thought and engineering. I found it to be a case of the latter, and it fascinates me with what can be achieved when you decide to start with a blank slate. 

[itu]

I like the ideas behind the instrument, as well as the whole bass itself. Congrats!

 

 

(By the way: how is a fast neck specified?)

[Chris2112]

Well to me, it's a neck that lets you get around quickly. Not just comfortable to the hand in one position but well carved/moulded and with a smooth finish that isn't tackey. 

 

I like finished necks but they have to be glassy smooth to pass muster. If you've ever felt a Les Paul neck and noted that rough, almost sticky finish and clearcoat - that's the opposite of fast to me! 

[velvetkevorkian]

Nice! These blew my mind when I came across their site (in the early 2000s, I guess?). Cool to see them live up to that 🙂

 

Their range doesn't seem to have changed much since then, I think they're still using the same pictures!

[fretmeister]

I like it when makers push boundaries.

 

Have you got a pic from playing position that shows how the arm bit stays out of the way?

[Lfalex v1.1]

Ah, I'd love to get hold of one of Heiko Hoepfinger's instruments. He's an interesting chap, really dedicated to trying to improve the instrument,  even if some of his innovations are too left-field for some.

 

Well done on the acquisition. Bet it's excellent. 

 

The L-Bow would be my first choice, too.

Not ugly.

More like a refined Bauhaus approach. Not as mininalist as the Steinberger nor as reductionist and under-developed as something like a Born2Rock.

Edited September 16, 2022 by Lfalex v1.1

[Cato]

It looks like it belongs in one of Prince's bands.

 

I mean that as a compliment, very pretty in a quirky sort of way.

[LukeFRC]

Oooh nice - basslab have been on my “on day would like to try” list for years - that bass looks amazing 

[Chris2112]

9 hours ago, fretmeister said:

I like it when makers push boundaries.

 

Have you got a pic from playing position that shows how the arm bit stays out of the way?

 

I'll take one tomorrow to show this. 

[Chris2112]

11 hours ago, velvetkevorkian said:

Nice! These blew my mind when I came across their site (in the early 2000s, I guess?). Cool to see them live up to that 🙂

 

Their range doesn't seem to have changed much since then, I think they're still using the same pictures!

 

I think you are probably right! I found the site quite slow to load in my browser too, probably because the code is old and not subject to modern optimisation. It serves the purpose as intended though. Their newest bass is the Soul (the Jazz shaped model) and that is probably over a decade old now. In recent years Heiko has designed his own preamp in both inboard and outboard forms. The range has stayed static, perhaps, because Heiko hasn't needed to add new models or changes. They look extreme but then also feel natural, easy to hold and play. I've owned some 'high tech' basses before like a Status Stealth and Bogart Blackstone which aren't made of 'traditional' bass guitar materials. The L-Bow feels in many ways considerably more advanced than those basses. 

 

These are instruments that won't appeal to everyone but to a select few they'll be just what you're looking for, and the high number of custom designs produced would reflect that (some of the custom guitars and basses are pretty wild). I've always been fascinated by their double neck basses as I can imagine that they are extremely light and playable. If I ever win the lottery or come into some money, I'll be getting one! 

 

 

 

[alittlebitrobot]

wow, congrats! and thanks for making this post.

These basses have fascinated me for a long time and, like Ritters, I just find it hard to believe that they really exist.

[LukeFRC]

41 minutes ago, Chris2112 said:

In recent years Heiko has designed his own preamp in both inboard and outboard forms.

what’s the deal - he’s got his own preamps but the stepabout is also on the Richter EE website - and I have a bass with one of their pres in it - is there a link?

[Chris2112]

7 hours ago, LukeFRC said:

what’s the deal - he’s got his own preamps but the stepabout is also on the Richter EE website - and I have a bass with one of their pres in it - is there a link?

 

Evidently there is some link but I'm not sure of the inner workings of the arrangement (I hadn't even heard of Richter until now and the company is run by an Andreas Richter. The website has items from as far back as 2010 relating to the link between Basslab and Richter, stating that they had designed and built the StepAbout for Basslab and Greg Howard. Heiko is specifically named on the right hand side of the 'partner' page. So yes, I assume Andreas and Heiko have worked together. The BassXX preamp page on the Basslab website has a link to the Richter page. That preamp in itself sounds particularly fascinating to me, I'd love to try one at some point. 

[Baloney Balderdash]

I usually love odd somewhat bizarre designs, but those ones... 

 

It's like the absolute worst of respectively 80's and 90's pop culture had a deformed baby together. 

 

Also:

 

Hint: That black bass certainly doesn't look like an elbow to me... 

 

Should have named it B-Tocks instead.

 

Though if I was forced to chose one of those I'd still take the black one over the blue one.

 

 

Also I should properly add that I mean absolutely no offence to the OP, if they love the visual design of these basses, then more power to them, but definitely not for me, as the above honest personal reaction/opinions might indicate.

 

Congratulations. 

 

Edited September 17, 2022 by Baloney Balderdash

[Ralf1e]

On 15/09/2022 at 22:47, Chris2112 said:

Getting those pictures loaded in was harder than it should have been! 😅

I actually think it was worth your effort.

What a lovely thing that is. I am a fan of timber with grain showing but that defies its age it looks like it might have been made next week. Are the Kent Armstrong pickups the hand wound variety made by themselves rather than the to their design versions.

Also any links to sound clips on the horizon.

Congratulations on filling your dream.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

I'll take some persuading on the bow, but the sculpted body looks magnificent - it reminds me a bit of the old Ibanez Ergodyne approach. I'd love to try one!

[Lfalex v1.1]

21 hours ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

I'll take some persuading on the bow, but the sculpted body looks magnificent - it reminds me a bit of the old Ibanez Ergodyne approach. I'd love to try one!

I've almost got the full set of Ergodynes.

I still need the 2 pick-up EDC (700/705)

 

I think they'll be the closest I'll get to an L-Bow, though!

[msb]

Not for me , but I find the lines quite interesting. I suspect that it’s a very balanced and comfortable bass to play.

[itu]

Who was the first to use the bow? Jerry Auerswald? Roland G-77 synth bass?

[tauzero]

I fancy one of the double-necks. The trouble is that I'm not sure how well the neck would suit me (the measurements and Basslab's description imply it's a bit deeper and fatter than I'd like) and it's quite a lot of money to spend on something that may turn out not to my liking.