News - Page 359

The guys from Gruv Gear were showing off a few new products at their NAMM booth this year, including the new FretWraps and V-Cart Solo Lite. Designed with bass in mind, the Gruv Gear FretWraps are a string-muting accessory made to replace the hair ties that most bassists keep above the nut. Available in three sizes, FretWraps fit around up...

Roland has expanded their line of Cube Bass combo amps with three new models: the 120XL, 60XL, and 20XL. Delivering 120, 60, and 20 watts respectively, the amps are built for portability. The 120XL and 60XL have more in common than the 20XL, as they share dual custom-designed Air Flow Ports, eight COSM amp models, seven effects (including new Drive...

Ruppert Musical Instruments has introduced the Basswitch IQ DI, a pedal that the company calls “the bass player’s Swiss knife”. Built in Germany, it serves as an A/B input switcher, a preamp, a clean booster, a parametric EQ, an FX loop switcher, and a D.I. box. The Basswitch has two inputs, which lead to channels A and B respectively. If...

Fodera has introduced the new Yin Yang Standard bass, based on their Victor Wooten Yin Yang Deluxe. The company consulted Wooten on the creation, as he has “long wanted a Yin Yang that could be more widely available.” The bass utilizes all the same materials and specifications from their Brooklyn-made instrument with a lower price point. The Yin Yang Standard...

The No Treble crew has been hitting the NAMM floor for a couple of days, getting the scoop on the latest bass news and meeting lots of great bassists along the way. Be sure to check out our ongoing NAMM coverage, with lots of new gear reports and bassist news scheduled, even after the show ends. Marcus Miller Alex Al...

Gallien-Krueger Amplification has expanded their MB series by adding a new more powerful head unit, a new combo, and powered enclosures to the line up. The MB800 is an 800-watt amp that weighs in at 4.9 pounds and features a discreet FET driven preamp and power amp. The unit includes a 10dB pad, tuning mute switch, two gains, a four...

Mel Bay’s new jazz bass method was actually written by guitarist Frank Vignola. Walking the Bass: Jazz Standard Progressions is a collection of ten walking bass lines for the most common progressions in jazz standards. The 28 page book is designed to provide the student with strong concepts for playing each walking line, while also learning how to outline chords...

TC Electronic’s bass amp 2.0 line has just gotten a little bigger and a lot louder with the introduction of the Blacksmith. The amp shares many of the same features as its siblings, including an integrated chromatic tuner, four-band EQ, SpectraComp ‘per-string’ compression, TubeTone tube amp recreation, and TweeterTone high frequency control. Three user presets are also available for versatility....

Among a slew of new instruments, Ibanez has released a tribute bass to the late Slipknot bassist, Paul Gray. The new bass was designed in conjunction with Gray’s family and the Slipknot management. Proceeds from sales of the bass will go towards a special trust for Paul’s daughter and family. The PGB2T features a mahogany body and maple neck with...

No Treble’s first day at NAMM 2011 witnessed some amazing developments in the bass space. To start off, we’re going to share some exciting clips and photos of exceptionally talented bassists we know you’ll enjoy, plus a few gear previews. Check out our ongoing NAMM 2011 coverage. Sterling Ball & Dave LaRue Game Changer bass demo Sterling Ball and Dave...

Dean Guitars has unveiled two new John Entwistle signature basses at NAMM, named the Spider and the Hybrid. The Spider is a limited edition, where the Hybrid will be a standard model available in a USA model and one presumably built overseas. The John Entwistle Spider is an extremely limited run with only 25 produced worldwide. With it’s angular design...

Don’t Miss Out: TC Electronic and No Treble are teaming up for an ultimate gear contest! One lucky Grand Prize winner will receive a TC Electronic BG500 bass amp. Four first-prize winners will receive one of two TC Electronic PolyTune tuners, a Nova Delay pedal or a Nova Repeater pedal. Five runners up prize winners will receive a coveted No...