There’s no official lower limit to how far a bass player can tune, but if you’ve reached drop F, you’ve probably gone far enough. This month, however, manufacturers have been doing their best to encourage us to venture further into the sonic abyss.

Highlights include Dingwall’s Amos Williams Signature Combustion, a BEAD-tuned four-string built for subterranean lows, and the Ron Petzke Cyclops Bass from Dunable Guitars. If you’ve ever thought your bass simply wasn’t capable of moving enough air, Dunable and Petzke would like a word.

Other artist-driven releases include Ashdown’s Combo of Doom, created with Black Sabbath legend Geezer Butler, La Bella’s Aston “Family Man” Barrett Signature strings, and JCA Audio’s Endless Bass plugin, which packs multiple amp tones, DI and sub channels and a parallel mixer into a single plugin.

With a host of new basses, strings, pedals and plugins designed to make your low-end even louder, here’s our pick of the biggest bass gear releases in July.

Dingwall Guitars Amos Williams Signature

Although most of us would sooner drop an SVT on our foot than venture into tunings as low as progressive metal band TesseracT, there can’t be many bass players who haven’t at least considered going lower.

TesseracT remain one of prog metal’s heaviest hitters, and anyone drawn to the low-end manoeuvres of bassist Amos Williams should take a serious look at his Signature Combustion from Dingwall Guitars.

The four-string version features Dingwall’s renowned 34.75–37-inch multi-scale design and comes factory-tuned to BEAD, offering plenty of extended low-end range straight out of the box.

There’s an environmental angle, too. In keeping with Williams’ commitment to reducing waste, each bass is constructed from carefully selected body offcuts that would otherwise be too small to build a complete instrument. The result is a sustainable approach that also means every bass is genuinely one of a kind.

Joe Calderone Audio & Toby Peterson-Stewart Endless Bass

Lauded as one of the modern-day heroes of the electric bass, Toby Peterson-Stewart has teamed up with Joe Calderone Audio to create Endless Bass, a custom plugin that’s designed to give you control over multiple amp tones, with a dedicated DI and sub channel, plus a full parallel mixer – all in one plugin.

“We made Endless Bass to provide the most complex bass tone, with the simplest workflow,” says Peterson-Stewart. “All modern bass tones are an amalgamation of different parallel channels that are combined together to make one big tone. So we decided to put it all into one plugin.”

The parallel mixer can be accessed from the plug-in’s Mix Page, with each channel featuring its own full parametric EQ. There’s also a Pre-FX page with fuzz and chorus, although crucially, these effects don’t affect the Sub channel.

The result is a streamlined multi-layered bass signal that would otherwise require several amp, effects and mixing chains, all from a single plugin.

Ashdown Geezer Butler Combo of Doom

Here’s one for the Sabbath fans – following Geezer Butler’s monstrous bass rig for Black Sabbath’s 2025 “Back to the Beginning” concert, Ashdown has unveiled the Combo of Doom – a UK-built 200-watt bass combo created in collaboration with the legendary bassist and limited to just 70 units worldwide.

The control panel features a five-band EQ, tube-emulated drive, Shape and Active/Passive switches, while an effects loop, Line In, balanced XLR DI, headphone output and optional footswitch provide plenty of flexibility for both stage and studio use.

Visually, it shares the same purple Tolex as Butler’s colossal Ashdown rig, but at just 10.5kg, and with a single 1x12-inch speaker, it’s a far more portable alternative – and a tempting proposition for Sabbath devotees and bassists alike.

Dunable Guitars Ron Petzke Cyclops Bass

If your idea of a sensible bass tuning ends somewhere around standard, look away now. Dunable Guitars has teamed up with Bongripper bassist Ron Petzke for a limited-edition USA Cyclops Bass built specifically for players who like their low-end to venture into truly ridiculous territory.

Designed with drop F in mind, the recipe is suitably stripped-back: a single D-Bird pickup, a charcoal finish and a hefty slab of swamp ash.

With its USA-built construction and limited-edition status, this latest model from Dunable looks less like a conventional bass and more like a dedicated piece of heavy-duty artillery for anyone who thinks drop G simply isn’t low enough.

La Bella Aston “Family Man” Barrett Signature Flatwound Bass Strings

La Bella reckons its 760FS Deep Talkin’ Bass flatwound strings played such an important role in Aston “Family Man” Barrett’s legendary tone that the company has developed a signature set in tribute to the late bassist.

"For decades, ‘Family Man’ relied on La Bella flatwound strings to deliver the deep and powerful tone that became the heartbeat of countless classic recordings,” say La Bella. “His basslines provided the foundation for some of the most influential music ever created, making La Bella strings an integral part of his unmistakable sound.”

The set uses .045, .065, .085 and .105 gauges, finished with distinctive red, gold and green silk ends – a nod to Barrett’s Jamaican roots and musical legacy.

Serek The Grand Batch #12

If you like your basses with a little more attitude than your average slab of mahogany, Serek’s latest limited-edition Grand should be firmly on your radar.

Batch #12 is the latest instalment in Serek’s semiannual series, and it arrives with a mahogany body finished in Wild Mountain Berry, accented with Cream stripes and topped with a custom-engraved “Four Thousand Holes” pickguard from Decoboom.

As with previous Grand models, Batch #12 features a TV Jones Thunder’Blade pickup and Serek’s “Skuzz Serkit” passive fuzz circuit. A roasted maple neck, Indian rosewood fingerboard and Hipshot hardware round out the spec.

Jad Freer Audio SARTO

We’re already partial to the Jad Freer Audio CAPO, and always pleased to see the Italian-based company release another of it’s studio-style preamp pedals. The SARTO is billed as a “channel strip in a small box” – a compact preamp/EQ pedal designed to bring clean-tone shaping to just about any instrument.

It’s based on the clean preamp circuit from the CAPO and is built around an ultra-high input impedance, making it particularly well suited to piezo-equipped instruments such as upright basses.

An extended EQ section and resonant high-pass filter give players plenty of control over the frequencies that can make or break a live or studio sound.

There’s also a balanced XLR output, making the SARTO a practical option for bass players who want to go straight to a desk or recording interface.

Winzz Guitars EBS714 & EBS715

Winzz Guitars is looking to bring neck-through construction and modern active electronics to a wider audience with its new EBS714 and EBS715 electric basses. Both combine an okoume body with a walnut top and sleek matte finish.

Winzz has fitted the pair with active dual-humbuckers and a three-band active EQ, giving players boost-and-cut control over the bass, middle and treble frequencies alongside a master volume.

Chrome hardware completes the package, but the real attraction is the combination of a 35-inch scale, neck-through construction and active dual-humbuckers.

Swiff Audio Maestro Series WT09B 5.8GHz Wireless System

If you’re tired of cables getting under your feet, Swiff Audio has another wireless option for your bass rig – and this one promises to keep things seriously stable.

The Maestro Series WT09B 5.8GHz Wireless Transceiver System arrives just two months after the 2.4GHz WT09A, upgrading to the less congested 5.8GHz frequency band for what Swiff describes as studio-grade tone and rock-solid wireless performance.

The launch also comes with some serious player endorsements. Guitar virtuoso Bernth Brodträger and slap bass extraordinaire Charles Berthoud have both officially joined Swiff Audio as global brand ambassadors for the Maestro Series – suggesting the company is keen to position its latest wireless system as a serious tool for serious players.

BOSS CB-EB15 Bass Guitar Gig Bag

It may be BOSS’s first bass guitar gig bag, but the CB-EB15 looks like the company has done its homework – offering plenty of protection and practical touches for bassists who need to get their instrument from A to B in one piece.

The exterior is made from durable 600D polyester, with thick padding throughout and extra reinforcement to protect the strap button on the lower bout. A cushioned end guard features an adjustable fit, allowing the bag to accommodate basses of different shapes and sizes.

Inside, your bass gets a velvet-lined interior and two detachable neck supports with adjustable straps, while heavy-duty zippers add another layer of protection. There’s also a sizeable external front pocket for accessories, along with a padded carry handle and two padded backpack straps for even easier transport.

What is it?

It's the nature of electric guitar and bass design – no matter how brilliant the blueprint is, once it reaches the market, there will almost always be a subset of owners who find joy in tweaking, adding or removing components, and stamping their own identity on it.

The Fender Jazz Bass is one of those instruments whose design was nearly perfect from the off, and remains so after almost seven decades, but there's now a sizeable market for Jazz-inspired bass guitars with the added power and flexibility of active electronics.

It helps that the Jazz is such a versatile platform to begin with; further enhanced, it really can end up being the clichéd “everything you ever need” bass – comfortable and stylish but traditional, and distinctive-sounding but with masses of flexibility.

Strangely, for a company that has made inroads into so many diffuse areas of the guitar and bass market, Ibanez had never hopped aboard.

The company's long-running Soundgear and BTB ranges, and the newer EHB headless models, cater particularly well for the rock and metal crowd; its Talman range adds a couple of quirky retro models. But in between, there's a long-standing gap; we’ve never seen an Ibanez take on the do-it-all ‘Super Jazz’. Until now

In 2026, we're seeing a whole new range of basses from the Japanese giant - the Mode, or MDM (Mode Modern) series. A clearly Fender-inspired outline, and all-important Jazz-sized single-coil pickups, but with the accoutrements of modern bass guitar.

The £999 entry to the range is the solid-coloured MDM1000, available with four, five or six strings, but here we have a four-string example of the next model up - this is the sunburst-finished, ash-bodied MDM1300.

