Original Publication: June 10, 2022
While at NAMM 2022 we also had the pleasure of speaking with Marek Dabek of Stradi Basses. Marek is a luthier based in Poland and specializes in crafting basses and guitars.
One of the main instruments he brought to the show was a baritone guitar made for youtuber Sammy G. the "Samurai Guitarist." One thing that can be said about Stradi Basses is that these instruments are unique in the best of ways.
It seems these days that most instrument makes have a formula they stick to because it's tried and true, or they are pushing boundaries in order to stand out amongst the other brands. This can be both a blessing and a curse.
However, dabek seems to have found the perfect balance of expression and functionality. These basses and guitars are marvelous to look at, but in addition are comfortable and sound amazing.
One limitation of the more extreme designs guitars and basses can sometimes have is that they become awkward to hold or play. When keeping rhythm or time a musician does not want to struggle with their instrument for the sake of aesthetics.
That being said, if the design is cool enough, go for broke, don't let comfort stop you. But in the long run a majority of musicians come to appreciate a comfortable playing experience.
When it comes to the tried and true formulas of guitar and bass design there are few flaws, but there is a lack of diversity. We love the traditional designs the big builders have, they are tried and true for a reason, but what if I want a non standard color?
What if I want something that isn't in their normal batches of builds? The truth is the customer is left to either have the instrument refinished, reworked, rebuilt, or built in a custom shop.
All of those options mean one thing, additional cost. This is where the boutique builders such as Dabek have a chance to shine, and Stradi Basses do just that.
One thing that struck us about the "Symphony" line of basses was of course the violin shape characteristic of the upright bass, but there was also the feeling of the instrument in the players hands. Sitting down and playing this bass was really effortless.
It was comfortable in the lap and in the hand to be perfectly honest. In fact, the fingerboard on this fretless bass was the most level and straightest fingerboard we have dealt with.
The sound was deep and full, but had enough space to use both dynamics and articulation. If needed these basses could be used for solos like that of bassist Aram Bedrosian which involves slapping and chord work, or the darker stylings of a Michael Mannring that has it's own form of depth and expression.
A surprising aspect of the bass was the neck. Truly handmade the neck itself seemed to feel
like it had tooling marks on it, however this is not the case.
To clarify, the feeling of tooling marks was NOT a downside. It still felt smooth to the touch and completely comfortable, it just had a feeling of "this is handmade and is of top quality craftmanship."
Dabek chose this design specifically for the sound it achieves as he mentions during our interview. "Usually a bass player, would want to have an upright sound for one or two songs on their album, I would like to give them the opportunity to not have to learn a new instrument which is upright bass."
Anyone interested in having a guitar or bass built by this amazing luthier simply needs to reach out. We actually commissioned a bass at the conclusion of the video and eagerly await what the future holds.
Having an almost endless possibility of choices when it comes to woods, hardware, features and electronics, each instrument is truly one of a kind. One unique feature available to customers is the option to have a stone top instead of the common wood top most guitars and basses have.
Stradi Basses were a highlight of the "Boutique Builders" section of the NAMM Show.
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