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What is this weird bass Ronnie Lane is playing?

Benjamin Strange

Commercial User
Dec 25, 2002
9,737
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New Orleans, LA
www.ufodeathcult.com
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Owner / Tech: Strange Guitarworks
What is this thing? Inquiring minds want to know.

bass.jpg


 
Yep, its a zemaitis. Btw, Zemaitis are producing guitars again now....sadly no Ronnie Lane bass yet :(
I haven't seen the one in the OP's picture before....i guess he had a few custom made. I read somewhere that they had 2 x 51P PU's in. Certainly got a great overdrive sound if you listen to some of the Faces live stuff. Here's another of his Zematis basses...
Ronnie Lane Zematis.JPG
 
Yepper, Zematis, made in Tampa, FL by Tony Zematis.

Edit: OOPS! I totally had a brainfart! Veleno is the guitar maker from Tampa that used aluminum, not Zemaitis. And I spelled "Zemaitis" wrong, too. Not my day.
 
Last edited:
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Yep, its a zemaitis. Btw, Zemaitis are producing guitars again now....sadly no Ronnie Lane bass yet :(
I haven't seen the one in the OP's picture before....i guess he had a few custom made. I read somewhere that they had 2 x 51P PU's in. Certainly got a great overdrive sound if you listen to some of the Faces live stuff. Here's another of his Zematis basses...
View attachment 922602
Was that the one that belonged to the Groundhogs' bassist?
 
Yep, its a zemaitis. Btw, Zemaitis are producing guitars again now....sadly no Ronnie Lane bass yet :(
I haven't seen the one in the OP's picture before....i guess he had a few custom made. I read somewhere that they had 2 x 51P PU's in. Certainly got a great overdrive sound if you listen to some of the Faces live stuff.
It looks like what they imagined the future to look like back when they made it, all space shippy or something.

I'll take one.