Specs

• Price: $1,299 | £1,099 | €1,199
• Made: Indonesia
• Type: Four-string active bass guitar
• Body: Ash
• Neck: Roasted maple, MDM profile
• Fingerboard material/radius: Roasted maple, 12” radius
• Scale length: 34”/864mm
• Nut/width: Plastic, 38mm
• Frets: 24, medium, stainless steel
• Hardware: Ibanez Aero-light tuners, MR5S bridge, black
• String spacing at bridge: 19mm - adjustable at bridge
• Electrics: 2x Delta S4J pickups, Ibanez Sonitech S preamp, controls for Volume, Balance, Tone (push-pull for activating EQ), Bass, Mid, Treble, 3-way Mid selector switch, 2-way Hexa Mid selector switch on rear panel
• Weight: 9.3lb/4.2kg
• Options: MDM1000 range (from £999) with solid-colour finishes, available in 4, 5 or 6-string. MDM1305 5-string (£1,189). MDM1600 range (from £1,189) with exotic wood top, available in 4, 5 or 6-string.
• Left-handed options: N/A
• Finishes: Natural Stained Amber Burst
• Case: Ibanez gig bag included
• Contact: Ibanez

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★½

The body shape is instantly recognisable as Jazz-inspired, but with a deep treble-side cutaway for access to all 24 frets. The prominent grain of the ash, and the subtle burst finish, are very attractive; like the best of this style of instrument, its aesthetics would be just as suited for a soul/R&B band as for a metal project.

The build is fantastic overall; the hardware is tactile and high-quality, and the fit and finish is extremely well-executed, with no real flaws to mention anywhere – not necessarily a given with basses around this price.

The only sticking point with this review sample is the weight – at around 4.2 kg, it’s more than most will want for a four-string Jazz-style bass.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★★

I’ve heard Ibanez’s slim, narrow Soundgear neck profile described as being “like playing bass on ‘Easy’ mode” – and that statement came back to mind immediately when I began playing the MDM1300’s roasted maple neck.

It’s a Jazz-spec 38mm nut width, with a slim profile and a very smooth satin finish, and its easy playability is exactly what we’ve come to expect from an Ibanez bass – really superb.

There’s even a detachable finger ramp supplied; it’s as if the bass is egging you on to play faster and more technical fingerstyle passages.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★½

Another feature of the Mode series is an exhaustive EQ section – not satisfied with the conventional Bass/Mid/Treble layout, Ibanez has added a three-way mini-switch to offer a choice of midrange frequencies.

Then, set into the rear cavity cover, a second DIP switch for Ibanez’s new Hexa Mid circuit, which shifts the mid response to a lower register – combined with the first switch, this is a total of six possible frequencies for the Mid knob to boost or cut.

If you’re dialing in a very precise tone, it’s great news; if you’re prone to option paralysis, it’ll confound you. But you can pull up on the passive tone control and bypass the whole lot.

After you’ve found your way around the smorgasbord of midrange possibilities, the Ibanez starts to deliver on its promise of versatility, taking everything my bass test rig could throw at it – from a clean, compressed Gallien-Krueger to a gritty Sansamp tone, a vintage Ampeg overdrive to a modern-day Darkglass roar.

The Sonitech S preamp is clean, articulate and, of course, has that incredibly powerful EQ; fingerstyle, slapped, or picked, every note comes out with abundant punch and clarity. It doesn't sound like a vintage Jazz Bass, but you could immediately slot it into a recorded or live mix as a polished, professional modern Jazz-style tone – which is more the point.

There’s also something to be said for how much better it’s possible to sound on an instrument that simply makes playing smoother.

Verdict

It’s strange that Ibanez has never entered the ‘Super Jazz’ space before but, on this evidence, the Mode series stands as one hell of a first effort.

This example is a heavyweight, but makes up for it with stunning playability and a preamp that offers a borderline-excessive amount of adjustment.

At its price, it’s very difficult to rival the degree of quality and versatility shown here – if a modernised Jazz Bass is what you’re after, you’d be doing yourself a real disservice by not auditioning the Mode series.

Guitar World verdict: Ibanez has come into the modern Jazz Bass-style market for the first time, and pulled it off with quite some aplomb. The Mode series is a class-leading package – an excellent, unique preamp, good looks and the kind of silky-smooth playability that Ibanez fans will know and love.

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What is it?

A few years ago, Fender upended its range hierarchy and discontinued its long-serving Mexican-built Classic range of electric guitars and basses, replacing it with the Vintera line.

The new name carries a similar ethos – vintage-inspired specs, without American reissue prices. To its credit, Fender didn't simply stop there.

The subsequent Vintera II refresh saw numerous spec upgrades, plus new models and finishes. Now, in 2026, we're starting to see the introduction of the Vintera III range, with yet further updates.

I use the word ‘updates’ somewhat loosely, though, as these are still vintage-inspired instruments; the old-school specs and finishes are really the point. But, of course, Fender's long history provides a seemingly never-ending stream of models and era-specific features, ripe for reissue.

Here, then, is the Vintera III Late ‘60s Precision Bass, and its name states a clear goal - to capture the vibe of Fender's early ‘CBS’ period, after that giant American broadcasting corporation bought the company in 1965.

Many changes were made to Fender's range, not all of them for the better, but the distinctive style of the era is now highly sought-after.

Specs

• Launch price: $1,249 | £1,099 | €1,229currency retail prices
• Made: Mexico
• Type: Four-string electric bass
• Body: Alder
• Neck: Maple, ‘Late ‘60s C’ shape
• Fingerboard material/radius: Round-laminated rosewood, 7.25”
• Scale length: 34”/864mm
• Nut/width: Bone, 41.3mm
• Frets: 20, vintage tall
• Hardware: Vintage style ‘Lollipop’ tuners, vintage style 4-saddle bridge with threaded steel saddles
• String spacing at bridge: 19mm
• Electrics: 1x Late 60s split-coil pickup, volume, tone
• Weight: 7.9lb/3.6kg
• Left-handed options: N/A
• Finishes: Black with matching headstock and rosewood fretboard (as reviewed), Firemist Gold with rosewood fretboard, Lake Placid Blue with maple fretboard, 3-Color Sunburst with maple fretboard
• Case: Fender Deluxe gig bag, included
• Contact: Fender

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★½

Fender hasn't put a specific year on it, as it always has on the upmarket American Vintage lines; presumably, such year-specific features are hard to achieve at this significantly lower price point.

It's arguable that, because the ‘60s Precision aesthetic is so enduringly popular, that this latest take looks like many of Fender's other P-Bass models - especially if you unscrew the plastic tug bar on the scratchplate.

Luckily, this black example benefits from a matching headstock - a rare and desirable custom feature on original ‘60s Fenders, and undoubtedly one that does some heavy lifting aesthetically.

A downside, on our review sample, is that the Fender logo has noticeable rough edges from application - not something you'd be especially pleased about on a £300 instrument, leave alone one retailing for £1,099.

Other than this cosmetic issue, however, the build quality is excellent – the neck pocket is tight and the whole instrument resonates strongly.

The maple neck is finished in a vintage-looking amber tint, and crowned with a lovely, super-dark, round-laminated rosewood fretboard. The radius is an old-school 7.25”, with narrow and tall frets.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★☆

The alder body is a comfortable weight, and the neck's ‘Late ‘60s C’ shape is superb, the usual P-Bass nut width creating enough substance, but the profile slim enough to be comfortable for those with smaller hands. The steep fretboard radius and the slightly sticky-feeling gloss finish might not appeal to all, however.

Out of the box, the action is fairly high; I choose to drop the bridge saddles for an easier playing experience. Just as well the truss rod doesn't need adjusting – it's one of the old-school style with a screw head located at the neck heel, meaning the whole neck might need to come off.

Once the saddles are lowered a little, the playability improves; much easier to enjoy the comfortable neck profile, and the familiar feel of a classic P-Bass.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

I plug into my usual Line 6 HX Stomp test rig, and dial up a couple of favourite presets for vintage-style bass tones – an Ampeg B-15, an Acoustic 360 and a gritty Ampeg SVT for some higher-gain exploration.

The beauty of an old-school Precision Bass is that there's basically no learning curve. You can plug it straight in, with both controls on full, and it immediately sounds like… an old-school Precision Bass.

There's that thick low-midrange boom, and the growl of the upper mids (emphasised here by the fairly new strings). Fender's Late ‘60s split-coil pickup provides a full-bodied bass and low-mid response that would undoubtedly work a treat with some flat-wound strings.

Conversely, the high frequencies are a little more subdued than you'll find in some other P-Basses; it's far from woolly, but it's certainly a little more polite than my own go-to Precision-style bass.

If you're routinely playing more modern rock styles, then, you might consider a hotter or brighter pickup but, for the era-specific sound that Fender is invoking here, it's ideal.

Verdict

The Vintera III Late ‘60s Precision Bass, then, does what it says on the tin. It's a fine-playing and good-sounding P-Bass with a subtle vintage vibe.

To play more to its strengths as a retro instrument, you might consider a different finish (there's a gorgeous, and very ‘60s, Firemist Gold available, for example); even with the matching headstock, this black example just blends a little too readily into the sizeable crowd of other black P-Basses.

That's a bit of a shame, as the whole point of a vintage reissue is to evoke a specific era; a brief that this bass otherwise confidently hits.

Guitar World verdict: The new Vintera III range brings with it another fine 60s-style P-Bass, offering excellent old-school tone and playability. Choose your finish carefully for the right amount of retro charm - but beyond that, it's difficult to go too far wrong here.

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This month, while we were were sipping balloon glasses of brandy in celebration of Fender’s James Jamerson P-Bass, Dream Theater’s John Myung casually returned to 4-strings after decades of defining prog metal on a 6-string bass.

“While the 6-string is my comfort zone, I missed the physical freedom and generous string spacing of the 4-string bass,” said Myung of his latest signature collaboration with Ernie Ball Music Man, and who are we to judge?

For this month’s roundup we also heard from Rickenbacker’s Brendan Duff on the release of the company’s 3030 semi-acoustic bass, which combines the body of the iconic Rickenbacker 330 guitar and a bass guitar neck. Yes, it looks nuts – so what? We like crazy-looking gear.

According to Duff, “The control layout is the same as the 330/360 Rickenbacker models, with a single mono output, three way selector switch, two tone, two volume and a blend knob that acts as a secondary volume for the neck pickup.”

Now available in limited supplies on the company’s Boutique site, so order three today, plus one to keep in a lead-lined vault.

From vintage-inspired signature basses and artist-approved short-scale strings to cutting-edge firmware, here's our pick of the best bass gear from June 2026.

Fender James Jamerson 1962 Precision Bass

What can we say about James Jamerson that you don’t know already? As part of Motown’s house band, Jamerson played bass on more number-one pop hits than Elvis Presley and The Beatles combined.

