“Once again my cordial thanks for your phantastic job. I’m having so much fun playing this great bass. Btw, yesterday after I picked up my bass from you I had a bass lesson, of course on my new BITE. My teacher is very impressed by your spotless instrument quality and setup. I think he might soon get in touch with you ,-)
Thanks again, you made me very happy!”
34″ Punch P5 Red & Black & Funky Red
Rated 5 out of 5
Larry, USA –
“I am infatuated and fascinated by my bass. I haven’t taken it to a gig yet. I’ve been auditioning it through various amplifier and speaker configurations. It’s a lively beast! I love the response in what seems to be a nice thump in the low mid range.
I’m looking forward to taking my BITE to the stage. I’ll try to give you a rundown of the rig (or rigs) that I’m using. It’s a beautiful thing, so comfortable to hold, so effortlessly moves under my fingertips, and a rush of lusciousness to my eardrums end my dancing feet.”
“OMG…!!! The bass is awesome, the best bass tone I’ve ever had! I absolutely love it. And so does our soundman. Everyone just blown away. You can hear the love that’s been put into this bass!”
John received his Punch P5 backstage at soundcheck before their James Blunt show in May ’24 in Krems, Austria. Everyone loved the BITE sound right away including John, James Blunt and the sound engineer. John immediately swapped basses and played the show with his BITE, same as Jerry Meehan did at their Robbie Willimas show in Zürich the previous year, and Tim Bailey at the annual Shaq O’Neal palooza in Vegas. James and band even thanked BITE for improving their show. Our pleasure entirely!
34″ Punch P5 Black Blast
4+1 headstock
Rated 5 out of 5
Tim, USA –
“I hope everyone at Bite Guitars is well. To put it simply, I am in love! It looks, sounds and feels amazing due to the incredible craftsmanship exhibited throughout the instrument. I am excited to think I will be playing this guitar for many years.”
Black Knight P with roasted black locust fretboard
Rated 5 out of 5
Alex B., Germany –
“I’ve now had 2 gigs with the bass, I’m totally stoked. Visually it turned out gorgeous and the workmanship is absolutely top. The playability is super and it sounds just amazing. The strings vibrate excellently, even the E string vibrates fantastically despite the short scale length. My compliments to you guys.”
“I am enjoying the bass very much and I hope to send some pictures in the next couple of weeks as we have a few gigs planned. Meanwhile, wish you all the best.”
“The Graffiti Bass arrived & it’s jaw-dropping 😍😍😍 This bass is addictive, it plays like butter, has a dreamlike setup & a killer sound. The graffiti look has turned out brilliantly!!!! The light weight is a special highlight for me, paulownia-alder body, some 3 kilos overall – wonderful. An amazing Mega-Instrument – THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“Howdy from the West! Well, received my bass yesterday. A beautiful bass, I look at it and cannot believe it is here and how great it looks and plays! Looks incredible. Thank you. My friends are going to be shocked, I have not told anyone. I want it to be a surprize at the next jam. I’m 75 and one is never too old to take a BITE out of life and buy a Bite 🙂
Here is my story. I have 6 basses at this time, at one time I had about 22. I told my wife I was going to buy another bass with the money I had received from selling off my equipment. I am downsizing since I am going on 75 years of age. I am down to one amp now. Head GK 500MB, I sold my GK 800RB that I had for over 45 years it was very hard to let go. With 60 years of playing, I have used and played in concert just about every amp made. The last 6 of years I have purchased about 3 Markbass combos and 5 Markbass speaker boxes. Tested them all out. For me here is what I have learned.
1. No matter what Markbass head I used and cabinet I could not get what I call the round sound.
2. With the GK 800RB I was able to obtain the round sound. But the head was very heavy, so I sold it. I purchased a GK 500MB I am able to carry it with one finger.
3. After testing all the Markbass cabinets, I have ended up with a Markbass 2-10” with horn it is the news design that is very light and a Markbass 12” with a horn. I have the tone and bottom I like. The best part they only weigh 27 LBS.
4. The past 3 years 85% of my friends have gone back to the Fender bass guitar. I know about 90% of the bass players here in El Paso Texas, Las Cruces New Mexico and Alamogordo. Plus, many in this country.
5. I have my 1963 Fender P bass. I retired it and my daughter has it. I wanted a Fender Jazz, after finding Bite Bass and read just about every thing about bass guitars and the sound, that is when I decided to purchase a Bite bass.
6. After reading about the reverse bass pickups, WOW that would fix my problem of buying larger strings for my G and D strings.
7. Therefore, thank you, for all the information you have provided and thank you for design the prefect bass for us bass players. I am sure after my friends see and play my bass ‘if I let them.’ Lol You might be getting some more orders.”
“Thrilled with the bass, I call it Moxy and I love it! We get a lot of questions about it, I performed another gig with it last night and it sounds incredible.”
“Got it! To say I’m happy with it is an understatement, it plays amazingly. Lightweight, silky smooth fretboard, while giving that super beefy tone, really blows my mind, couldn’t love it more.”
Justyn Delbridge started playing bass at 17. From music school to touring to cruise ships to teaching, he bounced around for years. Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers opened him up to the world of slap. When the pandemic hit in 2020, Justyn started making videos as Massive Bass Nerd, loving the ability to compose and perform for an audience hundreds of times bigger than before. His comments were packed with tab requests, so he wrote “The Kool Katz Guide to Slap Bass”. He was hired by BassBuzz and works on their production team.
Punch 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Luís Fernando, Brazil –
“❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Thank you for this amazing instrument!”
Jawbone JJ 34″, reproduction of Jaco Pastorius’ Bass of Doom: fretless with maple lines and dots, side dots in “fretted” positions, 3-tone sunburst without red “underneath the pickguard”
BITE standard 4-in-line headstock
Rated 5 out of 5
Alessandro, Italy –
“Got the bass yesterday, it’s beyond amazing! Thanks a lot!”
Punch HH inkl. JJ 34″: Both H pickups have push/pull splitters for switching to single coil mode, i.e. this bass can be played in HH or JJ or HJ or JH mode. 4-way parallel/series circuit B-P-N-S: bridge solo – bridge & neck parallel – neck solo – bridge & neck series (humbucker/booster for blowing off the roof)
BITE standard 4-in-line headstock
Rated 5 out of 5
Marty O’Brien, USA –
“What an incredible instrument! I asked for black on black, on black, with more black. And then add black hardware. Beautiful craftsmanship, huge thank you to the incredible team at Bite!”
“The bass sounds like angel’s song. When I touch these strings, I feel warm inside. Thank you very much! I had other basses before, incomparable! The BITE is magical!”
“Received my custom 5 string from you. Last night was the first outing live for it and it sounded amazing. I’ll share proper footage over the next few days.”
Punch PP 34″, 4-way paralell/series circuit B-P-N-S: bridge solo – bridge & neck parallel – neck solo – bridge & neck series (humbucker/booster for blowing off the roof), thumbrest
Rated 5 out of 5
Greg Delcore, USA –
“I received your beautiful bass today and I am so impressed in every way! It is absolutely gorgeous AND sounds amazing! The neck is perfect and I love the light weight and balance of it!! Truly an extraordinary instrument! I will be playing it constantly, I’m instantly in love with it! Thank you!”
Gregory Delcore has been the bassist for the Britney Spears “Piece of Me” Las Vegas Show for five years. A Boston area native and Berklee College of Music graduate, Greg has performed throughout the US, Europe and Asia with his own groups as well as with a range of artists including Iggy Azalea and Joss Stone. Greg is producing his own music as well as writing and producing for other artists. His music has earned him four #1 hit singles in Europe and several European music awards.
Punch H Clearcoat 34″
Controls: Volume – 3-Way Pickup Selector (Humbucking/Series – Parallel – Single Coil) – Tone. This way you get the maximum versatility out of one humbucker.
Rated 3 out of 5
Jan, Switzerland –
“At first I was disappointed by the sound of the 5-string, as I had the sound of my BITE 4-string in my ear which just seems crispier, better defined. But I never quite liked the amp in our rehearsal room, at home with my Fender Rumble 500 it was better.
Meanwhile I got used to the 5-string and I have to say it’s pure fun to play. Playing 5-string is just different and one has to be aware and adapt to it. Visually it looks very nice. Initially I was surpised at the dark and glossy fretboard, I had expected it differently, but meanwhile I got used to it and enjoy it. Every time I enter the room, it radiates and smiles at me 😉
We’ll soon have another show, might very well be that I take my 5-string for it.
I am still very much convinced of BITE basses and enjoy every time I pick up one of your instruments.
Will get in touch again or send you a pic as I have done before.”
Jawbone JJ 5er 34″, roasted maple neck and fretboard
2+3 headstock, roasted maple neck
BITE Guitars –
Thank you for your precious feedback, Jan! Let us take the opportunity to clarify, also for everyone else:
5ers typically don’t have exactly the same sound as 4-string basses due to the different pickup coil lengths. However, we took your feedback to heart and tweaked our 5-string pickup specs. Now they are crisper.
Roasted hard maple fretboards are sealed under clearcoat just like natural or tinted hard maple but unlike black locust which by default remains unsealed (exceptionally also available sealed on our Black Knight models). This has to do with the lower hardness, rupture, elasticity and strength parameters of hard maple as compared with black locust.
Our degree of roasting is mostly chocolate colored, a lighter play of colors can be observed on flamed roasted maple fretboards. Generally, shades of roasting are subject to variations beyond our control. Here are pictures and video showing different shades: https://bite.guitars/product/roasted-maple-2/
Rated 5 out of 5
Vincent, USA –
“Thanks so much for the bass, it’s amazing! The B string sounds great! I usually play short scales and they always have problems on the low strings around frets 7-10. The B (and E) on this are amazing. No fret buzz, great sound, keeps tune really well and *great* intonation. Surprisingly the only ‘off’ intonation is on the A string haha. Just a little over 10 cents, but that’s an easy adjustment. Thanks for making a killer bass!”
View full specs, price & availability in our Amazing Basses collection: 5-string 33″ 4-string 34″
Jawbone PJ 34″ with dual output and stacked knobs: 1.) Stacked pot for neck pickup: volume, tone 2.) Stacked pot for bridge pickup: volume, tone 3.) Mono output (both pickups) 4.) Stereo output (tip = neck pickup, ring = bridge pickup , sleeve = ground)
Rated 5 out of 5
Ivan ‘Funkboy’ Bodley, USA –
“Enjoying the new bass very much! I’ve already done half a dozen gigs on it. It’s a killer!”
Ivan’s natural habitat are the orchestra pits of NYC. He worked on 14 Broadway shows, is a Blues Hall of Fame inductee, shared stage and studio with Jennifer Hudson, Sting, Santana, Gloria Gaynor, Bo Diddley and over 50 Rock & Roll Hall of Famers. He plays a Punch P with funky silver flake finish.
Shaquille O’Neal and Jennifer Hudson rocking the stage at the Vegas MGM Grand. Tim on BITE, smooth as butter in the background. Despite his life-long preference for active basses, Tim took his new passive 1000-millivolt BITE to this event for a 16k live audience and so momentous that only Shaq himself could host it. Tim telexed back after the show: “Played the Bite. It sang!”
Tim Bailey, second from left, 6 ft 1. Now spot the basketballer.
Wired up for the show
Hold your breath for a minute to soak in the sheer gracefulness (headphones or decent speakers recommended)
Rated 5 out of 5
Simon Francis, UK –
“Bass arrived and went to work immediately both on recording and live work over the weekend. I love it – sounds absolutely beastly. Thanks again for building this bass for me – it’s really exceeded my expectations, delivering on all fronts. Really fun and inspiring instrument to play!”
Si Francis is a British musician predominantly known for his work on the bass guitar accompanying artists such as Ellie Goulding, Kylie Minogue and Lee Rogers. He is known for his dynamic and expressive playing style paired with an innovative use of effects to conjure all manner of classic synth timbres and textural tones out of his bass guitar.
Punch HH 34″
Controls: Bridge Solo – Neck + Bridge Parallel – Neck Solo – Neck + Bridge Series (Boost!)
Jerry Meehan has been working as a bassist, writer and producer with Robbie Williams since the 2000s. He graduated from Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the UK’s top-ranked performing arts university, and his studio Wendyhouse Productions is a prominent hub in the UK music industry.
The story of Jerry Meehan’s BITE bass: In Summer 2023 Jerry, through his bass tech Morten, asked BITE to build a bass for the ongoing Robbie Williams XXV world tour, matching the stage design of Robbie’s own paintings. We were aiming at handing over the bass backstage at one of their shows one month down the road. Quite the challenge, during summer vacation time on top of that, knowing that otherwise it would take us six months to build such a bass.
We still managed to build it in record time and meet the target. When we delivered it before the show, Jerry, Robbie and everyone else were highly delighted, passing it around and turning it over to examine the 360° hand-painted artwork.
Jerry was so satisfied with the tone and feel that he wanted to play the bass on stage that very evening which meant that sound engineering and videowall film crew of a precisely attuned multi-million dollar show had to be adjusted and redirected in a last-minute effort. Jerry gave the bass a big fat kiss in front of the huge crowd and continues to play it on the tour, even to songs not initially planned.
Wait, is that Robbie Williams back there?
Punch P 34″ with hand-painted 360° artwork protected under extra-strong high-gloss poly clearcoat.
Back side
Matched headstock
1-minute video
Rated 5 out of 5
Uli Salm, Germany –
“Received all basses & am totally impressed😍😍😍 Look, sound, feel, just everything is absolutely awesome!!! Even better than expected – thank you so much 🤩🤩🤩🎸🎸🎸 You guys gave me great pleasure & gained a new fan!!!!!😍😍😍”
Uli Salm with one out of five BITE basses in his collection
Uli Salm is the world’s No. 1 bass collector. His collection of ard. 850 bass guitars holds the certified world record of biggest bass collection. His motivation has always been his love for bass, not for the record. As of late, Uli added ten BITE basses to his collection, an eleventh one is in the pipeline, and he actually plays them in his shows!
Over 100 of his basses are on display in his Zwick – Home of Roll ‘n’ Roll event restaurants in Hamburg and the rest is kept in a safe and temperature-controlled location. His collection includes vintage rarities, such as a ’53 Fender Precision built by legendary Fender worker Tadeo Gomez, all original, a ’61 Fender Jazz, and also many exclusive premium brands, eighteen Jens Ritter basses alone.
Uli’s bass collection started back in 1963, when he got his first Fender Precision from his parents at the age of 14, and it kept growing ever since. Uli’s excuse, “They keep multiplying by themselves, must be hatching somewhere in the back.”
A glance at a fraction of the world’s biggest bass collection
Rated 5 out of 5
Max, Austria –
“The bass is pure pleasure, it feels lightweight, so even after three hours of rehearsal my shoulder doesn’t hurt. In two weeks it will have live premiere that I’m very much looking forward to :-)”
Punch PP Clearcoat No-Pickguard (rear access to control cavity)
Rated 5 out of 5
Ece Hazinedar, Turkey –
“One of the best moments of my life … my first custom bass! Just look at it … Thank you @bite.guitars for making this incredible instrument. The sound, the tone, the feel … everything is AMAZING!”
“The bass is fantastic. I’ve gigged it several times now using several different amps/cabs and it sounds great thru all of them. The pickups are awesome and very powerful. On a couple of combo amps I’ve had to use the active inputs even though it’s a passive bass.
The setup was perfect out of the box and it plays really well. The sound is bold and even across all of the strings and up and down the fretboard. I’m thinking of ordering another but with the darker, narrower, fretboard and in Carmel color. I’ll watch for your specials and when I see one too good to pass up place an order. Thank you, I really enjoy this bass.”
“New Gear Day! Got my @bite.guitars Reverse Punch 34″ bass today. I ordered way back in Dec ’22, but was totally worth the wait. The color is called Lake Hallstatt, the pickups are a half inch forward, and I got the Hip Shot Bass Xtender. Can’t wait to really let loose on this thing.” https://www.instagram.com/p/Cu-L5fqy1kE/?img_index=1
“Loving it! No other bass I own compares. The BITE team was incredibly helpful in the configuration process, craftsmanship is outstanding and the high-output pickups are no lie :)”
Jawbone PJ 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Marc, UK –
“After personally collecting “The Black Knight” from BITE Guitars in May, I’ve now had the chance to put the bass through its paces – and I’m totally impressed. From the quality of the worksmanship (in particular the beautiful roasted maple fretboard) to the warm, punchy sound of the Bella flatwounds, the Black Knight delivers everything that you’d expect from a custom-made P-Bass… and more!
