# New awesome bass builder: wahlbrink basses



## flo (Nov 4, 2009)

Hi Guys,

I've found this maker in a magazine and was blown away, outstanding...


Check his homepage:
wahlbrink-basses.de | handmade basses in germany | kai wahlbrink | siegen wittgenstein









Not only do they look like pieces of arts, they recieved best critics as well for quality, sound and feel.


These are the Pics that Kai has sent to me on my request:


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## Apophis (Nov 4, 2009)

Incredible woodwork  reminds me some best Alembic creations


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## yankeedoodle (Nov 4, 2009)

that looks sooo nice! does it come in black?


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## Ramsay777 (Nov 4, 2009)

Holy shit I must own one of these!! 

They look incredible!


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## flo (Nov 5, 2009)

yankeedoodle said:


> that looks sooo nice! does it come in black?



Yes, it does! There's one on the homepage.


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## hufschmid (Nov 5, 2009)

Cant take any links for placing up pictures because he is using flash website...

But there is this bass, he is using pink ivory for the fingerboard! 

For those of you who do not know, pink ivory is the most expensive wood in the world and highly endengered stuff, its awesome to see such a huge piece...

Its mostly used for crafting bowls because of the small quantity available...

Somehow similar to ebony texture and weight but all pink...


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## Prydogga (Nov 5, 2009)

WOW! Pink ivory looks amazing!!!!! Do you reckon you'd ever get your hands on some Huf?


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## hufschmid (Nov 5, 2009)

Prydogga said:


> WOW! Pink ivory looks amazing!!!!! Do you reckon you'd ever get your hands on some Huf?



I have already used some in the past for crafting truss rod covers or making headstock veneers....

But I dont thypically use endengered species, all my guitars are built with wood which is plenty available, just like for the zircote I'm using now... 

This luthier probably has an amazing private stock of incredible wood he bought in the past...


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## TemjinStrife (Nov 5, 2009)

That looks a LOT like a Ritter headstock.

Pretty bass though!


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## synrgy (Nov 5, 2009)

gorgeous.


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## zindrome (Nov 5, 2009)

hufschmid said:


> I have already used some in the past for crafting truss rod covers or making headstock veneers....
> 
> But I dont thypically use endengered species, all my guitars are built with wood which is plenty available, just like for the zircote I'm using now...
> 
> This luthier probably has an amazing private stock of incredible wood he bought in the past...




Kudos on the environmental aspect of your wood choice Huf,
I often wonder how ethical wood choices affect the luthiery trade.


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## hufschmid (Nov 5, 2009)

Some wood suppliers will tell you that mahogany is available like horse shit...

Well I'm proud that it is.... 

Guitar building has also to do about respecting what is available and what is not...

Also there are many ''new woods'' available on the market which are substitutes to the endengered species...

More and more of those ''new woods'' are being used in acoustic guitar building and for fingerboards...

Zircote is a good exemple, it replaces the spider figuring which can be found in the endengered dalbergia nigra (brazilian rosewood)


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## SD83 (Nov 5, 2009)

Then lets hope the substitutes are not becoming as endangered as the species that were used before... 
Back to topic: those basses look really cool, although not only the headstock looks "inspired by Ritter", which is in no way a bad thing. I'd love to try one of those... it's actually not that far away from where I live...
@pink ivory: It looks strange... very strange. I've seen these http://www.trading-wood.de/Shopupdate-Allerlei-28.02.09/PP-46-47.jpg a while ago and I wonder if they'll ever sell them. I can't imagine anybody who wants to have them on his guitar or bass... those boards cost nearly as much as a fully slotted snakewood board and more than twice as much as a high quality ebony board (slotted)


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## flo (Nov 6, 2009)

mmm... I've often thougt about building guitars or basses only with eurpean wood, like maple, alder, ash, cherry, pear, walnut and so on, that would actually be something new cause all the big manufacturers use the fender-and-gibson-woodformula. I believe that the wood in my garden might sound just as good.

EDIT: That doesn't mean that I don't think "holy shit!!!!" when I see wood like this...


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## phaeded0ut (Nov 6, 2009)

Flo, those were two super sexy tops! Very pretty stuffs. Thanks for hipping us to this luthier! Really love the Hephaistos 5 (shame it isn't a 6): HEPHAISTOS 5 | wahlbrink-basses.de | handmade basses in germany | kai wahlbrink | siegen wittgenstein
Really love the almost liquid nature of the woods blending together in the lamination strips on this bass guitar.

My one comment on the Alembic front is that this guy isn't charging outrageous prices for his bass guitars. Alembic, ... well...


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## Esp Griffyn (Nov 7, 2009)

His work is incredible, but the chrome hardware on the one the TS posted is awful, totally cheapens the look of the whole bass.


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## flo (Nov 7, 2009)

Esp Griffyn said:


> [...], but the chrome hardware on the one the TS posted is awful, totally cheapens the look of the whole bass.



Unfortunately, yes... on other basses on the webside, he even matches the srtingcolour to the hardwarecolour, like black hardware/black strings, gold hardware/gold strings.

Love the details, like 21 piece neck that still does look tasty.


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## flo (Nov 19, 2009)

I've contacted Kai and asked for pics, this is what e sent to me, enjoy!


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## SD83 (Nov 19, 2009)

Is it just me or are there no pics?


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## flo (Nov 19, 2009)

SD83 said:


> Is it just me or are there no pics?


mmm, didn't work... I'll try again later, sorry


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## flo (Nov 19, 2009)

Hope it works now. They are so awesome


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## flo (Nov 19, 2009)

And one more


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## CAPTAIN SARG (Nov 19, 2009)

why cant there be guitars like this........


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## drmosh (Nov 19, 2009)

CAPTAIN SARG said:


> why cant there be guitars like this........



? there can and there are


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## phaeded0ut (Nov 19, 2009)

flo said:


> And one more



Soooooo sexy!


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## SargeantVomit (Nov 19, 2009)

I've never heard of "coffeetable" guitars. I think it's mostly a bassist thing. I love them. Also interesting read, gibson just got raided because of their wood.....

Authorities raid Nashville Gibson guitar plant - WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY |


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## phaeded0ut (Nov 19, 2009)

CAPTAIN SARG said:


> why cant there be guitars like this........



Quite a few luthiers out there build guitars like this. Just depends upon wood choices, what the luthier is comfortable in doing and frankly what the budget will allow.


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## Hollowway (Nov 20, 2009)

phaeded0ut said:


> Quite a few luthiers out there build guitars like this. Just depends upon wood choices, what the luthier is comfortable in doing and frankly what the budget will allow.



If you know of any, let us know! I'd love to commission a cool build like that (in a guitar), but I know a lot of the builders I've learned of through SSO don't do that kind of a thing.


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## groovemonster (Jan 11, 2010)

I met Kai Wahlbrink from Wahlbrink Basses on European BassDay 2009 in Germany some weeks ago. He's a cool guy! I played all of the basses above and they are alle great to play and easy to handle with during playing.

Here's a link with some more photos from European BassDay 2009!

European Bassday - Marleaux BassGuitars - Wahlbrink Basses - Viersen


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## flo (Jan 11, 2010)

groovemonster said:


> I met Kai Wahlbrink from Wahlbrink Basses on European BassDay 2009 in Germany some weeks ago. He's a cool guy! I played all of the basses above and they are alle great to play and easy to handle with during playing.
> 
> Here's a link with some more photos from European BassDay 2009!
> 
> European Bassday - Marleaux BassGuitars - Wahlbrink Basses - Viersen



He seemed to be a cool guy in the mails as well

Thanks for the link


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