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Bass Dynamics Brings Brazilian
Basses to U.S.
“Similar to the Hair Club for Men, I’m the
owner and a user.”
JUNE 2009 MMR 85
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D’Alegria was founded in January 2003 in
Rio de Janeiro by partners Daniel Alegria
and Rodrigo Werneck, and Carrothers ordered
two basses sight unseen.
He waited
four months for their arrival. “When they
arrived I waited about a week before opening
the boxes for fear of being disappointed.
I plugged them in and they have been
the easiest basses I’ve ever played.”
The next step was forming Bass
Dynamics, with the purpose of selling D’Alegria basses in North America.
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Based in Charlotte, N.C., it is currently
the typical family organization with Carrothers
getting help from not only wife
Valerie, but also twin 13-year-old daughters,
Jasmine and Janey.
In 2006 he trekked to the NAMM show
as a visitor with his two basses in toe. By
chance he shared a flight with Ricky McKinney
of the Blind Boys of Alabama, and
soon a D’Alegria bass was in the hands of
the band’s bass player, Trae Pierce. Pierce
became their first endorsee. “In addition
to meeting the Blind Boys, I lucked out and
met Shawn Whitley with Epifani Custom
Sound,” explains Carrothers. That led to
a meeting with Nick Ephifani, and before
long, Carrothers was playing the basses in
their booth that year. “That was a big boost,
and Shawn gave me some pointers for doing
my business.”
Though new to the industry, Carrothers
has a clear understanding that many
have come before him and faltered. But
his uncompromising belief in the product
fuels him. Carrothers states, “At the
2007 NAMM show, pretty much every
bass player that came by said that the
basses were the best at the show in terms
of looks and playability. I describe them
as the way basses used to be made. By the
time a player gets to the level of wanting
a custom bass, our value in terms of price
and accessibility is another edge.”
Part of the appeal is the green aspect
of the instruments. “With the Amazon
Rain forest as a backdrop, Brazilians
have been at the forefront of the green
revolution given the interdependence
of the land and people. The diversity of
plant species is the highest on earth with
some experts estimating that one square
kilometer may contain over 75,000
types of trees and 150,000 species of
higher plants.
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D’Alegria’s hand crafted
basses use selected indigenous certified
woods from Brazil that provide unique
sound qualities, while being respective
of nature that the provides woods.”
At this past NAMM show, he brought over
a dozen four-, five-, and six-string basses
in a variety of colors. The show went well
for him, he said, and he looks forward to
continuing building his company in the
future (which is also including a new line
of clothing called BrotherMan Bass Gear,
aimed toward the bass enthusiast).
Carrothers continues to establish dealer
relationships, having already made arrangements
with two top bass shops in the U.S.,
and is in conversations with getting some of
the instruments in selected Sam Ash stores.
“By the nature of the product, this is not a
mass produced bass. There is a comfort level
that can be supplied without losing quality
and that is what we shoot for.”
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