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Randall Wyn Fullmer introduces his first 7-string bass at NAMM 2011
After a succesful career at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Randall went on to create his own “Beauty and the Beast” in the form of finely crafted bass guitars. Wyn Guitars was established in 2006 with Fullmer as both founder and sole luthier for the company. He has crafted guitars for musical talents including Jimmy Haslip, Abraham Laboriel, James LoMenzo, Ben Jones, Stewart McKinsey, Robin Zeilhorst, Maurice Fitzgerald, Adam Johnson and Ethan Farmer and more.
I first met Randall in the basement of Hall E at his first NAMM show exhibition in 2010. I knew, once I had played several of his beautiful basses, that he would be a big hit in the bass playing community. His ability to craft an eminently playable tone beast is second to none. And the price of ownership, starting just under $3,000, is more affordable than any other comparable boutique bass. They are a true bargain.
Randall employs a unique neck construction that I haven’t seen in any other guitar. Rather than the usual method of creating a neck-through bass from laminated straight strips of wood, He cuts the strips with a taper that follows the outline of the finished neck prior to lamination. This may account for the instruments substantial attack, harmonics and focus all the way down to the low B.
I asked him how he got into instrument making. He told me that it was always a passion, and after successfully burning out in the animation industry he put his passion to work. Randall was already an accomplished woodworker, but lacked the luthiery experience. He made a proposition to his friend, master builder Carey Nordstrand, that he would work for him for free for 2 months if he would teach him the secrets of building bass guitars. The resulting instruments are a testament to Carey’s skill and generosity.
There are four basic models to choose from, WSB-4 (four string), WSB-5 (five string) and WSB-6 (six string) that can be customized to your taste with various wood, electronics and hardware options. All instruments are built by Randall in his shop in Southern California.
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