Despite the smaller body and the slightly larger “clover” tuning heads, the Black Knight is superbly balanced. The position of the 1000mv split-coil pickup is directly in the sweet-spot between the fretboad and bridge and ensures both a full-bodied but clear tone as well as a natural playing position for the right hand.
As with all BITE basses, the neck is a delight to play and with a J-Bass size neck radius, this is a P-Bass that can also be played fast. The frets are beautifully finished with no sharp edges and the GOTOH tuning heads are of the highest quality ensuring the bass is in tune no matter how I play. In all, a superb instrument that does exactly what a P-Bass should – only better!”
“The Black Knight” Punch P 34″, 4-in-line headstock, matched, roasted maple fretboard
Rated 5 out of 5
Jeff, USA –
“I am very impressed with the bass. It arrived perfectly intonated and I can say I’ve not had chords in the upper end of the bass sound so sweet before. The bass is exceptionally comfortable to play and I have found the 32” scale length to be ideal for my needs. Due to its comfort, versatility and tone, the Bite bass quickly replaced my Fender Jazz as my number 1 instrument. It has been gigged many times and is beginning to wear in slightly. I’m looking forward to spending a lot of time with my Bite bass. Thank you for building something that fits me perfectly.”
“I visited BITE Guitars in Vienna to test their basses, ordered my bass in January (a custom colored medium scale Jawbone PJ) and came to pick it up a few days before the scheduled delivery date.
I was stunned by just about everything: the looks, the sound and feeling while testing it in the BITE winter garden, I could hardly put the bass down!
Baby Blue is getting to know Germany now and looking forward to band rehearsal tonight. Next weekend I will take it to Markus Setzer’s Bass Akademie, curious what he will say!”
Jawbone PJ 32,5″, custom paint
Rated 5 out of 5
Erwin, Austria –
“Thanks again for the great instrument! My 3D-printed rubber bumper will make sure my baby won’t bump against the wall anytime soon!”
“The bass is pretty nice not only the appearance but also the sound… I like it very much. Thank you !!”
Reverse Punch 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Michael, USA –
“Sorry it has taken me so long to reply, but I wanted to play the bass for a while before offering any feedback. My immediate impression, upon unpacking the bass, was that it was an incredible instrument. The balance is perfect. The neck is smooth. It looks beautiful. My band was completely blown away by the sound when they first heard it — it cuts through the mix so well and has a better tone than any other bass I own. I’ve now played it for many rehearsals, a few gigs, and a recording session, and it does not disappoint. Definitely the best bass I’ve ever had and I already want another one as a backup! I’m attaching a few photos to share with you. Two are at a local brewery in Santa Barbara, California, and one is my band (https://soundcloud.com/the-mends) playing the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival a few weekends back.
Tangentially related, you introduced me to Markbass amps when I came to visit you in Vienna. I loved it so much and have since gotten a rig from them, which you see in one of the photos. It is an amazing amp and complements the bass so nicely.
A huge thanks to you and your team for my bass. I absolutely love playing it!”
Punch PJ 34″
UPDATE: This is one mean bass. Completely rocked another great show last night. Thank you again for such an incredible instrument!
“The bass is in my front room where I write. I use it to practice on everyday, we also use it for writing songs all the time too. It is a lovely bass and I am very very fond of it.”
BITE is thrilled that this bass has found its way into the collection of rock legend Suzi Quatro.
“I loved the bass from the first note and I keep getting compliments on both sound and look. Playability is great, I took it on a gig first week and was surprised how fast I took to it, considering my other bass is far different (Lakland skyline 5502). While there are things that I would like to add such as string through and active pickups, overall I am very happy with my new working bass. Thanks for your hard work and care in creating it for me!”
Thank you for your kind words! We do in fact offer string-through, have already installed it in a number of basses, but we regret we do not offer active pickups. Our own 1000 millivolt pickups exceed most customary active pickups in terms of output while maintaining an undoctored genuine bass sound. For whoever has not seen it yet, here’s our video explaining BITE 1000mV pickups:
Rated 5 out of 5
Stephen Lewis, Canada –
“The bass is incredible!”
Jawbone JJ 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Igor, USA –
“Wow guys!!! Thank you so much, the bass is beautiful. Tomorrow I’m gonna try it at practice, I’ll let you know what I think of it! Nice detail with all the tools!!! Thanks
Had practice today! The bass sounds huge!!! It cuts in the mix like a hot knife through butter 🙂 I’m definitely gonna order another one from you soon!”
“The customizing options as well as the build quality really are what makes these basses stand out from the rest on the market. I’m very much a P-bass guy, but I was searching for an option to broaden the sound possibilities.
The typical PJ-configuration didn’t quite feel fitting to my tastes. But with Bite’s Double-P configuration, I finally found the exact sound I was looking for. It has the same edge and clarity as a Jazz bass, but with the somewhat “dirty” tonal range of the Precision.
The included 4-way switch as well as the additional series circuit gives me enough variety to be prepared for pretty much any kind of gig. At first, I was a bit hesitant to get the bridge pickup in the standard P-position as well (considering it adds even more highs to the D and G strings), but I’m very glad with this choice since it definitely makes for a unique kind of sound that stays true to the P-bass. It works very well with slapping too!
The Bite PUs are definitely as powerful as advertised and help to create a rather modern sound with lots of personality. In my opinion though, the most important part of the custom ordering process is the superb build quality and the outstanding quality control that Bite provides.
Speaking from experience, some bigger companies selling in this price range are definitely lacking in this department. Bite also made sure to make the neck of my bass with a satin finish for no additional charge, which is highly appreciated!”
“I love my BITE bass and play it daily. I’ve played several shows with it and have been extremely satisfied with the way it plays/sounds/performs. I plan on getting a 5-string bass and am very much considering a second BITE bass, although I still haven’t made up my mind. Working with you was incredibly easy, and a very personable experience. Thanks again for all that you do!”
Jawbone PJ 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Dan Grannum, UK –
“Bass has arrived. MY GOD. I am annoyed it’s so good! I am annoyed because I had just picked the two basses I am planning on using most of this year… Now that has to change. 😂😂
But honestly, its a wonderful instrument, an absolute credit to you guys!
“The bass is wonderful, looks beautiful and plays great! I especially like the fretboard binding, everything is tight and fits together well. It is a bit heavier than I am used to but the other bases l play often are chambered. The bass sounds great even when not plugged in, even better when plugged in of course. I would recommend this bass to anyone interested.”
Jawbone PJ 5-string, 33″ medium scale, string-through
BITE Guitars –
BITE bodies are downsized as compared to regular traditional body shapes. The BITE contour is smaller all around to render our basses light and handy. Admittedly, 5-string solidbody alder is still no explicit lightweight. Here’s the good news: we do offer lightweight builds from basswood and paulownia as clickable additions, basswood being noticeably lighter than alder, paulownia being the lightest of all customary solidbody woods.
Rated 5 out of 5
Paul, USA –
“I absolutely love the guitar! It was perfectly packed – very secure. I appreciate the tools and documentation that came with it.
I play through Mesa Boogie subway series cabinets (1×12 & 2×10) utilizing their D800+ 800-watt head.
Your pickups really do the trick for sound. I feel like I get powerful tones. To me it’s a full bass sound that punches through the mix really well.
It feels balanced in my hands, and is so smooth to play. I’ve seen some comments from others that it plays like butter. I have to agree. It’s so smooth and easy. Of the 4 other bass guitars I have (an Epiphone Thunderbird Pro IV, two Reverend Triads, a Schecter Omen IV) it is my favorite. I have been gigging with it exclusively.
The workmanship is top end. To me, the setup was right on. I don’t feel like anything needs to be adjusted.
By no means am I a professional musician. I may not possess the technical acumen of a pro to best describe things, but I do recognize quality when I see it.
Aesthetically, the guitar looks very cool. I am very happy with the options I chose. Everyone who has seen the guitar thinks the bite from the headstock is the coolest thing.
You and your colleagues should be very proud of the product you are putting out.
I think another Bite Guitar will be in my future.
Thank you for your guidance through the process.
Wishing you and everyone at Bite Guitars a Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year!
Daniel Rey from Mexico won the Charles Berthoud BITE Bass Contest 2021. This giveaway was fiercely contested by hundreds of Youtube submissions and Daniel just killed it with his unbelievable artistry.
Alas, the prize, a 4-string Steampunk with amber-gold inlays and 3-ply wooden pickguard, ‘disappeared’ before delivery in Mexico. The first time this ever happened. We at BITE started building a black 5-string Jawbone for Daniel instead.
Before long, the Mexican bass community found the Steampunk online for sale, alerted Daniel, he regained it and now is the lucky owner of two BITE basses. Let’s hear what he has to say about them: —————————————————— “The jawbone is home and it’s just… WOW! Just LOVED IT! Looks better in person than the pictures, loved the neck shape and double finish, as the steampunk bass, craftmanship is just amazing.
The 4+1 headstock impressed me when I found it’s a little smaller than a traditional Fender. Looks very aesthetic. Loved it! 🤗
Sound is flawless! Big resonating woods and loud and clear pickups. Again! Congrats for your OUTSTANDING JOB and of course, ALL YOUR SERVICE within this whole crazy adventure!
The steampunk bass is safe and in good hands and the black 5er made it home flawlessly and is safe and sound. I’ll take care well of them. I still can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me! And I hope as a musician to pay you back somehow with some good music. A big “THANK YOU” for you! Best regards and hug!”
“i’m so happy with how the bass came out 👍 it’s my favorite bass to play by far, i’ve posted a video of it as well.
soo easy to play, and the amount of tones you can dial in is insane 🎶 overall the most versatile instrument i have! love this bass 🤍 thank youuu to everyone at bite guitars for working with me so long on this, it was well worth the wait!”
“THIS BASS IS FANTASTIC! I can’t thank you enough! What a beauty and a TONE MONSTER! Plays like butter and sounds just killer. This thing is dreamy. Huge thanks to the crew at Bite! Can’t wait to get it onstage again!”
“My new Bite Custom Bass has been with me for a few days now and I had quite high expectations. I knew it was going to be pretty – after all it was me who configured it. But would it be any good?
No, “good” does not do it any justice. It is intergalactically awesome to drop to your knees for!
I play bass since 1985 und I’ve had quite a number of instruments in my hands since then. The Bite is the best that could have happened to me. It fits my playing style 100% and easily has the class of so-called “premium basses” that start somewhere ard. 3k€ [3k$].
Thank you guys for the great craftsmanship, the superb customer care from beginning to end and for the Bite idea you had and implemented. It was well worth the bite!”
Jawbone JJ 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Blair, USA –
“WOW! WOW! WOW! Did I say WOW?! I believe you and your super-talented staff outdid yourselves this time. This thing is sick!! 😛 I love it!!
This beautiful bass plays as good as it looks!! And, it looks better in person than I imagined. The birdseye maple fretboard and the matching headstock were well worth the extra cost. They really add a custom look to the instrument, along with the gold hardware. The birdseye is spectacular!
And, that neck is soooo comfortable. It’s as if you measured my hand, then designed the neck just for me. The setup is just right as well. It is just so all-around easy to play.
I absolutely love the various sound settings, too. I need to play it more to hear all the possibilities, and to diminish the new string sound.
So, it’s an understatement to say I’m thrilled with this bass! It checks all the boxes at a reasonable price.
I thank you and your staff for such a wonderful creation!”
“I own my BITE Jawbone HH Custom Bass for a few weeks now. What a beast! The pick-ups live up to their promise. Never before did a bass sound so good, the open E-string never before was as dominant. Amazing. Build quality is top! By far the best bass in my collection. My next bass will be another BITE for sure.”
Jawbone HH 34″, matched headstock
Rated 5 out of 5
MD, Netherlands –
“The bass finally arrived today! It plays nicely and it is beautiful! You made me happy. Thank you! I will spend a good part of this weekend trying it out…🤗”
Jawbone JJ 34″, 4-in-line headstock
Rated 5 out of 5
CT, Germany –
“I am just so happy about my “Lee Sklar Tribute” BITE bass (double P with Music Man control plate, without pickguard)! I will not easily, maybe never, forget the day I picked it up from the parcel shop. At unboxing that radiant finish went ablaze in the bright summer sun, I had never seen such a finish before. Still every time I pass, this bass makes me smile. Optically it’s all a perfect match, the classic look plus the branded BITE pickups.
The downsized body dimension needed me to adapt a little in the seated position. When strapped, this bass is just a dream, well-balanced and I am confident I will easily stand through lengthy rehearsals and gigs with it. Also the neck profile plays like a dream, it’s midway between a StringRay and a modern P.
Soundwise, I never played an instrument that sounded so smooth, full of strength and character. I fine-tuned the setup until it fitted my rather robust stroke. I play much 60s and 70s stuff, Blues, Blues Rock and Soul, it’s a perfect match, warm, present and especially the bridge PU produces some rather unexpected tones.
The service of the BITE team is just on a level of its own! This will probably not be the last BITE bass in my collection.”
“Just letting you know I received the bass and she’s beautiful! Thank you!”
C: Jawbone JJ 30″ short scale, US-eligible artwork
Rated 5 out of 5
Efi, Israel –
“I received the bass yesterday, thank you! Small, pretty with great sound. Today I played with my band and the new “baby” fit in naturally. I am very pleased.”
27″ short scale, 22 frets, proprietary BITE Evening Star body shape
Rear access to control cavity, side-mounted output
Ergonomic bolt-on neck-body joint for easily accessible 22 frets
Paulownia lightweight build: 2.3kg
Cherry Burst finish, maple & black dots fretboard, 2+2 headstock, Gotoh premium bridge, BITE 1000 millivolt pickups in JJ configuration
Rated 5 out of 5
Greg P., USA –
“It’s beautiful and plays like a dream. It’s everything I hoped it would be. Thanks so much!”
Punch 34″, US-eligible artwork
Rated 5 out of 5
Alexander, Denmark –
“Thanks for the great service! I must say the bass sounds great. I took it to a bass and guitar shop to test it on a good amp and compare to many other basses. It was by far the best sounding and most lively. I was also surprised by the versatility. The bass delivers that punchy tone as promised while also delivering the classic P-bass tone. Very cool. :)”
It’s punchy. It’s smooth. It’s dark and bright. The pickup and tone controls significantly alter the sound of the bass—they’re not dummy knobs. Right out of the box (after a long trip from Vienna to Denver) playability was excellent, intonation spot on.
I tend to agonize over what the instrument I’m looking for needs to be (sound, playability, aesthetics) because I’m going to to play it till I die (at least that’s the idea). This was no exception. I looked at a lot of basses over the last six months, finally landing on Bite as the bass of choice. Summary: couldn’t be happier with the process, the responsiveness on BITE’s end, and—of course—the quality of this instrument.
Thanks for building me such a great instrument!”
Jawbone PJ 34″, 4-in-line headstock
Rated 5 out of 5
Guy B, Canada –
“Got my bass yesterday and it is….AWESOME!
Delivery was real fast and it came out of the box perfect! I will play with it for a few days and get back with my comments. I surely will have to adjust my amp to these 1000 mV pickups, never heard passive pickups such as those 😳😀.
Thanks and in the meantime, could you send me a clean copy of your logo as I want to order a strap with the logo on.”
“This is my first custom bass experience and I couldn’t be more pleased. I’ve gone through a lot of basses through the years and being able to mix all of the components that work “for me” was just magic. I had a ton of questions and some wacky requests but all was met with patience, positivity, caring, and great execution/craftsmanship. Thanks team Bite!”
“Funky Booster Bass – A stunning bass. A massive range of usable sounds from the set of passive pickups. It goes from funk to metal without any worries. The neck is one of the nicest that I have played on any guitar or bass.” https://www.guitarworld.com/reviews/bite-funky-booster-review
“The bass has arrived and it is beautiful. Thank you very much. You have a happy customer in me.”