Arguably the most accomplished bass player ever to stalk the earth, Jamerson made his bones with a ’62 P-Bass dubbed “The Funk Machine,” which has now been faithfully reproduced by Fender, complete with a nitrocellulose lacquer sunburst finish, and that all-important single-pickup.

Other appointments include a chrome Pure Vintage four-saddle bridge with threaded steel saddles and a chrome cover, knurled flat-top controls, and reverse open-gear tuners.

In keeping with Jamerson’s preferences, each bass comes with La Bella Flatwound strings. Quite right too.

Squier Paranormal Precision Bass Thinline SJ

Reliable, versatile and great-looking. But that’s enough about our editor-in-chief… Squier’s bass guitar range fills a gap in the market in which a reasonable amount of money meets a respectable amount of quality, and they fill it well.

The Squier Paranormal Precision Bass Thinline SJ is the latest bass addition to Fender’s 75th Anniversary collection. As you might expect, this new model reimagines the iconic Precision Bass outline through a semi-hollow “Thinline” construction and a distinctive SJ-style body design.

It’s equipped with a carefully voiced pickup configuration that comprises an alnico single-coil '51 P-Bass pickup in the neck position and an alnico single-coil Jazz Bass pickup at the bridge.

Other player-friendly features include a 4-saddle vintage-style bridge with slotted barrel saddles, a satin urethane neck finish, and vintage-style open-gear tuners. It's available in Olive, Vintage White and 3-Color Sunburst.

Darkglass Anagram KosmOS 1.16

The latest firmware update for the Darkglass Anagram is one of the platform's biggest updates to date. The standout addition is a completely overhauled Scene Manager. While previous firmware limited users to three scenes per preset, KosmOS 1.16 increases that figure to an impressive 126 scenes.

Darkglass also added two new amplifier models. Peggy Classic delivers the warm, rounded response associated with one of the most revered bass amp designs ever produced, while Peggy Fliptop captures the unmistakable character of a vintage flip-top combo.

For users embracing Neural Amp Modeler technology, KosmOS 1.16 introduces full support for NAM Architecture 2 (A2).

Another welcome addition is a combined HPF/LPF block, merging high-pass and low-pass filtering into a single processor and freeing up additional space within the signal chain for effects or routing options.

Ernie Ball Music Man John Myung Bongo 4

While John Myung has been quietly pushing the barriers of 6-string bass playing for decades with his band Dream Theater, his latest signature model stems from a renewed appreciation for the traditional 4-string.

Available in JM Purple or JM Green, with Stealth pickup covers, the John Myung 4 sees a return to the normal string spacing of the original Bongo design.

“While the 6-string is my comfort zone, I missed the physical freedom and generous string spacing of the 4-string bass,” said Myung. “Each song needs to be played on what it was written for to capture its original soul. Returning to a 4-string during our 40th Anniversary Tour for the Images & Words tracks completely restored the musical conviction of those songs live.”

A notable change from the traditional Bongo is the streamlined control layout. Myung instead opted for a simplified setup featuring a volume control that doubles as an on/off kill switch alongside a five-way rotary pickup blend selector.

If that's not enough to grab your attention, the roasted maple neck has been paired with a hybrid rosewood and roasted maple fingerboard that Music Man refers to as a “Golden Ratio” design.

EMG NS-Wav Retro Fit

If Han Solo played bass in Star Wars, the NS Design Wav4 upright bass would be the one he’d choose. It's the bass you want stored in the Millennium Falcon in case of ‘imperial entanglements’.

The good news is that EMG has introduced a new drop-in system specifically for the Wav bass that’s designed to give you more control beyond the standard volume, tone, and arco/pizzicato controls.

It features a 20megOhm input impedance for each Piezo pickup for more low-end, and changes the Arco/Pizz switch to a blend control.

Along with master volume, there's also a variable low pass filter that maintains low frequency gain while cutting the high frequency response at 12dB per octave. The system runs on 18 Volts, so there’s plenty of headroom. It comes complete with a new backplate, battery holders, and takes minutes to install.

Rickenbacker 3030

If you’ve got a couple of grand to spare, you could do worse than investing in one of these splendid Rickenbacker basses. Combining the body of a 330 guitar and a bass guitar neck, the 3030 has a scale length that’s 9 1/4 inches shorter than a standard long-scale and 5 1/4 inches shorter than a typical short-scale.

It’s built with a maple body, a maple/walnut neck, and rosewood fingerboard in Jetglo, Mapleglo, and Fireglo finishes. A Walnut version features a walnut body and maple fingerboard. Both are fitted with a pair of Hot Toaster pickups.

“The control layout is the same as the 330/360 models,” said Rickenbacker’s Brendan Duff. “A single mono output, three way selector switch, two tone, two volume and a blend knob that acts as a secondary volume for the neck pickup.”

Other features include the “R” tailpiece, a four-saddle bridge, mono output, and Schaller M4 tuners.

Available in limited supplies on the company’s Boutique site, and expected to be offered in small batches from time to time. Most of the rest of us will never get to own one, but hey, a bassist can dream, right?

Trickfish Amplification L212

Trickfish Amplification has expanded its acclaimed L Series lineup with the introduction of the L212, a lightweight bass cabinet designed for players seeking the punch and warmth of dual 12-inch speakers in a compact enclosure.

Rated at 800 watts AES and weighing just 45 pounds (20.4 kg), the L212 features two Lavoce neodymium 12-inch drivers in a unique diagonal configuration, with the same compact footprint as the company’s L410.

“Players who want the warmth of 12-inch drivers at full gigging volume now have a single cabinet that gets them there,” said Trickfish president Ryan Owens. “The diagonal driver placement supports better stage coverage without changing the cabinet's footprint, so you get more coverage without giving anything up.”

D'Addario Backline Bass Case

Ever since there have been expensive bass guitars to love, cherish and obey, a range of protective bags and cases has grown up around them. This new gig bag from D’Addario’s Backline series has a water-resistant exterior, reinforced zippers, and an assortment of straps, handles and pockets.

There’s plenty of “shock-absorbing” padding too, and room to carry all of your gig essentials thanks to a detachable Breakaway Bag with Auto Lock mechanisms for storing your accessories.

La Bella Ian Martin Allison Signature Short-Scale Bass Strings

La Bella has been a big player in the bass strings game for quite some time – the original Deep Talkin’ range took the bass world by storm back in the late ‘50s. More recently, the company has widened its focus to include a signature set for bassist Ian Martin Allison, which is now available as a short-scale set.

Made with a hex core and polished stainless steel roundwound wrap, the new scale option has the same feel and custom gauges as the original set (.045, .063, .083, and .103) with the five-string adding a .125 B-string.

Z.Vex DB-1

If you like your pedals to be hand-built by people who love their work, it's worth taking a look at the wacky world of Z.Vex Effects, which now plays host to the DB-1. The DB-1 continues the company’s tradition of mutating classic designs into modern versions with a twist.

It functions as an ultra-high impedance analog signal meter that monitors signal activity on your pedalboard. It can be used anywhere in your signal chain without fear of affecting your tone. It also works in both directions.

We love the retro VU meter, which scales up to a maximum level of eleven in homage to the great Nigel Tufnel.

Welcome to Guitar World’s weekly gear round-up, your one-stop-shop for keeping up to date with what’s been happening in the big wide world of guitar gear over the past seven days.

From new electric guitars to amp modeler updates, the guitar industry is never short of fresh releases, and it can sometimes be hard to stay in the loop with every new launch.

To make things a little easier, we’ve put together an essential must-read guide that will cover the major releases, the boutique drops, and everything in between.

Below you'll find my personal highlights from the week, along with plenty of honorable mentions for the new gear you might have missed. Agree with my picks? Have a highlight of your own? Let us know in the comments.

Squier Paranormal Series

When team GW visited Fender HQ a few weeks ago to get the skinny on all its upcoming models, I found myself distracted 99.9% of the time because there was one model on display that I couldn’t take my eyes off: the Stratocaster Deluxe.

I am a lifelong Strat player, but I’m also a big Telecaster fan. The Squier Paranormal Stratocaster Deluxe looks to be the best of both worlds. The Tele neck single-coil gives you some T-style twang, while the bridge humbucker brings a bit more beef to the table. There’s even coil-splitting involved. If I could get the pickup configuration in my Strat, I would.

What’s more, I think it looks really cool. Heck, this is a Squier Paranormal series, after all, so of course it’s going to do things a bit differently. It’s a fresh spin on the Strat, with a neat pickguard design and an oversized headstock that is making me hot under the collar. That sunburst model? Phwoar.

Aside from that, the 2026 Squier Paranormal range also includes a Bigsby Troublemaker Tele, Electric VI, Baritone Jazzmaster, and Thinline Precision Bass.

EQD Sunn O))) HalfLife Octave Distortion and Booster

EarthQuaker Devices has unveiled the Sunn O))) HalfLife Octave Distortion and Booster pedal, the latest evolution of the Life Pedal which permanently joins the EQD lineup for the first time ever.

In case you were wondering, that’s very good news indeed. The V1 and V2 versions were released as limited runs. This new version expands on its predecessors, offering the same brutal tones in a more compact footprint.

Fans of doom, noise and experimental rock guitar, this one will probably have your name on it. Dubbed a ‘three-headed sonic beast’, it’s got octave-up fuzz flavors a la Shin-Ei FY2 and FY6 pedals, a classic Rat-style distortion, and a MOSFET clean boost for harmonic saturation and feedback.

It’s one of those pedals where writing about it doesn’t really do it justice. Check out the video above to hear it in action.

Fender Limited Edition Pro Classic Silent

As much as I love my Strat, the hum that comes with single-coils can often be quite tedious. It’s an occupational hazard, I know, and in my opinion it’s totally worth it, but there have been times when I wish they would just pipe down, without resulting to noiseless single-coils. They just aren’t quite the same.

Well, Fender has done something quite clever here, because it has developed what it’s calling the ‘Silent System’, a potentially game-changing approach to single-coil guitars.

The completely passive, patent-pending tech promises to leave tone untouched while eliminating single-coil hum. On paper, it looks like a very good idea, and the fact it’s passive is even better. Details on how exactly it works are quite sparing, so I’ll be investigating further (watch this space).

