Electric Bass Archives - Page 81

Fodera is finishing out their Standard series of basses with the Monarch 4 Standard. Similar to the Matt Garrison, Emperor 5, and Yin Yang Standard basses, the new model is built in batch and offered in a single configuration with no options in order to keep the price and wait time down. The Monarch 4 Standard is built with a...

This week we take a look at the Citron AE4 and AE5 Swallow Basses built by luthier Harvey Citron in collaboration with jazz legend Steve Swallow. Citron first presented Swallow with one of his acoustic/electric basses, and their work went from there. It was Steve’s perfectionism that pushed the bass builder to invent a new bridge. “Working with Steve has...

Ibanez has given its Premium treatment to their ATK model, resulting in the ATK800E and the ATK805E. Beyond being built at their Premium Factory to premium quality standards, the company’s bass designers spent a lot of time researching and developing the pickup configuration, which includes a CAP double humbucker in the bridge position and an Ibanez proprietary CAP Sonic Arch...

Gibson first introduced the Grabber bass in the 1970’s, with the company completely redesigning their version of the electric bass following their successful run with the EB series. Gibson is going back to the Grabber with the introduction of the Grabber 3, a ’70s tribute bass the company says “recaptures the best qualities of the original version, produced from 1973...

Luthman is a company that puts out some pretty intricate work yet also knows simple elegance, the latter of which is evidenced in their Natural model. Handmade in France by luthier Thierry Etienne, the Natural has a unique, fluid body style with customizable options. Available in 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-string configurations, standard features on the Natural include an ovangkol...

Vox has expanded their bass lineup with the Apache series of basses, which pick up where their predecessors from the ’60s left off. The new travel instruments are separated by body shape, as the Apache 1 Bass features Vox’s classic Teardrop shape while the Apache 2 Bass features their Phantom body style. Both models have an onboard amplification system complete...

Xotic has released a 4-string of the XP-1T model, which thus far had only been available as a 5-string. The P-style bass offers vintage and modern tones by including a toggle for passive or active electronics. The active portion is Xotic’s Tri-Logic bass preamp, which has Bass, Mid, and Treble controls, a Mid switch, a Bright switch, and an Active...

Le Fay has introduced a new fretless version of their Singer model with a 32-inch scale and 19mm string spacing. Among the new features is the inclusion of the company’s new single-coil pickups, which have angular thumb rests and a three-point screw arrangement to prevent wobbling. Two pickups are under the bridge pickup cover while the neck cover houses one....

There are lots of interpretations of the old J-bass, but one that strikes me most is the BeBop made by Dutch boutique shop De Gier. It offers a little more in the curves department with subtle tweaks to set itself apart from the classic design. Available in 4- or 5-string versions, the De Gier BeBop comes standard with an alder...

In 1978, Patrice Vigier set out to become an independent luthier of guitars and basses, and Vigier Guitars was born. Thirty-four years later, the Vigier is still going strong. We got our hands on the company’s Arpege IV bass, and took it for a test drive. The Arpege IV is a lovely sounding four string bass and will easily handle...

California-based Kauer Guitars has introduced the Daylighter Bass, modeled after their popular series of guitars by the same name. With several feature options, the company says the bass can cover ground from “classic Motown vibe straight through the most aggressive modern bass tones.” The Daylighter’s body is made of Spanish Cedar and is available in a plethora of color options....

In experimenting with neck designs, German luthier Rüdiger Ziesemann was looking for a way to improve sustain in his Bassline brand designs. He came up with a radical neck profile with extended mass and a groove on the back for your thumb. The concept was first introduced into his electric upright model called the Universal, but bass guitarist wanted in...