Bass Gear

Caparison Guitars has announced a new bass model called the Brocken 5-BASS, a five-string and 27 fret instrument they say is the most comprehensive bass they’ve ever developed.

The vintage Seamoon Funk Machine has been reborn through a new company called Seamoon FX founded by session ace Neil Jason. The new pedal was the passion project for Jason, who used the original on many records.

Alembic recently shared some photos of this bass on their Facebook page and it stopped me in my tracks. I reached out to Mica at Alembic, who filled us in on the details.

Death By Audio revealed their latest creation at Winter NAMM with the ROOMS Stereo Reverberator. The pedal offers six reverb algorithms (Room, Digital, Peak, Wave, Gate, and Gong) to offer a wide variety of soundscapes.

Cort Guitars has added to their Artisan series with the A5 Plus SC. The new bass carries many of the same features of the A5 Plus SCMS but has a standard 34-inch scale instead of a multi-scale design.

Fishman’s new multi-voiced Fluence pickups have gotten a new sub-category with the Fluence Legacy series, which brings recording artists in to recreate the tone for which they are known. They’ve launched the lineup with Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez.

Aria Guitars is paying homage to the classics this year with their Hot Rod Collection, which includes the Aria Pro II 313-MK2 “Detroit” bass. Unveiled at the Winter NAMM Show, the bass comes in four and five-string versions.

Kala expanded its lineup of U-Basses with two new entry-level models called the Nomad and the Scout. The ukulele-sized basses feature little to no-frills while retaining the U-Bass feel and sound.

After previewing them last year, Ashdown unveiled the new Studio Range at the Winter NAMM Show this year, which includes four new combos: the Studio 15, the Studio 12, the Studio 10, and the Studio 8.

Last week, the bass community suffered a major blow with the loss of Mike Lull. Beyond his incredible craftsmanship, Lull was a positive force and an inspiration to all those he met. We wanted to honor him by featuring the M4V/M5V as our bass of the week.

Headless bass designs were a big theme at the 2020 Winter NAMM Show, and Ibanez got in on the action with their new EHB series. The models have a new, specially designed body that maintains its playing position whether you’re sitting or standing.

Reverend Guitars and Mike Watt have teamed up to refine the bassist’s signature bass, dubbed the Wattplower. The new Wattplower Mark II features many of the original’s design concepts while adding a new pickup configuration.