Yes, okay, but… what does it sound like? How many times, while looking at a picture of an instrument or reading an article, have you asked yourself if that object—which might enchant you with its shape and promise you possibilities and hope—truly has the sound you’re looking for? And then, we all know that an instrument sounds different in different hands, amplified in different ways, recorded differently, etc., etc.
To try and give you an answer, we asked Tonino de Sensi, a great bassist and a great, wonderful, and always available friend of Jacaranda (thank you, Tonino!), to talk to a journalist friend of ours about the bass that bears his name—the highly admired Proxima de Sensi semi-acoustic model—and to play it for us in a couple of tests, still quite homemade, done on the fly with an iPhone, just to not miss the opportunity of his presence in the workshop. The videos you find at the bottom of this page also serve to inaugurate our new YouTube channel. Subscribe! We will soon have other surprises for you.
How did you get in touch with the luthiers at Jacaranda?
How could I not know them? In the professional scene, it’s normal to make contact…
Yes, but was there someone who acted as a go-between?
At first, it was Gigi (Cifarelli, Ed.) who pointed me toward the Jacaranda workshop, then I happened to pick up electric basses made by them several times: at trade shows, for example. Some of my students also let me try their basses. The thing that immediately struck me was the perfection of these instruments’ fingerboards, which were absolutely suited to my needs.
I then approached Daniele directly to have him fix a vintage instrument I had recovered, and that’s where our collaboration was born.
Did you already have other handmade basses before the idea of having one custom-made by Jacaranda was born?
I had one, yes. A 5-string solid body, modeled after a Fender. It was the 90s, and at the time, wide fingerboards were very popular, like on Anthony Jackson's bass.
And how did the idea for the Proxima De Sensi come about?
About three years ago, I started playing in an acoustic trio where we played gypsy manouche music: two guitars and me. Generally, in that context, you use a double bass—which I am not, though it is a wonderful instrument that has several limitations: not just that of portability. So, I tried to conceive an instrument that had the double bass as a reference: a sonic synthesis of the double bass in the body of a semi-acoustic bass.
Were you inspired by any specific instrument, other than obviously the Jacaranda Proxima, of which this is, so to speak, an incarnation?
Yes, the shape is that of the electric Proxima, but the process that led to the instrument you see was long and articulated: a search for the most precise balance possible. Let’s just say I was quite a pain! (laughs).
But it is natural that in an experimental phase, you go looking for something you don’t quite have clearly in mind yet. The first choice was the tone chambers: “hollowing it out” inside to obtain more acoustic resonance was a brilliant idea, which also helped to give the bass lightness.
The second step was the choice of woods and the finish. I wanted it dark, and I have to say that even today, when I look at it, I am fascinated by it. Then we went on to perfect the details: for example, I absolutely did not want to see controls lying around that would distort the clean and perfectly integrated design. We thus positioned the balance between the magnetic pickup and the piezo on the bridge, while the volume and tone controls are on the side, invisible. In this way, the soundboard remains perfectly free and uncluttered. A cleanliness made even more complete by the magnetic pickup cover made of the same wood as the top.
And then there is that truly unique hallmark… the hole on the shoulder shaped like a bass clef.
And to think that no one had ever thought of it, as far as I know! It’s an idea that was very well received, obviously first and foremost by bassists who felt proud of it.
Let’s talk about the fingerboard, obviously fretless…
Obviously. Of course, fretless basses are harder to tame and need to be studied for a long time, but the gain in expressiveness is remarkable. The dimensions are those of a Fender, a standard.
Let’s move on to the electronics: magnetic and piezo. How do you find this choice?
It’s a choice that allows for a great variety of tones. Mixing the two sources allows you to sculpt the sound precisely according to your needs and the context. Furthermore, the piezo is passive: a pickup that isn’t easy to find, perhaps less sonorous, but much closer to the real sound. This is true live, but even more so in the studio, where the instrument’s acoustic quality can be enhanced.
Live, I generally use an 80% magnetic and 20% piezo ratio, which allows me to have more attack and definition. Then, naturally, it depends on the situation.
What do you amplify it with?
With my Mark Bass head and cabinet system (Mark Bass Big Bang and two New York 121 cabinets). Generally, both with my Proxima and with my electric basses, I tend to EQ flat and then work with the instrument’s tone settings and, above all, with my touch. At most, I add a little reverb or delay, especially in solos, but nothing more.
Finally, try to give me 3 adjectives to define it.
Original, beautiful… and classic. In the sense that it maintains a perfect balance between form and essence. It is true that some vintage instruments sound very good (and I emphasize *some*), but this fully reflects the balance between functionality and aesthetics, between the sound—decisive, precise, defined, full-bodied—and the shape.
I’ve heard you play jazz and fusion with your Proxima De Sensi—which, however, I might rather call “borderline music”… what else are you playing with it?
Well, first of all, my passion and my repertoire rightly revolve around electric jazz, which at times also becomes acoustic. The versatility of this bass allows me to cover both excellently.
Great. Now that we’ve “X-rayed” your bass, I’d like to ask you something more specific regarding the choice of having a bass made by a luthier. What difference does it make for you today to pick up and play an instrument that you saw born and grow, and that you built around your needs?
Sound is a search, and every instrument is a starting point for this continuous journey. I must say, however, that as a starting point, this one isn’t bad at all! Precisely because it was born from my necessities, my needs, and my tastes. I appreciate its ability to truly be an “instrument”: the way you play it, where you put your hands, how you touch the strings… everything allows you to produce different sounds. Moreover, it is an entirely passive instrument, so the response to the touch allows me to obtain many nuances and to vary the timbre.
Now let’s go a bit off-track. I’ll ask you a question “from musician to musician”… something that has been buzzing in my head for a while. In Italy, we are seduced by the brand, and we don’t fully evaluate luthier instruments. In America, the story is different, and often luthiers—some luthiers—are stars and have huge waiting lists: their instruments are appreciated and never lose value; on the contrary. Now that you have and play a luthier-made instrument, entirely customized to your needs, is there a message you can give to your fellow bassists?
Well, the added value of marketing is always important; it shouldn’t be underestimated. Furthermore, one must recognize the value of those who knew how to apply “practical” thought and industrial logic to the world of instruments, Fender first and foremost, building instruments capable of playing and playing in a homogeneous, recognizable way.
But in Italy, there is a great tradition of excellence, especially in the field of acoustic instruments, which can offer quality at competitive prices. This, for example, is an aspect to emphasize: if I had looked for these qualities and features in an instrument made abroad or of a famous brand, I would have certainly spent much more. Without even the certainty that comes from knowing how—and by whom—the instrument was actually built. A handcrafted instrument made like this is definitive. For me, there are many vintage instruments celebrated today whose real value is lower than that of a luthier-made instrument.
What feedback have you had from musicians and in general from the public who have seen and heard you play your Proxima?
Curiosity. First of all. They are struck by the design and the sound, and many ask me what kind of instrument it is. Then, of course, the fretless is a particular instrument, if you like, a bit less “popular” than an instrument with frets, but the interest is always notable, both in Italy and abroad. And I know there have already been many requests.
Do you have a future wish?
Well, undoubtedly a fretted Proxima De Sensi. But before we start the work, we need to invent something special. And study a choice of woods and pickups that replicate in another territory the unique characteristics we defined for this one. Also from a design point of view.