Bass Gear Roundup: The Top Gear Stories in March 2023

Mastodon’s Troy Sanders has once again teamed up with Fender to create a signature axe. The company describes the new Fender Troy Sanders Precision Bass as the “ultimate weapon for heavy metal enthusiasts.”

EBG Instruments has introduced a new bass called the EBG-5 Jigsaw Fretless. Following the company’s previous styles, it is built around an aluminum center block with four sculpted iroko body pieces and a flamed maple top.

Fender has unveiled their first signature all-tube bass combo for over 40 years with the Adam Clayton ACB 50 Bass Amp. The U2 bassist’s new rig is rated at 50 watts and features three 12AX7 tubes plus a 12AT7 tube in the preamp and two 6L6 tubes in the power section.

Fodera Guitars is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year with a limited run of basses. The 40th Anniversary Emperor Deluxe will come in four- and five-string versions and will be available through their dealer network.

Dunable Guitars has been tinkering with the Asteroid model bass for years to perfect its balance, hardware, case, and more. Now that they’ve got it squared away, they’ve introduced it into their lineup of standard models.

Fender’s Player Series and Player Plus Series have been updated for 2023 with new colors and left-handed models.

Kiesel Guitars has updated its Aries model to introduce the A2, aka the Aries 2. Hailed as a complete revamp of the instrument, the A2 is offered as a guitar or a bass model.

Ampeg is gearing up for the NAMM Show in April by revealing a new pedal called the SGT-DI. The company calls the unit an “entire rig in a single stompbox.”

Digitech/DOD has brought back a piece of its history with the DOD Envelope Filter 440. The pedal was reissued in 2014 but is being relaunched this year in what parent company Cor-Tek calls the “Comeback” of DOD pedals.