C: Jawbone JJ 34″, US-eligible artwork
Rated 5 out of 5
Reto, Switzerland –
“In one word: super! Sadly I could not even enjoy the bass much yet, since my son borrowed it from me. The bass sits nicely in the hands, it’s “easy” to play, the pickups with flatwounds deliver a warm tone but still with plenty of attack. Probably I’ll order another one for my son soon.”
Jawbone PJ 34″, White Steampunk digital configurator body art on Quite White body
Rated 5 out of 5
Robert, USA –
“It’s beautiful and I’m already thinking about ordering another.. Thanks so much!”
C: Jawbone JJ 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Martin Særmark-Thomsen, Denmark –
“This is my second BITE bass, it is absolutely awesome! Acoustically, feeling wise and sound wise. The band loves it too. The guitar player thinks I nailed it on the design and the drummer likes the bottom end – he’s not completely cleared away 😉 Wait till I turn up the volume … Thanks again for making these awesome basses. I can’t stop playing both basses. They are highly addictive.”
“I had a few days to play with the bass and so far, I am absolutely loving it :)”
C: Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Adrian L, Australia –
“Received this gorgeous Bite bass a few months back and my overall impression is that is great value for money:
– Finish and overall quality is very good. – The neck has been very stable – given its travelled to Australia and with our crazy weather from hot to very humid and wet and now approaching colder months – there has been no fret shrinkage or neck movement and thats a great thing. – It has a very punchy and loud sound – so for a passive bass its got enough ‘oomph’ to cut through. – The neck feels good to play – familiar and comfortable is how I would put it. – The fret work is really good and I’m always surprised how little attention some manufacturers pay to fret edges and tangs. This is good. – The balance is well done and is able to be played sitting or standing whilst the overall weight is surprisingly light and takes a bit of getting used to (I initially had an impression that there was not a real bass presence as I’m used to a heavier bass – but that’s not a really issue – only an initial impression). – The action is able to be modified to my taste – I started with it quite low and was great and now moved it to my more preferred height.
Some areas that I probably would change (note these are my personal preferences, not that it affects the playability of the bass):
– The bridge is basic and I prefer a more solid high mass bridge – (I’m not sure if I could have upgraded that at the time of purchase). – I would probably want a mellower tone to suit the styles I play (I’ve changed to more vintage pick ups and tone caps in previous basses and that’s worked for me) – again a personal preference and does not detract from the playability
The purchasing experiencing was seamless and easy to follow as well as fun playing with the configuration. And then delivery across the globe – no problem at all!
Overall its a great product and a great purchase and I’ve used it at a number of gigs and full band rehearsals and its does what it should do.”
However, we’re also happy to install any other bridge of our customers’ preference. We have installed Hipshot, Babicz and other brands for numerous customers. We need to source such alternative bridges at consumer price, the best way is to mail us a purchase link of the preferred bridge and we’ll have a look whether dimensions fit and we don’t have quality concerns.
Rated 5 out of 5
J E, USA –
“The Bite team knows what it’s doing! My five-string Punch looks and sounds incredible, with all the little specs and changes needed to get a classic-visual Bass made to my modern-characteristic tastes. The pickups sound great, with tons of bite and character, and the build quality feels like a top-shelf Fender for less than the comparable retail cost. Custom build quality and freedom for shelf-retail prices? 10/10, would recommend.”
Punch 35″, matte 3-Tone Sunburst finish, figured European alder body
Rated 5 out of 5
Marc, Germany –
“As a profi-bass player I was a little concerned about the “Custom” tag with a price <1500€ as i normally associate "custom" with expensive. I didn't need to worry – this bass IS every bit a custom-build! I chose the P/J pickup setting combined with a maple fretboard. The sound is excellent. From a "biting, nasal" sound when employing the rear J-PU to the almost horn-like sound coming from the P-PU at the front, this bass gives me all the sounds I need in one very well-balanced, light and excellently built and finished instrument. Finally, I'd like to say a big thank you to BITE for their excellent customer-service AND for delivering what they promised – a superb instrument built by musicians for musicians. I'll be buying again (if the girlfriend allows).” Marc, Stuttgart, GER https://www.marc-the-bassman.com/ https://www.albfetza.de/
Jawbone PJ 34″, strings: DR Pure Blues 45-105 gauge nickel roundwounds
Rated 5 out of 5
Sam M, USA –
“Never have I felt so in control of making my perfect bass. The configurator alone presented so many customizable options that it never felt like I was just choosing a bass out of a catalog. My new Jawbone PJ bass has a tone that is second to none and the smooth playability that only expert craftsmanship can deliver. Above all else, Bite has THE BEST customer service in the biz. All of my questions were answered promptly and updates around my bass’ production were received like a kid anxiously awaiting a gift on Christmas day. Bite is revolutionizing the market for custom instruments and I am positive that my first Bite bass will not be my last!”
“I love my bass. I am thrilled with this purchase. It feels great, looks great and sounds great – I feel like it really cuts through the mix onstage and that I can finally be heard. I’m really starting to dial in my sound and absolutely love playing it, especially with the La Bella flats. It’s made quite a visual and sonic impression on my bandmates too and other bassists are surprised at how solid it is because they are expecting a lightweight “toyish” instrument based on the size. Thanks again. It was well worth the wait.”
Jawbone JJ 30″ short scale
Rated 5 out of 5
Michel, Canada –
“It just arrived minutes ago. My first impressions are quite positive. It is a lightweight 3.2 KG bass that is very resonant. The setup is perfect. Not a single dead spot anywhere on the neck either. It’s a keeper! Thank you for a job well done.”
Reverse Punch 30″ short scale, standard size body, figured European alder
Rated 5 out of 5
Mike Rock, USA –
“I refuse to believe that this is a passive bass. That deep sound beats my Marcus Miller and my Stingray hands down. I’d give it 6 out of 5 stars if I could.”
Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Jonny, USA –
“I had forgotten how a bass should sound. Then my Bite arrived.”
Punch 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Craig McL, USA –
“I wanted to let you know that the bass arrived safe and sound and WOW! It looks beautiful! You guys really picked out a great Candy Apple Red color! There are a million different shades of Candy Apple Red, and yours is really super! I played it through my headphone set up last night and it sounds great! Super punchy and LOUD! I can’t wait to hear what it sounds like when I plug in and play with my various bands.”
Jawbone PJ 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Dražen Dragović, Croatia –
“The instrument is wonderful, I only made a little lower action adjustment and put Elixir strings on. It is really excellently playable, looks gorgeous and sounds strong with crispy highs and velvet deep lows. I posted it on closed bass pages of James Eager ebassguitar.com where there are around 5000 bass players from all over the world and many of them praised the look and the sound of the instrument. I wish you guys long and good work and all kind of blessings!”
Jawbone JJ 34″, Intense Mint finish
Rated 5 out of 5
NBD, USA –
“This beautiful bass is simply amazing! I am super-picky about fit and finish and other details, and I could not find any issues with this instrument. I imagine the white finish is difficult to get just right, without any imperfections. The sounds it produces is amazing; I love the variety of tones available via the switching system!
I selected the wider neck sizing which is perfect for me. Overall, this bass is really a bargain considering the sound, features, playability, and quality for the price! 😁
Unfortunately, this instrument has been lonely, so I need to get a partner for “her”. 😂 So…..I will be submitting a configuration for a 5-string soon.”
C: Jawbone PJ 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Jimmy Brandenburg, USA –
“Great, love my bad ass bass! My order was flawless and the quality of my bass is very impressive.
UPDATE: Good day, I just finished playing for the day. I have 4 bases that I work with but I just got to say that Vader is my favorite. He is one Bad A** instrument. I love it more each time I play and quite honestly I play between 2-4 times a day averaging 30-120 minutes each time.”
Jawbone PJ 34″, all black (finish, pickguard, hardware, pickups, black block fretboard inlays), custom engraved neck plate
“I’m shocked at how good this bass is. I own several premium basses (MusicMan USA, Lakland USA, Fender custom shop) and my Bite Jawbone P/J is easily one of my favorites.
Supreme build quality, craftsmanship and excellent customer service/communication.
Thanks a lot to the Bite Guitars Team. This won’t be my last Bite Bass!”
Jawbone PJ 34″, standard neck plate
Rated 5 out of 5
Fredrik, Sweden –
“I just love it. It’s an incredibly well designed and meticulously crafted instrument 😃👍🏼 It plays well, it’s well balanced, and it plays very naturally (ergonomic) on the fingerboard and at the microphone area. I’m saving regularly and there may come another order in the future.”
Reverse Punch 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Joakim, Sweden –
“Very pleased with everything! Looking solid, real craftsmanship behind the build and sounding even better than expected. Many thanks for a super built bass 🙏 Definitely 5 out of 5 stars :)”
Jawbone PJ 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Julia Simon, USA –
“I am delighted with the bass. The neck is a dream! The action is nice and low and the scale is really comfortable. I am most impressed by the warmth of the tone. I play the bass in a duo that performs acoustic blues in the Sacramento Area of Northern California: Chicken & Dumpling (http://www.chickenanddumpling.net/). The bridge pick-up is really phenomenal for alternating patterns. The neck pick-up has the depth and power for great slow blues. I am attaching a photo of me playing her (Bettina) at a gig. I get a lot of compliments on the artwork. All in all, I could not be happier.”
“Incredible Sound, good handling, beautiful design, high quality materials – altogether: good work BITE-Guitars and thank you for this beautiful bass!”
Jawbone PJ 34″, Black Blast finish, Red Tiger body art
Rated 5 out of 5
Bernhard, Germany –
“Great instrument and super smooth experience configuring it. The team was super responsive and supportive! Will for sure buy again… looking for 5 strings… ;-)”
Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Martin Særmark-Thomsen, Denmark –
“I have owned several basses in the same or higher price range. None of them added anything to my playing, so I kept browsing between my 20+ cheap, mainly stock Squier basses. Then I took a chance and took a BITE. Every time I pick it up it scares me 🙂 It sounds amazing. Every little detail in the sound is very well articulated. Just by changing your playing style – or adjusting with the controls (which actually works throughout) – it’s possible to get the tone and expression you want for any genre. And it is a very easily played instrument. Effortlessly, with no strain on your hands, you can get clear harmonics, thumpy lows, growling snaring snaps or loads of slappe-di-plucke-di-slap. Every time I play it other band members, fellow bass players or guests notice the sound and the spot-on balance in the mix. The craftmanship is excellent, and easily exceed what I have experienced on way higher priced brands. No gaps, loose components, rough fits of shortcuts. Just amazing craftmanship and assembly. Even after travelling 1000 km (measured in a straight line) the setup was flawless. On top of that, the dialogue with BITE was top class.”
Jawbone JJ 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Mr. T, Norway –
“Great experience overall. The configurator is brilliant and the ordering process easy. Friendly and service-minded, fast delivery, “bullet-proof” packaging. The instrument is flawless, beautiful and very smooth (comfortable with great playability). The Bite pickups are outstanding – very powerful. Highly recommended!”
“Awesome bass, superb playability, great service.”
Jawbone PJ 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Dirk K., Germany –
“I advise to buy one 😉!”
C 1: Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
C 2: Hipshot D-tuner
Rated 5 out of 5
Stan the man, Australia –
“The bass guitar is exceptional, compared to others in our collection the build quality is first rate – as good as Carvin, better than ESP custom shop, leaves fender and gibson in the dust. Only 2 guitars I would recommend to a serious buyer – A second hand Carvin or Bite. We will be back for more.”
“Lead time was 3 weeks, I got my Jawbone 2 months ago. The bass arrived completely wrapped in thick foam inside a thick box with add-on pieces of cardboard protectors inside. The bass was flawless, not a single fingerprint on the hardware. I own an Ibanez, Sadowsky, Lakland, and Miller, sold my Fenders years ago. I haven’t seen anything liek the Bite level of accuracy and neatness before.
I took off the scratchplate and did a continuity test , connected several shield spots and ground joints. The highest reading was 24 ohms, not kohms but ohms! Just what kind of shielding paint you guys apply is beyond me. No wonder there is not the faintest noise to be heard from this bass. The Bite tone itself beats everything that hangs on my wall or was hanging on my wall. This is the one bass that I will run back into the house to save come flood or wildfire.”
Punch 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
LocoMoto, USA –
“I first noticed the BITE brand through a video. The more I delved into their site, the more fascinating I found their approach to the bass guitar. I built my bass online, a short time later they sent me a mail announcing dispatch, it came with stunning pictures of my bass, the bass arrived, I unbox it, tune it, plug it and find the sound hard to believe.
I play it every day and have not found single flaw, this brand is waaay underrated, could charge 3 times their prices.”
Punch 34″, 1/2 inch forward pickup position
Rated 5 out of 5
Al, UK –
“Those BITE videos on youtube really do represent their true sound. Just incredible! I own many other bass brands. My BITE outpunches them all.”
Jawbone JJ 34″, 1 inch forward neck pickup position
Rated 5 out of 5
Elio Fiorillo, Italy –
“To me, the most important thing in an instrument is his playability and overall comfort, and this bass has plenty of it. Strings never feel stiff, the neck has the right space between the strings and the neck is easy to fret, while (or because) it has a thicker D shape. Personally I prefer that, because I never fret the notes with my thumb, and that’s almost the only reason to have a slimmer shape for me. The bass isn’t heavy, its weight is standard/light and the body is smaller than the norm. This, compared to bigger basses like my semihollow bass, give away some support for the right arm, tough is only a really minor incovenience and only when you finger right under the neck (wich is out of fashion but I like). But again, it is only matter of getting accustomated to and is a good trade off for less weight and price.
The second most important thing is sound, and output levels: I prefer higher output basses because I always lean towards fingering stronger than I should and this bass has an impressive output, wich really helps me playing lighter. It also helps with effects, like envelope filters, overdrives and flangers. And the sound itself is really defined. I use the bass 99% of the time with the pickup wired in series and the result is dark, yet roaring and really powerful and punchy in the lower/groove register. The higher register really seems like it sings, it amazes me. I want to specify that notes sounded really “full bodied” also in the high register.
Regarding durability, everything seems made to last. With appropriate care and handling, I foresee to keep and play this bass for at least the next twenty years without issues, and I really hope so.
Regarding aestethics, it is a nice looking bass. I love the colors and the bitten head, woods looks very nice too. I’ve chosen to have my signature lasered on the body, and that for me it’s “that thing” that turns me on. Like it’s Elio’s bass, and that’s it. A signature look and sound.
The price was good too. I can’t afford very much and this was the chance to have something designed my way (simple things that usually are never put togheter in the same basses) paying less than more famous options that , tough with similar quality, would have been a sort of compromise in terms of features.
Would I buy another one? Hell yeah, but mostly a 5-er or a fretless, because this one is so versatile I can do whatever I want with it.
My bass is a 4 string Punch model, with black locust fretboard, the wider neck choice with dots, an humbucker in bridge position and a 4 way switch between pickup in series / neck only / parallel / bridge only. The body is caramel and the pickguard is tortoise red, non matching head and the body has my signature lasered on it.”
Punch PH 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Pino Palladino, UK, USA –
“Looks really cool and there’s an interesting story to the instrument. Thank you !”
BITE is thrilled that this bass has found its way into the collection of Pino Palladino.
“Met my expectations for sure!! I love that bass. No issues whatsoever. Top notch craftsmanship and assembly. The setup was perfect even after shipping. I’d order another from Bite without reservation. I will definitely (and have already) recommend the Bite brand in the future.
“I just wanted to update you and say hello. After all these months of lockdown, I started playing with a local blues band. It’s mainly rehearsals for now, but playing music live with other musicians is the important thing. Anyway, I’ve been playing my Bite P-P exclusively for all the rehearsals and want to reiterate how much I enjoy it. I mostly use it on either the neck P pickup or in serial mode, which, as you know, ads some nice low-end thunder to the mix. Great sound and no batteries to change 🙂 I hope that all is well with you.”
“I love that bass. No issues whatsoever. Top notch craftsmanship and assembly. The setup was perfect even after shipping. I’d order another from Bite without reservation. I will definitely (and have already) recommend the Bite brand in the future. Solid product, love it!”
Rated 5 out of 5
Julien de Kermadec, Canada –
“The bass is home and it is superb! From finish to sound, it’s exactly what I was looking for. The fretboard is fast and easy and the light body is very well balanced. My bandmates were really impressed by the bass too! Thank you for everything, it was a pleasure doing business with you and please give my warm regards to your whole team!”
