Best of 2018: The Top 10 Reader Favorite Basses
Of all the categories of bass gear news we cover (and we cover a lot), the new basses category is the most popular. (We get it.)
Here are the top 10 reader favorite stories featuring new basses released in 2018.
1. Fender Limited Edition Parallel Universe ’51 Telecaster PJ Bass
Fender presented a retrospective line of instruments this year with the American Original Series, but they also imagined some axes from another dimension that blurred timelines. The Parallel Univer……
2. Rickenbacker 2018 4003S/5 5-String Bass
Rickenbacker announced the return of the 4003S/5 bass at the 2018 Winter NAMM Show. The five-string bass, which has not been offered for over a decade, has been updated with a slightly wider string……
3. Ibanez Upswing Electric Upright Bass
Ibanez will be introducing their very first electric upright bass at the 2018 Winter NAMM Show. Dubbed the UB804 or “Upswing”, the bass was designed to mimic the tone of an acoustic upr……
4. G&L Guitars CLF Research L-2000 Bass
G&L Guitars have introduced the CLF Research L-2000 Bass, an instrument that harkens back to the Leo Fender’s original innovations with his CLF Research company in the late 1970s. Fender&……
5. Fender American Original Series
Fender will be unveiling the American Original series at the 2018 Winter NAMM Show, including four new basses. The line focuses on recreating instruments from the company’s past while updating them……
6. Fender Limited Edition Midnight Hour Precision Bass
Fender recently produced a short film called “Artform” with producers Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge, also known as The Midnight Hour. The mini-doc highlights the duo’s mu……
7. Ibanez SRMS800 Series Basses
Ibanez has expanded their multi-scale bass lineup by adding the SRMS800, SRMS805, and SRMS806 to their Bass Workshop series. Each bass is built with a five-piece jatoba and walnut neck that has fan……
8. Roks Instruments Nardis Bass
Luthier Axel Roks of Roks Instruments is known for his unique, minimalist designs. (Check out his Microtonal Futura model.) But now he’s added his flair to a more traditional design to create……
9. Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay Bass Updates for 2018
Ernie Ball Music Man’s StingRay has been a time-tested model for decades, but both the four and five-string versions will be getting an update for 2018. The company made the announcement at t……
10. Sire Guitars 2nd Generation Marcus Miller Basses
Sire Guitars has announced several major upgrades to their Marcus Miller line of bass guitars ranging from the pickups to the serial number system. Nearly every bass they make has been upgraded in some way…
