Bass Gear - Page 228

Bartolini unveiled the b-axis series of bass pickups at the 2016 Winter NAMM Show. Based on the company’s original HI-A design from the ’70s, the b-axis pickups feature a fully encapsulated Alnico V exposed pole piece design that fits as a replacement set for J-style basses. “The main design principle was to provide a highly asymmetric magnetic field in order...

TC Electronic’s Ditto series of loopers got a little bigger at the NAMM Show this year. The Ditto X4 Looper builds on the simplicity of the original Ditto by adding two loop tracks, two loop modes, seven loop effects, loop decay, MIDI sync, loop import/export, and stereo inputs and outputs. The list of options and effects offer the option to...

Ashdown took to the Winter NAMM show this year to introduce the Rootmaster EVO Range. Building on the Rootmaster series, the EVO range has been streamlined with improved features and a reduction in weight. The Rootmaster preamp now has active and passive inputs to get optimal levels for your bass. Other common features in the line include a 5-band EQ,...

D’Addario has adapted their NYXL strings to their line of bass products. The new NYXL Bass sets feature the company’s NY Steel core and reformulated nickel-plated wrap wire, which they say offer a more powerful low end, accentuated harmonics, and focused punch. The NY Steel core also adds to the string’s durability and stability, while a new core-to-wrap ratio give...

This week we’re checking out an exquisite Original I by Prat Basses. This particular six-string, built by luthier Oscar Prat, will get Buckeye Burl lovers going with its prime top and matching headstock. The bolt-on bass has a 34-inch scale with a curly maple and walnut neck attached to its one-piece swamp ash body. Its bright birdseye maple fingerboard is...

The EBS Billy Sheehan Signature Drive Deluxe was unveiled at NAMM this year with the bass legend on hand to talk about it. The pedal adds on to his existing signature drive with more gain with a Boost footswitch, a phase inverter switch for add low end, and an innovative swappable op-amp. “There are a lot of drive pedals that...

Orange Amplification took to NAMM to launch the O Bass, a vintage-styled bass that comes in Teardrop Sunburst, Off-Black and Orange finishes. The bass first made an appearance at the 2014 Winter NAMM show as a demonstrator piece, but came to production after videos of the instrument spread online. The company describes the O Bass as having a “distinctively vintage...

Jeff Berlin’s signature Rithimic bass now comes in a five-string version. The Cort Rithimic V was displayed at the Winter NAMM show this year with the bassist on hand to talk about it. “I’m entirely a four-string guy,” Berlin noted, “but I wanted to help make an efficient an instrument as possible for five-string players. My contribution was to ask...

Swapping out your Jazz Bass pickups has just gotten a little easier. EMG’s new J System is a completely solderless setup that includes everything you need to drop a new set of their J pickups into your bass. The pickups come with a control plate that’s completely wired with a split shaft volume/tone control, an output jack, a battery clip...

Dunlop went old school at NAMM this year by introducing a new set of flatwound strings. The Dunlop Flatwound Strings are designed to give the tone of classic rock, funk, and R&B recordings while providing a more modern feel. Designed for lower tension, the strings are described as providing a solid fundamental with rich articulation on top. “Rolling off your...

This week we’re taking a look at the Futura from Roks Instruments out of The Netherlands. Luthier Axel Roks, who created the bass as part of Dutch Design Week, uses the human body as a large influence on his creations. “This design originated out of the idea that a bass guitar could be an object in itself,” he writes on...

If you’ve been skeptical to add a wah or volume pedal to your pedalboard because of the space it takes up, Dunlop may have you covered. They unveiled a pair of new Mini pedals at the NAMM Show this year including the CBM105Q Cry Baby Mini Bass Wah and the Volume X Mini. The new CBM105Q Cry Baby Mini Bass...