Adamovic Basses Katana 6 Custom Ebony

Adamovic Katana 6 Custom Ebony

The Adamovic Katana 6 Custom

This is the Katana 6 from Adamovic, out of Haarlem in the Netherlands. Moreover, it’s not one off the wall. We specced this Adamovic Katana 6 Custom together with Nikola Adamovic himself, from the woods to the electronics. It weighs 4.38 kilos, which is fair for a 6-string with an ebony top.

Why the Adamovic Katana exists

The Katana came from Adamovic’s own customers. They asked for a modern bass with a warm, clean and articulate tone and a fast response. In addition, they wanted something for chords, melody and demanding material, not only for holding down the root.

Therefore Adamovic went for a shorter scale, a narrower string spacing and an extended fingerboard. Furthermore, the body has the X-ergo carve from their flagship, the Halo. In short, it’s a bass built to be played all over the neck.

Body, Neck & Woods

Ebony top on mahogany

The first thing I notice is the top. It’s ebony, dark with light brown streaks running across the body. In fact, the block inlays on the fingerboard match those light streaks, and the headstock is faced in the same wood.

Underneath is a mahogany back, with a black veneer between the body and the top. Mahogany gives a warm, round low end. Ebony, on the other hand, adds a firm attack and clarity. As a result, you get warmth and definition at the same time.

Moreover, the back is hand-carved with Adamovic’s X-ergo shaping. Basically, the body hugs you, so the bass stays where you put it. Finally, the catalyzed oil finish feels like wood, not plastic.

Neck and greenheart fingerboard

The neck is ash, guariuba and maple, made from Adamovic’s own aged, straight-grained neck blanks. A 6-string neck has a lot of tension to deal with. Consequently, a stiff laminated neck like this one is a big plus. In addition, there’s a 2-way truss rod and an angled headstock with a volute.

The fingerboard is greenheart, which we chose instead of the standard ebony. It’s rounded, and the frets are dressed inside the edges. Therefore the neck feels played-in from day one. Also, inlaid edge markers keep you on track.

The Adamovic Katana 6-string numbers

This is where the Adamovic Katana 6 Custom is different. First, the 33″ scale puts the frets a bit closer together than on a 34″ or 35″ bass. As a result, stretches and chord shapes get easier.

Second, the spacing at the bridge is 17 mm, so your right hand doesn’t travel far across six strings. Finally, the fingerboard goes all the way to 27 frets, and Adamovic reshaped the horn and treble side so you can actually get up there.

Electronics, Sound & Feel

Bassbars instead of the RampbarXL

The Katana normally comes with Adamovic’s RampbarXL, a pickup that doubles as a big ramp. However, on this one we went for a pair of Adamovic Bassbars, the same humbuckers the RampbarXL houses.

Therefore your plucking hand is free. For example, dig in near the bridge for a tight attack, or move towards the neck for a rounder note.

Glockenklang 3-band preamp

The preamp is a Glockenklang 3-band EQ. On a 6-string, the mid control is the important one. For instance, pull the mids back and your chords stay clear instead of muddy. On the other hand, push them, and single-note lines jump forward in the mix.

The five ebony knobs are volume, balance, bass, mid and treble. Basically, the bass works around 40 Hz, the mid around 550 Hz and the treble way up at 18 kHz. In addition, there’s an active/passive switch for when the room or the song asks for a passive sound. In passive mode, the treble knob works as a classic tone control.

Hardware and what’s in the case

The bridge is a Hipshot A-style, adjustable three ways. Moreover, Hipshot Ultralite tuners keep the headstock light, which helps the balance on a 6-string. Likewise, Schaller Security Locks keep the strap where it belongs.

Furthermore, it comes with a hard case, warranty, tools and a certificate.

Who is the Adamovic Katana for?

All in all, this is a bass for the player who uses all six strings for chords, harmony and melody. In fact, we really dig how easy Adamovic made a 6-string feel. If you want to compare, have a look at all our basses. So, what’s not to like?