Warwick unveils Masterbuilt Scott Reeder Katana eight-string bass guitar

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A chrome-finished upside-down beast for the Kyuss man

When Kyuss/Fireball Ministry low-ender Scott Reeder requested an eight-string bass with four normal and four octave strings for a new project, Warwick happily obliged, the result being this Chrome-Tone-finished Katana.

There are a number of personal touches onboard the new model, including a metal plate at the end of the fingerboard to protect the wood from Scott's heavy playing style, plus bull skull inlays, which reflect the man's love for his desert farm.

Oh, and in case you're wondering about the orientation, Scott is left-handed but plays right-handed instruments upside-down.

Elsewhere, the bass packs a flamed maple top with swamp ash back, flamed maple neck with 24-fret tigerstripe ebony fingerboard (complete with front and side LEDs), plus active MEC J/J chrome pickups with rechargeable lithium-ion battery-equipped Warwick electronics.

There's no word on price, but given Warwick pulled out all the stops for this one, we'd wager it'll be in the region of $10,000+.

Full specs

  • Matched Headstock: Chrometone Silver
  • Nut: Just-A-Nut III Brass
  • Machineheads: Warwick Machine Heads
  • Neck Wood: Flamed Maple neck with Ekanga veneer stripes, 3 laminations
  • Fretboard: Tigerstripe Ebony fingerboard
  • Inlay: Bull Skull Inlays - Nameplate at 24th fret: "Scott Reeder"
  • Led or Fluorescent Side Dots: White front and side LED´s
  • Fingerboard Radius: 20"
  • Scale length: 34" (long scale)
  • Fret quantity material and size: 24 Jumbo Bronze (extra hard) frets (width: 2.9 mm / height: 1.3
  • mm)
  • Frets: IFT - Invisible Fretwork Technology
  • Body Shape: Flat Body Shape
  • Bodywood (Topwood / Backwood): 1" Flamed Maple Top/Swamp Ash Back
  • Pickups: Active MEC J/J chrome pickups
  • Electronics: Active Warwick 3-way electronics with rechargeable Lithium Battery
  • Pot layout: Volume P/P / Balance / Mid / Treble and Bass stacked
  • Bridge system: 2-piece solid Brass Warwick Bridge
  • Strap system: Warwick security locks
  • Construction: Neck-Through
  • Left / Righthand: Lefthand
  • Colour possibilities: Chrome Tone Silver High Polish
  • Hardware colour: Chrome
  • String label / String gaues: Warwick EMP strings - Special Tuning: C# 50-105
  • Weight: 5.048 kg
  • Included accessories: Warwick User Kit
  • Packing: Handmade Genuine Leather Bag by Rockbag (RB 20205 B W)
  • Certificate: Individually issued certificate of authenticity
  • 1: 8 string option
  • 2: Special Finish and Chrome Tone Silver headstock
  • 3: Bull Skull Inlays - Bullskull Domespeed Control Knobs
  • 4: White illuminated W-Logo - White front and side LED´s
  • 5: Metal plate at the end of the fretboard - Nameplate at 24th fret: "Scott Reeder"
  • 6: Special Tuning: C# 50-105
  • 7: Alternate pickup and hardware color
  • ID Code: 047803C854CWAFT3WW
  • Customer SO Number: Warwick USA - Scott Reeder from Fireball Ministry/Kyuss
  • 8: Matched wooden electronics compartment
Michael Astley-Brown
Michael Astley-Brown

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.