Bass Gear - Page 298

Rotosound have expanded their Swing Bass line of strings to include a set of 45-100 gauge nickel strings. The company says the new set of nickel strings have a more muted and smoother tone than its stainless steel brethren, which make up most of the Swing Bass series, and that they offer a softer feel. As with the rest of...

LeCompte Electric Basses has announced the Charlie Padilla Maqueo Signature Model, available in 4-, 5-, and 6-string versions. The single cutaway bass features solid body construction with a choice of woods and a slim, 24-fret set-neck. Standard features include a Nordstrand pickups, Hipshot hardware and a satin finish. Charlie Padilla Maqueo is the bassist for the Mexican rock band ELAN,...

Gibson has released another short scale bass this year, following the announcement of the short scale Thunderbird. The new LP Junior DC Bass features a 30.5” scale, which the company explains is perfect for players with shorter arms and smaller hands. Designed to mix elements of the Les Paul Junior guitar and the 1960 EB-0 bass, the body is solid...

Carl Martin has released a new stompbox tuner, designed to offer high visibility on stage. Housed in a die-cast black chassis, the chromatic tuner can be calibrated from 437Hz to 443Hz. It can switch between standard readout and strobe functions for easy visibility, and also includes a mute switch for silent tuning. True Bypass is included to keep a clean...

AC Guitars has announced a new line of handmade production basses called the Graft series, aimed at bringing hand made instruments into a more accessible price point. The new models are handcrafted by Scottish builder Alan Cringean in Moffat alongside his custom work. The line includes five different body shapes: Finn, Recurve, Harlot, Gallas, and J-Type, all built of Alder...

Finland-based Darkglass Electronics, a company focused on bass effects and boasts handmade pedals, is the brainchild of Chilean-born Douglas Castro. Castro started the venture to create effects and tones that he heard in his head but couldn’t get with other pedals. The company’s flagship is their Microtubes B3K Bass Overdrive, a compact pedal featuring hybrid JFET and CMOS gain stages....

BOSS has released the Micro BR BR-80 digital recorder, a portable audio station that combines an 8-track multi-track recorder, an eBand for practice, and a live recording mode. In addition to a 1/4” input and 1/8” line-in, the device features a built-in stereo condenser microphone for live to 2-track recording. All recorded material is tracked directly to the SD/SDHC memory...

Esteban St. James of Von Saint Design is a bass lover like the rest of us, but even deeper his passion lies in vintage Ampeg SVT gear. He sent us Parts 1 and 2 of a 4-part YouTube series he made about the classic equipment. Part 1 deals with what “the sound” is and how to get it, while Part...

Bass builder Bud LeCompte has just unveiled a new line of vintage style basses under the moniker V-Groove Basses. The new models include the Nola and Provision basses, available in 4 and 5 string versions. Though custom options are available, the basses come standard with alder bodies and three piece 1/4 sawn maple necks. The fingerboards are either maple or...

If there’s one thing about playing I’ve always had trouble with, it’s going through strings. My hands sweat. A lot. And sweat really breaks down strings, especially in places where the humidity can be really bad (such as the Midwest, where I live). I’ve played every brand and type of string: coated, uncoated, steel, nickel… the whole spectrum, and I’ve...

In our first installment of “Old School”, bassist Matt Shively shares the story of his 1967 Epiphone EB-232 bass. Make/Model/Year My bass is a 1967 Epiphone Rivoli EB-232, made in Kalamazoo, MI. How long have you owned it? Going on 3 years now. How did you come across it? Well, I have a cousin named Larry Holcomb who played in...

After showing the prototype at NAMM, Carvin has released the Brian Bromberg Signature Bass series, available in 4 and 5-string versions. The new Bromberg B24 and B25 models feature neck through construction with alder bodies and maple necks. AAAA flamed maple tops come standard, though you can get a solid color finish. The fingerboard is ebony and has Bromberg’s logo...