Jawbone PJJ 34″ with Steampunk body art and 11 selectable sound configurations
Rated 5 out of 5
Stephan, Germany –
“The bass has landed safely, looks killer, is well-crafted, feels terrific, is set up perfectly, is exremely well playable and sounds wonderfully rocky-snotty (on my MarkBass combo). Looking forward to what the band will say at our next rehearsal. Thanks again for this beautiful instrument, the uncomplicated ordering process and your personal service.”
Jawbone JJ 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Alex, Germany –
“I’m definitely happy with this bass, even more than happy. It was set up perfectly on delivery and it beats any other P bass if you ask me, and moreover I could even design it myself.”
Punch P 34″
Rated 4 out of 5
JS, USA –
“I received it on Friday and I love it. Great bass!”
Reverse Punch 34″, pickup position full inch forward
Rated 5 out of 5
D.F., USA –
“The bass has arrived! No customs issues. Arrived safely, packaging all in good condition, contents all secure.
It looks fantastic, I’m letting it acclimatize to its new surroundings before tuning up and trying out. Superficially (balance, action) it feels great.
Thanks for your communications during the process.”
“I love my Bite bass. Having my bass built was an easy process. They helped me pick out a neck that best suited me. I play it all the time, and recommend it to any bass player looking for a bass that not only sounds great, but has great playability – Adam.”
“For years I thought I had a very good bass, but then my new BITE arrived, and blew me away: the quality and playability for a custom built instrument in this price range are simply astounding. My other bass rarely even comes out of its case these days. I have also received compliments from everyone who’s tried or even just seen it. Keep up the great work, and if possible keep on adding new configuration options!”
Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
Rated 4 out of 5
OJB, Germany –
“Wonderful sounding bass. Very cool look and nice handling.”
Punch 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Rikk, Japan –
“Great sound, comfort neck , powerful pup. Thank you for the wonderful bass ! Tons of options, what else you want? Go order NOW!”
Reverse Punch 34″
Rated 4 out of 5
Renaud Camiglieri, France –
“I ordered a bass from Bite, they kept me informed of the whole process by email. A passionate team, they sent me a bass which became my main bass! Not a buzz, an extra tone, super efficient pickups, a great neck, in short a great job. Just a remark, why no hardcase? I would have agreed to pay him more! I hope you will have other models with 24 fret necks, active with the same bass generator system!”
Thank you for raising this question. It is true that we do not actively offer a hardcase in our shop. Instead we offer a very solid and well-padded softcase which we found to be more protective even. However, we have also sent out a number of basses in hardcases to customers who asked for it. Upon request we are happy to offer a hardcase from our standard brand or source any case you prefer from Thomann or other supplier.
Please be aware that a hardcase does not fit into our standard shipping box, so it will increase shipping costs outside the European Union, every inch counts. Generally speaking, we ship insured and carry the risk of damage or loss until delivery to your doorstep. Our standard packaging has proved to be very reliable, we have sent basses all around the world up to Australia and not had a single case of damage or loss to date.
Rated 5 out of 5
Martin Kannekens, Netherlands –
“It’s a super bass! Great sound and superb playability. I enjoy playing it every day. I hardly touch my other guitars anymore.”
“When I heard of Bite it was the middle of the covid-19 pandemic in 2020. I have always been a fan of the Fender like bass design however I have never owned a Fender(not even a Squier) and I don’t think I will ever own one now. I was planning of getting one when I heard of Bite bass and they made my life easier. I can have PJ config on a J bass body how can you even beat that?
The components are absolutely top notch. The pickups can easily hold their ground against my other bass with Barts. However the simplicity of this bass takes the cherry. Just plug and play…the pickups us almost noiseless (the P pickup is silent, J pickup has a very very faint noise which is absolutely acceptable).
My only complaint is that they didn’t come up with a 5 string option at that time. Well I got my grail bass which I intend to pass to my grandson/granddaughter when the time comes. Bite bass# 101575.”
Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Joerg, Austria –
“Nice people, good quality build, great playability and killer sound. If I had enough space at home, I would for sure order another one. Thank you bite guitars!! A++”
Punch 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Simon, Austria –
“Love my BITE PP, outstanding build quality, fast and friendly. thank you!”
“Bite technical assistance during design and ordering of my bass was great. Quality and workmanship of bass was excellent. Great neck, thunderous output. Concerns – the pickup switch (i.e. knob) started making noise when switching. Cleaning it made no improvement. Tone pot hardly makes any change in tone, and seems to be getting worse (i.e turning the knob makes very little, if any change in tone. A different size capacitor might help. My plan is to change out all of the electronics.”
Our basses are subject to full statutory warranty. Steve’s bass has a BITE humbucker in the neck position, this means 2x1000mV high-output single coils in humbucking series mode, in other words really hot. We were careful to keep the sound well-defined, maybe a bit too well for Steve’s taste and amp setup. We offered to send him custom-tailored replacement electronics free of charge.
Rated 5 out of 5
Leonardo, Switzerland –
“I’m so happy I bought it!! Sound is terrific! and look is great. I’m seriously thinking to get a five strings for Xmas! Thanks guys you are doing a great job!”
Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
Rated 5 out of 5
Florentin, Romania –
“Amazing pickups and excellent customer service ! Thank you so much”
BITE 1000mV Single Coil Pickups
Rated 5 out of 5
David Bueso, Spain –
“I am the proud owner of the Heartbeat Bite bass and I am delighted with the amazing quality of the instrument, both construction and sound wise. It plays wonderfully, it is light, it has an amazing tone that cuts perfectly through the mix and the looks are gorgeous.
Regarding Bite as a company, same flavour: they offer a great support that makes deciding the build and the ordering process a really easy thing to do. They pay a great attention even to the smaller details to ensure that the bass they build is just the bass you are expecting, and it ends up being even better!
Best custom bass you can get for the money, period!”
“You need to be an experienced bass player to appreciate all the details that make a Bite bass such a fantastic instrument. I’ve been a bass player since 1994 – before ordering my JJ Bite bass, I’ve played a Rickenbacker 4001 (since 1995) and an SX Jazz bass since 2010. My Jawbone (JJ) Bite bass is exactly what I thought I would get, but even better.
Neck? Amazingly fast, comfortable, no sticky finish that would slow you down.
Pickups? Please make yourself a favor and listen to a demo of the sounds of the J Bite pickup. It’s loud AND clear. Usually, when you increase the output of a pickup, the definition (clearness, focus, detail) goes out the window. Goodbye highs, hello low mids. If you try to add those lost highs through EQ, it doesn’t sound natural at all – it will sound harsh because you can’t put those back.
Why do I need a higher output? – you may ask yourself. Because the louder the signal is, the less you need to add gain. When you add gain, the noise will be amplified too! A common ailment to such a problem is using active pickups. But when you use active pickup, the woodiness, the natural character of your bass is gone. With the Bite pickups, you have the clarity, definition, focus, the BITE (hence the name). Clear as bass, punchy, articulate.
The body: Light! Surprisingly light, which is achieved by the use of cavities. That, together with a fantastic neck, make it one of my go to basses. And I have 8.
Bottom line: If you care about your instrument being top notch, with no added frills for the sake of looking expensive, such as exotic wood tops, do yourself a favor and configure a BITE bass down to the tiny details. If you are set on buying a Wal or a Fodera for 9 times the price of a Bite bass, why are you reading this review? :)”
“I love the way you can customize your own bass, the website works fantastic, contact with Bite was swift, accurate and friendly and above all: the Bite bass looks, plays and sounds fantastic. I am not a fulltime bassplayer, mostly I play the guitar. I took it to rehearsals with some bass players and they were amazed by the looks and the sound, playability, the way it cuts through the mix and overall the price-quality balans.”
“I was lucky enough to win my Bite Custom Bass in an online giveaway. After spending some quality time with it, here are my impressions:
I went a little over the top with my aesthetic options, but why not? That was part of the fun, and with a ton of customization options, I figure you might as well go for it. I’m really happy with the result. It’s really pretty and unique.
I went with the J style neck and P “Punch” bass body. It’s a full scale 34” neck with a 1.5” nut. It has an oil, low-gloss finish and is honestly one of the best feeling necks I’ve ever played. I’ve got the action dialed in pretty low, where I like it (courtesy of the high-mass Gotoh brass bridge).
It came set up well, but I didn’t love the La Bella flats that were on it. I switched to my usual Earnie Ball cobalt flats that are a slightly lighter gauge on the E and A, so gave it a quick adjustment, which was easy to do. The fretboard is black locust, which is a sustainable rosewood substitute, and the feel is basically identical to rosewood.
The body is incredibly light and it’s scaled down slightly from a traditional P body, which I like a lot. It’s easy on my back and easy to play. The finish is good quality. It’s hard and doesn’t seem prone to scratching.
The split coil P pickup is super high output (1000mv). Even though it’s passive, they recommend using active settings on an amp because of this. However, I find that sucks the oomph out. Maybe turn the gain down, but just a hair. I get a lot more volume out of it than my Fender P with normal, medium output pickups, but it’s not overly trebly or distorted due to the high output. I really like the tone. It’s definitely got a good growl, but also a very clean, even, and ballanced tone across frequencies. It definitely cuts through the mix and I think I like it better than the Steve Harris pickup I put in my other P.
“The bass: great looking (blue Halstatt finish), light weight (bit of a neck dive when unstrapped on the lap), and an easy neck. The pickups are doing a good job, strong signal and nice sounding. When played unplugged, the sound is already present with a nice resonance.
The customer service: fast, courteous and efficient.”
Rudi, Austria –
“Once again my cordial thanks for your phantastic job. I’m having so much fun playing this great bass. Btw, yesterday after I picked up my bass from you I had a bass lesson, of course on my new BITE. My teacher is very impressed by your spotless instrument quality and setup. I think he might soon get in touch with you ,-)
Thanks again, you made me very happy!”
34″ Punch P5 Red & Black & Funky Red
Larry, USA –
“I am infatuated and fascinated by my bass. I haven’t taken it to a gig yet. I’ve been auditioning it through various amplifier and speaker configurations. It’s a lively beast! I love the response in what seems to be a nice thump in the low mid range.
I’m looking forward to taking my BITE to the stage. I’ll try to give you a rundown of the rig (or rigs) that I’m using. It’s a beautiful thing, so comfortable to hold, so effortlessly moves under my fingertips, and a rush of lusciousness to my eardrums end my dancing feet.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
33″ Jawbone RPJ5 Whiskey & Eggnog
André, Switzerland –
“Thanks so much for my lovely new blue bass!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
34″ Evening Star PP Blue Poplar
Billy C., USA –
“Thank you BITE, I am pleased, sounds vicious and couldn’t be any prettier!”
34″ Punch PP Black & Gold Lefty
Matched headstock all around, bite spared, burst neck-headstock transition
Duncan, USA –
“Love the bass and she’s coming to Hawaii with me!”
34″ Punch P Caramel & Birdseye Maple No-Pickguard
Pawel, Poland –
“Just plugged the bass. Looks and sounds great 😀”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
34″ Punch PP White & White & Chrome No-Pickguard
Dan, USA –
“All I can say is WOW!”
34″ Jawbone PH Caramel
John Garrison, UK –
“OMG…!!! The bass is awesome, the best bass tone I’ve ever had! I absolutely love it. And so does our soundman. Everyone just blown away. You can hear the love that’s been put into this bass!”
John Garrison is a British bassist, multi-instrumentalist and producer. His work history includes stage/studio with Lewis Capaldi, Ed Sheeran, Robbie Williams, James Blunt, Christina Aguilera, Leona Lewis, Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams, Sting, John Grant and the alternative rock band Budapest.
John received his Punch P5 backstage at soundcheck before their James Blunt show in May ’24 in Krems, Austria. Everyone loved the BITE sound right away including John, James Blunt and the sound engineer. John immediately swapped basses and played the show with his BITE, same as Jerry Meehan did at their Robbie Willimas show in Zürich the previous year, and Tim Bailey at the annual Shaq O’Neal palooza in Vegas. James and band even thanked BITE for improving their show. Our pleasure entirely!
34″ Punch P5 Black Blast
4+1 headstock
Tim, USA –
“I hope everyone at Bite Guitars is well. To put it simply, I am in love! It looks, sounds and feels amazing due to the incredible craftsmanship exhibited throughout the instrument. I am excited to think I will be playing this guitar for many years.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Black Knight P with roasted black locust fretboard
Alex B., Germany –
“I’ve now had 2 gigs with the bass, I’m totally stoked. Visually it turned out gorgeous and the workmanship is absolutely top. The playability is super and it sounds just amazing. The strings vibrate excellently, even the E string vibrates fantastically despite the short scale length. My compliments to you guys.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
27″ Short Scale Evening Starlet JJ Black & Grey Birdseye Maple
Carl, Philippines, USA –
“A Big Thank you again…. My Bass is awesome!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
34″ Jawbone JJ Black Blast & Maple Black Blocks fretboard
Bassrilia, Brazil, USA –
“This is the best bass I’ve ever played. I’m so happy with the pickups. The tone is PERFECT, I can’t get this sound from any other bass.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
34″ Punch PP Sonic Blue with matched headstock
PP pickups sound demo
New bass day!
André, Switzerland –
“I am enjoying the bass very much and I hope to send some pictures in the next couple of weeks as we have a few gigs planned. Meanwhile, wish you all the best.”
Punch P 34″ Candy Apple Red & Black Flowers
Gate 21 Band
Gate 21 Band
Uli Salm, Germany –
“The Graffiti Bass arrived & it’s jaw-dropping 😍😍😍
This bass is addictive, it plays like butter, has a dreamlike setup & a killer sound.
The graffiti look has turned out brilliantly!!!!
The light weight is a special highlight for me, paulownia-alder body, some 3 kilos overall – wonderful.
An amazing Mega-Instrument – THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Punch P 34″ with 360° graffiti artwork, lightweight paulownia-alder composite body, overall weight 3,3kg.
Paul Q., USA –
“Howdy from the West! Well, received my bass yesterday. A beautiful bass, I look at it and cannot believe it is here and how great it looks and plays! Looks incredible. Thank you. My friends are going to be shocked, I have not told anyone. I want it to be a surprize at the next jam. I’m 75 and one is never too old to take a BITE out of life and buy a Bite 🙂
Here is my story. I have 6 basses at this time, at one time I had about 22. I told my wife I was going to buy another bass with the money I had received from selling off my equipment. I am downsizing since I am going on 75 years of age. I am down to one amp now. Head GK 500MB, I sold my GK 800RB that I had for over 45 years it was very hard to let go. With 60 years of playing, I have used and played in concert just about every amp made. The last 6 of years I have purchased about 3 Markbass combos and 5 Markbass speaker boxes. Tested them all out. For me here is what I have learned.
1. No matter what Markbass head I used and cabinet I could not get what I call the round sound.
2. With the GK 800RB I was able to obtain the round sound. But the head was very heavy, so I sold it. I purchased a GK 500MB I am able to carry it with one finger.
3. After testing all the Markbass cabinets, I have ended up with a Markbass 2-10” with horn it is the news design that is very light and a Markbass 12” with a horn. I have the tone and bottom I like. The best part they only weigh 27 LBS.
4. The past 3 years 85% of my friends have gone back to the Fender bass guitar. I know about 90% of the bass players here in El Paso Texas, Las Cruces New Mexico and Alamogordo. Plus, many in this country.
5. I have my 1963 Fender P bass. I retired it and my daughter has it. I wanted a Fender Jazz, after finding Bite Bass and read just about every thing about bass guitars and the sound, that is when I decided to purchase a Bite bass.
6. After reading about the reverse bass pickups, WOW that would fix my problem of buying larger strings for my G and D strings.
7. Therefore, thank you, for all the information you have provided and thank you for design the prefect bass for us bass players. I am sure after my friends see and play my bass ‘if I let them.’ Lol You might be getting some more orders.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone RPJ Honey Burst, Gold & Black
Ruby Golden Tiger, USA –
“Thrilled with the bass, I call it Moxy and I love it! We get a lot of questions about it, I performed another gig with it last night and it sounds incredible.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Justyn Delbridge aka Massive Bass Nerd, USA –
“Got it! To say I’m happy with it is an understatement, it plays amazingly. Lightweight, silky smooth fretboard, while giving that super beefy tone, really blows my mind, couldn’t love it more.”
