Electric Bass Archives - Page 43

Alembic’s basses have been a big influence on custom builders, and it’s easy to see why. They started in 1969 as a live sound consulting operation. Founders Ron and Susan Wickersham then moved into instrument electronics, creating low impedance pickups and what would become first set of active electronics for a guitar. Their first bass was built in 1972 for...

Sire Guitars has teamed up with Marcus Miller once again to introduce the Sire Marcus Miller M7 Series. The dual humbucker design, which has been in the works for some time, is now open for pre-order and will be shipping on April 30th. Available in four and five-string versions, the M7 has a modern body shape made of either alder...

Cort has updated their B5 Plus AS bass with a new set of electronics. The model, which is part of the Artisan Series, now comes with the Markbass MB-1 EQ to match its Bartolini MK-1 pickups. The bass’s preamp is described as providing a “very natural and transparent boost” that won’t color the instrument’s natural tone. “The crystal clarity and...

New York Bass Works has announced the Reference Series, a line of basses that bring together luthier David Segal’s custom work with the classic J-bass platform. “The Reference Series Basses are instruments infused with the DNA of nearly 20 years of custom bass projects, complex renovations, and pain-staking repairs of nearly every brand of instrument,” the company writes. “The empirical...

Ernie Ball Music Man’s 40th Anniversary “Old Smoothie” StingRay Bass is now available for pre-order. Unveiled at the 2016 Winter NAMM Show, the bass is named after a prototype from 1976 that was designed by Leo Fender and gifted to Sterling Ball. Central to its design is a 10-pole piece pickup that gives it a smoother tone. “We recently revisited...

ESP unveiled the LTD AP-204 at this year’s NAMM Show, calling it a “modernized update of a classic shape for contemporary music styles.” The bass, which comes in Charcoal Metallic and Burgundy Burst finishes, is fitted with a set of ESP-designed P/J pickups. The bass is built with bolt-on construction featuring a mahogany body, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard. The...

This week we’re checking out the W Minor 5 by Wreck Guitars. Introduced late last year, the model can be fitted with a number of woods and pickup configurations. “This is a modern bass for light right arm playing with bridge moved more to the end of an instrument,” the company writes. “[The W Minor 5’s] balance is perfect for...

Jens Ritter’s basses have a style and finesse that makes them instantly recognizable. This week we’re checking out one of his R8 Singlecut models featuring a stark black and white contrast as its motif. The 5-string bass is built with a swamp ash body and maple top, all finished in white. Its three-piece maple neck is also finished in white,...

ESP has unveiled a new signature bass for Dead Daisies bassist Marco Mendoza. The Marco Mendoza LTD MM-4FM Bass is modeled after the ESP Vintage-4 with a set of EMG X-series P/J pickups. The bass is built with an alder body topped with flamed maple finished with a Dark See-Thru Green Sunburst. Mendoza opted for a five-piece neck and maple...

Pete Skjold has been wowing bassists with his incredible instruments for nearly two decades. Last year he introduced a trio of new models based on his most popular body shapes, and this week we’re checking out the singlecut Drakkar bass. “The Drakkar is the modern version of the classic Whaleback,” Skjold explains on his website. “A focus on ergonomics took...

Bassist Larry Kimpel has teamed up with French luthier Mathieu Combe to create LK5 Signature Bass. Kimpel, a seasoned session and touring bassist, worked closely on the bass’s design. The LK5 is built with a French ash body, three-piece hard maple neck, and compound-radius maple fingerboard. The light maple and ash motif is accented by a walnut pickguard as well...

Rock N’ Roll Relics has unveiled the Thunders Bass, a short-scale bass oozing with old school flavor. The instrument is their first set-neck bass model and comes in a variety of colors and aging. Made in the USA, the Thunders is created with a two-piece, lightweight African mahogany body, an African mahogany neck, and a rosewood fingerboard fitted with Jescar...