Bass Gear - Page 256

Aguilar introduced the Super Double Pickups at NAMM this year. The pickups feature dual rows of Alnico 5 pole pieces that the company says dishes out a “thick yet articulate tone” as well as hum-canceling performance. The pickups come in versions for four, five, and six-string basses. Aguilar builds them in their New York City factory with 42-gauge Formvar wire....

Ibanez is taking a page out of the old school with their new Talman Bass Series, consisting of the TMB300 and TMB100. The basses, which feature a retro aesthetic, share many of the same features with the 300 having an edge in features. Both models are built with a mahogany body, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard. The TMB300’s fingerboard is...

I love checking out fledgling bass builders and self-starters, so when Alain Guiraud sent a note about his new bass, I got just as excited as he did. His friend and guitarist Bruno Régis created an axe that mixes and matches features from a handful of basses. Guiraud says it is his friend’s first order, and I have to say...

Laney Amplification has expanded their Nexus series of bass amps with the Nexus Studio Live, a hybrid tube bass amp designed for use on stage or in a session. The core of the amp includes a ECC83 tube in the preamp and a class D amps for a total output of 1,000 watts, but that’s just the beginning of this...

After introducing the EX-Bass two years ago, D’Angelico announced the solidbody EX-SD Bass at this year’s NAMM Show. The four-string bass features a chambered mahogany body topped with flame maple and a mahogany neck. Its rosewood fingerboard holds 21 frets and is adorned with mother of pearl block inlays as position markers. The EX-SD is loaded with a pair of...

Warwick introduced a new signature bass for Stuart Hamm during the NAMM Show this year. The new model is based on the company’s Streamer with extended contouring and a deeper cutaway for improved access to the higher register. The Stu Hamm Signature bass is built with an alder body and five-piece birdseye maple and rosewood neck. Its neck has illuminated...

A couple of weeks ago, Damian Erskine sent me an email filled with excitement. Here’s an excerpt: You know about my trip to pick up my dad’s bass in St Louis, right? Well, Jim Widner (who cared for it for the past 25 years) pointed out a name carved in the front. Faint but clear: “Shaw”. Apparently this was Arvell...

Dunlop’s booth at this year’s NAMM Show was buzzing with the announcement Marcus Miller had joined forces with them to create a signature line of strings. “Starting with our new Super Bright formula, we worked closely with him to develop strings that perfectly complement his sound—crisp and cutting with a big fundamental and powerful low end,” the company shared. Miller...

Ibanez has announced they will reissue the famed 2609B, also known as the Black Eagle bass. Admitting they are not apt to reissue many instruments, the company says the limited edition run marks the 40th anniversary of the classic model.

Gruv Gear introduced the SoloStrap Neo 4.0 and 2.5 at NAMM this year. The new straps are a more economical version of their existing straps and comes in a four-inch wide version to accommodate bassists. “We had our DuoStrap Signature and then made the Duostrap Neo as an affordable version of it,” Gruv Gear’s Jay Baldemor explains. “Then we had...

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...