Bass Gear Roundup: The Top Gear Stories in February 2019
Following the annual Winter NAMM Show, bass gear stories in February are pretty big news. And we covered a lot.
Here are your top 10 favorite gear stories for the month of February 2019. Thanks for reading!
1. Fender Revamps the Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision Bass
Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan and Fender have teamed up once again to refresh the Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision Bass. The instrument is based on the ’80s Jazz Bass Special he used to record the album “Appetite for Destruction.”
2. Fender Expands Rumble Series Bass Amps for 2019
Fender expanded their Rumble series of bass amplifiers this year with a new combo called the Rumble LT25 as well as the Rumble 800 Head. Each unit was debuted at the 2019 Winter NAMM Show and will be hitting the market in March.
3. Squier Adds New Bass Models to Classic Vibe Series
Fender has refreshed the Squier Classic Vibe Series with several decade-specific models of their flagship instruments. For bassists, that includes the Classic Vibe ’60s Jazz Bass, the Classic Vibe ’60s Precision Bass, the Classic Vibe ’70s Jazz Bass, and the Classic Vibe Bass VI.
4. Charvel Custom Shop Celebrates 40th Anniversary with Retro Model Basses
The Charvel Custom Shop is celebrating 40 years in business by recreating eleven of their custom shop models from the original 1979 catalog offering. The 40th Anniversary Custom Collection includes the San Dimas in Blue Diamond and an XP in Platinum Pink.
5. EBS Introduces the MicroBass 3 Pedal
EBS expanded their bass pedal offerings this year at the Winter NAMM Show with the EBS MicroBass 3, an analog “multi-tool” for bassists. The unit is a two-channel preamp that brings together features from their HD360 and Fafner II bass amplifiers.
6. Ashdown Unveils ABM 300 EVO IV Bass Amp
After fifteen years, Ashdown Engineering has reinstated the ABM 300 to ABM EVO IV series of bass amps. The new head has a lower power rating to fill in the flagship range.
7. G&L Introduces the Fullerton Deluxe Bass Series
G&L Guitars has introduced the Fullerton Deluxe range of basses including two new models. The Fullerton Deluxe JB and Fullerton Deluxe LB-100 are both made in the company’s Fullerton, California shop.
8. Ashdown Engineering Unveils the CL-310-DH Bass Cabinet
Ashdown Engineering introduced an interesting new bass cabinet called the CL-310-DH. Rated at 450 watts at 8 ohms, the cabs were inspired by vintage British PA systems and feature a 3×10" configuration with dual high-frequency horns.
9. Brubaker Guitars Introduces JXB-Standard Bass with Interchangeable Preamp System
Brubaker Guitars has unveiled the JXB-Standard, which is a production model of their custom JXB. The bass comes in two combinations: ash body with a maple fingerboard or alder body with a pau ferro fingerboard.
10. Darkglass Electronics Launches Two New Amps at 2019 Winter NAMM
Darkglass Electronics took to the Winter NAMM Show to unveil two new products in their line of bass amplifiers: The Alpha-Omega 900 and the Microtubes 900 v2. While the latter upgrades an existing model, the Alpha-Omega 900 is a brand new amp that pairs elements of their Alpha-Omega distortion preamplifier with a 900-watt power section.
