As is the case with any musical discipline, playing the bass guitar requires a fair amount of creativity. Four-string aficionado Marco Menin, however, recently went to the extreme, taking his creativity off the fretboard and into the workshop to build a giant, fully playable human totem bass sculpture.
Measuring in at a whopping 13 feet tall, the aptly named Bass Giant is adorned by 16 individual models, and comes equipped with a variety of appointments that push the limits of contemporary art.
The Italian artist assembled his masterpiece using scaffolding, boxed sheet metal pipes, and any other components he could get his hands on during his day job as a music equipment distributor.
Quarter-inch guitar cables, wall-stands, guitar straps and pickguards all played a part in constructing the mammoth model, which was further kitted out with LED lighting, Bluetooth connectivity, a programmable audio system and USB flash drive.
Two bass amps, located in the Giant's torso and face, ensure the 13 electric basses can be heard in all their glory, with a pair of acoustic bass guitars and Lego replica making up the numbers.
Other highlights – as if the sculpture needed any more – include a Jimi Hendrix-inspired four-string, as well as a triple-neck bass beast that sits center-stage around the Giant's shoulders.
Said the model’s mastermind Menin, “I’m always on the move between my different homes in the North and Central Italy. Being a passionate bass player, at some point I decided to collect multiple substitute basses and have them ready in all my favorite destinations.
“In the end, I collected so many that I almost found one in my shower,” he recalled. “Although I had many, the number was still not enough for what I had in mind: an interactive musical installation made of bass guitars, which could be played and performed on by bass guitarists.”
