The Hot Wire designer team has developed the Hot Wire Double Bass, a fretless electric bass in the well-known jazz bass format combining a modern fretless bass sound and an acoustic sound getting very close to the traditional upright bass - in one single instrument!
A state-of-the-art pickup system paired with calculated tone chambers inside the bass body produces a very convincing double bass-like tone which can be shaped from a fat Ron Carter tone to a sleek Eddie Gomez sound. Inside the bass body is a B-Band EMF piezo system mounted on a piece of spruce, like an upright bass's soundboard. As you can imagine, this partially hollowed-out bass is really light in weight - but not in tone! This system was five years in the making ...
The HWDB is available as a four- five- or sixstring! The magnetic pickup system provides a fretless-Jaco-sound as musicians and listeners know it for decades. Both systems can be mixed as well. So the Hot Wire Double Bass is first choice for the player who needs a convincing upright sound on stage and in the studio, but doesn´t want to cope with the transportation and amplification problems of the bulky original - and might not have the required double bass playing technique!
The fingerboard can either be made from ebony or rosewood, with position
markers to the player´s choice. Pictured is "Siricote".
See more info on the "Fretless" page.
All other Hot Wire features like exotic body woods, finishes and active
electronics are also available. We call the matte finish pictured "Redburst".
Take a look at the special bridge system - precision machined ebony bridge
saddles on ebony posts! String height and intonation can be adjusted here.
Listen here! Sound examples played by Freedare Gottwald who plays with German pop singer and Sony recording act Laith Al-Deen!
1.
HWDB Piezo System only - great acoustic bass sound, records exceptionally
well!
2.
HWDB Piezo plus magnetic bridge pickup - brings more "body"
to the acoustic sound - great for live playing!
3.
HWDB Magnetic bridge pickup only - for standard fretless sound
The bridge system is available with bridge saddles either made from brass or ebony. As you can imagine, each material has it´s own tonal characteristics. The brass bridges make for a more agressive, harder sound, the ebony bridge saddles sound warmer, fuller, rounder.
Meanwhile, we managed to get the HWDB to work with a standard Badass
bridge! With this version, the fretless dept. has more attack. The HWDB
is available in various wood types for getting just the right sound!
With an alder body and an ebony neck and our special black nylon strings
you can get a super duper upright bass sound!
Click to read the reviews!
HWB Double 4 - Guitarist Magazine
HWB Double 5 - Bass Player Magazine