Ashdown Unveils Rootmaster EVO Series
Ashdown took to the Winter NAMM show this year to introduce the Rootmaster EVO Range. Building on the Rootmaster series, the EVO range has been streamlined with improved features and a reduction in weight. The Rootmaster preamp now has active and passive inputs to get optimal levels for your bass. Other common features in the line include a 5-band EQ,...
Mo’ Blow: Ricky The Lobster
Tobias Fleischer shared his latest video on our Videos Forum, and it’s a great groove. He lays down some serious low end with his band Mo’ Blow on the track “Ricky The Lobster”. Fleischer’s slap line, which he plays on flatwounds, has everything it needs while having a certain subtlety to keep it in a support role. The song comes...
D’Addario Adapts NYXL Strings For Bass
D’Addario has adapted their NYXL strings to their line of bass products. The new NYXL Bass sets feature the company’s NY Steel core and reformulated nickel-plated wrap wire, which they say offer a more powerful low end, accentuated harmonics, and focused punch. The NY Steel core also adds to the string’s durability and stability, while a new core-to-wrap ratio give...
Bass of the Week: Prat Basses Original I
This week we’re checking out an exquisite Original I by Prat Basses. This particular six-string, built by luthier Oscar Prat, will get Buckeye Burl lovers going with its prime top and matching headstock. The bolt-on bass has a 34-inch scale with a curly maple and walnut neck attached to its one-piece swamp ash body. Its bright birdseye maple fingerboard is...
Video Premiere: El Ten Eleven’s “Scott Township”
We’re bringing you another video premiere with live clip of El Ten Eleven’s “Scott Township” taken from a performance at the Bluebird Theater in Denver, Colorado on December 4th, 2015. The duo of multi-instrumentalist Kristian Dunn and drummer Tim Fogarty create a captivating and emotional atmosphere with a minimalist approach. Dunn kicks things off on a bass vi while Fogarty...
Billy Sheehan’s Signature EBS Pedal Goes Deluxe
The EBS Billy Sheehan Signature Drive Deluxe was unveiled at NAMM this year with the bass legend on hand to talk about it. The pedal adds on to his existing signature drive with more gain with a Boost footswitch, a phase inverter switch for add low end, and an innovative swappable op-amp. “There are a lot of drive pedals that...
Orange Amplification Launches O Bass Guitar
Orange Amplification took to NAMM to launch the O Bass, a vintage-styled bass that comes in Teardrop Sunburst, Off-Black and Orange finishes. The bass first made an appearance at the 2014 Winter NAMM show as a demonstrator piece, but came to production after videos of the instrument spread online. The company describes the O Bass as having a “distinctively vintage...
Custom Shop: Tuli Basses
Every instrument of distinction starts with a vision, but passion and commitment are the factors that make it a reality. That perfect storm has come together with Finland’s Tuli Basses, a fresh boutique bass company aimed at quality over quantity. The man with the vision is luthier Aron Bach. A lifelong bassist, the American-born bass builder cut his teeth as...
Alabama Shakes Announce 2016 Tour Dates
Fresh off of their Grammy wins for Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, and Best Alternative Music Album, the Alabama Shakes announced a string of new dates including international festivals and an expansive North American trek. Holding down the low end will be bassist Zac Cockrell, who helped to form the band with vocalist Brittany Howard in 2009. Get a...
Cort Launches Jeff Berlin Rithimic V Bass
Jeff Berlin’s signature Rithimic bass now comes in a five-string version. The Cort Rithimic V was displayed at the Winter NAMM show this year with the bassist on hand to talk about it. “I’m entirely a four-string guy,” Berlin noted, “but I wanted to help make an efficient an instrument as possible for five-string players. My contribution was to ask...
EMG Introduces Solderless J System Pickups
Swapping out your Jazz Bass pickups has just gotten a little easier. EMG’s new J System is a completely solderless setup that includes everything you need to drop a new set of their J pickups into your bass. The pickups come with a control plate that’s completely wired with a split shaft volume/tone control, an output jack, a battery clip...
Dunlop Introduces Flatwound Bass Strings
Dunlop went old school at NAMM this year by introducing a new set of flatwound strings. The Dunlop Flatwound Strings are designed to give the tone of classic rock, funk, and R&B recordings while providing a more modern feel. Designed for lower tension, the strings are described as providing a solid fundamental with rich articulation on top. “Rolling off your...