5-string Bass Archives - Page 10

Earlier this year, Ernie Ball Music Man announced they were revamping their flagship Stingray bass. Now the Stingray Special is shipping. The model, which was originally released in 1976, has been reimagined with a host of new features while retaining its identity. The body has been contoured and the neck joint has been sculpted for improved access to the upper...

Squier’s Contemporary Series got a little bigger at the Summer NAMM Show this year with the introduction of three new Jazz Basses: the Contemporary Active Jazz Bass HH, the Contemporary Active Jazz Bass HH V, and the Contemporary Jazz Bass. Notably, the four and five-string active models offer a more modern take on the Jazz Bass with a set of...

Mayones produces plenty of beautiful instruments, but their team makes extra time to create the Master Builder Collection. “If you’re a true gear-hunter only the most unique instruments can stir up your enthusiasm, the Mayones Master Builder Collection is the answer for your demands,” they write. “The Mayones Master Builder Collection is a unique line of unexampled guitars and basses...

Warwick has expanded their RockBass series for 2018 with a version of their Infinity model. Available in four and five-string as well as fretted or fretless versions, the bass centers around its MEC J/MM pickup combination. The humbucker can be used in series, parallel, or single coil operation thanks to a three-way switch. The bass is built with a red...

Fender has shaken up their range again by introducing the Player Series for 2018. The new lineup revamps the Standard series but will still be made in Mexico. As you may expect, the Player Series includes a Precision Bass and a Jazz Bass as well as a Jaguar Bass. Overall changes in the models include new pickups and redesigned bridges....

Fodera has revealed the latest in their top of the line Masterbuilt series with the Butterfly. The one-of-a-kind bass is inspired by the company’s butterfly themed models and uses the Imperial body shape as a “canvas.” “Using over 200 pieces of varying natural materials such as Gold Pearl, Mother of Pearl, Black Pearl, and various colored stone, each piece was...

This week we’re checking out a bass from the dark side. The Devil’s Choice EvilOak is a unique bass that brings together several aspects of their existing instruments. “The EvilOak is a custom project [based on] our Manticore model, and the term “EvilOak” was initially a fun name for that particular bass,” Bernd Steuer of Devil’s Choice explains. “[We] put...

EBS is celebrating their 30th anniversary this year with a special bass built by Hungarian luthier Csaba Boldogh. The instrument is fitted with an EBS logo on the headstock as well as a custom EBS 30th Anniversary inlay at the twelfth fret. The seal is also found on the rear of the bass. Boldogh built the bass with a Hungarian...

Gerald Marleaux is hands down one of my favorite bass builders. His artistic touch and attention to detail make all of his instruments play and sound just as good as they look. This week we’re checking out his Contra model, which takes its semi-acoustic design in part from the violin family. “The Contra is made with the same materials as...

Fodera has expanded their Standard Specials line of instruments with the Madrone Burl Monarch 5 Standard Special. Built around the Monarch model, the bass has a new combination of woods with a mahogany body, Madrone Burl top, a three-piece maple neck, and an ebony fingerboard. Fodera says the real difference is in the pickups as it is the first Standard...

This week we’re taking a look at a bass from Swan Custom Basses, a small company from Argentina dedicated to low-end frequencies. The Swan LG II is the creation of builders Hernan Goi and Christian Lebied. “The design is our own. Basically, our idea is to make a bass that’s comfortable, ergonomic and with a low weight to avoid fatigue,”...

Italy’s Amnesia Guitars is a workshop run by luthier Carlo Carbone, whose imagination creates beautiful and functional instruments. This week we’re taking a look at his Leo model. The Leo comes standard as a five-string fretted bass, though options are available. Its contoured ash body is topped by a rich ziricote cap. The bolt-on neck is made from maple and...