Zoot Funkmeister custom medium scale P5

[Merton]

Let’s start by saying this bass is nothing like what I originally ordered. And that it’s all Mike’s fault…

 

I originally had this wonderful idea of a 32” P bass, 4 string, black body with bwb scratchplate, maple neck and board. Simple, like the Roger Waters sig give or take. Spec agreed, deposit paid. Mike then shared a photo of a 5 string Zoot Funkmeister in white, tort scratchplate, maple neck. I fell in love, and one thing led to another… and here we are. The very first Zoot bass with 5 strings and a 32” scale.

 

I’ve owned a fair few 5 strings over the years and I’m not the most technically proficient bassist so they always challenge me in a different way to a 4 string. When we shifted to the new spec I realised I’d have three 5ers in my slightly OTT collection. I was honestly a little concerned how this would slot in. Needless to say, that concern was totally unfounded. From the first play this bass felt natural, like an extension of me. The neck is sublime, a lovely satin feel, slim carve, super comfortable from 1st to 24th fret. The body sits perfectly on the strap and on the lap; it is balanced perfectly so there’s no neck or body dive when it’s resting on my right leg and that makes it a doddle to play sitting down as I’m not fighting it. An interesting aside, my ACG Finn 5 (also a glorious 5er in its own right) sits slightly more to the right than this, so the first fret ends up a little closer to my body on that, especially when seated, but that does give it a slight tendency to try to wander off my leg!

 

Keeping with the Finn comparison briefly, with that bass I wanted a tight (16.5mm) string spacing to keep the compact feel. I was aiming for 17mm with this but we were limited by the 5 string P pickups available, so we’re close to 18mm. The difference is noticeable but doesn’t affect playability for me and makes my horrendous slap technique easier to navigate!

 

So, this plays great thanks to a superb neck, a comfortable body shape and practically perfect balance. How does it sound? Well, it has a Badass bridge, Aguilar pickup and top quality construction, so of course it sounds great. It sounds exactly like a P should. Mike added a series/parallel switch so I have a few more tones available than the standard passive P, and I can go from old school plummy thump to bright and zingy. I have 5 musical projects in the go at the moment (because why not); in one of those I tend to have the tone control almost fully wound off, and in another it tends to go to about halfway on. That’s it; using a different right hand position or technique I can control the rest with my fingers.

 

“But this is a 32” scale; what about the bottom B?” I hear you cry. Well it’s fantastic. I’ve had three 32” fivers and none have had bad bottom B strings to be honest - ultimately if the bass is well made and the neck is stiff with a solid body join then you’ll be fine. Being a Zoot you are guaranteed both of those things.

 

I picked it up from Mike in December 2022, drove home, put my bass rig in the car and went straight to a gig, where I played this all night. I know a lot of people who would balk at that idea - got to get to know the instrument first etc - but this just felt perfect from the get-go so it was an easy decision. It was admired by band and punters alike, and in my excitement I managed to give it its first battlescars in the form of two small dents on the lower horn. Dents. Not paint chips, just dents. Testament to Mike’s finishing skills methinks!

 

I now own two Zoot Funkmeister 32” basses, a 4 string “jazz” (I use speech marks as it has Nordstrand Big Splits so it’s a slightly left-field Jazz bass) and this 5 string P. I am delighted with both and if I were ever to get some more money and want to expand my collection again, I would have no hesitation going to Mike. He is a very collaborative builder and will gladly advise on your ideas, offering his own experiences and insight to ensure the bass comes out as perfectly as possible. His books are currently closed due to such high demand, which is excellent for Mike and for my bank balance 😃

 

The specs:

Zoot Funkmeister P5

32” scale

Idigbo body

3-piece maple neck with black stringers

Maple fingerboard

White body and matched headstock

Tort scratchplate

Aguilar AG5P-60CL pickup

Passive volume, tone, series/parallel switch

Badass bridge

Hipshot tuners

Newtone strings

 

Some pictures (mostly Mike’s because my photography skills suck):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 7, 2023 by Merton
Added the battlescars

[Cosmicrain]

Many thanks Martin,  I knew you would love this bass, and it was a pleasure to build it and work with you.  Also, thanks for suggesting we swap you original spec's to a 5 string version of the 4 string Japanese Kei Kato Zoot Funkmiester I made early last year, without that suggestion a Zoot 32" 5 string Funkmeister may not have existed.    Mike.

[BeLow]

It looks great, and I am sure it sounds as good as it looks. Is it the scale length that gives it the improved balance? I was out with my medium scale 5 last night and it does make life easier, less unwieldy, lighter and you don't feel as if the strings are fighting back. There is a time and place for the strings to be tight and aggressive, but it's not every gig. Nice one!

Edited June 8, 2023 by BeLow

[Cosmicrain]

47 minutes ago, BeLow said:

It looks great, and I am sure it sounds as good as it looks. Is it the scale length that gives it the improved balance? I was out with my medium scale 5 last night and it does make life easier, less unwieldy, lighter and you don't feel as if the strings are fighting back. There is a time and place for the strings to be tight and aggressive, but it's not every gig. Nice one!

I was able to make this bass with a 24 fret neck, meaning I could push the bridge back further towards the back of the body compared to a standard Fender Jazz/P.  Add that to the fact that I used Hipshot ultra-lite machine heads and string bar, and the weight distribution came in just perfect.

[Guest Gabriel1918]

That's a beauty Martin.  I love Mike's work and am looking forward to receiving my fretless commission from him soon.