Time Machine Bass

This bass was sold in early 2020 and 100% proceeds were donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (a natural fit because of the Back to the Future movies). Specifications, videos and photos of the bass are included below. Although the bass was very much inspired by the BTTF films, there are no direct references to the films or Delorean in any of the materials or on the bass itself. We even changed the 1.21 gigawatt warning on the back to say 1.22 gigawatts. We would love to be able to call it the Back to the Future bass, but out of respect for copyrights, trademarks, etc we simply call it the time machine bass.

This 3 minute video with Steve & Richard Doner on WGN TV covers the time machine bass and goes a little beyond that.

The bass was purchased by Arend Raby in May 2020. He works at Sweetwater, so we completed the transaction there.

Arend recorded this short video the evening after picking up the bass.

Billy Sheehan, perhaps the best rock bass player of all time, was gracious enough to do a quick demo of the Time Machine Bass at Sweetwater's Gearfest in 2019.

Those unfamiliar with Billy Sheehan can see him in action in this music video of the Winery Dogs Song entitled Time Machine which contains a great bass solo.

The song came out before our bass did, but we suppose it's possible that Billy traveled through time to name the song after the bass.

The photos below start with the early brainstorming stages and continue through the present.

Professional Photography, Courtesy of Sweetwater Sound

We used the images below to make posters. Feel free to copy but please credit Doner Designs.

Demo Videos

In Process Slideshow and Photos

How to Use the Controls and How to Change & Charge Batteries

Why did we choose the distinctive Iceman bass body shape?

To paraphrase Doc Brown, we figured if you're going to build a time machine into a guitar, why not do it with some style? :-)

Additional photos of the time machine bass, both before and after completion, are available on our Facebook page and these Talkbass threads as well as on Instagram and Twitter.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/nbd-time-machine-bass.1381365/

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/time-machine-bass-project-build-thread.1170639/

http://www.facebook.com/donerdesigns .

Links to articles and interviews about Doner Designs with an emphasis on the time machine bass include:

General Interest News

https://wgntv.com/morning-news/back-to-the-future-inspired-guitars-provides-unique-guitars-for-charity/

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200609/constable-great-scott-suburban-father-and-son-build-back-to-the-future-guitar

https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130911/news/709119602/

https://967theeagle.net/illinois-family-creates-back-to-the-future-themed-guitar/

http://www.wicz.com/story/42221805/doner-designs-completes-charity-sale-of-time-machine-bass-guitar

Music Industry

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/great-scott-meet-the-time-machine-a-breathtakingly-detailed-back-to-the-future-themed-bass