Basses - Page 63

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...

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...

G&L has been making made-in-Fullerton jazz basses for about 10 years, but they’ve now expanded the US-made line to include a five-string. The G&L JB-5 adds a low B-string with a fast neck featuring a 1.775″ nut width and slim rear profile. The bolt-on bass is built with an alder body for standard and solid finishes or a swamp ash...

After launching the Adam Nitti Signature series last year, Ibanez introduced the ANB306 model. The bass is a production model of the ANB1006, carrying many of the same features at a lower price point. “In terms of concept, you’re looking at somewhere from 80 to 90% of the specs from his custom shop bass to this bass,” says Ibanez’s Ken...

An icon was born 60 years ago with the Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass, and now the company is celebrating with a special anniversary edition of the instrument. Limited to 60 instruments, the 60th Anniversary 500/1 Violin Bass stands out among its peers with original graphics by a bass legend. “The artwork on the top of the bass was designed for...

Schecter expanded their Session Series of basses this year with an 8-string version of their Riot bass, a 5-string version of the Model-T, and a fretless version of the Stiletto. As a part of the series, each of the basses is built with a swamp ash body, hard rock maple neck, ebony side block inlays, and active EMG pickups and...

Luthier Scott Surine was showing his basses at the NAMM Show this year including a brand new model called the Lunara NTVII. The bass, which is Surine’s second single-cut design, features neck-through construction with a seven-piece Rock Maple and Walnut neck. The Lunara NTVII’s swamp ash body core is sandwiched between a Redwood burl top and back with black Sycamore...

Ibanez is stepping up their SR300 series with the SR300E basses, featuring upgraded pickups and electronics. The models, which come in four-, five-, and six-string versions, aim to bring a high quality of tone and control to a lower price point. The lineup centers around Ibanez’s new Powerspan dual coil pickups that have stainless steel poles to improve output, clarity,...

First introduced in the 1980s, the minimalist Gittler Guitar was reborn in 2013 thanks to musician and titanium expert Russ Rubman. This year Gittler Instruments has unveiled three new bass models, including four-string, five-string, and fretless versions. “Similar to the six string Gittler Guitar, these basses are manufactured of aircraft grade titanium with an optional weapons grade finish and weigh...

Sadowsky has unveiled the Satin Series, a lineup that brings their chambered, NYC-made basses to nearly half the cost of a built-to-order custom instrument. The instruments include their 21 fret Vintage Style J Bass and 24 fret Modern Bass models built in batch with limited options. “We’re committed to serving the working musician, so we found a way to thin...

Fender’s new bass offerings at the NAMM Show this year revolved around their new American Elite series of instruments. The lineup includes each of the company’s main models with the American Elite Precision Bass, Jazz Bass, Jazz Bass, and Dimension Bass. Common features for the series are Fender’s fourth generation Noiseless pickups, compound neck shapes, new cases, and new finishes....