Bass Gear - Page 234

ESP will be unveiling the first batch of products from their new US factory at NAMM this year. The instruments will be part of the new E-II series and will be built in North Hollywood, California. Among the new basses will be the ESP E-II AP-4 and AP-5 models. Each of the four and five-sting versions are built with bolt-on...

The best basses come with great stories. Jimmy Haslip’s six-string bass from Wyn Guitars, called “Gabriela Rose,” is a great example. Wyn Guitars luthier Randy Fullmer recounts the whole process on his website. “It’s a luthier’s dream to make an instrument for an artist with the stature and playing chops of Jimmy Haslip,” Fullmer humbly states. “I of course handled...

Jeff Berlin has teamed up with Cort for a new signature bass for 2014. Dubbed the RITHIMIC, the model features an alder body with a striking padouk and spalted maple top with a matching spalted headstock. Its hard rock maple neck is topped with a rosewood fingerboard. The bass is set up to Berlin’s liking with low action and a...

For all the do-it-yourselfers, Mod Kits DIY has introduced the Wahtz Wah Pedal Kit. The kit comes with all the pieces and instructions to build the effects pedal. The company says the Wahtz Wah Pedal kit creates a pedal with a classic wah tone “with a hint of extra bite and growl.” It features true bypass to prevent signal loss...

Carvin has announced the BX700, an evolved version of their BX500 bass amplifier. The new head unit combines a Class A preamp with a Class D power section rated up to 700 watts at two ohms. Remodeled in a red-faced chassis, the BX700’s controls include three EQ sections. The Contour knob controls an adjustable preset EQ curve that is flat...

Schecter has introduced the Session series of basses, which they describe as combining “no frills looks with high end electronics.” The series includes four and five string basses in the company’s Stiletto and Riot body styles. Each of the models features a contoured swamp ash body and 6-bolt Canadian Maple neck. The 24-fret maple fingerboard is accented with ebony offset...

This week we check out the Classic 5 String Bass from Zoov Guitars, a custom shop based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. While each bass is made to order by luthier Nicholas Lacroix, this particular fretless version really stands out for its beauty and attention to detail. The bass has a beautiful assortment of woods. Its neck is tigerwood is topped...

Aguilar has expanded their pickup line with the AG 4M and AG 5M Music Man-Style bass pickups. The humbuckers were designed to recreate the classic Stingray tone while enhancing string-to-string balance, consistency, and harmonic content. They fit as a direct replacement for basses with this style pickup. The company says the pickups are wired in parallel to give players “crisp...

Swiss luthier Tino Tedesco has unveiled The Primal series of basses, including the 4/21 and 5/21. The new line aims to reduce the amount of options to be able to offer a professional instrument on a budget. “We have retained a lot of important features also present on our other models like the graphite reinforced necks, the 2-way trussrods and...

This year marks Gibson’s 120th anniversary and they’re celebrating with a plethora of new and upgraded models including the 2014 SG Special Bass. The 30-inch scale bass incorporates features from several of Gibson’s electric basses to create a unique and affordable bass. Starting with a solid mahogany body in the classic SG shape, the bass is built with a glued-in...

Iconic Sound has announced they will be unveiling the Light Lead, the world’s first optical analog, jack-to-jack instrument cable at NAMM this month. The new technology uses analog fiber optics which provides zero capacitance and zero loading. This in turn offers completely uncompressed and full analog signal transmission no matter the cable length. The Light Lead’s cables are high density,...

Fender’s Custom Shop has unveiled the 2014 edition instruments of their annual Custom Collection. The lineup includes two basses: the 2014 Proto Precision Bass and the 1964 Heavy Relic Precision Bass. Fender Custom Shop 2014 Proto Precision Bass Formerly named the Pro Series, the Proto Series is the Fender Custom Shop’s “proving-ground” line built with distinctive features requested for master...