Ashdown Engineering Introduces Bluetooth-Enabled Bass Combo Amp
Ashdown Engineering has expanded their AAA line of bass amps with the AAA EVO 120-BT, a lightweight combo that offers 120 watts of power with a 15-inch driver and a tweeter. The new model sets itself apart by featuring Bluetooth functionality that allows for streaming music to your amp. “The AAA EVO 120-BT features deep, foot switchable tube emulated overdrive...
Sadowsky Reveals the MetroExpress Bass Series
Sadowsky Guitars unveiled a new line of basses called the MetroExpress series at the Winter NAMM Show this year. The line will be made in Japan with the company’s own preamp, pickups, strings, and hardware. “The MetroExpress is made in Japan to Roger Sadowsky’s exacting standards under the supervision of Yoshi Kikuchi,” Sadowsky writes. “Roger and Yoshi began working together...
Bass of the Week: Schorr Guitars The Owl Bass #011
While scrolling on Facebook, I came across the Owl Bass by Schorr Guitars and had to learn more. Its half-minimal, half-futuristic design exudes a funky style with a cool finish to boot. “Schorr Guitars is a one-person operation,” luthier Nicolai Schorr tells us. “I build instruments in Berlin, Germany based on my models – The Owl and Neptune – to...
Bart Soeters: Bass Sounds II
Back in 2013, bassist Bart Soeters sent us an awesome clip of himself demoing 19 basses. Now he’s released “Bass Sounds II”, which has him jamming out on a whopping 34 basses. The video ranges in styles to showcase the strengths of each instrument, which range from vintage axes to modern works of art. Joris Holtackers accompanies Soeters on keys...
Pigtronix Announces the Ringmaster Ring Modulator Synth Pedal
During the Winter NAMM Show, Pigtronix introduced the Ringmaster, an analog ring modulator synth pedal that they designed to create analog harmonizer and tremolo effects to follow the notes you play. “Expanding on the “Intelligent Ring Mod” found in the original Mothership pedal, Ringmaster adds LFO and Sample + Hold modulation sources, pitch following tremolo and well as wave shaping...
F Bass Celebrates 40th Anniversary with Limited Edition PJ Bass
2018 marks forty years since F Bass owner and founder George Furlanetto started the company. To celebrate, the company has announced a special limited edition 40th Anniversary PJ based off of the first ever fretted F Bass. The model will be limited to four pieces each of which will be crafted, signed, and numbered by George Furlanetto. Although it’s based...
Gospel Chops Bass Sessionz, Vol. 3 Now Available
You don’t have to be a worship bassist to know that the Gospel Chops series features some amazing musicians. Their latest release, Bass Sessionz Vol. 3, follows suit with amazing bass played by four extreme talents. The “2-hour low-end extravaganza” features Justin Raines, Alan “Snoop” Evans, Kenneth Diggs, and Daric Bennett. Each player performs, but BSV3 is filled out with...
Tech 21 Introduces the VT Bass 200 Combo Amp
Tech 21 has packaged their SansAmp preamp with a Class D power amp and 12-inch driver to create the VT Bass 200 Combo Amp. The rear-ported 200-watt amp is described as lightweight, portable, and offering both vintage and modern bass tones. “Like its pedal predecessors in the SansAmp Character Series, it has a unique, continuously-variable Character control that moves seamlessly...
Stu Hamm Working On New Solo Bass CD, Tour
Stu Hamm has announced a new solo bass CD and an accompanying tour. The Diary of Patrick Xavier promises to be an intimate listen, according to the bassist. “My new project [is] a deeply personal Solo Bass CD based on my real life experiences, (and one AMAZING coincidence), that happened to me over the last few years,” he wrote on...
Aguilar Amplification Unveils Grape Phaser Bass Pedal
Aguilar Amplification has expanded their line of effects at the Winter NAMM Show this year with the Grape Phaser bass pedal. The all-analog pedal is designed for tone and simplicity. “The Grape Phaser provides lush, analog phase shifting courtesy of a simple, two-knob layout,” Aguilar writes. “RATE controls the speed of the modulation while COLOR feeds a portion of the...
Nathan Navarro: 100 Bass Riffs
We love a good bass line compilation, and Nathan Navarro’s latest puts a cool spin on it. The bassist plays 100 riffs, but each riff gets faster as he goes. Starting with Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side”, he plays them in ascending order of notes per second, which is handily displayed in the top left-hand corner of the...
Slayer Announces Final World Tour
After 35 years of producing some of the most brutal music ever written, Slayer has announced they’ll be making their exit after one more world tour. The legendary thrash band made the announcement with a YouTube video: While the news was a surprise, it may not be a shock to fans who have been keeping up with the members. Bassist...