As you can probably guess from the title, Elrick has joined the ranks of MTD and Lakland with a higher-volume, lower-priced bass. The range has its own dedicated website: www.expatnjs.com. I’ve been a long term Elrick user, so I was particularly eager to check out where Rob Elrick is headed with this range.

Elrick have been in production since 1993, and are probably best known for the “Classic” and “e-volution” ranges. The Elrick Expat New Jazz Standard (NJS) model, announced during the NAMM Show, is more traditional in appearance that the wilder extremes of some of the single-cut thru-necks like mine in the rage. Rob oversees the production:

“These basses are not alternatives to my U.S.-made NJS 4- and 5- strings—they are respectable substitutes on par with their U.S. counterparts. That being said, they do have one value-added feature I cannot economically offer on my U.S. basses that is desirable to many electric bass consumers: a paint job.” Says Elrick.

US sourced components include:

• Elrick strings.
• Bartolini pickups and electronics (3 band EQ).
• Hipshot ultra-light tuners and B-style bridge.
• Dunlop Straplok-compatible strap buttons.

Other vital stats include:

• Scale Length of 34″ (for the 4 string) or 35″ (for the 5 string).
• Quarter-sawn ample neck.
• Indian rosewood fretboard.

The Expat NJS is available with a swamp ash body (in natural or amber sunburst finishes), or an alder body (in natural, amber sunburst, antique tobacco sunburst, piano black, or white). Prices start at $1,999 and include an Elrick Zero Gravity ultra-light case.