Basses - Page 57

Ibanez is taking a page out of the old school with their new Talman Bass Series, consisting of the TMB300 and TMB100. The basses, which feature a retro aesthetic, share many of the same features with the 300 having an edge in features. Both models are built with a mahogany body, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard. The TMB300’s fingerboard is...

After introducing the EX-Bass two years ago, D’Angelico announced the solidbody EX-SD Bass at this year’s NAMM Show. The four-string bass features a chambered mahogany body topped with flame maple and a mahogany neck. Its rosewood fingerboard holds 21 frets and is adorned with mother of pearl block inlays as position markers. The EX-SD is loaded with a pair of...

Warwick introduced a new signature bass for Stuart Hamm during the NAMM Show this year. The new model is based on the company’s Streamer with extended contouring and a deeper cutaway for improved access to the higher register. The Stu Hamm Signature bass is built with an alder body and five-piece birdseye maple and rosewood neck. Its neck has illuminated...

Ibanez has announced they will reissue the famed 2609B, also known as the Black Eagle bass. Admitting they are not apt to reissue many instruments, the company says the limited edition run marks the 40th anniversary of the classic model.

One of the many new basses at Ibanez’s booth this year was the SRFF, a fanned-fret version of their flagship SR bass. Available in five and six-string models, the bass features a multi-scale setup to optimize the tonal performance of each string. “The goal of the fanned-fret system is to even the tension of each string,” Ibanez explains in a...

Rickenbacker launched a pair of new takes on their classic 4003 bass this year with the 4003S and 4003SW. The new models take the current 4003 and 4003W basses and give them a vintage aesthetic made popular by the ’60s 4001S bass.

Boutique bass builder Jens Ritter unveiled a new bass at the NAMM Show this year called the Okon Concept. The new model matches the luthier’s distinctive Okon body shape with his BA Tuning System, which mounts the tuners on the back of the bass’s body. Following a golden theme, the bass features a 24-karat antique gold finish on its body...

Ernie Ball’s booth at NAMM this year was buzzing with a new neck-through version of their flagship StingRay Bass. Available in four and five-string versions, the StingRay Neck Through is built with a 3-piece maple neck the runs the entire length of its ash body. The StingRay has only featured bolt-on construction since its introduction in 1976. The new bass...

Fodera went old school at NAMM this year by introducing the Standard Classics line, including the Monarch 4 and Emperor 5 Standard Classics. The new models retain the qualities of Fodera’s Standard series models while taking on a classic aesthetic. “All our tone woods and everything are from the same Brooklyn shop [and are] the same tone woods we use...

Dream Studios announced their Majestic Bass at NAMM – one they describe as simple, but with quality. The bass is built with a one-piece alder body that is heavily contoured for comfort and playability. The instrument’s hard maple neck can be topped with either a rosewood or Torray Carbon Fiber fretboard. Each option holds 22 frets and mother of pearl...

Rush’s Geddy Lee and Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris are having their Fender signature models spruced up for 2015. Each of the signature models have been around for years but will be getting new specs and features. The USA Geddy Lee Jazz Bass is getting more of an update between the two. “[It] is a new version that combines the specs...

G&L Guitars has introduced a 5-string version of their MJ-4 called the MJ-5 Bass Guitar. The new model retains all the features of the four-string model with re-engineered bi-coil Alnico V pickups. Each pickup features two side-by-side coils configured in a series-humbucking mode to offer a range of single-coil tones without the classic hum. The pickups are matched to a...