"AQUABASS" ART INSTRUMENT 4003

Every so often a project comes along that we never forget. This was one, due to its pure and radical concept of actually creating a functioning instrument around a theme. The work done on this bass in no way compromised its utility, but certainly gave any Rickenbacker bass fan--and many others who had no point of reference--plenty to see and marvel over!

Most of the credit for the sheer over-the-top scope of this vision, goes to the artisan who did the complex inlay work, Craig Lavin of Sunrise, Florida. The undersea landscape and ocean denizens were rendered by Craig in jaw-dropping detail on the ebony fretboard of this otherwise-near-stock "V" series bass. Studio California received the bass with inlays completed. We stripped the body and neck of the original finish, and laid on one of our popular "Aquaglo" color schemes, of a simple two-color burst. The only other small detail was the pick guard, which was fabricated by us out of clear acrylic, and then painted on the second (back) surface in a blue pearl that flashed whenever the bass was moved in a well-lit space.

Photos show the bass being painted (at bottom) and in final assembly stages.