Whatever the case, it debuted on the new limited Pro Classic Silent range, which comprises a Strat and a Tele – both available in some neat finishes and either maple/rosewood fingerboard options.

Also launched this week…

Fender James Jamerson Precision Bass

Fender pays tribute to one of the most legendary bass guitar players of all time, and recreates his workhorse P Bass.

For more: Fender

Fender Player Fusion Series

A radical, hard-rock spin on Fender’s entry-level MIM electrics, with high-output pickups, ebony fingerboards, Floyd Roses and more.

For more: Fender

Fender Player II finish updates

The Player II range has been treated to a cosmetic update thanks to some new finishes that include the distinctly Silver Sky-esque Cactus Grey...

For more: Fender

Orangewood Dylan Retro, Nash Retro, Brooklyn Retro

New dreadnought, parlor and grand concert acoustics have been added to Orangewood’s ever-growing collection. Side note: I have the rubber bridge one. It rules.

For more: Orangewood

Jackson Pro Rob Cavestany Death Angel

Rob Cavestany of Death Angel has one of the most eye-catching signature Jacksons you’ll come across. Now it’s available in Snow White.

For more: Jackson

Electro-Harmonix Percolator Harmonic Saturator

EHX offers its take on the ultra-rare Interface Harmonic Percolator, an old-school fuzz beloved by Steve Albini.

For more: Electro-Harmonix

Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom finishes

New vintage finishes for the Les Paul, Les Paul Special, SG and Firebird models from the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom range. Highlights include Poppy Burst and TV White.

For more: Epiphone

Epiphone JAY of ENHYPEN SG Tribute

An insanely affordable-but-slick signature for global K-pop phenom Jay, exclusively available in South Korea and Japan.

Coheed and Cambria Evil Instruments Jackhammer guitars

Two new Jackhammer models from Evil Instruments guitars, as founded by Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria. One of the models is inspired by Jimi Hendrix and the other, er, Phil Lynott…

For more: Reverb

Seymour Duncan 'Big Daddy' Philip Sayce Stratocaster pickup set

Philip Sayce returns for another signature Seymour Duncan set, this time recreating the unmistakable tone of his ‘Big Daddy’ Strat.

For more: Seymour Duncan

MixWave: Yvette Young

Yvette Young's first signature plugin, which might be the only assortment of ambient prog rock tones you'll ever need.

For more: MixWave

MXR Wylde Audio Zakk Sabbath

A limited-edition Wylde Audio Overdrive complete with a special purple-and-black finish inspired by Wylde's Zakk Sabbath band.

For more: MXR

• What's your favorite new gear release of the week? Let us know in the comments below.

Fender is celebrating the legacy of a Motown legend with the James Jamerson 1962 Precision Bass – a reissue of a bass that “changed what the low end was capable of forever”.

Although the celebrated session player was uncredited for much of his work, Jamerson and his 1962 P bass were the bedrock of countless Motown hits, providing famous basslines for the likes of My Girl, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, and What’s Going On.

This reissue coincides with the instrument’s 75th anniversary, and at its core sits the James Jamerson ‘62 Precision Bass pickup at its heart, which voiced to replicate the “warm, punchy low end that anchored the Motown hit factory”.

The single-pickup bass pairs a classic alder body and period-correct C-shaped neck with a slab rosewood fingerboard. Other appointments include a chrome Pure Vintage four-saddle bridge with threaded steel saddles and a chrome cover, knurled flat-top controls, and reverse open-gear tuners.

Fender is also leaning into the trends of relic’d guitars and finishes that wear over time with an Heirloom nitrocellulose lacquer sunburst finish that will patina over time. That will make each copy age just like the original, albeit in their own unique ways.

The 34” scale bass features 20 vintage tall frets, clay dot inlays, vintage clay side dots, and a bone nut.

In keeping with Jamerson’s preferences, each guitar comes with .052- .110-gauge La Bella Flat Wound strings.

“Every detail of the James Jamerson 1962 Precision Bass has been obsessed over to put that same magic in players’ hands,” says Fender.

It's a fitting tribute. Jamerson was crowned the world’s best bassist by Bass Player in 2017, describing him as “the most important and influential bass guitarist in the 66-year history of the Fender Precision.”

“Jamerson is the reason the bass is what it is today. His 1962 Precision Bass wasn't just an instrument, it was the heartbeat of an era,” said Justin Norvell, Chief Product Officer, Fender Guitars.

“As we continue celebrating 75 years of the P Bass, we wanted every player, from bedroom musicians to touring professionals, to be able to hold a piece of that legacy in their hands.”

From funkifying Christmas classics to laying down classic basslines after one too many drinks and offering his peers sage advice they still live by, few players have impacted the instrument’s history quite like Jamerson.

The James Jamerson Precision Bass is available now for $2,999.

See Fender for more.

If Fender’s cease-and-desist campaign against manufacturers of S-style guitars feels familiar, that’s because it is. We have been here before.

Over the years, Fender has spilled considerable treasure in trying to win legal protections for its most iconic designs. The most infamous of such rulings arrived in 2009, bringing an end to five long years of litigation in an attempt to trademark the body shapes of the Telecaster, Stratocaster and Precision Bass – and it was bad news for Fender.

The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office ultimately ruled that the shapes were now “generic” instrument designs. Furthermore, despite more than 20,000 pages of evidence being considered, Fender had not established “acquired distinctiveness” over the two-dimensional outlines of the body shapes.

Fender had argued that the shapes were famous as Fender designs, that consumers associated them with the brand. It presented survey evidence.

Press cuttings were submitted, such as Rolling Stone’s ‘American Icons’ feature in its 35th Anniversary Special issue, which described the Stratocaster as “rock ’n' roll’s ultimate guitar” that “looks and sounds like America”.

The TTAB didn’t agree. It rebutted this evidence, citing Fender’s own advertising materials in the mid and late ’80s, notably one advert in the August 1986 issue of Guitar Player – “There’s only one Eric Clapton. And only one Fender” – and a 1988 ad in Guitar World that read, “You’re not taken in by look-alikes or by wild claims”.

That Fender was addressing the fact that countless manufacturers were making Strat-style copies, and that its strategy to counter these rivals was through marketing and not the courts, suggested that it recognized that guitar players understood the market for these guitars and could already distinguish a generic S-style from a real Strat.

Everyone will have their own opinion on that, and that is what makes the 2009 case so fascinating. It is instructive, throughout the case documents, just how the public’s perception of these designs figures in the arguments for and against trademarking these body shapes – and also how Fender has looked to shape these perceptions through marketing its products.

“It is clear from this record that guitar consumers in the United States have been exposed to a multitude of the Strat, Precision Bass and Telecaster body shapes, either as complete guitars or as guitar parts, coming from and being associated with third parties,” said the TTAB.

“The evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that these configurations are so common in the industry that they cannot identify source.”

The TTAB even cited the Random House Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged as an example of how popular culture perceived the Strat body design as generic.

“In fact, in the case of the Stratocaster body outline, this configuration is so common that it is depicted as a generic electric guitar in a dictionary,” read the judgement.

In the 2009 case, Fender found its trademark application being opposed by a large group of manufacturers including Spector, ESP Guitars, Peavey Electronics, U.S Music Corporation and Lakland Musical Instruments, all represented by Ron Bienstock.

Notably, as Guitar World reports, Bienstock has been hired once again to represent at least one of the companies in receipt of a letter from Fender’s lawyers. It may well face similar opposition once these developments reach a court.

Given this isn't Bienstock's first legal tangle with Fender, he is uniquely positioned to defend those companies who have been targeted. In a response letter served to Fender on behalf of one of his clients, he highlighted the ways in which he believes Fender’s legal campaign is doomed to fail.

However, none of this means to say that Fender actually will lose again. Fender has been successful before in protecting its trademarks, most notably in the mid ’90s when it won legal protection for its headstock shapes.

This application was similarly opposed by a number of manufacturers, and as a result, aftermarket manufacturers such as Allparts and Warmoth Guitar entered into licensing agreements with the Fender that allowed them to sell “replacement necks” under a number of conditions.

There could be no brand insignia on the necks (the Warmoth turtle was out), no text at all, and they had to be sold separately as replacements, and not as part of DIY kits or finished guitars.

Fender’s most recent legal victory is the catalyst for the latest developments. In March, the Regional Court of Dusseldorf, in Germany, ruled that the Fender Stratocaster was a copyrighted work of applied art under German and EU law.

The case was brought against Chinese manufacturer, Yiwu Philharmonic Musical Instruments Co., which was then ordered to cease manufacturing, offering or distributing guitars featuring the Stratocaster body shape in Germany and the EU.

Yiwu did not attend the hearing, meaning Fender faced no challenge and was the victor by default. Fender’s legal team seems to have then used the momentum of the ruling to issue the cease-and-desists to other firms. The question will be how much bearing this European ruling will have in a US court.

The difference this time, of course, is the nature of the dispute. In 2026, Fender isn't seeking to establish a trademark for a raft of its electric and bass guitar body shapes, but is instead using copyright as a way to ensure enforceable legal protection for the Stratocaster design as a work of art, akin to a piece of music or literature.

The case here, then, isn’t concerned with whether Fender can disprove the Strat body shape specifically is generic to establish a trademark. Rather, it is about whether the company can argue the Strat shape is not simply about function, but instead represents genuine creative achievement and distinction – and that those served a cease-and-desist have infringed upon this.

In contrast, what is notable about the 2009 ruling is the testimony from Spector, Lakland, Warmoth, Peavey et al that argued the sheer ubiquity of these body shapes since the '70s had contributed to the Strat, Tele and P Bass as being generic.

There were thousands of guitars with Stratocaster body shapes, thousands of Precision Basses. Their argument was that no-one could look at the body shape and determine it was made by Fender.

“They have become traditional shapes over the last 50 years and these shapes are made by hundreds, maybe thousands of companies,” said Hartley Peavey, owner of Peavy Corp. in his testimony.

Matt Masciandaro, president of ESP Guitars, also argued that the Strat was a “generic” body style that had been in production from countless manufacturers for 50 years, and that the market for guitars and consumers understood this.

