LOCAL musician John Mackenzie received an unexpected Christmas present last week when his bass guitar, lovingly crafted at a workshop near Innerleithen, received international acclaim.

The five-string instrument, built by Frank Usher, was featured as Bass of the Week by the world’s largest online magazine for bass enthusiasts.

“It was quite a feeling to have photographs of my beloved bass being shared by thousands of aficionados,” said John who lives at Blyth Bridge and works as an IT technician at Peebles High.

The bass, with its distinctive spalted beech body, maple neck and ebony fingerboard, was selected for the accolade by the US-based Best Bass Gear website.

“It’s been my pride and joy for many years and I felt it was time to let the wider world know about it,” explained John, 63.

The bass was, in fact, a Christmas present for John from his son and daughter in 1999.

And John had no hesitation in giving the commission to his friend Frank who builds guitars in his studio at The Glen.

“Frank is probably best known as a superb guitarist, locally with the Border Boogie Band and across the world with ex Marillion frontman Fish and the late, great John Martyn,” explained John.

“But he is also a hugely gifted woodworker and maker of instruments, every one of which is absolutely unique.

“I already had a fretless four-string Fender Precision, but I wanted to expand to five strings and have some frets for a change.

“I chose the wood from Frank’s locally-sourced stock, but gave him free rein to create the instrument which has since been borrowed by several bass players coming from abroad to play gigs in this country.

“It is also used extensively in recording studios because of its fantastic sound and in video shoots because it is just so photogenic.” John’s bass has a Kent Armstrong soapbar multi-tap pickup, passive electronics, Boron machine heads and custom-made controls.