This wild trapezoidal flatback four-string is said to have more volume and sustain "than any acoustic bass in the known universe"

Troy Johnson's upright bass sits on a beach
(Image credit: Troy Johnson)

Bass guitar veteran Troy Johnson spent a number of years touring with Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy, among other artists. During his travels, particularly a mid-oughts acoustic tour with Pearcy, Johnson noticed what he felt were a number of deficiencies in the acoustic bass guitar market.

Though he enjoyed playing the Washburn AB45 he used for the jaunt, Johnson was left uninspired by its performance when not amplified.

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Jackson Maxwell

Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.