Tony Zemaitis Ronnie Lane Bass

It is our honor at Rumble Seat Music to offer this incredible piece of music history for sale! This instrument was a bass custom built by legendary English luthier Tony Zemaitis for Ronnie Lane of the Faces! Though all of Tony Zemaitis' designed instruments are one-of-a-kind, this stands out as a bass guitar truly unlike any other we’ve ever seen. A chambered body with a neck-thru design, the bass features a six-screw neck plate purely for cosmetics. The hollow chambers on either side of the neck block were stuffed with cotton to eliminate feed back below a laminate wood carved top. The distinctive “Suit of Cards” inlays would become a signature of Ronnie Lane, but this is perhaps the earliest example of that motif on one of his instruments. Both the headstock and end of the fret board are delicately carved into a crown like pattern, perhaps drawing inspiration from mandolins and lutes of the previous century. Every piece of metal, from the pickup surrounds, knobs, tailpiece, even the neck plate and control cavity cover, have been intricately engraved by artist Danny O’brien. This is as much a work of art as it is a unique instrument with an inspiring tone.

The sad loss of Ronnie Lane to Multiple Sclerosis in 1997 makes this instrument even more special; the wear and tear he put on the bass and the music he made with it are his lasting legacy.

 This is just the kind of rock n’ roll artifact we love at Rumble Seat Music and it has been a privilege to offer this one for sale!