Luthier's Access Group...Ken Lawrence

All instruments are built on an individual basis. Only the highest grade materials are used. Ken is an advocate for the use of Responsibly Harvested rain forest hardwoods. Endangered woods are avoided. All necks are constructed from Eastern Hard Rock Maple. For added structural and sonic stability, pre-flexed graphite stiffening spars are used.

Some of the figured woods used by Ken are :

Grenadillo - Used for fretboards and figured tops, this wood is a hard closed-pore variety, much like Brazilian Rosewood.

Katalox (cat-a-losh) - another hardwood,similar to Macassar Ebony,used for tops and fretboards.

Chechen - A hard dense wood suited for figured tops. Chechen adds a bit of tight bottom end to the body wood.

Figured Myrtlewood - A higly figured top wood from a source in Oregon..
Other woods include various types and grades of Maple,Walnut,Cocobolo,Purpleheart,and others.

Body woods are typically Ash, Alder, or Mahogany. Others are available - what do you have in mind ?

MODELS

ASSOCIATE

- Two piece select Southern Ash or Alder sculpted body.
- Three piece Eastern Hard Rock Maple neck,graphite reinforced,bolt-on 24 frets Rosewood or Grenadillo fretboard.
- Custom Basslines pickups and 3 band preamp w/slap contour switch on the master volume knob.
- Black hardware
Options include : Polyester high-gloss finish,hand-rubbed oil and wax finish,figured wood tops,other pickups and premps,maple fretboard, fretless lined or unlined.
Associate 4 - $2,370
Associate 5 - $2,570
Associate 6 - $2,770

BRASE

Inspired by the work of Vinnie Fodera and Anthony Jackson, the Brase links the bass side horn the neck at the 11th-15th frets. The purpose- to keep the neck virtually flat from the 12th fret up and to eliminate dead spots. The neck is a glue in deep pocket style, extending to the neck pickup. The Brase has the focus and articulation of a neck-thru with the full harmonic richness of a bolt-on.
- Two piece Select Ash sculpted body.
- Three piece Select Hard Rock Maple neck with graphite spars and beefy dual-flex truss rod.
- Custom Bass Lines pickups and preamp.
Options a la Associate.
Brase 5 - $3,880
Brase 6 - $4,080

CHAMBERBASS

A sculpted,semi-acoustic body with sound holes, a wood piezo bridge and extended wooden tailpiece. Created primarily as a fretless instrument ,this is Ken's vision of the ultimate acoustic/electric fretless bass guitar. Multi-level acoustic sound chambers topped with a matched soundboard enable this bass to emulate an upright or sound very electric via the magnetic pickup. Plus all timbres in between - a very wide palette to choose from.
- Select sculpted Mahogany body.
- Select Redwood top with elegant soundholes.
- Extended Ebony tailpiece.
- Custom Baselines pickup and 3 band preamp.
- Handmade height-adjustable Ebony piezo bridge.
Options - fretted version,high-gloss clear or stained finish,select Spruce top,select Southern Ash body.
Chamberbass 5 - $5,050
Chamberbass 6 - $5,250

"Ultralite" formfit case - $145
Reunion Blues gig bags
Single $160
Double $240

Also available : exquisite hand inlay work, multi-string and extended range basses, Piccolo basses, Guitars, fiber optic position markers.

Like our other builders, Ken makes custom basses. Please, do tell us what you want.