Basses - Page 52

Fodera revealed their fourth and final Masterbuilt bass for the year, and it’s incredible. The Masterbuilt Yin Yang Hybrid combines two signature instruments to pay tribute to their respective owners: Victor Wooten and Anthony Jackson. “Not only are these two artists pioneers in their craft, but also in instrument design through our collaborative relationship,” the company writes. “It was because...

Xotic has expanded their bass lineup with the XJPRO-1 5-String ProVintage Series Bass. As part of the ProVintage Series, the new bass combines elements of classic and modern features while building on their previous lineup. “The ProVintage Series basses, inspired by the Xotic XJ Series, feature a structurally balanced neck for reliable intonation that is coated with a unique oil...

Wilcox Guitars is updating their bass lineup by replacing their outgoing Saber VL Bass with the 2018 Saber bass. The reworked instrument features an AAAA flame maple top, lightweight chambered swamp ash body, and their patented LightWave optical pickup system. “LightWave pickups use infrared light technology to ‘map’ or ‘see’ string vibration, resulting in a significant enhancement in tone, sustain...

Eastwood introduced ten new instruments to their Custom Shop this week including two basses and a double neck guitar/bass. As part of their custom shop, each model is released under a crowd-funding/pre-order campaign. The first new bass is the Eastwood EB-1, which of course pays tribute to the Gibson EB-1 released in 1953. “We’ve made a few subtle changes but...

High On Fire’s Jeff Matz has a new signature bass from Dunable Guitars. The JM Bass is the product of several years of custom builds for the bassist, leading to an instrument with his exact specs. “Basically, [Matz wanted] what would be his dream instrument, fit for both tracking a High On Fire record, as well as touring on it...

After previewing it at the Summer NAMM Show, Fender is now shipping the Justin Meldal-Johnsen Road Worn Mustang Bass. Modeled exactly after the Beck bassist’s own 1966 Daphne Blue Mustang, the short-scale bass features a maple neck, a road worn finish, and a custom-spec pickup. “As a player and producer, I feel strongly about the unique timbre, functionality and pure...

Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner has been turning heads for years, including when he debuted his signature Ibanez hollow-body bass on stage a few years ago. Now Ibanez and the bassist have teamed up to release the bass as a model in the company’s lineup. Made in the company’s Japanese workshop, the TCB1006 is a six-string built with a five-piece maple and...

U2’s Adam Clayton is getting a new pair of special basses from Fender this year. The limited edition Adam Clayton Precision and Jazz basses come with maple fingerboards and a unique purple sparkle finish. Both basses are built with an alder body, carbon-reinforced maple neck, and maple fingerboard that’s adorned with abalone inlays. Fender fits them with their Custom Shop...

Shortly after announcing the Woodblock, Fodera has unveiled their third Masterbuilt bass for 2017. The Southwest was designed by the company’s Emily Krohn and is inspired by the “textiles, textures, and colors of the American Southwest.” “To accomplish this look and theme, we chose various woods including Spruce, Bloodwood, Ebony, and Mahogany – capturing the warm tonalities of the region,”...

Fender’s Mod Shop has expanded their option offerings for the Fall. The online instrument configurator has added a new limited edition color for 2017 Mystic Aztec Gold. It’s available on both their Precision and Jazz basses. Users begin the Mod Shop experience by picking their instrument then choosing colors, pickguards, pickups, hardware, and more. It was introduced last year and...

De Gier Guitars is paying tribute to a classic bass design with their new model called the Lowlander. Luthier Sander De Gier studied several vintage T-Birds to create an updated version with tweaks to improve its shortcomings. “One of the most prominent features is, of course, the 9 ply neck-through. It is a rigid construction for a bass neck, it...

Eastwood Custom Shop is reintroducing another vintage bass with a remake of the Airline Pocket Bass. The short-scale bass, which GE Smith described as one of the best recording basses around, was a widely requested reissue for the company. “This time around we will fix a few of the originals short-comings,” they explained. “We’ll give it a slightly longer scale...