Electric Bass Archives - Page 35
Warwick Unveils 2017 Limited Edition Thumb NT Models
Warwick unveiled their annual limited edition bass this year and this year is a landmark. The Thumb NT 2017, which comes in four and five-string versions, also marks the company’s 35th anniversary. The master-built instruments are built in Germany and limited to fifty units of each the four and five-string versions. Taking its cues from the standard Thumb NT model,...
Bass of the Week: Ernie Ball Music Man Bongo 4 HH
This week we’re checking out the Ernie Ball Music Man Bongo 4 HH, a bass they describe as “well balanced, comfortable, resonant and expressive with effortless playability.” The Bongo was introduced in 2003 with a modern double cutaway body design that complements the flagship StingRay model. It’s built with a basswood body in six color options: Black, Tangerine Pearl, Sky...
Ibanez Celebrates 30th Anniversary of SR Bass with Limited Edition Models
Three decades ago, Ibanez first introduced the SR bass. This year they’re celebrating their flagship bass model with four new instruments. “Throughout the past 30 years, Ibanez has been improving and developing the SR series by closely following market requirements and opinions from various artists and valued customers,” they write. “SR is now one of the most popular and distinctive...
Bass of the Week: Blasius Guitars Kata 4 Headless
The Kata 4 Headless from Blasius Guitars features a pretty unique body shape with the tone to match. A take on the company’s flagship Kata model, this headless bass is built with three-layer body wings consisting of a bubinga back, maple core, and flamed maple top. Its five-piece neck is a sandwich of maple, padouk, and walnut while the ebony...
Mike Lull Custom Guitars Introduces Short Scale P430 Bass
Mike Lull introduced a new short-scale version of his P-style bass called the P430 at the Winter NAMM Show this year. The P430 will carry the same features of the full-size P4 – such as an alder, swamp ash, or mahogany body – but it will have a short 30-inch scale. That’s something Lull was not interested in doing until...
Warwick Unveils Rockbass Corvette Basic 8 Bass
Warwick expanded their Rockbass Corvette series with an eight-string version of the Corvette Basic. The eight strings are set in four courses tuned E-A-D-G against a wenge fretted fingerboard. Its built with an alder body and three-piece maple neck with ekanga veneer stripes. The body is fitted with a pair of active MEC jazz pickups matched to a 2-band EQ....
ESP Introduces AP Basses to LTD Line
ESP Guitars added the AP-4 and AP-5 basses to their LTD Series at this year’s Winter NAMM Show. The four and five-string models are traditionally-based designs with ESP’s own twist. Both models are built with an alder body, bolt-on maple neck, and an ebony fretboard. They are fitted with a set of EMG pickups in a P/J configuration with volume,...
Ibanez Introduces the Ashula SRAS7 Hybrid Fretted/Fretless Bass
Ibanez shocked many bassists again this year by introducing a new Ashula bass. The SRAS7 is a seven-string model that has a unique hybrid fretted/fretless design with three strings over a fretless purpleheart fingerboard and four strings over a fretted rosewood fretboard. The fretted portion is tuned to a standard E-A-D-G, while the fretless section is tuned A-D-G. Each section...
Bass of the Week: Manne Guitars Moab
This week we’re checking out the Manne Guitars Moab, which they describe as their flagship luxury bass model. The bass comes in four, five, and six-string versions with a korina body topped by walnut, Italian Yew, or poplar. Its multi-laminated neck is fitted with a thin “F resin” fretboard, which Manne says allows for precise attack without dead notes. Its...
Spector Celebrates 40 Years with Euro4LE 1977 Limited Edition Bass
Spector is celebrating 40 years of bass building with the Euro4LE 1977 Limited Edition bass. Based on the company’s original bass from 1977, it’s built with neck-through construction with a fully carved body with solid American walnut body wings and a 3-piece maple neck. Spector went so far as to measure the dot inlays that adorn the 24-fret rosewood fingerboard...
Wing Instruments Introduces Two New Models
Wing Instruments expanded their product lineup at the NAMM show this year with the Wing Bass NT and Wing Bass 30. The company describes the new models as representing an evolution in their philosophy that “life is short scale.” Similar to the original Wing Bass, the NT measures up at just 21 inches and plays like the top range of...
Bass of the Week: Lawalin Guitars Chamele Bass
This week we’re checking out a bass that went viral on Facebook. If you didn’t see this video of the Lawalin Chamele yet, watch it, and you’ll understand why it was so popular: Besides the incredible light show, the Chamele is not your typical bass. It features a hollow fiberglass body that’s fitted with programmable LEDs as well as a...