Models
Resurrection (new!) Leviathan Flood Eden Eden-AP Eden-X Trinity Testament Custom Creations
Resurrection
This new model, the 'Resurrection' is another example of a body that is custom designed by the customer. It has the string-thru-body option and the "Spirited" descending dove feature as well. This 35" scale bass was designed to handle a wide variety of musical styles and sounds. It is equipped with an 18v Aguilar OBP-3 preamp along with Nordstrand Fat-Stack pickups. Angling the zebra-wood top gives this particular bass some very special character. The zebra top sits on top of a black walnut back with a wenge accent layer
Gold hardware fihishes this instrument off with a very elegant touch, with brass side dot markers to complement as well.
Leviathan
The 'Leviathan' is an example of a body that is custom designed by the customer. This 30" scale bass has an aggressive sound, with its EMG DC35 in the neck position, and LJ-5 in the bridge position. It's unique cutaway is very comfortable. It has a lacewood top, purpleheart accent layer and an alder back. The neck is a 5-piece maple / purpleheart / lacewood laminate, with a 24-fret ebony fingerboard.
Flood
'Flood' has a unique and very comfortable body style. This version has an extended pickup placement and only 22 frets, allowing more room for slapping. It is shown here with a multi-laminated body using a bloodwood top, maple accent layer, and a mahogany back. The 34" scale 5-piece neck is made from the same woods, topped with an ebony fingerboard. Hipshot's A-style bridge and Ultra-lite tuners add to top off this custom model.
This next one is a 32" scale version, equipped with a pair of Q-Tuner pickups from the Netherlands. These pickups are high-output, and work great in a passive setup like this one. The tone is extremely natural and full-spectrum.
It has a beautiful figured walnut top over a mahogany body, with a maple accent layer. A Pau-ferro fretboard with face dots rounds this one out as a great looking bass.
Eden
The 'Eden' has a compact body with nice lines. It's signature "duck tail" adds character. The standard pickup placement favors the bridge, resulting in a slightly 'jazzy' and punchy tone, leaving plenty of room for slapping.This is a popular model.
This left-handed, short-scale (30") 'Eden' has a bubinga body and a 3-piece wenge/bubinga neck. With the Hipshot A-style bridge, it uses the string-through body option for added sustain. The pickups on this bass (Aero Type-3 Alnico) are placed forward towards the neck, for a very round, full sound. Hipshot Ultra-lite tuners with clover-leaf pegs add another custom touch.
This Eden shows the 'Spirited' descending dove shaped f-hole feature (not a semi-hollow body), lined fretless fingerboard, multi-laminated string-through body, 5-piece maple/wenge neck, and a rotary-switchable single/dual-coil parallel hum cancelling pickup by Aero, with passive volume and tone controls.
Hear this bass (.mp3 - courtesy Andy DeWitt)
Here is another single-pickup Eden fretless... solid zebrawood body and a zebra/wenge neck. The fingerboard is Macassar ebony, with maple side fret markers. Serious "mwah factor"! Pure and simple.
This maple/mahogany Eden also shows the 'Spirited' descending dove, along with gold hardware, pau-ferro fingerboard, and a single humbucker with a 2-band eq.
As with all of the models, you can customize your pickup and electronics selection. This one sports an EMG P/J pickup set, with EMG's BQS 3-band EQ system. With this setup, it is extremely versatile - allowing for big, round old-school tones all the way to tight, punchy and aggressive.
It is a short scale with solid mahogany body, a walnut/mahogany 5-piece neck with a mahogany head-stock face laminate and ebony fingerboard.
Eden-AP
The 'Eden-AP' is the "Active/Piezo" version of the Eden (AP also stands for Al Pitrelli, who is the proud owner of the bass shown here). This one is a 5-string fretless with a chechen wood top, black walnut back, a wenge accent layer, and a 5-piece wenge/chechen neck.
It is loaded up with 2 Nordstrand DC pickups, an Aguilar OBP-3 preamp, and the Ghost Acousti-phonic piezo preamp and saddles in a Hipshot A style bridge. It has an 18v system with plenty of headroom. As you can imagine, there aren't many sounds that this one can't achieve.
Mr. Pitrelli is a world-renowned guitarist who has played for a number of headline bands over the years, including Savatage, Megadeth, Alice Cooper, Asia, and others. He is currently the music director for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He is also a partner with his extremely talented wife, Jane Mangini in the band O'2L, which I guess can best be described as a "jazz/blues/rock" band. But, this description doesn't really do their music justice... so the best thing would be to experience their music yourself. Check O'2L out at their web-site!
Here is another Eden A/P - with a beautiful black walnut top and wenge accents. What makes this one special is the use of a playing ramp between the pickups. This type of ramp was made popular by the fretless wiz... Gary Willis. This customer is a student of Gary's.
It is a 35" scale with Bartolini soapbars. Huge sound, and extremely fun to play!
