Back in 2018, bass legend Stanley Clarke told the world (via MusicRadar) that he had designed a Strat-style bass that would eventually be released by Fender.
After a couple of years without word on the model, it turns out that the design – dubbed the Spellcaster – has in fact been released, but by Oneonta Guitar, not Fender.
Sporting a five-way pickup selector and three control knobs, a body-mounted input jack, and a three-tone sunburst finish, the Spellcaster is indeed a dead ringer for a Strat at first glance, just, of course, with two fewer strings.
A 30.5” short-scale model, the Spellcaster features an alder body, reversed headstock, maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard with 25 frets. Sonically, it's outfitted with a trio of single-coil pickups, controlled by the aforementioned five-way selector switch and trio of knobs (a master volume and a pair of tone controls for the neck and middle pickup.)
Additionally, the bass boasts a mini-switch that allows for the selection of all pickups or just the bridge and neck pickups.
Fascinatingly, the bass – true to its inspiration – also features a Strat-style tremolo system, with individual saddles for each string.
The Oneonta Stanley Clarke Spellcaster Bass is available now for $1,635.
For more info on the bass, stop by oneontaguitar.com.
