Van Halen Releases “A Different Kind of Truth”
About 27 years ago, one of rock’s greatest bands lost its frontman, ending the group’s original lineup. Now David Lee Roth has rejoined the ranks of Van Halen to release A Different Kind of Truth, the first original studio album to feature his vocals since 1984. The 13-track collection is available in regular and deluxe editions. The deluxe edition includes...
Warwick Unveils Jack Bruce Survivor and Jimmy Earl Signature Basses
Warwick introduced a pair of Signature basses at NAMM this year for former Cream bassist Jack Bruce and jazz bassist Jimmy Earl. The new instruments are hand-crafted in Germany and each come with individually issued certificates of authenticity. Based on their previous CRB model, the new Jack Bruce Survivor bass features neck-through construction with a mahogany body and neck. The...
B.C. Rich Unveils Two New Basses for 2012
B.C. Rich rolled out a pair of new basses for NAMM 2012: the Widow 4 Bass and the Greg Weeks Signature Bass. The 2012 Widow 4 bass is a 4-string version of their existing WMD Widow. With a radical body shape and red pinstripes, the bass is designed to resemble the killer Black Widow spider. It features neck-through construction with...
Ashdown Introduces Classic Tube Magnifier All Tube Bass Amp
Ashdown CTM Custom Bass Amp Ashdown unveiled their new Classic Tube Magnifier all tube bass amp at the NAMM show last month. The company, who is celebrating their 15th anniversary, also rolled out custom shop options and were displaying the head in standard and custom covering. Housed in 18mm Marine grade birch ply cabinet, the CTM 300 features a power...
Ampeg Releases Micro-CL Stack
Ampeg has unveiled the Micro-CL Stack, a “micro-sized SVT” rated at 100-watts. The solid state head and 2×10 cabinet resemble the company’s iconic SVT-CL at a fraction of the size. Available only as a set, the “mini fridge” have many of the same features as their larger counterparts, including a dedicated FX Loop, a stereo input, a headphone output, a...
Jackson Ampworks Introduces The Behemoth Bass Amp
Jackson Ampworks unveiled four new amps at NAMM this year including The Behemoth, a 120-watt all-tube bass amp. Sporting dual channels, the company describes the new amp as a marriage of a B-15N and an SVT, with Channel 1 designated as the Vintage Channel while Channel 2 is the Modern Channel. As such, Channel 1 is based on the 8-pin...
Bass of the Week: Brown’s Guitar Factory Fretted/Less Bass
Fretted, fretless, or both? Based out of Minnesota, Brown’s Guitar Factory has a unique take on electric bass with their Fretted/Less models. The design allows for half of the fingerboard to be fretted while the second half has a raised fretless section, which is elevated to the height of the fretted section to keep its proper scale. While BGF says...
Alberto Rigoni: The Net
Here’s a cool video for the mesmerizing track “The Net” from Alberto Rigoni’s 2011 album, Rebirth. The song is built entirely of harmonics, which gives it a floating kind of feeling.
ESP Introduces Frank Bello Signature and LTD FB-4 Basses
ESP has unveiled a pair of new Frank Bello Signature basses at NAMM this year. The new ESP Frank Bello Bass and ESP LTD FB-4 models are based on the company’s Vintage-4, but customized to the Anthrax bassist’s liking. Both versions share the same specifications, though they are built in different factories and carry different price points. The new Bello...
NS Design Unveils NS Bass Guitar at NAMM 2012
Ned Steinberger and company introduced the latest addition to the NS Design bass line with a new headless bass guitar design. The NS Bass Guitar features a new “patented self-clamping tuning system” that allows for using regular single-ball type strings. As you tighten the tuner, it clamps onto the string; loosening the tuner detunes the string and eventually releases it....
La Bella Expands Super Alloy 52 Strings Line to Bass
La Bella has expanded their Super Alloy 52 Series of strings with the addition of four new electric bass sets. Available in Extra Light, Light, Standard Light, and 5-string Standard Light, the new strings are described as bright and tarnish-proof. The line gets its name from the string’s outer wrap, which contains 52% nickel to prevent tarnishing. The other 48%...
Markbass Unveils New Bass Amps at NAMM
Markbass rolled out four new amps at the NAMM Show this year: the Big Bang, the TTE 800, and the MoMark Black 500 and 800. Markbass The Big Bang The Big Bang is the newest model in Markbass’s Little Mark series. The compact head features a solid state preamp and digital power amp that pumps out 500 watts at 4...