Bass Gear - Page 222

Luthier Rick Turner has teamed up with Michael Kelly Guitars to release a licensed line of his Renaissance instruments, including the Renaissance Bass. Turner, who co-founded Alembic in 1970, has been making the series by hand up until now. The Michael Kelly MKB4SB Renaissance Bass is a chambered acoustic 4-string bass built with an okumé body, mahogany neck, and rosewood...

Sometimes if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. We love it when bassists take building their instrument into their own hands, and Jim Colby nailed it with his bass that he calls “Glitzy.” ”‘Glitzy’ came about due to my love of 60’s Fender basses, and a meager paycheck,” the bassist shares. “Built in 1995 and...

Ella Basses has introduced a new singlecut model called the Isaac. Named after luthier Jeff Power’s son, the bass is handmade and can be ordered to suit. The Isaac has been made in 4- and 5-string versions with standard features including set-neck construction, Bartolini pickups and electronics, and Hipshot hardware. The first 4-string Isaac is built with a stunning spalted...

Seymour Duncan has announced a new line of pickups. Similar to pickups found on the city’s handcrafted basses, the new NYC Bass Pickups use a dual coil J-type pickup design with a double row of exposed Alnico pole pieces. They are also made for flexibility with a four conductor cable that allows for three wiring modes: parallel, series, or single-coil....

Digital Audio Labs has extended their line of Stompblox modular pedalboards with the Stompblox Riser and the Stompblox Extend. The new products are the first two modular expansion products that connect to the Stompblox system to expand its functionality. Intended to make the back row more accessible, Stompblox Risers are designed to snap into the pedalboard to raise certain sections....

After keeping them to limited to artists and exclusive dealers, Dean Markley has launched a nickel-plated version of their Blue Steel bass strings. Similar to the stainless steel set, the Blue Steel Nickel-Plated strings are cryogenically frozen with liquid nitrogen to improve their lifespan. The company describes the strings as gentler to the touch. Nickel also creates less distortion for...

This week we check out the Custom AG by Belgian luthier Paul Belgrado. Finished in a root beer color nitrocellulose finish, the bass gives an air of classic ideas with a modern approach. The AG is built with an alder body, maple neck, and madagascar rosewood fingerboard. It gets its meaty sound from a pair of Lindy Fralin double coil,...

Fender has announced a new line of micro-sized pedals including an ABY switcher, a compressor, a DI, and a graphic EQ. Each of the compact pedals weighs about 5.6 ounces and measures 93.5 millimeters deep, 42 millimeters wide, and 52 millimeters tall. Fender Micro ABY Pedal The Micro ABY allows for players to switch between amplifiers or combine two signals...

We love innovative basses, so when Jonathan Dauphinais announced the Keybass 3.0, we were pumped. The instrument is a bass guitar with a keyboard synthesizer mounted to its lower half so that each can be played simultaneously. Dauphinais first started experimenting in 2007. This is the third model of his concept, which was completely custom made. “I did major modifications...

If you’re looking for a replacement Music Man-style pickup, Nordstrand Pickups has introduced a new model they describe as “not for the faint of heart.” The Bigman is actually two of the company’s Big Single pickups housed under a Music-Man-style cover. “Don’t bother using shorter magnets or less wire – just go for it!,” Nordstrand shares. “The result is a...

If you don’t like how fast the 2014 calendar is flying by, maybe this will help: the top 10 most popular bass gear stories on No Treble for the month of June. As always, it comes with a warning: may cause G.A.S. Your mileage may vary. Use only as directed. 1. Fender American Standard Jaguar Bass Fender is adding a...

PRS Guitars has introduced the first bass models of their SE line: the SE Kingfisher and the SE Kestrel. The basses, which are designed in Maryland and built overseas, are both described as traditional character with modern upgrades. SE Kingfisher Bass The SE Kingfisher is a neck-thru design built with a swamp ash body, a 24-fret maple/walnut neck, and a...