EXPLORING THE LIMITED EDITION LAURA LEE JAZZ BASS

“My preferred sound is peanut butter. It’s my favorite tone.” This evocative and inventive assertion could only come from Laura Lee, the utterly unique bass player and vocalist for the beloved Houston trio Khruangbin.

Khruangbin, which means "airplane" in Thai, is unafraid to traverse great musical distances in the span of a single song, and is never earthbound by conventional expectations. Lee, alongside guitarist Mark Speer and drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson have shared the stage with fellow far-flung musical travelers like Leon Bridges and Trey Anastasio and have seen their audience swell to new heights in recent years, even as their exhilarating genre mash-ups become ever more ambitious. They've been featured at festivals from Glastonbury to Austin and in 2024 were nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best New Artist.

So much of Khruangbin’s distinctive sound is the result of Laura Lee’s warm, propulsive basslines, so when we partnered with her to create her signature, Limited Edition Jazz Bass, we wanted to replicate her tone and style to the last detail. This involved reproducing her blend of retro and modern, which includes specific touches like a classic vintage white finish and stunning chrome appointments. Her J Bass also comes loaded with DiMarzio® Hum-Canceling Ultra Jazz™ pickups and vintage-style concentric volume controls. This eye-catching model also has a Custom “U”-shape neck topped with a rosewood fingerboard with a 9.5” radius and 21 jumbo frets for the same comfortable feel of Laura’s original bass.

“We’ve been trying to cultivate our music to be classic in the sense of being timeless,” Lee explains. “The look and feel of this instrument feels that way to me. It’s the simplicity and approachability of this bass that allows me to be playful and find my voice.”

Check out the video above to hear Lee talk about her bass as well as the mindset that has made Khruangbin one of the contemporary music scene's most soaring and sought-after entities. You can learn more about the Limited Edition Laura Lee Jazz Bass (and get one for yourself) here. If you’d like to check out our entire Khruangbin Collection – which includes the Limited Edition Mark Speer Stratocaster – head here.