“And we’ve been making it for 20 years in the United States… The people we deal with and our customers have grown up in a market where these shapes have been made by every manufacturer that they see, whether it’s in a store or on a stage, all making a similar shape to this... Every company makes it.”

They argued that Fender was trying to put the toothpaste back into the tube. The TTAB agreed. Whether the copyright approach will work for Fender in its 2026 attempt remains to be seen.

It may be an old joke, but there’s something to be said for taking things up a notch, and this month the bass community did just that with a heap of new products, ranging from downloadable plugins to vintage-style reissues, and a whole lot more besides.

In the month that saw Suzi Quatro promote the release of her 18th studio album, and Paul McCartney launch his first solo album in over five years, we’ve been talking shop with the best luthiers, bass builders, and low-end gurus, to bring you a must-read report on the latest new gear.

For starters, Fender marked the 75th anniversary of the P-Bass with three new limited-edition models. Will anyone ever topple the Precision from its perch as the best-selling bass of all time?

EMG was also celebrating its 50th anniversary with the launch of three new signature pickup sets for session legend Lee Sklar, Living Colour trailblazer Doug Wimbish, and Metallica powerhouse Robert Trujillo.

Here’s our pick of bass gear releases in May.

Pachyderm Instruments Whamola

Despite slapping down the years on a variety of bass guitars, most of which have been custom jobs from Brooklyn luthier Carl Thompson, Primus bassist Les Claypool has also employed a range of other instruments, including the famous Whamola, which is featured on the song Whamola by Claypool’s Frog Brigade as well as the South Park theme song variations and the Robot Chicken theme.

“It’s a one-string instrument with a handle on it, and I hit it with a stick,” says Claypool. “It’s basically a percussion instrument, the way I play it: it doesn’t have a lot of tonality to it, but I tend to pick up whatever’s handy.”

Pachyderm Instruments has now announced that a small run of Whamolas will be available at the merch booth during the Claypool Gold Tour, which began on May 20th and will continue through July 4th.

We make no promises that fans will come out playing it like he does, but if anyone knows about taking the instrument to the next level, it’s Les Claypool.

Rickenbacker 4000V CB TB

Few players are as closely tied to the Rickenbacker sound as Geddy Lee, whose snarling 4001 tone helped define classic Rush records throughout the ’70s.

Ahead of the upcoming Fifty Something reunion tour, Rickenbacker has revealed a new custom bass built to Lee’s own specs: an unapologetically retro four-string. that blends vintage appointments, and a Turquoise Blue finish.

Originally offered on the late ’50s combo series instruments, the Turquoise Blue finish is accented with checkerboard binding around the body. Another notable throwback is the bridge, which is the 425 style with four saddles as found in the early 4000 and 4005 models.

The 4000V CB TB is fitted with a Vintage Single Coil Toaster Top and a Bass Horseshoe pickup. Rather than volume and tone controls, Lee requested two volume knobs (one for each pickup) that are wired to a mono output.

Most of the rest of us will never get to own one, but a bassist can dream, right?

Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Bass Big Muff Pi 2

For many, the stompbox daddy of all fuzz is the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi. The recently released dual op-amp Bass Big Muff 2 has now been upgraded with the release of the Deluxe Bass Big Muff 2.

Bass-centric upgrades include a blend knob, and a foot switchable crossover section that splits your signal into two bands. The pedal’s I/O section has also been expanded to include a pad switch on the input, a DI output, and a Direct output.

Looking for a Big Muff? Well this one’s massive.

Fender Limited Edition 75th Anniversary Precision Bass Collection

It was way back in 1951 that Fender first put their Precision Bass into production, so 2026 sees the 75th anniversary, not just of that instrument, but pretty much the concept of the electric bass itself. Without it, your instrument of choice would be radically different, and we wouldn’t have jobs.

Fender is marking the occasion with a trio of limited-edition models.

Leading the pack is the American Vintage II 1951 Precision Bass, a recreation of Leo Fender’s original slab-bodied design. It’s finished in classic Butterscotch Blonde and equipped with a period-correct single-coil pickup.

At the other end of the spectrum sits the more contemporary American Professional PJ Bass, which pairs a traditional split-coil Precision pickup with a Jazz Bass bridge pickup. Other modern upgrades include a HiMass bridge, figured maple top options, and gold hardware.

Meanwhile, the Player II Precision Bass offers a more accessible route into the anniversary lineup. Despite its lower price point, the Player II P-Bass still packs upgraded appointments, a performance-focused neck profile, and a Diamond Dust Sparkle finish.

Darkglass Anagram Marketplace

Darkglass Electronics has officially launched the Anagram Marketplace, a plugin ecosystem designed to expand the capabilities of its flagship Anagram multi-effects processor with third-party effects, and creator-developed tools.

Darkglass describes the move as “the next evolution of the Anagram platform”, transforming the unit from a standalone processor into what is effectively an app-based environment for bassists, producers and sound designers.

Available through the Darkglass Suite, the Marketplace introduces downloadable plugins created both by Darkglass and external developers, opening the door to a continuously evolving library of sounds and processing tools.

Surely worth the attention of every single person who has ever applied finger or thumb or pick to string.

EarthQuaker Devices Scrolls Bass Odyssey

On the list of effects pedals guaranteed to get the average bass guitarist's pulse racing, an all-analog bass preamp is unlikely to feature highly. However, having complete control over your tone has long been the secret weapon in many a pro player's rig. Some use it to add extra polish to their overall sound, while others use it in conjunction with other effects to tweak them to perfection.

The Scrolls Bass Odyssey from Ohio's highly-rated EarthQuaker Devices combines a comprehensive active EQ section with a tube-style drive circuit. Add to that an effects loop, parallel output and balanced XLR out, and you’ve got a studio-ready pedal that’s ideal for use in any setup with multiple signal paths.

Play one of these high-end pedals and you’ll understand exactly how boutique makers such as EarthQuaker Devices earn their keep.

EMG Signature Bass Pickup Sets

EMG is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the launch of three new signature bass pickup sets for Metallica powerhouse Robert Trujillo, Living Colour trailblazer Doug Wimbish, and session legend Lee Sklar.

The Lee Sklar P Set is a recreation of the original split-coil pickup configuration housed in Sklar’s famed “Frankenstein” Precision Bass.

According to EMG, the set revives the look and sound of the company’s earliest production runs, complete with raised-logo covers and a specially tweaked preamp designed to mirror Sklar’s long-running 18-volt setup.

Doug Wimbish’s DW Set takes a similarly archival approach. The PJ configuration – previously exclusive to his signature Spector basses – has now been released as a standalone aftermarket set for the first time.

EMG says the pickups were recreated directly from the exact PJ combination Wimbish has used since the early ’80s, with vintage-style branding and both long- and short-Jazz sizing options available.

Meanwhile, Robert Trujillo’s existing RT “Rip Tide” signature set has received a flashy anniversary makeover in a new gold finish. While the electronics remain unchanged, the updated aesthetic joins a broader series of special-edition EMG anniversary products tied to Metallica’s long-running relationship with the pickup giant. All three pickup sets ship with EMG’s solderless wiring system.

Nordstrand Acinonyx V

Nordstrand Audio has expanded its retro-inspired Acinonyx lineup with the launch of the new Acinonyx 5 – a five-string evolution of the company’s offset short-scale bass design that arrives after a limited-edition run last year.

At the heart of the Acinonyx 5 is a compact 30.7-inch short scale, paired with an Indian rosewood fingerboard featuring a compound radius for a more modern feel across the neck. Nordstrand also promises a comfortably worn-in playing experience, describing the neck profile as one that “fits the hand like an old broken in glove.”

Seamoon FX More!

Sounding like a machine from Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, the More! By Seamoon FX is a totally different breed of octave pedal.

Unlike regular octave pedals or synth-style processors, the More! appears to focus on enhancing the fundamental low frequencies beneath the original signal, offering what Seamoon describes as a more “felt than heard” effect.

The pedal sports a notably stripped-back control layout, featuring a single level knob alongside a toggle switch that shifts between two distinct bass emphasis modes. One setting prioritizes deeper sub-bass response for smoother, weightier tones, while the second introduces a more aggressive mid-bass character with increased dynamic saturation.

Kikichi Guitars

Japanese boutique bass builder Kikuchi Guitars has officially launched in Europe and the United States, bringing the craftsmanship of veteran luthier Yoshiyuki “Yoshi” Kikuchi to a wider global audience.

Kikuchi’s résumé reads like a history of high-end bass building. After founding Atelier Z in the 1980s, he relocated to New York in the early ’90s, where he worked alongside respected builders Roger Sadowsky and John Suhr. He later oversaw production of the acclaimed Sadowsky Metroline Japan basses – experience that now feeds directly into his own boutique operation.

With a pedigree rooted in some of the most respected names in boutique bass building, Kikuchi Guitars arrives as a serious new contender for players chasing vintage-inspired tone with modern precision.

Generations of bass players have fallen in love with the sound of an old-fashioned valve-powered bass amplifier starting to ‘break up’ and distort at high volume. It’s an incredibly desirable sound, full of analog warmth and, of course, enough raw power and volume to bring a concert hall to the ground. However, as you might have guessed, this kind of old-school blood and thunder is also highly impractical, relying on a huge, heavy old chunk of iron that’s a real pain in the neck (and back) to cart around. That’s where today’s subject, the best overdrive pedal for bass, comes in. At its core, it’s simply a much easier way to achieve that sort of sound, at any volume.

It’s a particularly popular sound in rock and metal music (from the 70s right up to the present day), but can be heard in many other styles too. A warm, lower-gain overdrive sound works a treat for old-school soul and R&B on your Precision Bass, for example. At the other end of the spectrum, a tight and percussive bass overdrive with a more scooped EQ will create a modern metal sound to be reckoned with. Today, there are lots of bass overdrives to choose from, so we’ve taken a bit of a dive into the market to help you find some of the best.

One important distinction, first, though, we’ve left out modeling units such as the Line 6 HX Stomp. It’s certainly not the case that these devices are a poor choice, as there are multitudes of fantastic tones to be found from modeling rigs, but they don’t really count as ‘pedals’ in the traditional sense and aren’t what we’re looking for here. So, without further ado, here’s a quick guide to the best of the current bass overdrive market.

