NAMM 2024 Bass Gear: Day 3

NAMM rolled on for day three, and despite some tired legs, we fought through the crowded aisles to seek out the coolest new bass gear – and more. Here’s some of what we saw.

Spector Basses

The Spector custom shop team was on hand with some fine examples of their work. They also brought some prototypes for Doug Wimbish signature basses. The four and five-string models will be replicas of Wimbish’s own basses that he had customized by Stuart Spector many years ago. They have some unique features including an unusual volute shape, a super thin neck, and hot pickups.

Danelectro

The Red Hot Longhorn is a unique take on the vintage classic. The semi-hollow version has a single F-hole and features a 29.75-inch scale. Its lipstick pickups are high output for lots of attack.

Mane Custom Bass

Kenny James is a fantastic bassist and he’s an advocate for his fellow player. That’s why he started Mane Custom Basses – to get quality instruments at affordable prices into their hands. Here he had the higher end Mane KJ5 Signature in one hand and a brand new entry level model in his other. After playing the new bass, I’d say he’s got something that most bassists will really dig.

Cortex Bass

Cortex Bass had some spectacular basses on hand including the Ganesha, which was introduced at the show. The new singlecut is offered in four, five, and six strings. It’s fitted with a headless tuning system, but it still has a headstock. “Why? Simply because giving the low B string some slack after the nut gives it de facto a longer scale,” they explain.

Bobby Vega

There are many music legends walking the halls of NAMM, but our favorite is Bobby Vega. Besides his arresting musicality, he’s a warm, friendly, and hilarious character. If you don’t know him, check out our archives. His latest album, What Cha Got, is out now and we highly recommend it.

Geezer Butler

Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler drew an enormous crowd at the Ashdown booth as he signed autographs and took pictures. The line to meet him wrapped around the booth and across several aisles.

Sire Guitars

Sire has a boatload of new gear this year. In addition to some upgrades to their existing models, they’ve unveiled the Z series (taking inspiration from a certain humbucker bass), the singlecut F series, and the acoustic electric GB series.

Jonas Hellborg and Steve Bailey

We were lucky to catch a cool moment at the Dogal Strings booth where two bass legends met up. Jonas Hellborg explained his signature Dogal strings to Bailey. They feature a woven core with a stainless wrap for an incredible feel and solid pitch. We also found out about Hellborg’s new CD, The Concert of Europe, which compiles 1986 recordings with the bassist with Cream drummer Ginger Baker and P-Funk keyboardist Bernie Worrell. What a trio!

Xolo Custom Guitars

One of the more monstrous basses we saw on day three was at the Xolo Custom Guitars Booth. The Mexican guitar builders are launching something for the low enders, namely some multi-scale beasts called the Xolotl Bass [XLT:B6] that go all the way to a 37-inch B string. This one’s features include a Darkglass preamp, neckthrough construction with a 5-piece flamed maple and walnut neck, and a walnut burl top. Luis David Ramirez was putting the axe to good use. (Check out the V built for Galactic Empire’s OD-66 [Kevin Penny] beside him!) We’ll have more details on these soon.

Carbonetti Guitars/Olinto Basses

We love James Carbonetti’s basses. This year he brought a unique short scale to the show that has a B-string that just won’t quit. Carbonetti has also taken over building for the Olinto brand, which offers incredible takes on classic designs. If you’re ever in Brooklyn, be sure to visit them at their new location at The Guitar Shop NYC.

Although NAMM is a four-day event, the No Treble Crew only makes it to three of them. This was a great year for bass, so we’re already looking forward to NAMM 2025!

Check out our NAMM 2024 index for all the bass news from the show.