Gear Reviews

Mesa/Boogie amps are known for their powerful, muscular tone – some are also renowned for their weight. We picked up the new lightweight D-350 Compact Bass Amp to see how much punch this little amp could pack.

Is there anything more fun than a synth pedal? We got our hands on Panda Audio’s third iteration of the Future Impact pedal to get in on the fun. Here’s our review.

Five years ago, Sandberg Guitars introduced the vintage rock-inspired Forty Eight model. This year they worked with Victor Brandt of Dimmu Borgir to create a signature version. Kevin took the 4- and 5-string basses for a spin in this new review.

Maurizio Caduto of Maurizio Über Basses (MüB) is a world-class luthier who is building some spectacular custom instruments in his shop in Malaysia. Vuyani Wakaba took the Miezo model for a spin in this gear review.

Epifani has revamped its flagship products with the next generation. The UL901 is the more modern version of the already sleek UL501, while the new DIST 2 series updates their line of cabs. Kevin put them both to work.

Tim Fletcher is back, but this time around, he’s published a gear review. Tim took Rotosound’s new Ultramag Bass Strings for a spin. Here’s his take.

The latest amp offering from Orange, 4-Stroke 300W Bass Amp paired with their OCB410 Bass Cabinet is a sweet combination bassist wanting an all analog Class A/B amp for both clean sounding or bit of edge. This a rock bassist rig without a doubt, but it really delivers on versatility. The 4-Stroke has a different pre-amp than its’ OBC series...

This review will cover two Ibanez basses that are by design apples and oranges, but maybe in side-by-side comparison help you to find a good fit that suit your needs. The SR300E-CCB is the more modern styled and beginner level variety and the TMB2000-TFL fits the more seasoned player seeking a classic sound and esthetic. Both are well built, came...

The O Bass by Orange Amplification is their first offering in the bass guitar market, aimed at appealing to the retro vibe market. It’s not hard to see the paring of an O Bass and a tube powered bass amp sonically. It’s definitely a rock bassist’s guitar, although you can get a pretty fat full warm tone for R&B styled...

Gallien-Krueger’s latest line of combo amps, the MB combo series, has all the GK tone and power you’d expect from GK and some features that will really appeal to the “plug and play” musician. The 500 watt GK MB410 is relatively light weight at 49 lbs and has a streamlined black box presence. All controls are on the top and...

Working musicians who demand better accessories will be happy that Rockready is making a bass gig bag and guitar strap. The Volo bass guitar gig bag is designed as a lightweight case that is in between a hard shell guitar case and your typical soft gig bag. Leaning more to the soft bag side though, but with many well thought...

Sire Guitars’ Marcus Miller V7 5-String Bass really caught me off guard, more about that after the details. This instrument is definitely of the Fender-style design. The body and neck feel as you would expect from this approach. The Maple neck had that full rounded profile associated with J basses, and the Ash wood body felt familiar. What catches the...