Best overall

Swedish brand EBS is well-known for its excellent bass amplifiers (and their space-saving flat patch cables are this author’s personal go-to as well), but their long-running effects range is equally well-regarded; the Multicomp and Octabass are popular choices in their categories, and the Black Haze distortion is finding new fans too. In 2024, the Haze evolved into its current mk2 form, with the key addition being the Blend control.

As further detailed in the FAQs below, a Blend control allows the clean signal back into the mix, keeping the punchy lows you’ve already dialed into your underlying tone. It prevents the power and definition from being lost, and it’s the reason that the EBS has gone from a lesser-spotted circuit to one that’s now garnering attention from players who had never considered the original. There are two drive modes - Thin (a more cutting drive sound that’s great for modern rock tones) or Deep (a bellowing roar that can break into fuzz territory).

Another nice touch is that the Black Haze can run at 18 volts as well as the standard 9 volts, if you have a voltage booster or a power supply that provides it. This gives you more headroom – a subtler overdrive, if you’re after a cleaner, punchier tone with a bit less grit.

Best on a budget

Relatively inexpensive and relatively simple, it may be, but the Soul Food has everything you need for a punchy, characterful overdrive sound. It has a good amount of drive on tap and a Treble control that provides a very useful range of EQ shaping for a single knob. There’s a gain reduction switch for use with hotter active bass guitars, and, most importantly, a Blend knob for balancing your overdriven signal with your clean tone; some form of clean blend circuit is more or less essential for a really good bass overdrive.

The Soul Food isn’t an especially high-gain circuit, but it’ll have enough for many. Thanks to the Blend knob, your low-end fidelity is preserved while the upper register takes on a gritty snarl. At lower to medium gain settings, it’s reminiscent of an old valve bass amp starting to get into break-up territory, while the higher reaches of the Drive control push into full-on growling saturation.

For classic rock and metal, grunge, indie rock, you name it – the Soul Food will provide you with a really good, vibey overdrive sound that sits fantastically well in a mix. And, being an Electro-Harmonix product, it’s solidly built and reasonably priced, too.

Best sub-£200

The Boss compact pedal format has hosted hundreds of different circuits over the years, but as far as bass overdrive goes, this is the most advanced we’ve seen. It’s one of Boss’s X-series compact pedals that use the company’s proprietary Multi-Dimensional Processing (MDP), which delivers advanced, high-quality digital signal processing without recourse to screens or menus.

The company’s own blurb suggests that the BB-1X is intended less for use as ‘an effect’, and more as an always-on preamp. Having said that, it is also capable of fat, aggressive overdrive sounds with a serious amount of gain.

The controls, as we generally expect from a Boss drive pedal, are simple enough to have little or no learning curve – you can set the gain and volume, the latter sharing a stacked pot with the Blend control, and then adjust the simple two-band EQ to taste. Yes, there might be 1s and 0s inside, but you wouldn’t really know. And that iconic compact pedal enclosure is an institution for a reason; it’s ready to go out and gig straight away, and to soak up the punishment for the next several decades if you want.

Best premium

British pedal gurus Origin Effects are heroes in the bass effects world, thanks to their stunning Cali76 compressor and the recent series of BassRig preamp pedals. The company’s products are unapologetically premium in price, but the same can certainly be said of the quality. The Origin range is appealing, with understated aesthetics, beautiful finishing, and bank vault-like solidity, which is a major selling point.

The DCX Bass introduces a slightly left-field, and rather sophisticated, idea to the overdrive market – it’s based not on an existing bass-specific overdrive circuit, but instead on the Universal Audio 610 studio preamp designed by Bill Putnam in the late 1950s. This vintage preamp has its own unique EQ and saturation characteristics, which have been heard on decades’ worth of recordings.

The DCX can be used to provide such an overdrive sound, or simply used as a clean EQ shaper with no additional drive (hence the lack of a Blend control; it’s not really needed in this circuit). But this feature is about overdrive pedals, so the pedal’s ability to provide everything from clean boost to raucous, cranked-console gain is what we’re interested in. It’s tamed by a two-band EQ, allied to a Voice switch to further adjust the frequency response. If you’re feeling flush and looking for a vibey vintage bass tone in a form factor that’s so exquisite you’ll wonder whether you should really stomp on it, look no further.

Best for tone shaping

Finnish brand Darkglass kick-started a revolution in bass pedals with their Microtubes overdrive models, and this Ultra model is the ultimate expression of what that modern-classic circuit can do and how to shape it. It’s far from a cheap option, but it gives you more flexibility than almost anything else on the market, with Darkglass’s usual high standard of build.

Taking center stage is a six-band EQ with additional controls to tweak the low- and high-pass filters. There are separate volume controls for Low and High frequencies, and parallel gain-stage controls for those two registers – compression for the low end, drive for the high end. That means a combination of clear and punchy bass frequencies and aggressive overdriven treble, exactly what you need for a really good bass overdrive signal.

All this could end up being really confusing, but the layout is far from that. Everything is exactly where it should be, and it’s easy to sculpt an excellent sound in a short space of time. Oh, and it’s got a DI output with switchable IRs, an aux input, and a headphone jack too. Good lord.

If you crave a different flavor of gain, Darkglass makes a similarly full-featured Ultra version of each of its various other circuits, too.

Best for recording

It’s an old stager and then some, but come on – it’s a truth, universally acknowledged, that you still have to go a very long way to beat the sound of the good old Sansamp.

Other, newer pedals offer more flexibility, but I’ve chosen the Sansamp because it really is a perfect solution for recording. Firstly, you have all the utilities you need on board with plenty of connectivity, input gain selection, phantom power, and cab sims. You have an instantly usable and classic sound with plenty of EQ adjustability. After that, there isn’t much to distract you from the creative process - you can quickly and easily dial in a sound that would be at home on countless records, and just get on with it. It’s an underrated quality, and it means the Sansamp is perennially useful.

The other thing that has kept it relevant and desirable for all these years is, of course, its fantastic tone. Whatever type of bass you play, it will almost certainly sound good (or great) with this unit. It’s also built like a brick outhouse – the fact that there are thirty-year-old Sansamps still plying their trade suggests that these pedals are really built to last.

How to choose a great bass overdrive

First and foremost, a Blend control is featured on almost all the pedals in this list, and with good reason. It’s one of those features that instantly makes a bass pedal so much more usable.

You will also want a good amount of EQ adjustment – a single, well-voiced Tone control can be perfectly sufficient, but often a two-band EQ (or more) is the best option. Some of the pedals on this list also have additional voicing switches to select between pre-determined EQ curves, which adds versatility.

Beyond that? You don’t want it to take up too much space on your pedalboard. None of the pedals here are bigger than they need to be. And of course, solid quality is very important, especially if you’re using it live – you want to be able to stamp on it without fearing that it’s going to break. Any of the pedals on this list should provide peace of mind in this regard.

FAQs

How we select products

Here at Guitar World, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything guitar and bass related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.

When choosing what we believe to be the best overdrive pedals for bass, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.

First and foremost, we are musicians, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best overdrive pedals for bass on the market right now.

Read more about our rating system, how we choose the gear we feature, and exactly how we test each product.

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Fender has launched a most bodacious limited edition collection of bass guitars to mark the 75th Anniversary of the game-changing Precision Bass.

The 75th Anniversary Precision Bass Collection offers three distinct takes on the model. There is an upscale modern hybrid in the form of the American Professional PJ Bass, which pairs the bridge single coil of a Jazz Bass with the split-coil at the middle position, gives us the HiMass bridge, gold hardware, a 2-Color Sunburst finish and – what the heck – a figured maple top over an alder body.

It’s a real looker, and even has a sculpted heel should you feel adventurous enough to go beyond the 12th fret.

Then we have the OG reproduction, the American Vintage II 1951 Precision Bass. With its Butterscotch finish and single-ply pickguard, controls mounted on a chrome plate, and that headstock – not to mention a slab of ash for a body – it shares so much Telecaster DNA.

But then the first mass-produced electric guitar and bass guitar share a birth year; it was inevitable there would be some twinning. This model just has the one single-coil pickup.

Rounding out the collection is the Player II Precision Bass in Diamond Dust Sparkle, which has the single split coil, and a pearloid guard to complement that glam-rock finish.

It’s a real doozy, and comes with the rolled fingerboard edges, the modern C profile neck shape and 9.5” radius ‘board, and the more contemporary four-saddle bridge with Single-Groove Steel “Barrel” Saddles.

These are special basses, and are here for one year only. Get them while they're hot. But then the P Bass deserves this treatment. It is officially a BFD. It is no exaggeration to say that it helped transform popular music – it helped inaugurate popular music, ushering in a new era of low end as bassists transitioned away from traditional upright instruments.

As Bob Glaub says, “It’s the bass you think of when you go to pick a bass. It’s magic and it really has no limits.”

The legendary Freddie Washington (Herbie Hancock/Michael Jackson) was one of those bassists.

“It had a profound effect on how I play, coming from the upright bass,” says Washington. “It inspires me to play the way I play, the way it sounds, the way it feels. I’ve played on a lot of different records, and I’ve played lines on records that I probably wouldn’t play this way if it was another bass. This bass has given me the ability to go places that I can go any time I want to go.”

Washington was one of a number of high-profile Precision Bass devotees whom Fender have spoken to mark this anniversary. The likes of Nate Mendel, Tal Wilkinson, Geezer Butler, and more will all feature in a video series celebrating the instrument.

“I tried other basses, but nothing had the balance of a P Bass,” says Butler. “It becomes part of you.”

You can see and hear that in practice as John Mayer bassist Sean Hurley puts them through their paces in the demo video.

The 75th Anniversary Precision Bass Collection is available now, with the American Professional PJ Bass priced at $2,699, and the Vintera II 1951 Precision Bass priced $2,899. The Mexican-made Player II P Bass looks a real bargain at $1,099.

See Fender more more details.

In the 1990s, a British guitar store had 50 of its Steinberger basses stolen, with Pink Floyd collaborator Guy Pratt losing one of his prized four-strings during this time. The thief, it turns out, used the guitar’s design against it.