Justyn Delbridge started playing bass at 17. From music school to touring to cruise ships to teaching, he bounced around for years. Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers opened him up to the world of slap. When the pandemic hit in 2020, Justyn started making videos as Massive Bass Nerd, loving the ability to compose and perform for an audience hundreds of times bigger than before. His comments were packed with tab requests, so he wrote “The Kool Katz Guide to Slap Bass”. He was hired by BassBuzz and works on their production team.
Punch 34″
Luís Fernando, Brazil –
“❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Thank you for this amazing instrument!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone JJ 34″, reproduction of Jaco Pastorius’ Bass of Doom: fretless with maple lines and dots, side dots in “fretted” positions, 3-tone sunburst without red “underneath the pickguard”
BITE standard 4-in-line headstock
Alessandro, Italy –
“Got the bass yesterday, it’s beyond amazing! Thanks a lot!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Punch HH inkl. JJ 34″: Both H pickups have push/pull splitters for switching to single coil mode, i.e. this bass can be played in HH or JJ or HJ or JH mode. 4-way parallel/series circuit B-P-N-S: bridge solo – bridge & neck parallel – neck solo – bridge & neck series (humbucker/booster for blowing off the roof)
BITE standard 4-in-line headstock
Marty O’Brien, USA –
“What an incredible instrument! I asked for black on black, on black, with more black. And then add black hardware. Beautiful craftsmanship, huge thank you to the incredible team at Bite!”
Marty O’Brien is a busy touring and session bassist based in Los Angeles. His live credits include tours with Disturbed, Tommy Lee, Methods of Mayhem, Daughtry, several of Ozzy Osbourne‘s Ozzfests and others. As a session bassist, Marty has recorded with Celine Dion, Chris Cornell, Brian McKnight and Kelly Clarkson on her Grammy-award-winning album Breakaway.
View full specs, price & availability in our Amazing Basses collection:
The Black Knight PP
The White Knight PP
Marty O’Brien with Bon Jovi’s Phil X at the NAMM Show, the annual core event of the worldwide music industry,
Black Knight PP 34″ with black fretboard, without inlays
PP pickup configuration with 4-way parallel/series circuit: bridge solo – bridge & neck parallel (J-type circuit) – neck solo – bridge & neck series (humbucker/booster)
4-in-line headstock, matched
Custom engraved neck plate
Oleg, Baltic states –
“The bass sounds like angel’s song. When I touch these strings, I feel warm inside. Thank you very much! I had other basses before, incomparable! The BITE is magical!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Evening Star 34″ with hand-painted replica of Bruegel’s Hunters in the Snow, 1565, displayed at Kunsthistorische Museum Vienna. Click to read the story of this remarkable bass.
Giacomo Turra, Italy –
“My goodness, what an amazing bass, so beautiful!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Dan T., UK –
“Received my custom 5 string from you. Last night was the first outing live for it and it sounded amazing. I’ll share proper footage over the next few days.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone HJ 5er 34″
Philipp, Austria –
“Thank you for this marvelous bass and especially for your customer service. Spending money this way is a pleasure, the bass is outright perfect!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Punch PP 34″, 4-way paralell/series circuit B-P-N-S: bridge solo – bridge & neck parallel – neck solo – bridge & neck series (humbucker/booster for blowing off the roof), thumbrest
Greg Delcore, USA –
“I received your beautiful bass today and I am so impressed in every way! It is absolutely gorgeous AND sounds amazing! The neck is perfect and I love the light weight and balance of it!! Truly an extraordinary instrument! I will be playing it constantly, I’m instantly in love with it! Thank you!”
Gregory Delcore has been the bassist for the Britney Spears “Piece of Me” Las Vegas Show for five years. A Boston area native and Berklee College of Music graduate, Greg has performed throughout the US, Europe and Asia with his own groups as well as with a range of artists including Iggy Azalea and Joss Stone. Greg is producing his own music as well as writing and producing for other artists. His music has earned him four #1 hit singles in Europe and several European music awards.
Punch H Clearcoat 34″
Controls: Volume – 3-Way Pickup Selector (Humbucking/Series – Parallel – Single Coil) – Tone. This way you get the maximum versatility out of one humbucker.
Jan, Switzerland –
“At first I was disappointed by the sound of the 5-string, as I had the sound of my BITE 4-string in my ear which just seems crispier, better defined. But I never quite liked the amp in our rehearsal room, at home with my Fender Rumble 500 it was better.
Meanwhile I got used to the 5-string and I have to say it’s pure fun to play. Playing 5-string is just different and one has to be aware and adapt to it. Visually it looks very nice. Initially I was surpised at the dark and glossy fretboard, I had expected it differently, but meanwhile I got used to it and enjoy it. Every time I enter the room, it radiates and smiles at me 😉
We’ll soon have another show, might very well be that I take my 5-string for it.
I am still very much convinced of BITE basses and enjoy every time I pick up one of your instruments.
Will get in touch again or send you a pic as I have done before.”
Jawbone JJ 5er 34″, roasted maple neck and fretboard
2+3 headstock, roasted maple neck
BITE Guitars –
Thank you for your precious feedback, Jan! Let us take the opportunity to clarify, also for everyone else:
5ers typically don’t have exactly the same sound as 4-string basses due to the different pickup coil lengths. However, we took your feedback to heart and tweaked our 5-string pickup specs. Now they are crisper.
Roasted hard maple fretboards are sealed under clearcoat just like natural or tinted hard maple but unlike black locust which by default remains unsealed (exceptionally also available sealed on our Black Knight models). This has to do with the lower hardness, rupture, elasticity and strength parameters of hard maple as compared with black locust.
Our degree of roasting is mostly chocolate colored, a lighter play of colors can be observed on flamed roasted maple fretboards. Generally, shades of roasting are subject to variations beyond our control. Here are pictures and video showing different shades: https://bite.guitars/product/roasted-maple-2/
Vincent, USA –
“Thanks so much for the bass, it’s amazing! The B string sounds great! I usually play short scales and they always have problems on the low strings around frets 7-10. The B (and E) on this are amazing. No fret buzz, great sound, keeps tune really well and *great* intonation. Surprisingly the only ‘off’ intonation is on the A string haha. Just a little over 10 cents, but that’s an easy adjustment. Thanks for making a killer bass!”
View full specs, price & availability in our Amazing Basses collection:
5-string 33″
4-string 34″
5-string Jawbone RPJ 33″ medium scale, string-through GOTOH bridge, Satin White finish, no pickguard, rear access to control cavity; 33″ is the shortest 5-string we offer, the low B is playabale with good tension and well-defined pitch.
Steven, Spain –
“I really like it!”
Jawbone PJ 34″ with dual output and stacked knobs:
1.) Stacked pot for neck pickup: volume, tone
2.) Stacked pot for bridge pickup: volume, tone
3.) Mono output (both pickups)
4.) Stereo output (tip = neck pickup, ring = bridge pickup , sleeve = ground)
Ivan ‘Funkboy’ Bodley, USA –
“Enjoying the new bass very much! I’ve already done half a dozen gigs on it. It’s a killer!”
Ivan’s natural habitat are the orchestra pits of NYC. He worked on 14 Broadway shows, is a Blues Hall of Fame inductee, shared stage and studio with Jennifer Hudson, Sting, Santana, Gloria Gaynor, Bo Diddley and over 50 Rock & Roll Hall of Famers. He plays a Punch P with funky silver flake finish.
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Ivan with Corey Glover of multiple Grammy and MTV award winning Living Colour, wait, is that a BITE bass?
W. Timothy Bailey Jr. aka Twizzboy, USA –
“Loving the feel and vibe of this bass! I don’t play passive basses much, but this monster is giving me so much, I’m not missing that extra 9v.”
As a bassist, Tim has worked with Ariana Grande, Chris Brown, Big Sean, Tyrese, 2 Chainz, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Natalie Cole and Jamie Foxx. Tim is also producer and director of Bleeding Excellence Productions in Henderson, Nevada.
Learn more: https://tbaileybass.com/
His BITE is a Jawbone PJ with Caramel finish, 4-in-line headstock and standard parallel circuit.
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Shaquille O’Neal and Jennifer Hudson rocking the stage at the Vegas MGM Grand. Tim on BITE, smooth as butter in the background. Despite his life-long preference for active basses, Tim took his new passive 1000-millivolt BITE to this event for a 16k live audience and so momentous that only Shaq himself could host it. Tim telexed back after the show: “Played the Bite. It sang!”
Tim Bailey, second from left, 6 ft 1. Now spot the basketballer.
Wired up for the show
Hold your breath for a minute to soak in the sheer gracefulness (headphones or decent speakers recommended)
Simon Francis, UK –
“Bass arrived and went to work immediately both on recording and live work over the weekend. I love it – sounds absolutely beastly. Thanks again for building this bass for me – it’s really exceeded my expectations, delivering on all fronts. Really fun and inspiring instrument to play!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Si Francis is a British musician predominantly known for his work on the bass guitar accompanying artists such as Ellie Goulding, Kylie Minogue and Lee Rogers. He is known for his dynamic and expressive playing style paired with an innovative use of effects to conjure all manner of classic synth timbres and textural tones out of his bass guitar.
Punch HH 34″
Controls: Bridge Solo – Neck + Bridge Parallel – Neck Solo – Neck + Bridge Series (Boost!)
Jerry Meehan, UK –
“Superb, we all love it.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jerry Meehan has been working as a bassist, writer and producer with Robbie Williams since the 2000s. He graduated from Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the UK’s top-ranked performing arts university, and his studio Wendyhouse Productions is a prominent hub in the UK music industry.
Jerry has also worked with, among others, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Rihanna, Rita Ora, Adele, Stevie Wonder, One Direction, Lewis Capaldi, Post Malone, Kygo, James Blunt, Sam Smith, Ellie Goulding, John Legend, Kylie Minogue, Annie Lennox, Bryan Ferry and Midge Ure (of “Vienna” fame 🙂 ) and in classical music with Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez and Jessye Norman.
Jerry Meehan receiving his bass backstage
Robbie Williams before the show
The story of Jerry Meehan’s BITE bass: In Summer 2023 Jerry, through his bass tech Morten, asked BITE to build a bass for the ongoing Robbie Williams XXV world tour, matching the stage design of Robbie’s own paintings. We were aiming at handing over the bass backstage at one of their shows one month down the road. Quite the challenge, during summer vacation time on top of that, knowing that otherwise it would take us six months to build such a bass.
We still managed to build it in record time and meet the target. When we delivered it before the show, Jerry, Robbie and everyone else were highly delighted, passing it around and turning it over to examine the 360° hand-painted artwork.
Jerry was so satisfied with the tone and feel that he wanted to play the bass on stage that very evening which meant that sound engineering and videowall film crew of a precisely attuned multi-million dollar show had to be adjusted and redirected in a last-minute effort. Jerry gave the bass a big fat kiss in front of the huge crowd and continues to play it on the tour, even to songs not initially planned.
Wait, is that Robbie Williams back there?
Punch P 34″ with hand-painted 360° artwork protected under extra-strong high-gloss poly clearcoat.
Back side
Matched headstock
1-minute video
Uli Salm, Germany –
“Received all basses & am totally impressed😍😍😍
Look, sound, feel, just everything is absolutely awesome!!! Even better than expected – thank you so much 🤩🤩🤩🎸🎸🎸
You guys gave me great pleasure & gained a new fan!!!!!😍😍😍”
Jawbone JJ Ink – Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone PJ Time Caramel & White – Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Punch P Stairway-To-Heaven – Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Punch P Roxanne – Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Uli Salm with one out of five BITE basses in his collection
Uli Salm is the world’s No. 1 bass collector. His collection of ard. 850 bass guitars holds the certified world record of biggest bass collection. His motivation has always been his love for bass, not for the record. As of late, Uli added ten BITE basses to his collection, an eleventh one is in the pipeline, and he actually plays them in his shows!
As a bassist, Uli has published over 100 records with his own bands, Rudolf Rock & Die Schocker feat. Susi Salm and Leinemann. He played with Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Haley, J. J. Cale and other greats of US and German rock music.
Over 100 of his basses are on display in his Zwick – Home of Roll ‘n’ Roll event restaurants in Hamburg and the rest is kept in a safe and temperature-controlled location. His collection includes vintage rarities, such as a ’53 Fender Precision built by legendary Fender worker Tadeo Gomez, all original, a ’61 Fender Jazz, and also many exclusive premium brands, eighteen Jens Ritter basses alone.
The who’s who of rock music, when in Hamburg, see it as their duty to visit Uli and his collection. This includes ACDC, Aerosmith, Rod Stewart, ZZ Top, Shirley Bassey, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Status Quo, Bon Jovi, to name just a few. The other day, Darryl Jones, who’s been touring with the Rolling Stones for 30 years, dropped by to give Uli two of his basses from the last Stones tour … another day in the life of Uli Salm.
Uli’s bass collection started back in 1963, when he got his first Fender Precision from his parents at the age of 14, and it kept growing ever since. Uli’s excuse, “They keep multiplying by themselves, must be hatching somewhere in the back.”
A glance at a fraction of the world’s biggest bass collection
Max, Austria –
“The bass is pure pleasure, it feels lightweight, so even after three hours of rehearsal my shoulder doesn’t hurt. In two weeks it will have live premiere that I’m very much looking forward to :-)”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
35″ Evening Star with matched headstock
Steampunk artwork
Norman, USA –
“Excellent! Thank you very much!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Punch PP Clearcoat No-Pickguard (rear access to control cavity)
Ece Hazinedar, Turkey –
“One of the best moments of my life … my first custom bass! Just look at it … Thank you @bite.guitars for making this incredible instrument. The sound, the tone, the feel … everything is AMAZING!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Punch P 34″
Maxine, USA –
“I’m in love!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone JJ 34″, custom semi-transparent mocha finish, engraved signature, clearcoated black locust fretboard, vintage pearl block inlays & binding, 4-in-line headstock
April Kae, USA –
“BITE brought my vision to life!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Punch P5 Snakes
Michael, USA –
“The bass is fantastic. I’ve gigged it several times now using several different amps/cabs and it sounds great thru all of them. The pickups are awesome and very powerful. On a couple of combo amps I’ve had to use the active inputs even though it’s a passive bass.
The setup was perfect out of the box and it plays really well. The sound is bold and even across all of the strings and up and down the fretboard. I’m thinking of ordering another but with the darker, narrower, fretboard and in Carmel color. I’ll watch for your specials and when I see one too good to pass up place an order. Thank you, I really enjoy this bass.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Reverse Punch 34″
tim_yee5150, USA –
“New Gear Day! Got my @bite.guitars Reverse Punch 34″ bass today. I ordered way back in Dec ’22, but was totally worth the wait. The color is called Lake Hallstatt, the pickups are a half inch forward, and I got the Hip Shot Bass Xtender. Can’t wait to really let loose on this thing.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cu-L5fqy1kE/?img_index=1
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Reverse Punch P 34″
Martin, Netherlands –
“That’s a nice pair! 😊”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Martin is a repeat offender: this time it’s a Black & White Pearl Jawbone JJ 34″ and before that a White & Black Pearl Punch 34″
Jon, USA –
“It is a really great bass. Very happy with all of the features you were able to incorporate into it!”
Jawbone JJ 34″ with US-eligible artwork and 4-in-line headstock, matched, and Hipshot D-tuner
G.S., USA –
“I could not be happier. Zero fret buzz right out of the gate! Thanks so much for the ride!”
Jawbone PJH 34″, no pickguard, no control plate, custom paint
Roasted maple fretboard, matched headstock all around, bite spared, Hipshot D-tuner
Mikie D.B., USA –
“BITEBASS HERE!!!
Hey Bite Angels
LOVE IT!!! BADASS!!! FUNKY!!! SOULFUL!!! GETTIN’ DOWN!!! HAPPY!!! JOY!!!”
