Bass Gear - Page 253

Part of the fun of the NAMM show is finding all the oddities that are tucked away into the booths for different vendors. One of the coolest discoveries for us this year was an intricate striped bass at the Hipshot booth. After a minute we got to talking with its creator, Pete Hilton of Hilton Guitars, and I got to...

Warwick expanded their lightweight bass amp lineup with the LWA 500 at NAMM this year. Rated at up to 500 watts, the compact amp weighs in at only 2.42 pounds. The LWA 500 combines a preamp based on the Class A/Low Z circuitry found in the WA series with a Class D power amplifier to keep the weight down. It...

One of the many new basses at Ibanez’s booth this year was the SRFF, a fanned-fret version of their flagship SR bass. Available in five and six-string models, the bass features a multi-scale setup to optimize the tonal performance of each string. “The goal of the fanned-fret system is to even the tension of each string,” Ibanez explains in a...

Rickenbacker launched a pair of new takes on their classic 4003 bass this year with the 4003S and 4003SW. The new models take the current 4003 and 4003W basses and give them a vintage aesthetic made popular by the ’60s 4001S bass.

Eden Amplification was showing off its new CaliforniWAH bass filter pedal at the Winter NAMM Show this year. The new pedal is designed for versatility with two different voicing settings and four effect parameters. The Californiwah has four control knobs: Low Point, Sensitivity, Resonance, and Effect Level. Low Point adjusts where the effect starts in your sound, where Sensitivity controls...

One of the most interesting booths we visited at the NAMM Show this year was James Trussart Custom Guitars. The L.A.-based luthier takes a different approach to building instruments and uses steel for his bodies, often giving them a rusted finish. “I’ve always liked the look and feel of old guitars, believing them to have a life beyond that of...

Boutique bass builder Jens Ritter unveiled a new bass at the NAMM Show this year called the Okon Concept. The new model matches the luthier’s distinctive Okon body shape with his BA Tuning System, which mounts the tuners on the back of the bass’s body. Following a golden theme, the bass features a 24-karat antique gold finish on its body...

Ernie Ball’s booth at NAMM this year was buzzing with a new neck-through version of their flagship StingRay Bass. Available in four and five-string versions, the StingRay Neck Through is built with a 3-piece maple neck the runs the entire length of its ash body. The StingRay has only featured bolt-on construction since its introduction in 1976. The new bass...

Fodera went old school at NAMM this year by introducing the Standard Classics line, including the Monarch 4 and Emperor 5 Standard Classics. The new models retain the qualities of Fodera’s Standard series models while taking on a classic aesthetic. “All our tone woods and everything are from the same Brooklyn shop [and are] the same tone woods we use...

Boss has introduced the BB-1X Bass Driver, a compact pedal that employs the company’s MDP technology to offer sounds ranging from natural clean tone to a heavy distortion. Beyond a drive pedal, the BB-1X has EQ controls and a 1/4-inch line output to add preamp and DI functionality. The pedal’s distortion circuit analyzes your bass signal to respond to your...

Ashdown Engineering took the opportunity at NAMM to unveil the B-Social, a desktop bass amp that’s loaded with innovative features. The 75-watt stereo amp is boasted as the first desktop amp system for bass guitarists with Bluetooth connectivity that allows the bass to connect wirelessly via an optional transmitter. The “social” aspect of the amp comes from from several features,...

January is always a good month for new bass gear stories, thanks to the NAMM show. Here are the 10 most popular bass gear stories in January, based on No Treble readers. Thanks for reading, and sorry for all the GAS. 1. Marcus Miller Teams with Sire Guitars for New Signature Basses Marcus Miller has a new line of signature...