Eden-X
The 'Eden-X' is an 'extended' version of the Eden, with the neck pickup placed 1" closer to the neck. This results in a rounder overall tone when both pickups are wide open, or if the neck pickup volume is accentuated. (This extended pickup placement can be specified on any James Bass.)
This short-scale (30") Eden-X uses 2 EMG DC35 pickups to get the job done. It has a bloodwood top, maple accent layer, and a mahogany back. It's neck is a 5-piece maple/mahogany/bloodwood combination with a rosewood fretboard. Simple, powerful, versatile and effective.
The one shown here is the little fretless brother of the one shown directly above it, only with a curly black limba top, mahogany back and a bloodwood accent layer - along with the descending dove feature. This one though, incorporates an 18v Aguilar OBP-3 preamp and Hipshot's satin/chrome hardware. A real eye-catcher!
Trinity
The 'Trinity' has a compact body similar to the Eden, however it's shape is more 'traditional' in the fact that the 'duck tail' is not present. This traditional design is favorable to some players.
This Trinity has a 3-piece padauk, maple and walnut body, with a maple/padauk laminated neck. It also uses Nordstrand NJSE pickups and an Aguilar OBP-3 preamp for added versatility.
Here is another trinity with solid walnut sides and a 5-piece maple/walnut/wenge neck with wenge stringers, and a pau ferro fretboard.
This is the latest Trinity off of the bench. It has a beautiful macassar ebony top with matching headstock and a maple/walnut/maple neck with an ebony fretboard. Only 21 frets on this one, allowing a little more room for some serious slapping. A 3-band EQ from Bartolini rounds this baby out along with a pair of Bartolini soapbar pickups.
Testament
The 'Testament' is the flagship model for James Basses. It has a fairly wide and substantial body, 1-11/16" thick and comes with a 34" scale standard. It is slightly longer than the Eden and Trinity models.
This Testament is a 35" scale 5-string with a morado top and fingerboard and a 5-piece neck, equipped with Nordstrand NJ5SF pickups (extended placement), Aguilar's OBP-3 3-band eq with 400/800hz switchable mid control (push-pull), and an active/passive bypass switch (push-pull on the neck volume control). In addition it has a separate tone control for the passive mode.
Custom Creations
Even within existing models, we can customize a number of aspects of the instrument. Here is a great example.
This customer requested a 6-string bass, but needed an instrument with a close-in reach. He plays professionally and keeps a very busy schedule, so comfort and functionality are crucial. So, we worked together to provide an instrument to fit his very specific needs. The short-scale neck was moved back through the end of the body, resulting in the "money-notes" being within very comfortable reach. Low-profile frets were also used, to accomodate the customer's playing style. We also used a couple different strap-button locations, and moved the knee-curve forward to maximize comfort in both sitting and standing positions.
This one has a bubinga top, black walnut back, and a 3-piece bubinga/wenge neck. It is a 30" scale with 20 frets and a pau-ferro fretboard. It's tuned EADGCF, and incorporates a pair of Bartolini P4 pickups and NTBT 2-band preamp with an Active/Passive option. It sounds and feels great!
This is a recent addition... one with a very traditional vibe.
It is a short scale custom with a passive Bartolini P/J setup. Simple and effective!
This bass has a beautiful mahogany top, a basswood body, and a 5-piece walnut/mahogany neck. Very lightweight and comfortable.
This beauty is based on the Resurrection body style, but with an extended and scrolled/knob upper horn. The customer also called for a custom headstock, which boldy displays the first letter of his name! This definitely personalizes the bass.
It has a flamed black limba top, a bloodwood accent layer and mahogany back. Its neck is a 5-piece maple/limba/bloodwood neck, with a bloodwood faced headstock. It also has a custom designed faux f-hole feature, letting the bloodwood accent layer show through. For electronics, it carries a set of Nordstrand Dual Coils, an Aguilar 3-band EQ (active or passive), and the Acousti-phonic piezo bridge with its own volume and tone controls. This is a great option for getting that acoustic sound - and it is fully blendable with the magnetic pickup signal, giving this bass an extremely wide tonal pallette! This was a fun one.
This short-scale lefty incorporates an EB pickup placed in the classic spot - right up to the fretboard - plus, a jazz-style pickup in the bridge position. The electronics in this bass include an Aguilar OBP-3 preamp, with a switchable mid-frequency (400/800 Hz) within a push/pull knob, a stacked bass/treble concentric control, and a push/pull volume control for the front pickup - to route the raw passive signal to a separate output jack.
Now, for the woods! The body is a 5-piece - curly bubinga / wenge / basswood construction. The basswood core has been 'honeycombed' to minimize the weight, without compromising sound. The headstock was faced with matching curly bubinga to make this truly a one-of-a-kind instrumet. This little guy really rocks the house! - The perfect blend of old-school and new technology.
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