Session ace Pratt, who has also worked with Gary Moore, Michael Jackson, and Whitesnake, has a podcast, the Rockonteurs, with Spandau Ballet guitarist Gary Kemp. On it, Pratt explained how his bass was swept up in the series of thefts that had a London guitar store perplexed.

“There was a period in the early ‘90s when there were lots and lots of headless basses,” he says in reference to the emergence of the Steinberger bass.

“I had this bass, and I gave it to the Bass Center [in London, England] to sell. They called me up one day and said, ‘Really sorry, Guy, but someone's nicked your bass.’ And it turns out they'd had a raft of thefts of headless basses.

“Eventually, this guy got caught. They went round to his place, and he's got a flat full of headless basses for the simple reason he'd figured out a way he could nick them,” he develops.

“Because they don't have a head, if you had a big carrier bag, you could put the body in the bag and have the neck go up your arm. So he stole about 50 basses.”

Decades later, Pratt is still hunting for his lost Steinberger L2, which bears the serial number 712. YouTube Danny Sapko, who has a reputation for outing the music industry's bad eggs, has appealed for anyone with information about the bass to step forward.

Stolen guitar stories are etched into the very fabric of the industry. Heart’s Nancy Wilson lost her baritone Telecaster last year after someone walked onto their stage and stole it in the cold light of day. Back in February, it was reported that police were searching for a $15,000 vintage Martin D-28 that was stolen from a Maryland music store, which left it feeling “violated.”

Many vintage Stratocaster fans will have a favourite year, and 1963’s features tick a lot of boxes. Of course, having a famous owner never does any harm to a guitar’s value and – although not best known as a Strat guy – Noel Gallagher owned and played this one. Gardiner Houlgate’s dedicated guitar auctioneer Luke Hobbs takes up the story.

“The Strat has had a body refinish and a replacement pickguard. There are some body stamps under the ’guard with four numbers and the initials ‘BK’. Somebody suggested to me that they might indicate a factory refinish, but I don’t believe that.

“The electrics are largely original and there’s no evidence that the pickups have been rewound, but the volume pot has been replaced. The original has been retained in the case, and the potentiometer codes are dated the ninth week of 1963. The saddles and tuners are original, but the strap buttons have also been changed, and it comes in a 1990s-era tweed hard case bearing an Oasis stencil.

“Besides the Noel Gallagher connection,” Luke continues, “it’s basically a player-grade ’63 Strat, but it benefits from a really good refret with larger than vintage wire that enhances playability. The neck profile is absolutely classic for the year and the one that everybody seeks. It has a bit of chunk, but nothing too much, and it’s just edging towards the bigger ’64 profile.

“We have no information about what records it may have been used on. The guy who is selling it was after an early 1960s Strat, went into Vintage ‘n’ Rare in Bath and the guitar just caught his attention. There was no mention at all of Noel Gallagher when he was trying it out and it was only after he had paid for the guitar that they brought the case out and he saw the stencil.

“The shop told him that it had allegedly been one of Noel’s guitars, but they hadn’t mentioned it since he was an older gentleman and they didn’t think he’d have any interest in Oasis. Later on, Andy Lewis at Vintage ‘n’ Rare was sent a letter from a company of solicitors with an attached photograph purporting to show Noel Gallagher’s Stratocaster propped up against a Marshall stack.”

“They also apologised for taking so long to locate the photo and hoped that it could be passed on to the new owner. The photo has the guitar’s serial number inscribed on the back, along with a note saying ‘demos for the new LP’. Also inside the case is a hand-written Bill Puplett job ticket that shows the guitar’s serial number and the name of Jason Rhodes; he was Noel’s guitar tech at that time.

“So with the case stencil, solicitor’s letter, photograph and job ticket, we think it’s highly probable that it was Noel’s guitar. Through people I know who have done work for him, I have tried to make contact with Noel’s camp to glean some further information, but as always with these famous-artist things it’s like hitting a brick wall.”

“Funnily enough, when the owner first contacted me a couple of years ago, he just said he had a ’63 Strat he was thinking about selling and I gave him a hammer price estimate of £6,000 to £8,000. He didn’t even mention Noel Gallagher until he brought it in for evaluation and that’s when I had to raise my estimate quite substantially.

“He was also moving on an ES-335, and when I gave him my initial estimate he wasn’t that interested in selling the Strat because it does sound excellent and he thought he’d have trouble finding another one that good. But with a potential hammer price several thousand pounds higher, he changed his mind.

“Oasis are hot at the moment [due to the 2025 tour], and a lot of Oasis-related gear has come up for sale. So you could argue that the market has been a little diluted by excess stock, but there can’t be that many pre-CBS Strats that were owned by Noel.”

Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass

Höfner violin basses will forever be associated with Paul McCartney, but as with so many of the Fab Four’s iconic instruments, the Beatles association has never resulted in stratospheric market values or collector frenzies.

Very decent and original Gretsch Duo Jets, Tennesseans or Country Gentlemen, Epiphone Casinos or even Gibson J-160Es can still be purchased for less than the cost of pre-CBS Strats or early ’60s ES-335s.

With Fender’s first electric bass appearing in 1951 and the Gibson EB-1 following in 1953, Höfner wasn’t too far behind. Höfner was a long-established maker of violin family instruments and Walter Höfner had the idea of marrying a maple guitar style neck to a bass viol-shaped body.

The resulting 500/1 Violin Bass was launched at the 1956 Frankfurt Muiskmesse in Germany, and glossing over its physical resemblance to Gibson’s EB-1 is probably the most diplomatic option.

Bodies were made from laminated wood pressed into arches both front and back – although earlier backs were flat. On the back the outer layer was generally figured maple (or possibly sycamore) and on the front it was spruce. Early models had an oval control plate, but by the time the future Sir Macca acquired his, 500/1s had the better-known rectangular version with two volume control knobs and three switches.

If you’ve never played a 500/1, the switches can be somewhat baffling. The Bass On switch actually turns the bridge pickup off, and the Treble On switch turns the neck pickup off…

The uninitiated may assume that these switches should be in the ‘on’ position in order to hear both pickups together, but there won’t be any sound at all.

To get these bass pickups working together both switches must be in the off position. The Rhythm/Solo switch promises a bass boost in the solo position, but in actuality it merely bypasses the Rhythm mode’s preset bass cut.

Earlier 500/1s had closely spaced single-coil pickups with black plastic covers before Höfner introduced metal-covered ‘toaster top’ pickups around 1960. The following year Höfner changed to a ‘diamond’ top design, and in 1962 the pickup spacing was widened to give each pickup a more distinct voicing and increase the tonal range.

The 511 pickup arrived in 1963, with distinctive ‘staples’, threaded steel pole screws and Alnico magnets. In 1967 Höfner introduced the “high efficiency” 513 ‘blade’ pickups with ceramic magnets for increased output that are fitted to this example.

Violin basses started out with traditional dovetail neck joints and they are prone to failure. No doubt Höfner became aware of the problem because sometime during the 1960s the joint was changed to a mortice and tenon design with a greater surface area for the glue.

Most modern bassists would probably regard Höfner 500/1s as novelty instruments that can provide a distinct sonic flavour once in a while, but not everyday players. But their short 762mm (30-inch) scale, lightweight construction and engaging unplugged tone makes them ideal for the guitarist who likes to dabble with bass.

This pictured bass was formerly owned by Damon Minchella, of Ocean Colour Scene fame, and used on the Moseley Shoals and Marchin’ Already albums.

“The main bit of provenance, however,” Luke Hobbs tells us, “is that Minchella used the bass at Abbey Road Studios on a recording of Come Together [for The Help Album], a 1995 charity album Paul McCartney was putting together. McCartney was playing and producing, and the band included Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher, Steve Cradock and Steve White, performing as supergroup the Smokin’ Mojo Filters.

“There’s a video of the session and the Höfner bass Minchella was using had blade pickups just like this one. He was also able to confirm that Paul McCartney autographed the body at the session. The signature and the fact it was used on a charity record with links to The Beatles adds more to the value than anything else in the Höfner’s history.

“It’s actually a 1970s 500/1 model with its original Selmer case in good unmodified condition. Everything works and it doesn’t appear anything has been changed. There are a few dings and marks, along with some minor fretwear. It is what it is and this type of instrument tends not to get battered.”

Both instruments sold at Gardiner Houlgate’s December 2025 auction with the 1963 Stratocaster achieving a hammer price of £9,000 and the Höfner bass £7,200.

• Guitarist would like to thank Luke Hobbs and Gardiner Houlgate
• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

According to Steve DiGiorgio, recording Testament’s 2016 metal masterstroke, Brotherhood of the Snake, was a quick studio session, but it wasn’t the easiest.

“There was some suffering,” he told Bass Player back in 2017. “I don't mean that in too profound of a way – some of the guys wanted to work on it and live with it, but there just wasn’t any time.

“Some people are used to taking their time and trying unlimited ideas, and they were a little out of their element. It caused a lot of tension.”

Along with the addition of DiGiorgio – who re-joined in 2013 – that tension translated into Testament's most muscular-sounding effort in years.

Ripping heads off straight out of the gate on the opening title track, and following through with tunes like The Pale King and Seven Seals, Testament’s no-holds-barred brand of classic, old-school thrash runs rampant throughout Brotherhood of the Snake. And DiGiorgio was clearly in his element.

His fierce bass playing and gutsy tone tie together the bombastic elements of the band’s virtuosic lineup (Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson on guitars, Gene Hoglan on drums, and lead singer Chuck Billy) in a tight and unified way.

It is the result of DiGiorgio's conscious effort to set aside his own personal sound in favor of what he dubs the “Testament bass sound.”

“When we recorded The Gathering in 1998, we didn’t really know each other well, and I showed up with my fretless Carvin 5-string and just played the way I play. We got through the session, and the band was happy.

“This time I decided, like any good session player should, to assimilate to the project – that old chameleon type of thing where you change your color to match your surroundings. I decided my challenge was going to be, ‘How can I fit in even better?’ I wanted to play that Testament bass role.”

Wielding little more than a stock Rickenbacker 4001, DiGiorgio challenged himself with assimilating into the Testament sound with a more nuanced, straight-ahead approach that favoured groove over glissando.

