Having recently launched his own guitar company that offers 12, 14 and 16-string dual-fretboard electric guitars designed for tapping, Felix Martin of FM Guitars has followed up this initial release with three new dual-fingerboard 8, 10 and 12-string bass guitars.
The ergonomic basses cater to guitarists who wish to extend their tapping technique – as Martin states, "playing two guitars or basses simultaneously opens up many more possibilities, such as being able to play new chords, chord-melody and dual melodic ideas".
Construction-wise, the custom bass models are built from a choice of woods, including quilted maple, flame maple, spalted maple, burl maple and bird's eye maple for the top, and mahogany, alder and basswood for the back.
Similarly, the single ultra-wide neck is composed of either mahogany or maple, which accommodates two ebony or katoba fretboards.
Available in 8, 10, and 12-string iterations, the strings are divided up as 4+4, 5+5 and 6+6 configurations, depending on which model you choose.
Artists opting for the dual-fretboard bass guitars include bass wizard Joan Torres and Parazit player Kello Gonzalez – the former can be seen demoing the 10-string bass above.
As well as providing a platform for two-hand tappers wishing to develop their technique, Martin says conventional bass playing styles excel on the new models.
All three dual-fretboard bass models start at $1,600, with each guitar taking three months to build.
For more info, head over to FM Guitars.