Electric Bass Design Consideration

by Veronica Merryfield, David Minnieweather, and moderator/organizer Harry Fleishman

from their 2008 GAL Convention panel discussion

Originally published in American Lutherie #99, 2009



Harry Fleishman: We’re going to talk basses. Veronica Merryfield is here to talk about the transition from acoustic to electric upright. David Minnieweather is going to talk about bass design from a player’s standpoint, and I’m going talk about thinking in terms of design and making materials choices. So without further ado — do you want further ado? — here is Veronica.

Veronica Merryfield: This is my twenty-fifth year of making instruments. I was doing analog synths in my early teens and I needed a bass for the sound I was after. I bought a cheap bass and it was rubbish. Right then, Ned Steinberger brought out this beautifully designed bass but I just couldn’t afford one, so I started building. I made a bass and played it for fifteen years, despite all its problems. Now I use it to show students that their stuff’s really not all that bad.