Johnny Zapp

I had been on the market for a cool, vibey workhorse bass that could handle outdoor festival gigs in the hot and dry climate of the Southwest. I tried a few new Hofners and to be honest, they weren't made very well. I called my friend Muddy and asked him if he'd sell me one of his '60s Kay basses that he's toured the country with, as I knew I needed something built with old school craftsmanship. He said he'd do me one better, and he introduced me to Robert Mondell who would ultimately hand build me something unique to my exact specifications.

Rob and I communicated throughout the entire process as he passionately and painstakingly hand crafted the finest bass in my collection, far exceeding my expectations. He took every detail I had hoped for and made it happen. Abalone purfling (he's first stab at it, even!), unique inlay markers rather than just dots, the vintage Kay Speedbump pickup, rosewood saddles, strings through the body and so on.

As a hired-gun, I play a lot of guitar, too, so it was important to me that the bass play and feel like a guitar, like a Les Paul sort of, and not like I'm wrestling some heavy, long neck beast, you know? Rob's answer was a short-scale bass with a single-cut away chambered mahogany body baring a classic Les Paul shape, with a tighter cut resembling a Zemaitis. And the top? Highly flamed top quality maple. Gorgeous. This thing is easily the lightest bass I've ever owned or played. With the short-scale, '50s Les Paul Jr. neck profile, body shape and weight, I can rock this thing like a guitar.

But how does it sound? I run my Mondell through a 1976 Fender Bassman 100 head atop an Ampeg cab (either a 4x10, or a 2x10 with a 1x15, depending on the venue) with the tone knob rolled off, and the tone is absolutely unbelievable. I can't tell you how many sound guys that I've worked with on the road that flip out about how incredible it sounds. So warm and classic thanks to the combination of the rosewood saddles, flatwound strings through the body and the scale length. I have vintage Jazz and P-basses, and my Mondell has that John Paul Jones "Lemon Song" tone more than any of my Fenders, ironically.

My Mondell custom is also a conversation piece at nearly every gig. From the sound guys at the venue, to musicians in the crowd. I'm constantly approached and complimented on the tone and the look. I've been doing this for a long time, and this is my first instrument that has my own personal, legitimate "road wear," rather than the ever popular trend (albeit cool looking) of brand new "relic'd" instruments. It's been my go-to since it was delivered.

Rob is making classic, unique, vintage inspired high-end instruments entirely by hand. The beauty of a luthier who cuts the bodies, carves the headstocks and does every single detail by hand, is that no two instruments will be the same. He could build another bass to the exact specs and details of mine, and it'd be different with other nuances and characteristics. Working with him on my bass was truly an honor.

In a nutshell, Rob delivered tone, aesthetic, personality, vibe and craftsmanship in spades.

—Johnny Zapp

Short Scale Single Cut-away Bass

Johnny and I would routinely cross paths at the Great American Guitar Show in Philly where he took interest in my handmade instruments.

This bass is a chambered mahogany body capped in 5A curly maple. The neck is mahogany with a rosewood fretboard with white binding. The details on the body consist of handmade checkerboard binding surrounding green abalone. The headstock features a rosewood head plate inlaid with abalone bound in white.

This bass also features a handmaid aluminum bridge with rosewood saddles and a rosewood anchor plate.

The pickup is a vintage 1960’s speed bump.