Bass Gear - Page 52

Fender has unveiled the 2024 Custom Collection from the Fender Custom Shop, and it has a good handful of basses. Four-strings appear in the Limited Edition, Time Machine, and Artisan collections for a total of seven new models.

There have been several mysteries of missing basses of historical importance. Jaco’s Bass of Doom was thankfully found, though James Jamerson’s Funk Machine has not surfaced. In September, there was a big push to find Paul McCartney’s original 1961 Hofner bass, and after 51 years the search is finally over.

Mudvayne bassist Ryan Martinie’s signature line of Fodera instruments has gotten a new member as the company has announced the “Black Beauty” Standard bass.

I love it when readers share their basses with us. Jonathan Chase sent us the details of his new axe from luthier Chris Stambaugh, and it’s a real beauty.

Sire attended the 2024 NAMM Show to launch several new lines of basses, including the Z Series. It has two basses – the Z3 and the Z7 – that are their take on a classic bass design.

Ashdown is most known for their bass amplifiers and pedals, but in 2020, it introduced a line of bass guitars. This year at NAMM, they unveiled the next generation of their basses with the Roasted Series.

Eastwood Guitars has a knack for reviving instrument designs of the past. The latest is their newly announced Jet Star Bass, which pays homage to the DeArmond Jet Star from the ’60s.

Ernie Ball is expanding their lineup of Flatwound Bass Strings for 2024 with three new gauges including two short scale sets. As part of the line, they feature polished stainless steel ribbon winding and a custom core-to-wrap ratio.

Ashdown introduced several new products at NAMM 2024, including the Rootmaster EVO III range of bass amps. The latest update to the Rootmaster series adds rackmount options to the head units, which come in 500 or 800 watts.

Sterling By Music Man was at NAMM this year to introduce a new bass and revamp a classic. First is the limited edition Sterling Bass, followed by an updated StingRay Short Scale bass model.

This week, we’re checking out a beautiful Heirloom model bass from New York’s JClef Basses. Billed as their most exclusive bass build yet, this bass celebrates the company’s fifth anniversary.

Many products were launched at NAMM, from monster rigs to elegant new bass guitars. However, one new gadget that caught our eye was the Thumb Fin. The thumb rest uses suction cups to easily be placed and removed on any bass without any alterations.