Bass Gear - Page 248

Ken Bebensee of KB Guitars made this gorgeous acoustic bass guitar for jazz bassist Robert Hurst, whose work ranges from stints with Wynton Marsalis to being a member of The Tonight Show Band. The 5-string bass brings together elements of a cello and an archtop jazz guitar for a unique hybrid bass. It’s built with an extra deep body made...

Bassist, designer and copywriter Adrian Elton shares his beautiful 1964 Höfner 500/1 this time around. Karl Höfner GmbH & Co. KG began building instruments in 1887, later becoming the largest manufacturer of string instruments in Germany. Much of the company’s popularity is attributed to Paul McCartney’s use Höfner 500/1 bass, three-quarters of a century or so later. To this day,...

Killswitch Engage’s Mike D’Antonio and Ibanez have teamed up to release the bassist’s third signature model, the MDB3. Based on the company’s Destroyer model, the bass’s mahogany body features beveled edges to provide right arm comfort while picking. Its three-piece maple neck is topped with a rosewood fretboard inlaid with a MDB logo at the 12th fret. The pickup departs...

David Gage Instruments is adding to their Realist series of instrument pickups with the Realist LifeLine. The new double bass pickup is a self-powered piezo that the company describes as offering a “focused bass sound.” The LifeLine works on basses with adjustable bridges and is mounted on the bridge adjuster without glue or fasteners. Its output jack is held tightly...

Here’s a fantastic bass built by luthier Mike Browne. This particular version of his Milo model bass features some fancy woodwork, especially on the body. It’s built with a Honduran mahogany core, a full face figured walnut top with a maple accent stripe, a walnut back, a walnut center block, and maple center block stripes. The neck is quartersawn hardrock...

DBZ Guitars has introduced the Barchetta Bass, a model based on DBZ’s flagship guitar. The bass follows the company’s trend of blending modern and traditional styles for unique instruments. The Barchetta Bass comes in three versions based on their tops: Standard (ST), Flame Maple (FM), and Spalt Maple (SM). Common features include a maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, and a matching...

Levy’s Leathers has announced a new line of hemp and denim guitar straps. Featuring six “70’s-inspired” designs, the straps have frayed edges and are finished with suede leather backing. The straps are 2-1/2? wide and are adjustable from 41? to 54? in length, though they’re also available in XL, which adds 12? to their overall length. The Levy’s Leathers Hemp...

Mission Engineering has added a new volume pedal to their line up with the introduction of the VM-PRO. The pedal offers up an integrated buffer to maintain frequency response whether you’re using long cables or multiple effects pedals. The VM-PRO is available in standard and PZ versions to accommodate for standard pickups or piezos. The device takes different instrument levels...

Audix has introduced the Cabi5 and Cabf5, a pair of kits that bundle their i5 or f5 microphones with their CabGrabber microphone mounting systems. The CabGrabber mounting system is a spring-loaded mic support that grips onto bass or guitar cabinets for easy mounting. The system mounts without the use of tools and has a curved arm with a locking choke...

The Fender Custom Shop has rolled out its Spring 2013 offerings, including the Limited Relic 1955 Precision Bass. Mimicking the look of an aged bass, the new model is the Custom Shop’s first to feature a special Black over Three-color Sunburst nitrocellulose lacquer finish. The bass is created by Fender’s master builders with a lightweight ash body and a quartersawn...

Dean Guitars has released a new bass to their Signature Series with the USA Jeff Berlin Basic. Made in the USA, the new model scales things back from the Patchwork bass while keeping the design’s strengths in place. The Jeff Berlin Basic features bolt-on construction with an alder body, a maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard. It’s fitted with a...

This week we check out the Wizard by Christopher Woods Guitars. Woods, who got his start working for Michael Tobias, started building under his own name in 2000 under the CWG banner and does work on a custom basis. The Wizard is a striking design with long, symmetrical horns and a round bottom that comes to a point just above...