History of AV Basses

In the latter half of the 1990s, while an active musician in a Zlin (Czech Republic) band, I played an off-the-shelf bass guitar with a ‘PJ’ pickup configuration. This bass served me well, but I started searching for an instrument that would better satisfy my growing demands in tone and playability, as well as visual appeal. None of the mass produced instruments from the big manufacturers suited my needs so I set about getting a custom bass built to my exact specifications. I played a significant role in the creation of my new instrument, and taking part in the development and build process opened up new horizons for me. Afterwards I decided to build my own bass guitar and this gave rise to AV Basses.

Since 1999 I have been building bass guitars according to my own designs, and have experimented greatly with different types of wood, construction methods (such as bolt on and neck-through-body designs), hardware, electronics and body-finishing.

In 2004 I received an order to make instruments for an American store selling boutique basses - instruments from lesser-known makers around the world. I also worked on their own model as an OEM supplier, and have had similar arrangements with two companies in France.

Since 2005 there has been a growing number of discerning AV Basses instrument owners around the world, with sales to the USA, UK, Costa Rica and New Zealand, as well as throughout mainland Europe.

Working in conjunction with Furch Guitars, I have displayed my instruments at various trade fairs -the largest being Musikmesse in Frankfurt.

In the autumn of 2010, an inspiring collaboration developed between AV Basses and the brilliant Irish bassist Keith Duffy (The Corrs, Moya Brennan). This collaboration led to a whole new concept of instruments that today forms an essential part of AV Basses production – the AVP and AVJ series.

Keith desired an instrument that would meet his strict tonal requirements, playability demands, and producer criteria. This concept emphasizes a robust traditional tone and time-proven aesthetic curves, which we have enriched with modern construction features and a stable fifth string (Low B). Our approach brings completely redesigned body ergonomics, a deeply recessed bolt-on neck joint for better access to the higher frets, an optimized neck profile, and top-tier hardware and pickups, making these models distinctive high-end instruments for modern stages. This model has undergone intense testing in the studio, during live performances, and in giant global music arenas.

Another prominent musician who subsequently contributed to the development was Paul Turner of the British band Jamiroquai. The instrument I built for him combines traditional construction with an added bridge pickup and independent volume and tone controls for each pickup. For Paul, the key was precise fine-tuning of a specific, very slim, and fast neck profile based on his personal preferences and touring habits. Thanks to this collaboration with world-renowned musicians, it was just a short step to creating the 4-string versions of these models, catering to bassists who rely on traditional sound paired with uncompromising hand craftsmanship.

Today AV Basses are played by many professional bassists around the world including, amongst others, Bob Glaub, Jota Vega, Keny Suvanto, Joe Csibi, Jerry Meehan, Jon Pold and Cícero Lee. In the Czech Republic, noted players of AV Basses are Michael Krásný, Jan Mikulecký and Jan Plášil.