The name NAVIGATOR stems from Marco De Virgiliis's passion for the scientist Enrico Fermi and his place in the history of physics. When Enrico Fermi heated the first atomic pile, named CP-1, the American president was informed via a coded message: "The Italian navigator has just landed in the New World." Our Navigator F1 bass was born in honor of Enrico Fermi and his legacy.

For this instrument, we designed an original body shape that optimizes the pickups and their positioning. We used exclusively Val di Fiemme spruce wood to create an ultra-light, ultra-resonant, and unique instrument. All our instruments in the F1 range – inspired by Formula 1 – are high-end instruments crafted using a traditional, artisanal process, with no compromise on sound or quality.

Features

HIGH-QUALITY INSTRUMENTS, HANDCRAFTED MANUFACTURING PROCESS

• With top-notch construction, these instruments are not just a series of basses; they are another chapter proudly showcasing Markbass quality. The care and attention to detail lavished on each bass are rooted in our handcrafted process—a nod to the Italian lute-making tradition—blended with the constant innovation and passion we bring to all our products.

REMARKABLE SOUND ENHANCED BY MARKBASS ELECTRONICS/PICKUPS

• The NAVIGATOR F1 bass delivers the remarkable sound you'd expect from a high-end bass, enhanced by our exclusive Markbass electronics. These electronics provide the clearest frequencies for a truly powerful sound—simple, intuitive, and effective even at extreme settings, with no volume change when switching between passive and active modes. The Markbass P and HB pickups, along with their positions, were chosen to offer a wide range of tonal options, from the punchy split-coil P to the fat humbucker in the bridge position, which can be split to single-coil for more J-style tones, and everything in between.

EXCLUSIVE VAL DI FIEMME SPRUCE BODY WITH AN ORIGINAL SHAPE

• For our NAVIGATOR F1 basses, we exclusively use Val di Fiemme spruce, not only because it is locally sourced in Italy, but also because of its unparalleled characteristics that result in truly unique instruments. We have created an original, ergonomic, and balanced body shape with maximum access even to the highest frets. And while it's not a standard industrial shape, it still retains elements of familiar styles that most bassists will appreciate.

LIGHTNESS AND TONE

• When you hold a NAVIGATOR F1 bass in your hands, you immediately notice its lightness. Stradivari recognized the importance of Val di Fiemme spruce not only for its beautiful resonance and elasticity for bowed instruments, but also for its low weight. You will first be amazed by its lightness as soon as you hold the bass, and then again when you play and listen to its distinctive sound, which is exceptional even when unplugged.

MARKBASS EQUIPMENT: NO COMPROMISE!

• Marco De Virgiliis's preferences, along with the Markbass philosophy, drive us to always strive for original parts. This applies to the majority of the hardware on our instruments, from tuners and bridges to Mark strings. Most of the hardware consists of original "Made in Italy" parts, as well as carefully selected, high-quality additional components.

Specifications

• SERIES: F1 NAVIGATOR
• STRINGS: 4 STRINGS
• HEAD: Mark Double Shape Matching
• HANDLE: Hard maple | Comfortable C-profile
• FINGERBOARD: Rosewood, 20 frets | 34″ Dots Scale
• BODY: VAL DI FIEMME SPRUCE (ORIGINAL NAVIGATOR SHAPE DESIGN)
• STRING SPACING: 19 mm / 4 strings
• MICROPICKUP / ELECTRONICS: Markbass P/HB (splittable) microphones
• MB Instrument PRE | 9V | Active - Passive
• COLORS: Tobacco Sunburst
• CARRYING BAG: MB Bass Bag De Luxe (included)