Jawbone PJJ 34″, 4-in-line headstock
Leyla, UK –
“Loving it! No other bass I own compares. The BITE team was incredibly helpful in the configuration process, craftsmanship is outstanding and the high-output pickups are no lie :)”
Jawbone PJ 34″
Marc, UK –
“After personally collecting “The Black Knight” from BITE Guitars in May, I’ve now had the chance to put the bass through its paces – and I’m totally impressed. From the quality of the worksmanship (in particular the beautiful roasted maple fretboard) to the warm, punchy sound of the Bella flatwounds, the Black Knight delivers everything that you’d expect from a custom-made P-Bass… and more!
Despite the smaller body and the slightly larger “clover” tuning heads, the Black Knight is superbly balanced. The position of the 1000mv split-coil pickup is directly in the sweet-spot between the fretboad and bridge and ensures both a full-bodied but clear tone as well as a natural playing position for the right hand.
As with all BITE basses, the neck is a delight to play and with a J-Bass size neck radius, this is a P-Bass that can also be played fast. The frets are beautifully finished with no sharp edges and the GOTOH tuning heads are of the highest quality ensuring the bass is in tune no matter how I play. In all, a superb instrument that does exactly what a P-Bass should – only better!”
Click for full specs, price and availability information.
“The Black Knight” Punch P 34″, 4-in-line headstock, matched, roasted maple fretboard
Jeff, USA –
“I am very impressed with the bass. It arrived perfectly intonated and I can say I’ve not had chords in the upper end of the bass sound so sweet before. The bass is exceptionally comfortable to play and I have found the 32” scale length to be ideal for my needs. Due to its comfort, versatility and tone, the Bite bass quickly replaced my Fender Jazz as my number 1 instrument. It has been gigged many times and is beginning to wear in slightly. I’m looking forward to spending a lot of time with my Bite bass. Thank you for building something that fits me perfectly.”
Jawbone PJ 32″ short scale, 4-in-line headstock, Hipshot D-tuner
Silke, Germany –
“I visited BITE Guitars in Vienna to test their basses, ordered my bass in January (a custom colored medium scale Jawbone PJ) and came to pick it up a few days before the scheduled delivery date.
I was stunned by just about everything: the looks, the sound and feeling while testing it in the BITE winter garden, I could hardly put the bass down!
Baby Blue is getting to know Germany now and looking forward to band rehearsal tonight. Next weekend I will take it to Markus Setzer’s Bass Akademie, curious what he will say!”
Jawbone PJ 32,5″, custom paint
Erwin, Austria –
“Thanks again for the great instrument! My 3D-printed rubber bumper will make sure my baby won’t bump against the wall anytime soon!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone PJ 34″
Eddie, Taiwan –
“The bass is pretty nice not only the appearance but also the sound… I like it very much.
Thank you !!”
Reverse Punch 34″
Michael, USA –
“Sorry it has taken me so long to reply, but I wanted to play the bass for a while before offering any feedback. My immediate impression, upon unpacking the bass, was that it was an incredible instrument. The balance is perfect. The neck is smooth. It looks beautiful. My band was completely blown away by the sound when they first heard it — it cuts through the mix so well and has a better tone than any other bass I own. I’ve now played it for many rehearsals, a few gigs, and a recording session, and it does not disappoint. Definitely the best bass I’ve ever had and I already want another one as a backup! I’m attaching a few photos to share with you. Two are at a local brewery in Santa Barbara, California, and one is my band (https://soundcloud.com/the-mends) playing the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival a few weekends back.
Tangentially related, you introduced me to Markbass amps when I came to visit you in Vienna. I loved it so much and have since gotten a rig from them, which you see in one of the photos. It is an amazing amp and complements the bass so nicely.
A huge thanks to you and your team for my bass. I absolutely love playing it!”
Punch PJ 34″
UPDATE: This is one mean bass. Completely rocked another great show last night. Thank you again for such an incredible instrument!
Nguyen Anh, Vietnam –
“I’d marry my BITE bass if I could!”
https://www.instagram.com/ka.wazowski/
https://www.tiktok.com/@nguyenanhdoan1998
Punch P 34″ with body artwork
Suzi Quatro –
“The bass is in my front room where I write. I use it to practice on everyday, we also use it for writing songs all the time too. It is a lovely bass and I am very very fond of it.”
BITE is thrilled that this bass has found its way into the collection of rock legend Suzi Quatro.
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
34″ Jawbone JJ Dakota Red & Black Flowers
Thomas, Austria –
“Gotta say, the wait was well worth it! The bass is a dream, great build quality! Looks super cool, plays extremely easily, sounds superb!
Just genial, love it!”
Jawbone PJ 34″, 5-string with 2+3 headstock
Aaron, USA –
“I loved the bass from the first note and I keep getting compliments on both sound and look. Playability is great, I took it on a gig first week and was surprised how fast I took to it, considering my other bass is far different (Lakland skyline 5502). While there are things that I would like to add such as string through and active pickups, overall I am very happy with my new working bass. Thanks for your hard work and care in creating it for me!”
Punch Reverse PJ 34″, 5-string with 4+1 headstock
BITE Guitars –
Thank you for your kind words! We do in fact offer string-through, have already installed it in a number of basses, but we regret we do not offer active pickups. Our own 1000 millivolt pickups exceed most customary active pickups in terms of output while maintaining an undoctored genuine bass sound. For whoever has not seen it yet, here’s our video explaining BITE 1000mV pickups:
Stephen Lewis, Canada –
“The bass is incredible!”
Jawbone JJ 34″
Igor, USA –
“Wow guys!!! Thank you so much, the bass is beautiful. Tomorrow I’m gonna try it at practice, I’ll let you know what I think of it! Nice detail with all the tools!!! Thanks
Had practice today! The bass sounds huge!!! It cuts in the mix like a hot knife through butter 🙂 I’m definitely gonna order another one from you soon!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone Reverse PJ 35″ XL scale, ADGC tuned (low A) with DR DDT strings, no-pickguard body, US-eligible artwork
Stringing
Neck-body coupling: as tight as it gets
Joe, USA –
“BITE did a beyond AMAZING JOB!!!”
Jawbone PJ 34″, US-eligible artwork, matched headstock
Lukas, Austria –
“The customizing options as well as the build quality really are what makes these basses stand out from the rest on the market. I’m very much a P-bass guy, but I was searching for an option to broaden the sound possibilities.
The typical PJ-configuration didn’t quite feel fitting to my tastes. But with Bite’s Double-P configuration, I finally found the exact sound I was looking for. It has the same edge and clarity as a Jazz bass, but with the somewhat “dirty” tonal range of the Precision.
The included 4-way switch as well as the additional series circuit gives me enough variety to be prepared for pretty much any kind of gig. At first, I was a bit hesitant to get the bridge pickup in the standard P-position as well (considering it adds even more highs to the D and G strings), but I’m very glad with this choice since it definitely makes for a unique kind of sound that stays true to the P-bass. It works very well with slapping too!
The Bite PUs are definitely as powerful as advertised and help to create a rather modern sound with lots of personality. In my opinion though, the most important part of the custom ordering process is the superb build quality and the outstanding quality control that Bite provides.
Speaking from experience, some bigger companies selling in this price range are definitely lacking in this department. Bite also made sure to make the neck of my bass with a satin finish for no additional charge, which is highly appreciated!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Punch PP 34″
Dan, USA –
“I love my BITE bass and play it daily. I’ve played several shows with it and have been extremely satisfied with the way it plays/sounds/performs. I plan on getting a 5-string bass and am very much considering a second BITE bass, although I still haven’t made up my mind. Working with you was incredibly easy, and a very personable experience. Thanks again for all that you do!”
Jawbone PJ 34″
Dan Grannum, UK –
“Bass has arrived. MY GOD. I am annoyed it’s so good!
I am annoyed because I had just picked the two basses I am planning on using most of this year… Now that has to change. 😂😂
But honestly, its a wonderful instrument, an absolute credit to you guys!
I’ll do a little video and share shortly…
SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!
6/5″
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Punch P 34″
M.C., USA –
“The bass is wonderful, looks beautiful and plays great! I especially like the fretboard binding, everything is tight and fits together well. It is a bit heavier than I am used to but the other bases l play often are chambered. The bass sounds great even when not plugged in, even better when plugged in of course. I would recommend this bass to anyone interested.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone PJ 5-string, 33″ medium scale, string-through
BITE Guitars –
BITE bodies are downsized as compared to regular traditional body shapes. The BITE contour is smaller all around to render our basses light and handy. Admittedly, 5-string solidbody alder is still no explicit lightweight. Here’s the good news: we do offer lightweight builds from basswood and paulownia as clickable additions, basswood being noticeably lighter than alder, paulownia being the lightest of all customary solidbody woods.
Paul, USA –
“I absolutely love the guitar! It was perfectly packed – very secure. I appreciate the tools and documentation that came with it.
I play through Mesa Boogie subway series cabinets (1×12 & 2×10) utilizing their D800+ 800-watt head.
Your pickups really do the trick for sound. I feel like I get powerful tones. To me it’s a full bass sound that punches through the mix really well.
It feels balanced in my hands, and is so smooth to play. I’ve seen some comments from others that it plays like butter. I have to agree. It’s so smooth and easy. Of the 4 other bass guitars I have (an Epiphone Thunderbird Pro IV, two Reverend Triads, a Schecter Omen IV) it is my favorite. I have been gigging with it exclusively.
The workmanship is top end. To me, the setup was right on. I don’t feel like anything needs to be adjusted.
By no means am I a professional musician. I may not possess the technical acumen of a pro to best describe things, but I do recognize quality when I see it.
Aesthetically, the guitar looks very cool. I am very happy with the options I chose. Everyone who has seen the guitar thinks the bite from the headstock is the coolest thing.
You and your colleagues should be very proud of the product you are putting out.
I think another Bite Guitar will be in my future.
Thank you for your guidance through the process.
Wishing you and everyone at Bite Guitars a Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year!
Cheers / Prost!”
Jawbone PJ 34″
Ernesto, Puerto Rico –
“Thanks, sounds great!”
5-string Jawbone PJ 34″, 2+3 headstock
Daniel Rey, Mexico –
A Tale of Two BITE Basses
Daniel Rey from Mexico won the Charles Berthoud BITE Bass Contest 2021. This giveaway was fiercely contested by hundreds of Youtube submissions and Daniel just killed it with his unbelievable artistry.
Alas, the prize, a 4-string Steampunk with amber-gold inlays and 3-ply wooden pickguard, ‘disappeared’ before delivery in Mexico. The first time this ever happened. We at BITE started building a black 5-string Jawbone for Daniel instead.
Before long, the Mexican bass community found the Steampunk online for sale, alerted Daniel, he regained it and now is the lucky owner of two BITE basses. Let’s hear what he has to say about them:
——————————————————
“The jawbone is home and it’s just… WOW! Just LOVED IT! Looks better in person than the pictures, loved the neck shape and double finish, as the steampunk bass, craftmanship is just amazing.
The 4+1 headstock impressed me when I found it’s a little smaller than a traditional Fender. Looks very aesthetic. Loved it! 🤗
Sound is flawless! Big resonating woods and loud and clear pickups. Again! Congrats for your OUTSTANDING JOB and of course, ALL YOUR SERVICE within this whole crazy adventure!
The steampunk bass is safe and in good hands and the black 5er made it home flawlessly and is safe and sound. I’ll take care well of them. I still can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me! And I hope as a musician to pay you back somehow with some good music. A big “THANK YOU” for you! Best regards and hug!”
Jawbone JJ Snobby Steampunk Gold – Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Two BITES in Mexico
Jawbone JJ 34″ Steampunk, lasered body art, 3-ply wooden pickguard black walnut – maple – black walnut, amber-gold inlays
4+1 headstock
Maxine, USA –
“i’m so happy with how the bass came out 👍 it’s my favorite bass to play by far, i’ve posted a video of it as well.
soo easy to play, and the amount of tones you can dial in is insane 🎶 overall the most versatile instrument i have! love this bass 🤍 thank youuu to everyone at bite guitars for working with me so long on this, it was well worth the wait!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone PH 34″, Cream finish, lasered signature in upper horn, H splitter: single coil neck side, 4-Way Parallel/Series circuit
Hipshot D-Tuner
Bobby Schneck, USA –
Touring musician of Aerosmith, Slash, Green Day, and Weezer.
“THIS BASS IS FANTASTIC! I can’t thank you enough! What a beauty and a TONE MONSTER! Plays like butter and sounds just killer. This thing is dreamy. Huge thanks to the crew at Bite! Can’t wait to get it onstage again!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone PJ 34″, Intense Mint finish
Chris, Germany –
“My new Bite Custom Bass has been with me for a few days now and I had quite high expectations. I knew it was going to be pretty – after all it was me who configured it. But would it be any good?
No, “good” does not do it any justice. It is intergalactically awesome to drop to your knees for!
I play bass since 1985 und I’ve had quite a number of instruments in my hands since then. The Bite is the best that could have happened to me. It fits my playing style 100% and easily has the class of so-called “premium basses” that start somewhere ard. 3k€ [3k$].
Thank you guys for the great craftsmanship, the superb customer care from beginning to end and for the Bite idea you had and implemented. It was well worth the bite!”
Jawbone JJ 34″
Blair, USA –
“WOW! WOW! WOW! Did I say WOW?!
I believe you and your super-talented staff outdid yourselves this time. This thing is sick!! 😛 I love it!!
This beautiful bass plays as good as it looks!! And, it looks better in person than I imagined. The birdseye maple fretboard and the matching headstock were well worth the extra cost. They really add a custom look to the instrument, along with the gold hardware. The birdseye is spectacular!
And, that neck is soooo comfortable. It’s as if you measured my hand, then designed the neck just for me. The setup is just right as well. It is just so all-around easy to play.
I absolutely love the various sound settings, too. I need to play it more to hear all the possibilities, and to diminish the new string sound.
So, it’s an understatement to say I’m thrilled with this bass! It checks all the boxes at a reasonable price.
I thank you and your staff for such a wonderful creation!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
5-string Jawbone PJJ 34″, Caramel finish; Read here about the BITE 3-pickup design and the 4-way parallel/series circuit
Birdseye maple fretbaord
Toggle selector for switching between neck pickup (P) and mid pickup (J), out-of-line placement in contol plate
Matched headstock in Caramel, 2+3 shape
M., Germany –
“I own my BITE Jawbone HH Custom Bass for a few weeks now. What a beast! The pick-ups live up to their promise. Never before did a bass sound so good, the open E-string never before was as dominant. Amazing. Build quality is top! By far the best bass in my collection. My next bass will be another BITE for sure.”
Jawbone HH 34″, matched headstock
MD, Netherlands –
“The bass finally arrived today! It plays nicely and it is beautiful! You made me happy.
Thank you! I will spend a good part of this weekend trying it out…🤗”
Jawbone JJ 34″, 4-in-line headstock
CT, Germany –
“I am just so happy about my “Lee Sklar Tribute” BITE bass (double P with Music Man control plate, without pickguard)! I will not easily, maybe never, forget the day I picked it up from the parcel shop. At unboxing that radiant finish went ablaze in the bright summer sun, I had never seen such a finish before. Still every time I pass, this bass makes me smile. Optically it’s all a perfect match, the classic look plus the branded BITE pickups.
The downsized body dimension needed me to adapt a little in the seated position. When strapped, this bass is just a dream, well-balanced and I am confident I will easily stand through lengthy rehearsals and gigs with it. Also the neck profile plays like a dream, it’s midway between a StringRay and a modern P.
Soundwise, I never played an instrument that sounded so smooth, full of strength and character. I fine-tuned the setup until it fitted my rather robust stroke. I play much 60s and 70s stuff, Blues, Blues Rock and Soul, it’s a perfect match, warm, present and especially the bridge PU produces some rather unexpected tones.
The service of the BITE team is just on a level of its own! This will probably not be the last BITE bass in my collection.”
Punch Reverse PP 34″, no-pickguard body, MM control plate
Tiago Andree, Mexico –
“The Bite Pussycat Bass arrived in perfect condition! I feel very excited, it’s a very beautiful bass and sounds amazing!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Melissa, USA –
“Just letting you know I received the bass and she’s beautiful! Thank you!”
