Tim Lefebvre on His LEH Offset 5-String

Legendary bassist Tim Lefebvre is the newest member of the LEH family! I'm thrilled and he is too. When it comes to bassists, Tim is among the best of the best, and seeing him play my bass at his recent sold-out performances all over the country has been amazing.  

If you know, you know, but for those who don't know, Lefebvre is kind of a big deal. His highly influential playing with David Bowie, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Black Crowes, Wayne Krantz, Elvis Costello, Empire of the Sun, Chris Botti, and many others (seriously, his discography is never ending) has made him one of the greats. His bass lines have graced countless movies and television shows including The Sopranos, 30 Rock, Oceans Twelve, and The Departed. As a producer and session ace, his many recordings have earned Grammy nominations and inspired bassists and musicians all over the world. 

Lefebvre also serves as one of the greatest influencers when it comes to gear (no, not in the Insta-model way). His knowledge and innovative use of pedals, amps, and basses has a wide reach when it comes to low enders, as he is always on the cutting edge of what’s next. That’s why when he recently acquired an LEH Guitars Offset 5-string, I was excited, to say the least. Then seeing him play it during his sold-out performances at the Blue Note, New York alongside drummer Nate Smith and keyboardist Jason Linder was the icing on the cake.

“That bass just absolute killed. There was nothing I threw at it that it didn’t handle perfectly. It was nuts. If you could’ve heard the bass sound in that place, it was just monstrous.” 

When he first approached me, he had a specific vision in mind for his ideal build. Over the course of a few months, we worked closely together to nail down what he wanted.   

“I was really gunning for a rude ass Jazz Bass that wasn’t too modern sounding. That’s pretty much what I brought to the process of conceptualizing this with Ellis and it was a homerun. I went for all of the custom stuff that I like with the Darkglass tone pots and the Lollar pickups, which sound killer. This bass is exactly what I wanted and needed. And it was instantly playable. Done deal.”

The model that we came up with features an Okoume partially chambered body finished in high gloss poly Olympic White, a quartersawn maple fingerboard and neck with black block inlays, finished in a thin matte nitro with thin oil finish on the back of the neck. The bass boasts Lollar Single Coil J pickups in 70’s location, Darkglass faders, Hipshot Ultralite Tuners, and a vintage quick release Bridge. 

“The second I picked it up, this thing felt and sounded exactly how I wanted it to. There are two things that I take into consideration when I first get a bass: how it plays and how it sounds. There was no break-in for this thing whatsoever. I picked it up and was like, okay, gonna use this at my gig tonight. And that’s such a rare thing. Most basses take some time to set up and get in working condition for how I want them. Now I’m bringing this bass to everything.” 

Since he acquired it, it's become his main 5-string, and he’s already used it for numerous performances and sessions. “It records so well in the studio and the overarching thing about it is how usable it is. I got it and used it at my performance that night and I’ve been using it since. It’s a workhorse. There’s no question about it. When I need a Jazz Bass sound, there’s no debating it, this is the one I’m going to lean into. It’s absolutely blown me away.” 

For More on Lefebvre: Click Here & Here