It was 2002 in New Jersey. I was heading into 7th grade, transitioning from woodwind instruments to electric bass guitar in my middle school band. Hundreds of miles away, Pete Skjold was purchasing a tremendous selection of figured birdseye maple for his burgeoning bass guitar business. That summer, I happened to take home a glossy, heavy catalog from Warwick, with an Infinity bass on the cover. I knew I would one day have a bass that looked this good.
22 years later, a dream realized.
After detailed consideration of instruments from Pete's esteemed colleagues, including MTD, Marleaux, F Bass, Fodera, Dingwall, Sandberg, and Le Fay, I selected Pete to complete this important and commemorative instrument. My high expectations, now shattered by Pete's humble demeanor, evidence-based practices, scientific pursuit of electric bass building, technical prowess, and genuine personality. With just a sonic description in words, a video clip of, "Every Day I Write the Book," by Elvis Costello, and a dream of birdseye maple, Pete executed the project flawlessly.
The full specifications:
4 string electric bass guitar
33" scale with 1.5" nut width and 19 mm string spacing
Erskine Whaleback single cut body shape
African mahogany body and birdseye maple top and dark contrast veneer
One-piece, quarter sawn roasted maple neck
Morado (pau ferro) fretboard with 24 EVO frets and zero fret
Matching headstock laminate
STA dual coil pickups
Active STA preamp
Black custom Skjold hardware by Hipshot and Hipshot Ultralite tuners
Dunlop straplocks
A stream of consciousness of the many accolades of my new, forever bass:
- Love the thin yet durable finish, expertly applied
- The fit and finish is exemplary, with craftsmanship beyond his peers and genuine attention to every detail
- Luminlay inlays as a standard feature should be a requirement of all the competition
- The action is impossibly low - impressively so - and the playability beyond words
- Despite the selection of a mahogany body, the final weight (around 9 lbs) is surprisingly reasonable given the wood selection; Pete must have some great selections of African mahogany (Khaya spp.)
- The tone is instantly, wonderfully percussive; no matter what I dial in, I can create the sound in my head. It is full yet detailed, approximating the best aspects of a Wal bass as requested
- The neck is fast, effortless, and flawless; not a dead spot to be found, smooth like butter, and practically plays itself
- I am very happy with the 33" scale is truly perfect; losing an inch is so comfortable, yet it all remains so tight and responsive. I see why people love his low "B" on five stringed instruments!
- The bridge pickup soloed has a fantastic and useable sound - something I've avoided on lower end instruments as it has tended to be thin and brittle
- Pete's Skjold Tone Audio (STA) pickups are pure alchemy, and the custom designed STA preamp is electronic perfection. The addition of a passive tone control, and intuitive equalizer with two high mids and low mids makes dialing in your sound effortless. Passive bypass makes concerns over battery nightmares yesterday's problem.
- Incredible access to the upper register due to the most deliberate and well-executed design I have seen on a single cut.
With the expanding talent pool of luthiers in our custom bass guitar microcosm, selecting the right fit can seem a daunting challenge and tremendous risk. Placing your hopes, dreams, expectations - not to mention thousands of dollars - in the hands of an artisan should never be easy. Unless that artisan is Pete Skjold.
If you desire the sound in your head to come to life, Pete is your guide. Should you want world-class customer service and genuine connection with your luthier, you have arrived.
22 years later, a dream realized.
After detailed consideration of instruments from Pete's esteemed colleagues, including MTD, Marleaux, F Bass, Fodera, Dingwall, Sandberg, and Le Fay, I selected Pete to complete this important and commemorative instrument. My high expectations, now shattered by Pete's humble demeanor, evidence-based practices, scientific pursuit of electric bass building, technical prowess, and genuine personality. With just a sonic description in words, a video clip of, "Every Day I Write the Book," by Elvis Costello, and a dream of birdseye maple, Pete executed the project flawlessly.
The full specifications:
4 string electric bass guitar
33" scale with 1.5" nut width and 19 mm string spacing
Erskine Whaleback single cut body shape
African mahogany body and birdseye maple top and dark contrast veneer
One-piece, quarter sawn roasted maple neck
Morado (pau ferro) fretboard with 24 EVO frets and zero fret
Matching headstock laminate
STA dual coil pickups
Active STA preamp
Black custom Skjold hardware by Hipshot and Hipshot Ultralite tuners
Dunlop straplocks
A stream of consciousness of the many accolades of my new, forever bass:
- Love the thin yet durable finish, expertly applied
- The fit and finish is exemplary, with craftsmanship beyond his peers and genuine attention to every detail
- Luminlay inlays as a standard feature should be a requirement of all the competition
- The action is impossibly low - impressively so - and the playability beyond words
- Despite the selection of a mahogany body, the final weight (around 9 lbs) is surprisingly reasonable given the wood selection; Pete must have some great selections of African mahogany (Khaya spp.)
- The tone is instantly, wonderfully percussive; no matter what I dial in, I can create the sound in my head. It is full yet detailed, approximating the best aspects of a Wal bass as requested
- The neck is fast, effortless, and flawless; not a dead spot to be found, smooth like butter, and practically plays itself
- I am very happy with the 33" scale is truly perfect; losing an inch is so comfortable, yet it all remains so tight and responsive. I see why people love his low "B" on five stringed instruments!
- The bridge pickup soloed has a fantastic and useable sound - something I've avoided on lower end instruments as it has tended to be thin and brittle
- Pete's Skjold Tone Audio (STA) pickups are pure alchemy, and the custom designed STA preamp is electronic perfection. The addition of a passive tone control, and intuitive equalizer with two high mids and low mids makes dialing in your sound effortless. Passive bypass makes concerns over battery nightmares yesterday's problem.
- Incredible access to the upper register due to the most deliberate and well-executed design I have seen on a single cut.
With the expanding talent pool of luthiers in our custom bass guitar microcosm, selecting the right fit can seem a daunting challenge and tremendous risk. Placing your hopes, dreams, expectations - not to mention thousands of dollars - in the hands of an artisan should never be easy. Unless that artisan is Pete Skjold.
If you desire the sound in your head to come to life, Pete is your guide. Should you want world-class customer service and genuine connection with your luthier, you have arrived.
