Bass Gear - Page 255

Tech 21 has expanded their Character VT Series with the VT Bass DI, available in pedal and rackmount versions. Both versions are based on the original VT Bass and VT Bass Deluxe, which are designed to give familiar sounds from the early ’60s up through modern day crunch via the “Character” knob. The VT Bass DI pedal incorporates a Blend...

Aerosmith’s Tom Hamilton has a new signature bass from G&L. Based on their ASAT bass, the Tom Hamilton Signature Model tweaks the design in a few ways including newly designed pickups, woods, and finishes. Core to the new model’s design is a specially wound pair of the company’s MFD pickups that were specced out by G&L’s VP Engineering Paul Gagon...

Aguilar has introduced a new set of pickups called the HOT series. The Hot P and Hot J pickups act as direct replacements for 4-string Fender P-Bass and Jazz pickups but feature larger, 16mm magnets and an over-wound design. The result is a hotter output that Aguilar says adds a big and loud tone while retaining the grit and nuance....

Guild has reissued the Starfire Bass along with eight other models as part of their Newark St. Collection. Introduced in the ’60s, the original Starfire Bass was made popular by bands including the Byrds and Jefferson Airplane. The new model sports an extra-thin, semi-hollow body made of laminated mahogany finished in Cherry red and accented with black and ivory purfling....

As 3D printing becomes a more accessible means of creation, it seems that imagination is our only limit. ODD Guitars realized this and put the technology to use in instruments. “3D printing allows designs to be manufactured that could not be manufactured through traditional means,” the company writes on their website. “The 3D Printing technology used in ODD guitars is...

Warwick has entered the lightweight amp market with the new LWA 1000, a six pound bass amp rated at 1,000 watts at 4 ohms. Featuring a Class A preamp and Class D power amp section, the LWA 1000 has two identical channels with individual mutes, 4-band EQs, built-in compressors, and gain controls. Connectivity on the amp includes an auxiliary input,...

Zoom unveiled the MultiStomp MS-60B at NAMM this year. The stompbox features over fifty types of effects and six amp models in a standard-sized pedal. The MS-60B comes with 30 preset patches with room to create up to 50 original patches, and players can switch through different patches using a unique toggle footswitch and cursor keys. It allows for using...

Fender has expanded its American Vintage series with four new basses including the ’58 Precision Bass, the ’63 Precision Bass, the ’64 Jazz Bass, and the ’74 Jazz Bass. As with the rest of the line, the new basses are reimagined to bring new life to the original designs. Each bass was picked for significant milestones in the model’s lifespan....

D’Angelico Guitars has been reborn for 2013. The brand, named for luthier John D’Angelico, has relaunched several instruments including the EX-Bass, which will be part of their Standard Series. With its single-cutaway, semi-hollow body, the 32.25? scale bass bears the company’s classic vibe and vintage feel. It also pays homage to D’Angelico’s New York roots with a machined aluminum truss...

Two years ago, Ampeg paid homage to one of their most popular vintage models with a limited run of the Heritage B-15, which they did again in 2012. This year the company has introduced the Heritage B-15N, a new model that delivers the sound of the B-15 in a new black finish. The new amp, which is designed and assembled...

About a decade after introducing their Private Stock model, Paul Reed Smith Guitars and bassist Gary Grainger have teamed up again to introduce the Grainger 4 and Grainger 5 basses to the company’s Core production line. The new models are modified slightly from their predecessors to add more universal appeal to players. Made in PRS’s Maryland factory, the basses are...

In 2009, Carvin teamed up with Sekou Bunch to create the SB4000, a bass the company says was designed with “vintage vibe.” The U.S.-made bass is a 4-string, though a 5-string SB5000 is available with many of the same specs. Standard features on the SB4000 include an alder body, eastern hard rock maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard, though they only...