Hi, this is Jake Hoffman, co-founder of Tectonic Instruments. Thanks for your interest. Tectonic aims to bring forth musical instrument innovations which feel like natural evolution. No gimmicks, just expansion. We are a tight, family owned business and hope that the love we have for each other bleeds into our creations.

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The idea was born of necessity, and desire for an unreachable sound. I had always used my thumb to play certain lines on the bass guitar, but was always stressed by the angle of my wrist. I wished it could be more comfortable. Additionally, I am inspired by hip-hop and electronic synth sounds, specifically bass drops, when a note slides down smoothly into a low rumble. Combining these two ideas birthed Tectonic Instruments LLC and the concept of marrying a narrow, single string fretboard to a standard fretboard. Critical to the design is to allow the thumb to comfortably play the fretless string and encourage a smooth glissando between notes. This makes for the classic standard four-string bass to be played without intrusion. I didn't want to mess up a perfect instrument but add a very useful feature.

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We are currently working on prototypes and hope to have a small number for sale late 2025 or early 2026.

 

Peace,

Jake & Dan