A friend owned a high-end music store that specialized in electric and acoustic guitars, basses, and amplifiers. My friend Chris suggested a collaboration between Jimmy, the builder of Alleva/Coppola guitars, and myself, focusing on a smaller scale and different materials. Jimmy agreed after seeing my work, and we decided to create five custom-painted bass guitars. The process was challenging, taking several years, with Jimmy hand-carving the bodies and me mastering brush control on the curved surfaces. We used Alderwood for the prototype and Okoume for the final pieces due to its sonic qualities.

I created several designs, and with Jimmy and Chris’s help, we selected the final five. After underpainting, I completed the final painting with oil paint. Number 1 was claimed by a local bass player and collector. A Japanese retailer visiting for NAMM saw Number Two and bought it immediately, later committing to purchase the rest of the edition sight unseen. Despite the project’s difficulty, the positive reactions made it worthwhile.

Eventually, we assembled the prototype using purchased components, and it also turned out well and was sold. Although exhausting, the project was rewarding due to the enthusiastic responses from collectors.