C: Jawbone JJ 30″ short scale, US-eligible artwork
Efi, Israel –
“I received the bass yesterday, thank you! Small, pretty with great sound. Today I played with my band and the new “baby” fit in naturally. I am very pleased.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
27″ short scale, 22 frets, proprietary BITE Evening Star body shape
Rear access to control cavity, side-mounted output
Ergonomic bolt-on neck-body joint for easily accessible 22 frets
Paulownia lightweight build: 2.3kg
Cherry Burst finish, maple & black dots fretboard, 2+2 headstock, Gotoh premium bridge, BITE 1000 millivolt pickups in JJ configuration
Greg P., USA –
“It’s beautiful and plays like a dream. It’s everything I hoped it would be. Thanks so much!”
Punch 34″, US-eligible artwork
Alexander, Denmark –
“Thanks for the great service! I must say the bass sounds great. I took it to a bass and guitar shop to test it on a good amp and compare to many other basses. It was by far the best sounding and most lively. I was also surprised by the versatility. The bass delivers that punchy tone as promised while also delivering the classic P-bass tone. Very cool. :)”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone PJ 34″ Splash Test Bass
Jeff Nickel, USA –
“Simply…I love it.
It’s punchy. It’s smooth. It’s dark and bright. The pickup and tone controls significantly alter the sound of the bass—they’re not dummy knobs. Right out of the box (after a long trip from Vienna to Denver) playability was excellent, intonation spot on.
I tend to agonize over what the instrument I’m looking for needs to be (sound, playability, aesthetics) because I’m going to to play it till I die (at least that’s the idea). This was no exception. I looked at a lot of basses over the last six months, finally landing on Bite as the bass of choice. Summary: couldn’t be happier with the process, the responsiveness on BITE’s end, and—of course—the quality of this instrument.
Thanks for building me such a great instrument!”
Jawbone PJ 34″, 4-in-line headstock
Guy B, Canada –
“Got my bass yesterday and it is….AWESOME!
Delivery was real fast and it came out of the box perfect! I will play with it for a few days and get back with my comments. I surely will have to adjust my amp to these 1000 mV pickups, never heard passive pickups such as those 😳😀.
Thanks and in the meantime, could you send me a clean copy of your logo as I want to order a strap with the logo on.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
C: Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
Jesse Starr, USA –
“This is my first custom bass experience and I couldn’t be more pleased. I’ve gone through a lot of basses through the years and being able to mix all of the components that work “for me” was just magic. I had a ton of questions and some wacky requests but all was met with patience, positivity, caring, and great execution/craftsmanship. Thanks team Bite!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone PP, 30″ short scale, no pickguard, no control plate, rear access
Angel Of A Man, UK –
“Funky Booster Bass – A stunning bass. A massive range of usable sounds from the set of passive pickups. It goes from funk to metal without any worries. The neck is one of the nicest that I have played on any guitar or bass.”
https://www.guitarworld.com/reviews/bite-funky-booster-review
4-in-line headstock,
Matched headstock unicolor all around, bite spared
Jawbone HH/JJ 34″
W.C., USA –
“The bass has arrived and it is beautiful. Thank you very much. You have a happy customer in me.”
C: Jawbone JJ 34″, US-eligible artwork
Reto, Switzerland –
“In one word: super! Sadly I could not even enjoy the bass much yet, since my son borrowed it from me. The bass sits nicely in the hands, it’s “easy” to play, the pickups with flatwounds deliver a warm tone but still with plenty of attack. Probably I’ll order another one for my son soon.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone PJ 34″, White Steampunk digital configurator body art on Quite White body
Robert, USA –
“It’s beautiful and I’m already thinking about ordering another..
Thanks so much!”
C: Jawbone JJ 34″
Martin Særmark-Thomsen, Denmark –
“This is my second BITE bass, it is absolutely awesome! Acoustically, feeling wise and sound wise. The band loves it too. The guitar player thinks I nailed it on the design and the drummer likes the bottom end – he’s not completely cleared away 😉 Wait till I turn up the volume …
Thanks again for making these awesome basses. I can’t stop playing both basses. They are highly addictive.”
Punch 34″
A.K., Germany –
“Great compliments, really beautiful instruments!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
34″ Jawbone JJ Clearcoat & Vintage White
P.M., Germany –
“I had a few days to play with the bass and so far, I am absolutely loving it :)”
C: Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
Adrian L, Australia –
“Received this gorgeous Bite bass a few months back and my overall impression is that is great value for money:
– Finish and overall quality is very good.
– The neck has been very stable – given its travelled to Australia and with our crazy weather from hot to very humid and wet and now approaching colder months – there has been no fret shrinkage or neck movement and thats a great thing.
– It has a very punchy and loud sound – so for a passive bass its got enough ‘oomph’ to cut through.
– The neck feels good to play – familiar and comfortable is how I would put it.
– The fret work is really good and I’m always surprised how little attention some manufacturers pay to fret edges and tangs. This is good.
– The balance is well done and is able to be played sitting or standing whilst the overall weight is surprisingly light and takes a bit of getting used to (I initially had an impression that there was not a real bass presence as I’m used to a heavier bass – but that’s not a really issue – only an initial impression).
– The action is able to be modified to my taste – I started with it quite low and was great and now moved it to my more preferred height.
Some areas that I probably would change (note these are my personal preferences, not that it affects the playability of the bass):
– The bridge is basic and I prefer a more solid high mass bridge – (I’m not sure if I could have upgraded that at the time of purchase).
– I would probably want a mellower tone to suit the styles I play (I’ve changed to more vintage pick ups and tone caps in previous basses and that’s worked for me) – again a personal preference and does not detract from the playability
The purchasing experiencing was seamless and easy to follow as well as fun playing with the configuration. And then delivery across the globe – no problem at all!
Overall its a great product and a great purchase and I’ve used it at a number of gigs and full band rehearsals and its does what it should do.”
Punch 34″
BITE Guitars –
Our standard bridge is a sturdy GOTOH bridge which weighs as much as a respectable high-mass bridge. There are three distinct technical reasons why we install this bridge as default: 3 mm brass, 7 mounting screws for full body contact and guideways for stabilizing saddles sidewards.
However, we’re also happy to install any other bridge of our customers’ preference. We have installed Hipshot, Babicz and other brands for numerous customers. We need to source such alternative bridges at consumer price, the best way is to mail us a purchase link of the preferred bridge and we’ll have a look whether dimensions fit and we don’t have quality concerns.
J E, USA –
“The Bite team knows what it’s doing! My five-string Punch looks and sounds incredible, with all the little specs and changes needed to get a classic-visual Bass made to my modern-characteristic tastes. The pickups sound great, with tons of bite and character, and the build quality feels like a top-shelf Fender for less than the comparable retail cost.
Custom build quality and freedom for shelf-retail prices? 10/10, would recommend.”
Punch 35″, matte 3-Tone Sunburst finish, figured European alder body
Marc, Germany –
“As a profi-bass player I was a little concerned about the “Custom” tag with a price <1500€ as i normally associate "custom" with expensive. I didn't need to worry – this bass IS every bit a custom-build! I chose the P/J pickup setting combined with a maple fretboard. The sound is excellent. From a "biting, nasal" sound when employing the rear J-PU to the almost horn-like sound coming from the P-PU at the front, this bass gives me all the sounds I need in one very well-balanced, light and excellently built and finished instrument. Finally, I'd like to say a big thank you to BITE for their excellent customer-service AND for delivering what they promised – a superb instrument built by musicians for musicians. I'll be buying again (if the girlfriend allows).”
Marc, Stuttgart, GER
https://www.marc-the-bassman.com/
https://www.albfetza.de/
Jawbone PJ 34″, strings: DR Pure Blues 45-105 gauge nickel roundwounds
Sam M, USA –
“Never have I felt so in control of making my perfect bass. The configurator alone presented so many customizable options that it never felt like I was just choosing a bass out of a catalog. My new Jawbone PJ bass has a tone that is second to none and the smooth playability that only expert craftsmanship can deliver. Above all else, Bite has THE BEST customer service in the biz. All of my questions were answered promptly and updates around my bass’ production were received like a kid anxiously awaiting a gift on Christmas day. Bite is revolutionizing the market for custom instruments and I am positive that my first Bite bass will not be my last!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
EF, Hungary –
“I’m very happy, thank you!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone PJ 34″
Jerry G., USA –
“I love my bass. I am thrilled with this purchase. It feels great, looks great and sounds great – I feel like it really cuts through the mix onstage and that I can finally be heard. I’m really starting to dial in my sound and absolutely love playing it, especially with the La Bella flats. It’s made quite a visual and sonic impression on my bandmates too and other bassists are surprised at how solid it is because they are expecting a lightweight “toyish” instrument based on the size. Thanks again. It was well worth the wait.”
Jawbone JJ 30″ short scale
Michel, Canada –
“It just arrived minutes ago. My first impressions are quite positive. It is a lightweight 3.2 KG bass that is very resonant. The setup is perfect. Not a single dead spot anywhere on the neck either. It’s a keeper! Thank you for a job well done.”
Reverse Punch 30″ short scale, standard size body, figured European alder
Mike Rock, USA –
“I refuse to believe that this is a passive bass. That deep sound beats my Marcus Miller and my Stingray hands down. I’d give it 6 out of 5 stars if I could.”
Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
Jonny, USA –
“I had forgotten how a bass should sound. Then my Bite arrived.”
Punch 34″
Craig McL, USA –
“I wanted to let you know that the bass arrived safe and sound and WOW! It looks beautiful! You guys really picked out a great Candy Apple Red color! There are a million different shades of Candy Apple Red, and yours is really super! I played it through my headphone set up last night and it sounds great! Super punchy and LOUD! I can’t wait to hear what it sounds like when I plug in and play with my various bands.”
Jawbone PJ 34″
Dražen Dragović, Croatia –
“The instrument is wonderful, I only made a little lower action adjustment and put Elixir strings on. It is really excellently playable, looks gorgeous and sounds strong with crispy highs and velvet deep lows. I posted it on closed bass pages of James Eager ebassguitar.com where there are around 5000 bass players from all over the world and many of them praised the look and the sound of the instrument. I wish you guys long and good work and all kind of blessings!”
Jawbone JJ 34″, Intense Mint finish
NBD, USA –
“This beautiful bass is simply amazing! I am super-picky about fit and finish and other details, and I could not find any issues with this instrument. I imagine the white finish is difficult to get just right, without any imperfections. The sounds it produces is amazing; I love the variety of tones available via the switching system!
I selected the wider neck sizing which is perfect for me. Overall, this bass is really a bargain considering the sound, features, playability, and quality for the price! 😁
Unfortunately, this instrument has been lonely, so I need to get a partner for “her”. 😂 So…..I will be submitting a configuration for a 5-string soon.”
C: Jawbone PJ 34″
Jimmy Brandenburg, USA –
“Great, love my bad ass bass! My order was flawless and the quality of my bass is very impressive.
UPDATE: Good day, I just finished playing for the day. I have 4 bases that I work with but I just got to say that Vader is my favorite. He is one Bad A** instrument. I love it more each time I play and quite honestly I play between 2-4 times a day averaging 30-120 minutes each time.”
Jawbone PJ 34″, all black (finish, pickguard, hardware, pickups, black block fretboard inlays), custom engraved neck plate
Michael, Austria –
“I’m very happy with this bass, super sound and excellent build
quality.
https://www.saxoustics.at/”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Punch PP 34″, custom engraved neck plate
Zeb, Germany –
“I’m shocked at how good this bass is. I own several premium basses (MusicMan USA, Lakland USA, Fender custom shop) and my Bite Jawbone P/J is easily one of my favorites.
Supreme build quality, craftsmanship and excellent customer service/communication.
Thanks a lot to the Bite Guitars Team. This won’t be my last Bite Bass!”
Jawbone PJ 34″, standard neck plate
Fredrik, Sweden –
“I just love it. It’s an incredibly well designed and meticulously crafted instrument 😃👍🏼
It plays well, it’s well balanced, and it plays very naturally (ergonomic) on the fingerboard and at the microphone area.
I’m saving regularly and there may come another order in the future.”
Reverse Punch 34″
Joakim, Sweden –
“Very pleased with everything! Looking solid, real craftsmanship behind the build and sounding even better than expected. Many thanks for a super built bass 🙏 Definitely 5 out of 5 stars :)”
Jawbone PJ 34″
Julia Simon, USA –
“I am delighted with the bass. The neck is a dream! The action is nice and low and the scale is really comfortable. I am most impressed by the warmth of the tone. I play the bass in a duo that performs acoustic blues in the Sacramento Area of Northern California: Chicken & Dumpling (http://www.chickenanddumpling.net/). The bridge pick-up is really phenomenal for alternating patterns. The neck pick-up has the depth and power for great slow blues. I am attaching a photo of me playing her (Bettina) at a gig. I get a lot of compliments on the artwork. All in all, I could not be happier.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone PJ 34″, Clearcoat finish, US-eligible White Flowers body art
Alana Alberg, Brazil –
“The feeling of power in your hands.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone JJ 34″
Ludwig, Germany –
“Incredible Sound, good handling, beautiful design, high quality materials – altogether: good work BITE-Guitars and thank you for this beautiful bass!”
Jawbone PJ 34″, Black Blast finish, Red Tiger body art
Bernhard, Germany –
“Great instrument and super smooth experience configuring it. The team was super responsive and supportive! Will for sure buy again… looking for 5 strings… ;-)”
Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
Martin Særmark-Thomsen, Denmark –
“I have owned several basses in the same or higher price range. None of them added anything to my playing, so I kept browsing between my 20+ cheap, mainly stock Squier basses.
Then I took a chance and took a BITE. Every time I pick it up it scares me 🙂
It sounds amazing. Every little detail in the sound is very well articulated. Just by changing your playing style – or adjusting with the controls (which actually works throughout) – it’s possible to get the tone and expression you want for any genre.
And it is a very easily played instrument. Effortlessly, with no strain on your hands, you can get clear harmonics, thumpy lows, growling snaring snaps or loads of slappe-di-plucke-di-slap. Every time I play it other band members, fellow bass players or guests notice the sound and the spot-on balance in the mix.
The craftmanship is excellent, and easily exceed what I have experienced on way higher priced brands. No gaps, loose components, rough fits of shortcuts. Just amazing craftmanship and assembly. Even after travelling 1000 km (measured in a straight line) the setup was flawless.
On top of that, the dialogue with BITE was top class.”
Jawbone JJ 34″
Mr. T, Norway –
“Great experience overall. The configurator is brilliant and the ordering process easy. Friendly and service-minded, fast delivery, “bullet-proof” packaging. The instrument is flawless, beautiful and very smooth (comfortable with great playability). The Bite pickups are outstanding – very powerful. Highly recommended!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″, Clearcoat finish
Bram, Netherlands –
“Awesome bass, superb playability, great service.”
Jawbone PJ 34″
Dirk K., Germany –
“I advise to buy one 😉!”
C 1: Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
C 2: Hipshot D-tuner
Stan the man, Australia –
“The bass guitar is exceptional, compared to others in our collection the build quality is first rate – as good as Carvin, better than ESP custom shop, leaves fender and gibson in the dust.
Only 2 guitars I would recommend to a serious buyer – A second hand Carvin or Bite.
We will be back for more.”
Jawbone PJ 34″
The Max, Austria –
“Smooth, powerful, punchy. Simply great!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone JJ 34″
cay33, Canada –
“Lead time was 3 weeks, I got my Jawbone 2 months ago. The bass arrived completely wrapped in thick foam inside a thick box with add-on pieces of cardboard protectors inside. The bass was flawless, not a single fingerprint on the hardware. I own an Ibanez, Sadowsky, Lakland, and Miller, sold my Fenders years ago. I haven’t seen anything liek the Bite level of accuracy and neatness before.
I took off the scratchplate and did a continuity test , connected several shield spots and ground joints. The highest reading was 24 ohms, not kohms but ohms! Just what kind of shielding paint you guys apply is beyond me. No wonder there is not the faintest noise to be heard from this bass. The Bite tone itself beats everything that hangs on my wall or was hanging on my wall. This is the one bass that I will run back into the house to save come flood or wildfire.”
Punch 34″
LocoMoto, USA –
“I first noticed the BITE brand through a video. The more I delved into their site, the more fascinating I found their approach to the bass guitar. I built my bass online, a short time later they sent me a mail announcing dispatch, it came with stunning pictures of my bass, the bass arrived, I unbox it, tune it, plug it and find the sound hard to believe.
