Here's the post from Asher's Instagram, the luthier, heading out to the Music Festival, with some pics. The bass will be given to Oteil tonight.
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Oteil Burbridge's Dire Wolf Bass
- Thread starter BassicJazzy
- Start date
Yes, looks like small string spacing! What is that 14mm? Love the small spacing on a 6-string, more 6-string bass makers should do that.
It is small spacing, Oteil wanted it that way. They were concerned when building that it might be too tight but Oteil plucks at a downward angle and it works. If you want the specs, contact asherguitars. Bill's instagram is shown in a preceding post.
Bill is building more Dire Wolf's, so you could get your hands on one, for a price?
I need to correct this, about the CNC. My friend recently told me the body was entirely hand built. I think the bridge was hand built too. The CNC was used on the neck. He said they haven't programmed the CNC for the body due to the very limited production run. Better to just build by hand.
Another update. Weight on this bass is 8.5 lbs, which is quite light, considering the amount of heavy woods, like Purple Heart. Ibanez has a 6 with similar string spacing but it is a lb heavier and is bolt on neck. Reaction on the Ibanez sea you have to be quite adept technically to be able to play a 6 with this tight of spacing.
Personally I've never played anything but a 4 so I wouldn't know.
Personally I've never played anything but a 4 so I wouldn't know.
If want one like Oteil's, with all the inlay and custom detail work, they are around $40,000. If you want one vanilla, with no detail work but the same otherwise, low 30's?
I believe #2 above is going to Oteil, who will decide if he likes it more than #1. Whichever one he doesn't keep I think perhaps will get auctioned off for benefit of some charity? Perhaps it will go for less? Doubt it.
They offered to let me play #2 but I declined. I just might like it enough to want to buy one, and that is clearly more bass than I need, ever. Plus, I only play 4's and this is a six, though they are currently building some in fivers.
And yet bigger guys like Derek Trucks manage to finger pick guitars.
We'll see when my GVB36 arrives, but I already manage quite well on my SRC6 @10.8mm...
This build is interesting, but for 40k, I'd rather have an Alembic and their electronics. Not that it doesn't sound good, but for that sort of coin, it's sort of meh.
Yeah, me too. I understand the high price. They are totally hand-built and it takes about 6 months to build one. There is a lot of labor and the wood is expensive, and they can only make a handful each year. Sometimes mistakes get made and the cost has to go into the overhead, be absorbed by the basses that pass QA.ok, that's insane. Think I will pass!
Apparently there are a lot of people willing to pay the price, since they have pre-sold all their current 2026 production.
Personally, I do not think I will ever need anything more expensive than perhaps an EBMM fretless, about $3k. Right now I'm finding my $475 SR370EF to be extremely satisfying, but then again I am not Oteil, and am not on a stage. I own four other basses, none of which is worth more than $1,500. Each has its strengths and weakness, none is perfect, but they each fit a niche need (P, J, ABG, SR).
Yeah, it's pretty amazing and so is his playing. The guitarist is playing the Wolf, also made by Bill Sadler.
BTW, Oteil decided to keep Dire Wolf #1, the original. He bonded with it and really liked the tone so #2 (which is the one I had the chance to play, but declined) must have gone to auction to raise funds for a charity.
Basses like these cost about 20 grand. The materials and man hours are far beyond what it takes to make most instruments.
Actually the Dire Wolf as shown costs about $40K, with all the inlay work, which is extensive. They offered to make me one without inlays for about $30k. The bass is entirely handmade and takes about 6 months of labor, from start to finish. Lots of work inside the multilayer body to keep the weight down to 8.5lbs. People here on TB balk at the price, but Sadler has no problem selling all he can make, they are backordered, and the woods used are in limited supply.
