Bass Gear - Page 276

TC Electronic has followed up on last year’s compact Ditto looper pedal with the Ditto X2. The pedal builds on its predecessor with a dedicated start/stop button, looper effects, and a loop import/export feature for loading premade loops. The Ditto X2 offers up to five minutes of looping with unlimited overdubs and undo/redo functions. It also stores loops when it...

Traynor has expanded their Small Block series of bass heads with the SB500H. A companion to last year’s SB200H, the new amp delivers 500 watts while weighting a mere four pounds. The SB500H retains many of the same features of its smaller brethren, including active and passive inputs, a 4-band EQ with low and hi mid controls, and the company’s...

Tonecraft Audio launched this year with their flagship product, the Tonecraft 363 Tube Direct Box. The interface is made for all instruments that use a 1/4″ connection, but the company’s designer Ryan Feves notes that it was created with a slant towards upright and electric bass. “While the DI is not exclusively for bass, [Jon Erickson] and I are both...

I got a tip to check out CG Lutherie, a French bass builder, and I’m glad I did. The company’s Sequel bass is an interesting take on a hollow body with multiple sound holes on the bass side of the instrument. This 5-string fretless Sequel is built with a black limba body a neck of garapa and rosewood. It’s tied...

Radial Engineering has updated their ToneBone series of pedals with the Bassbone OD, a bass preamp with two input channels and a built-in overdrive. The new pedal builds on the original Bassbone with several new features in addition to the overdrive such as a mute footswitch and the option to keep the effects loop active at all times. Each channel...

Each year, Warwick releases the latest in their Limited Edition series of basses, and this year the company has announced the 2014 Limited Edition Fortress Bass. The model, which comes in 4- and 5-string versions, is limited to only 100 instruments in the world. The bass is built around a swamp ash body with a stunning 3/8″ birdseye poplar top...

Yamaha was showing off their new TRBX series of basses at this year’s Winter NAMM show. Combining elements of their former TRB and RBX lines, the new basses come in 300 and 500 levels with differing controls and pickups. All of the instruments sport a mahogany body and a five-piece maple/mahogany neck. The 500-level basses include the TRBX504 and TRBX505,...

Rickenbacker has introduced the W Series of guitars and basses for 2014. The lineup is a spin on their classic models, including the 4003 bass, but are made with walnut bodies. Though the company states that it’s careful not to change too much from the formulas they use to make instrument, they say the walnut adds strength and natural character....

Thanks to the Winter NAMM Show, January is always a huge month for new gear stories. (So much so, we’ll still be covering the NAMM news into February). Here are the top 10 most popular gear stories in January, based on readership. Thanks as always for reading, commenting and sharing. And here’s to lots more gear news! 1. Cort Jeff...

This week we take a look at the Franz Bassguitars Sirius, a stunning bass made in Bavaria by luthier Xaver Tremel. I found this bass through this excellent demo played by German bassist Ralf Gauck: The bass features a singlecut design that comes in either 4- or 5-string versions. Tremel starts the bass with a chambered walnut body with plenty...

Source Audio debuted the latest in their line of bass envelop filters at the NAMM show this year with the announcement of the Soundblox 2 Manta Bass Filter. The Manta is the next generation, following the company’s Soundblox Pro Bass Envelope Filter. The Manta offers 12 filter effects, plus a new edition for the Soundblox line: distortion. In fact, there...

Electra has updated the Phoenix Bass for 2014 with improvements including reshaping the body for a more comfortable playing. The upper horn has been moved out to the 12th fret while the belly of the body has been extended. The bass also marks Electra’s first collaboration with EMG. The Phoenix is fitted with two EMG HZ-P pickups that are matched...