I play it every day and have not found single flaw, this brand is waaay underrated, could charge 3 times their prices.”
Punch 34″, 1/2 inch forward pickup position
Al, UK –
“Those BITE videos on youtube really do represent their true sound. Just incredible! I own many other bass brands. My BITE outpunches them all.”
Jawbone JJ 34″, 1 inch forward neck pickup position
Elio Fiorillo, Italy –
“To me, the most important thing in an instrument is his playability and overall comfort, and this bass has plenty of it. Strings never feel stiff, the neck has the right space between the strings and the neck is easy to fret, while (or because) it has a thicker D shape. Personally I prefer that, because I never fret the notes with my thumb, and that’s almost the only reason to have a slimmer shape for me. The bass isn’t heavy, its weight is standard/light and the body is smaller than the norm. This, compared to bigger basses like my semihollow bass, give away some support for the right arm, tough is only a really minor incovenience and only when you finger right under the neck (wich is out of fashion but I like). But again, it is only matter of getting accustomated to and is a good trade off for less weight and price.
The second most important thing is sound, and output levels: I prefer higher output basses because I always lean towards fingering stronger than I should and this bass has an impressive output, wich really helps me playing lighter. It also helps with effects, like envelope filters, overdrives and flangers. And the sound itself is really defined. I use the bass 99% of the time with the pickup wired in series and the result is dark, yet roaring and really powerful and punchy in the lower/groove register. The higher register really seems like it sings, it amazes me. I want to specify that notes sounded really “full bodied” also in the high register.
Regarding durability, everything seems made to last. With appropriate care and handling, I foresee to keep and play this bass for at least the next twenty years without issues, and I really hope so.
Regarding aestethics, it is a nice looking bass. I love the colors and the bitten head, woods looks very nice too. I’ve chosen to have my signature lasered on the body, and that for me it’s “that thing” that turns me on. Like it’s Elio’s bass, and that’s it. A signature look and sound.
The price was good too. I can’t afford very much and this was the chance to have something designed my way (simple things that usually are never put togheter in the same basses) paying less than more famous options that , tough with similar quality, would have been a sort of compromise in terms of features.
Would I buy another one? Hell yeah, but mostly a 5-er or a fretless, because this one is so versatile I can do whatever I want with it.
My bass is a 4 string Punch model, with black locust fretboard, the wider neck choice with dots, an humbucker in bridge position and a 4 way switch between pickup in series / neck only / parallel / bridge only. The body is caramel and the pickguard is tortoise red, non matching head and the body has my signature lasered on it.”
Punch PH 34″
Pino Palladino, UK, USA –
“Looks really cool and there’s an interesting story to the instrument. Thank you !”
BITE is thrilled that this bass has found its way into the collection of Pino Palladino.
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
34″ Punch P Wherever-I-Lay-My-Hat Fretless
KOEPPE, Germany –
“Fat and clear sound!
Superb playability!
Excellent craftsmanship and quality!
Great service!
https://www.facebook.com/Doc-Roberts-114998035247769”
Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
James C, USA –
“Met my expectations for sure!!
I love that bass. No issues whatsoever. Top notch craftsmanship and assembly. The setup was perfect even after shipping.
I’d order another from Bite without reservation. I will definitely (and have already) recommend the Bite brand in the future.
Solid product, love it!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Reverse Punch 34″
JonRo, USA –
“I just wanted to update you and say hello. After all these months of lockdown, I started playing with a local blues band. It’s mainly rehearsals for now, but playing music live with other musicians is the important thing. Anyway, I’ve been playing my Bite P-P exclusively for all the rehearsals and want to reiterate how much I enjoy it. I mostly use it on either the neck P pickup or in serial mode, which, as you know, ads some nice low-end thunder to the mix. Great sound and no batteries to change 🙂 I hope that all is well with you.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
White Knight PP 34″
J.C., USA –
“I love that bass. No issues whatsoever. Top notch craftsmanship and assembly. The setup was perfect even after shipping. I’d order another from Bite without reservation. I will definitely (and have already) recommend the Bite brand in the future. Solid product, love it!”
Julien de Kermadec, Canada –
“The bass is home and it is superb! From finish to sound, it’s exactly what I was looking for. The fretboard is fast and easy and the light body is very well balanced. My bandmates were really impressed by the bass too! Thank you for everything, it was a pleasure doing business with you and please give my warm regards to your whole team!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Caption Julien 2: Punch 34″, Black Steampunk body art on Black Blast finish
Jack, Armenia, Egypt –
“The band loves the bass, I love your pickups!”
C: Special Jawbone PJJ Black Steampunk: 3 pickups, 6 controls, 11 onboard circuit options
Laurie, USA –
“I wanted for you to know how much I love my new Bite! Thank you all very much.”
Caption: Reverse Punch, US-eligible artwork
Alex, Hong Kong –
“I collected it yesterday and had a chance to play it this morning. No issues so far, everything is fine.
Thanks for following up. I am looking forward to playing it this afternoon when I have a session with my band.”
Punch 34″
Gerhard, Germany –
“Stunningly beautiful, broad sound spectrum, cuts through the band mix, incredible output level, needs no booster, no compressor.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone PJJ 34″ with Steampunk body art and 11 selectable sound configurations
Stephan, Germany –
“The bass has landed safely, looks killer, is well-crafted, feels terrific, is set up perfectly, is exremely well playable and sounds wonderfully rocky-snotty (on my MarkBass combo). Looking forward to what the band will say at our next rehearsal. Thanks again for this beautiful instrument, the uncomplicated ordering process and your personal service.”
Jawbone JJ 34″
Alex, Germany –
“I’m definitely happy with this bass, even more than happy. It was set up perfectly on delivery and it beats any other P bass if you ask me, and moreover I could even design it myself.”
Punch P 34″
JS, USA –
“I received it on Friday and I love it. Great bass!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Reverse Punch 34″, pickup position full inch forward
D.F., USA –
“The bass has arrived! No customs issues. Arrived safely, packaging all in good condition, contents all secure.
It looks fantastic, I’m letting it acclimatize to its new surroundings before tuning up and trying out. Superficially (balance, action) it feels great.
Thanks for your communications during the process.”
Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
P & L, Denmark –
“We’re very happy about this bass!”
Jawbone PJ 34″
Alberto Rigoni, Italy –
“Super versatile bass, sounds amazing!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone JPJ White & Black Dragon
Adam Phillips, Canada –
“I love my Bite bass. Having my bass built was an easy process. They helped me pick out a neck that best suited me. I play it all the time, and recommend it to any bass player looking for a bass that not only sounds great, but has great playability – Adam.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
https://www.facebook.com/bassplayersunited/
Jawbone JJ 34″
Davide, Italy –
“For years I thought I had a very good bass, but then my new BITE arrived, and blew me away: the quality and playability for a custom built instrument in this price range are simply astounding. My other bass rarely even comes out of its case these days. I have also received compliments from everyone who’s tried or even just seen it.
Keep up the great work, and if possible keep on adding new configuration options!”
Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
OJB, Germany –
“Wonderful sounding bass. Very cool look and nice handling.”
Punch 34″
Rikk, Japan –
“Great sound, comfort neck , powerful pup. Thank you for the wonderful bass ! Tons of options, what else you want? Go order NOW!”
Reverse Punch 34″
Renaud Camiglieri, France –
“I ordered a bass from Bite, they kept me informed of the whole process by email. A passionate team, they sent me a bass which became my main bass! Not a buzz, an extra tone, super efficient pickups, a great neck, in short a great job.
Just a remark, why no hardcase? I would have agreed to pay him more!
I hope you will have other models with 24 fret necks, active with the same bass generator system!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone PJ 34″
BITE Guitars –
Thank you for raising this question. It is true that we do not actively offer a hardcase in our shop. Instead we offer a very solid and well-padded softcase which we found to be more protective even. However, we have also sent out a number of basses in hardcases to customers who asked for it. Upon request we are happy to offer a hardcase from our standard brand or source any case you prefer from Thomann or other supplier.
Please be aware that a hardcase does not fit into our standard shipping box, so it will increase shipping costs outside the European Union, every inch counts. Generally speaking, we ship insured and carry the risk of damage or loss until delivery to your doorstep. Our standard packaging has proved to be very reliable, we have sent basses all around the world up to Australia and not had a single case of damage or loss to date.
Martin Kannekens, Netherlands –
“It’s a super bass!
Great sound and superb playability. I enjoy playing it every day. I hardly touch my other guitars anymore.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Punch 34″
Jan, Switzerland –
“I’m absolutely happy with my Bite Custom Bass. Not so heavy, not so big and awesome sound and feeling……
Btw. my Bass has a wonderful printed pickguard……
I would like to have a Bite 5-String too…..
I even let Bite decide the color of my bass body, thanks for the decision ;-)”
Jawbone JJ 34″
Dec, UK –
“Quality build with my chosen spec.
Plays a dream”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Punch 34″
Subham Bhattacharya, UK, India –
“When I heard of Bite it was the middle of the covid-19 pandemic in 2020. I have always been a fan of the Fender like bass design however I have never owned a Fender(not even a Squier) and I don’t think I will ever own one now. I was planning of getting one when I heard of Bite bass and they made my life easier. I can have PJ config on a J bass body how can you even beat that?
The components are absolutely top notch. The pickups can easily hold their ground against my other bass with Barts. However the simplicity of this bass takes the cherry. Just plug and play…the pickups us almost noiseless (the P pickup is silent, J pickup has a very very faint noise which is absolutely acceptable).
My only complaint is that they didn’t come up with a 5 string option at that time. Well I got my grail bass which I intend to pass to my grandson/granddaughter when the time comes.
Bite bass# 101575.”
Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
Joerg, Austria –
“Nice people, good quality build, great playability and killer sound. If I had enough space at home, I would for sure order another one. Thank you bite guitars!! A++”
Punch 34″
Simon, Austria –
“Love my BITE PP, outstanding build quality, fast and friendly. thank you!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Punch PP 34″, demo video
Steve, USA –
“Bite technical assistance during design and ordering of my bass was great. Quality and workmanship of bass was excellent. Great neck, thunderous output. Concerns – the pickup switch (i.e. knob) started making noise when switching. Cleaning it made no improvement. Tone pot hardly makes any change in tone, and seems to be getting worse (i.e turning the knob makes very little, if any change in tone. A different size capacitor might help. My plan is to change out all of the electronics.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Punch H 34″, US-eligible artwork
BITE Guitars –
Our basses are subject to full statutory warranty. Steve’s bass has a BITE humbucker in the neck position, this means 2x1000mV high-output single coils in humbucking series mode, in other words really hot. We were careful to keep the sound well-defined, maybe a bit too well for Steve’s taste and amp setup. We offered to send him custom-tailored replacement electronics free of charge.
Leonardo, Switzerland –
“I’m so happy I bought it!! Sound is terrific! and look is great. I’m seriously thinking to get a five strings for Xmas!
Thanks guys you are doing a great job!”
Jawbone Reverse PJ 34″
Florentin, Romania –
“Amazing pickups and excellent customer service ! Thank you so much”
BITE 1000mV Single Coil Pickups
David Bueso, Spain –
“I am the proud owner of the Heartbeat Bite bass and I am delighted with the amazing quality of the instrument, both construction and sound wise. It plays wonderfully, it is light, it has an amazing tone that cuts perfectly through the mix and the looks are gorgeous.
Regarding Bite as a company, same flavour: they offer a great support that makes deciding the build and the ordering process a really easy thing to do. They pay a great attention even to the smaller details to ensure that the bass they build is just the bass you are expecting, and it ends up being even better!
Best custom bass you can get for the money, period!”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Punch H 34″
Ricardo Mestre, Portugal –
“You need to be an experienced bass player to appreciate all the details that make a Bite bass such a fantastic instrument.
I’ve been a bass player since 1994 – before ordering my JJ Bite bass, I’ve played a Rickenbacker 4001 (since 1995) and an SX Jazz bass since 2010.
My Jawbone (JJ) Bite bass is exactly what I thought I would get, but even better.
Neck? Amazingly fast, comfortable, no sticky finish that would slow you down.
Pickups? Please make yourself a favor and listen to a demo of the sounds of the J Bite pickup. It’s loud AND clear. Usually, when you increase the output of a pickup, the definition (clearness, focus, detail) goes out the window. Goodbye highs, hello low mids. If you try to add those lost highs through EQ, it doesn’t sound natural at all – it will sound harsh because you can’t put those back.
Why do I need a higher output? – you may ask yourself. Because the louder the signal is, the less you need to add gain. When you add gain, the noise will be amplified too!
A common ailment to such a problem is using active pickups. But when you use active pickup, the woodiness, the natural character of your bass is gone.
With the Bite pickups, you have the clarity, definition, focus, the BITE (hence the name). Clear as bass, punchy, articulate.
The body: Light! Surprisingly light, which is achieved by the use of cavities. That, together with a fantastic neck, make it one of my go to basses. And I have 8.
Bottom line: If you care about your instrument being top notch, with no added frills for the sake of looking expensive, such as exotic wood tops, do yourself a favor and configure a BITE bass down to the tiny details. If you are set on buying a Wal or a Fodera for 9 times the price of a Bite bass, why are you reading this review? :)”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone JJ 34″
F. van der Haar, Netherlands –
“I love the way you can customize your own bass, the website works fantastic, contact with Bite was swift, accurate and friendly and above all: the Bite bass looks, plays and sounds fantastic. I am not a fulltime bassplayer, mostly I play the guitar. I took it to rehearsals with some bass players and they were amazed by the looks and the sound, playability, the way it cuts through the mix and overall the price-quality balans.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone JJ 34″
Alex, USA –
“I was lucky enough to win my Bite Custom Bass in an online giveaway. After spending some quality time with it, here are my impressions:
I went a little over the top with my aesthetic options, but why not? That was part of the fun, and with a ton of customization options, I figure you might as well go for it. I’m really happy with the result. It’s really pretty and unique.
I went with the J style neck and P “Punch” bass body. It’s a full scale 34” neck with a 1.5” nut. It has an oil, low-gloss finish and is honestly one of the best feeling necks I’ve ever played. I’ve got the action dialed in pretty low, where I like it (courtesy of the high-mass Gotoh brass bridge).
It came set up well, but I didn’t love the La Bella flats that were on it. I switched to my usual Earnie Ball cobalt flats that are a slightly lighter gauge on the E and A, so gave it a quick adjustment, which was easy to do. The fretboard is black locust, which is a sustainable rosewood substitute, and the feel is basically identical to rosewood.
The body is incredibly light and it’s scaled down slightly from a traditional P body, which I like a lot. It’s easy on my back and easy to play. The finish is good quality. It’s hard and doesn’t seem prone to scratching.
The split coil P pickup is super high output (1000mv). Even though it’s passive, they recommend using active settings on an amp because of this. However, I find that sucks the oomph out. Maybe turn the gain down, but just a hair. I get a lot more volume out of it than my Fender P with normal, medium output pickups, but it’s not overly trebly or distorted due to the high output. I really like the tone. It’s definitely got a good growl, but also a very clean, even, and ballanced tone across frequencies. It definitely cuts through the mix and I think I like it better than the Steve Harris pickup I put in my other P.
Bottom line, I am really falling in love with this bass. It has become my new #1. I still can’t believe I won it.”
http://www.modernstrangers.com/
http://deathbots.s3-website.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Jawbone PJ 34″
Matthieu, France –
“The bass: great looking (blue Halstatt finish), light weight (bit of a neck dive when unstrapped on the lap), and an easy neck. The pickups are doing a good job, strong signal and nice sounding. When played unplugged, the sound is already present with a nice resonance.
The customer service: fast, courteous and efficient.”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Punch PJ 34″
Hannes, Austria –
“- best powerful pickups on the market
– outstanding tone
– ergonomic (lightweight, no neck dive)
– great value for money
– sustainable product
No regrets.
Love my Bite Punch”
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
Mark King, Level 42, UK –
“The bass is lovely and set up perfectly, thanks guys!! 👍😊”
BITE is thrilled that this bass has found its way into the collection of Level 42 legend Mark King.
Click for full specs, price & availability information.
34″ Jawbone JJ Black Blast with rendered graphic artwork, seamless across all surface levels: body, pickguard, control plate and pickups