1999 Bender Collision Bass

For the past few years, British luthier Brian Eastwood has been crafting a series of “melted body” electrics including the Distortocaster and the Jellycaster. Eastwood didn’t want bass players to feel left out so he created the Collision Bass. I’ve not had the chance to play one myself, and although the body appears ungainly, people who have played them say they are actually quite comfortable to handle.

As you can see, if you sort of squint and look at it sideways, this bass was inspired by the Fender Precision. It’s finished in Fiesta Red, a custom Fender color that has been popular in England ever since the days Hank Marvin played his red Strat in the early 1960s. (As this recent TV commercial shows, the image of Marvin and his Strat still resonates.) There are lots of great builders who are very serious about making replicas of classic American guitars, and while I do appreciate the work they do, from time to time I like to see a builder with a sense of humor. If you’d like to have the wildest bass in town, just send $1950 to the fine folks at Fretted Americana and they will be glad to set you up.