“I got out all of my bass guitars in my little studio, plugged in one right after another, and played the same riff on each bass with all these separate tracks going down in a line. Then I listened back to how each one reacted within a song.

“I decided on this 1978 Rickenbacker 4001 – completely stock. There's not one modification on this bass. It’s a totally passive, regular fretted 4-string. But its tone had the right amount of pop and enough meat in the middle to fill in.”

Brotherhood of the Snake proved to be another milestone in Testament’s decades-long career – but for DiGiorgio, the album marked a significant shift in his own philosophy, which was all about going back to basics.

You've been a session player for decades. Was it challenging to cut a record in such a short time frame?

I was in my element. Showing up and learning somebody’s material, recording it and getting a great take, adding your own flavor to make it sound interesting, and doing it all in a convincing way to make it sound like you've known it for years, is a trait of a session guy.

Were any of the songs particularly challenging?

Not technically. There’s nothing over the top that’s challenging physically to play. My challenge was in getting the proper tone and finding that pocket that I describe as the Testament bass sound.

Did you adapt your playing as well, or was it just about the bass?

My problem, a lot of the time, is spiking out the sound wave when I’m recording. In the old days, when you could crush a needle it was no big deal, but I’m a heavy hitter, so I had to calm down my attack to get a nice, solid wave. In the studio we nicknamed it “self-compressing.”

Being a studio guy, that sounds like something you would have already figured out.

The technique is just about getting it done. Whereas with Testament, there are long passages of riffs that aren’t so difficult to play in a technical sense, but they are difficult to play convincingly, and that’s what I mean by playing the Testament bass role – having the right attack, the right tone, and the pocket.

Did you record direct or through an amp?

We had two direct signals. We kept one completely plain for any opportunity to re-amp, and one was dirty with a Darkglass B7K to give it that grind. I also have this little EBS MultiComp that I love to record with.

The recording engineer also ran it through a Kemper so that we could mess with the EQ for a room sound. Overall, I got a nice, passive bass guitar sound with a controlled attack, but it took a while to get there.

Do you employ two- or three-finger plucking-hand technique?

I would say I'm a three-finger player. I only know because of my calluses! But really, it’s like a four-barrel carburettor; if I don’t need the other fingers, I don’t use them. I just use one, and when I need to shift a gear, I’ll use two, and so on.

I don’t play slap bass, but I also use the side of my thumb to punch out accents while the other fingers are going. Sometimes it’s better if you just let nature take its course. Just play and let it come out.

You were influenced by Jethro Tull’s Dave Pegg. That seems unconventional.

It's funny because if you look at his entire body of work, someone might be like, ‘I don’t get it.’ The music is cool and you can tell he’s proficient, but his playing with Tull on A and Broadsword and the Beast is amazing.

Most people cite Jaco when it comes to fretless.

I’m a latecomer to Jaco – I didn’t start there. Dave Pegg was my main fretless influence in a context that you wouldn’t really expect to hear it. When you hear Gary Willis or Percy Jones, their playing is 20 times better than Pegg’s on those Tull albums – it’s killer, but it belongs there. With Pegg, it was unexpected, and that’s what drew me in.

Playing fretless in metal bands gives you a distinct flavor.

Early on I realized it’s pointless to try to be the best at anything, because there’s no such thing. But you can always be different in some way. You can always have some small identifying factor. I’m always looking for something to keep me a little different from the regular flow of everyone else.

Who are some of your other influences?

I listened to Stanley Clarke a lot, right before my friends turned me on to metal. I’d listen to Return To Forever, take off my headphones, pick up my bass, and start playing Sadus riffs to thrash beats. You have to be a sponge and soak up all the drops of these different players.

You mostly play an unlined fretless bass. Has that helped you develop your intonation?

Obviously when you’re working on your intonation, your ear is developing automatically. I don’t wrap around and look at the front of the fingerboard too much. I rely on the side markers visually.

I guess you rely on the ear for intonation, and sight to check yourself?

Yes, but the one thing that applies overall is muscle memory. When you do something so many times, the stuff just ends up in the right place.

It's the oldest, most boring cliché, but it always goes back to practice, practice, practice. When you do something so many times, you just get better at it, and you can't replace experience with anything else.

Much has been written about the disappearance and remarkable recovery of Paul McCartney’s storied Höfner 500/1 violin bass.

Now, Wings' former sound engineer Ian Horne has looked back on the day it first went missing, saying it “felt like the worst moment of my life.”

Beatles fans know all too well why the bass was such a treasured item. Bought for a humble £30 in Hamburg during the band's famed residency in the city, it was used to within an inch of its life, played for hundreds of gigs and on early '60s hits such as She Loves You.

It was later semi-retired to be a back-up bass, but it remained in the not-too-distant background, coming with McCartney as he formed Wings in light of the Fab Four's breakup.

It famously went missing after it was stolen out the back of a van in 1972, and its whereabouts remained a mystery until, 50 years later, the Lost Bass Project successfully tracked it down in 2024. Miraculously, it was found in an English attic.

It was a wonderful, happy ending, and the bass marked its live return alongside Ronnie Wood in late ‘24. But half a century earlier, it was a horror story for Horne. Equipment, after a tiring studio session, was stored in a three-ton truck with a roller shutter at the rear. It was there from which it was plucked.

Speaking to RadioTimes about that fateful day in October 1972, he says: “It felt like the worst moment of my life. I walked up to the truck, saw the padlock on the ground, and my heart sank.

“When I pushed the shutter up, I saw straight away that it was gone,” he continues. “The bass wasn’t there. There were lots of nice people in the hippie culture, but there were some dodgy people about as well.”

Horne says he and fellow Wings crew member Trevor Jones knocked on the doors of nearby residents “in a sort of threatening manner” as they hunted for, at best, the bass, at worst, a nugget of information. But it was to no avail.

“I realized I had to go and tell Paul in person,” Horne remembers. “I just came out with it: ‘I’ve got some bad news, Paul. Our truck was broken into, and the bass was stolen.’

“I expected him to go ballistic,” he says. “But Paul was lovely about it. He said, ‘It’s all right, I’ve got another one.’”

Not only that, but McCartney was apparently eager for the story of the instrument's theft not to leak, fearing it would damage Horne's professional reputation. It could explain why there was little fanfare about its quiet disappearance at the time.

McCartney has since met with the man who reunited him with the bass, while Höfner's own future is set for a restructure after it filed for bankruptcy in December.

Gibson has revived the Thunderbird bass guitar with some key upgrades.

The original Thunderbird design was drawn by Ray Dietrich, who made his name in automotive design before he partnered with Gibson on both the bass and its six-string counterpart, the Firebird.

Both were introduced in 1963, with Chris Squire, Krist Novoselic, and Nikki Sixx among the four-string’s adoptees. Lemmy, meanwhile, prized the pickups out of a Thunderbird and put them into his Rickenbacker, and said it made it sound like a “fucking bulldozer.”

It was a design that modernized the instrument, and its extended scale length and car-inspired color scheme are commonplace in today’s designs. So how is this once-trailblazing instrument keeping up with the times?

Arriving in two finishes – understated Ebony and classic Tobacco Burst Perimeter – there’s a careful balance of then and now at play, as Gibson builds a low-end beast that looks like a vintage gem, but performs like a contemporary one.

The Thunderbird was Gibson’s first elongated bass, sidelining its usual 30.5” scale for a whopping 34” build, and that remains the case here. Mahogany is the tonewood choice for the neck and body, and it also retains its iconic raised center block and glued-in set neck.

But a closer look at its neck – which now gets a SlimTaper profile and Graph Tech nut for its 20-fret rosewood fingerboard – and there are contemporary flourishes aplenty. Whether it solves the neck dive issues of the 2024 model, though, remains to be seen.

The Non-Reverse headstock has also been put under the microscope, with a slightly more streamlined taper on the upper edge that promises more intuitive tuning. It's capped with Hipshot Ultralite Mini Clover tuners for good measure.

Hipshot is present again via a Supertone bridge, complete with adjustable action height, while high-output EB Bass humbuckers are voiced for thunderous impact. Accompanying controls – a Volume knob for each pickup and a Master Tone dial – are simple, but effective.

Naturally, it’s iced with a three-play white pickguard that features the Thunderbird logo and ships in a Gibson hardshell case.

“With its unmistakable style, modern enhancements, and legendary tone, the new Gibson Thunderbird Bass in Ebony and Tobacco Burst Perimeter is ready to take its place on stages and in studios around the world,” says Gibson.

The new Gibson Thunderbird Bass is available now for $2,499.

See Gibson for more.

The launch comes after something of a Thunderbird renaissance that was spurred on by Pantera’s Rex Brown and Gene Simmons both getting their own signature models.

The record-breaking sales of Jim Irsay’s most notorious electric guitars have understandably grabbed the headlines after last week’s auction, but there were some notable developments with regard to his bass guitars, too.

The billionaire businessman passed away aged 65 last year, leaving behind the world’s most ridiculous collection of guitars and music memorabilia, and while David Gilmour’s Strat sold for a mind-boggling $14.5 million, a number of Irsay’s most historically significant four-strings also racked up impressive sales figures during the New York auction.

Take John McVie’s custom Alembic bass, for instance. It was used to record Fleetwood Mac's timeless classic – and Formula 1 anthem – The Chain for 1977's mega-selling album, Rumours.

That prestige saw it shatter its estimated price of up to $100,000, selling for $177,800. McVie's part is widely considered one of the most iconic basslines of all time, and it's easy to see why, with the bass also taken on the preceding tour.

It features a solidbody and through-neck construction that unites laminated birds-eye maple, koa, walnut, cocobolo, and ash, a fretless fingerboard, and active electronics. It can also be heard on another Rumours cut, Gold Dust Woman, and the B-side, Silver Springs.

While the 2021 auction of one of Paul McCartney's Yamaha BB-1200 basses still holds the record for most expensive low-end weapon, the former Beatle's appeal was clear to see during last week's auction. Another of his BB-1200s, which McCartney used in the studio and on the stage between 1979 and 1984, has sold for $228,600.

It was soft-launched by Wings' disco and flamenco-flecked standalone single, Goodnight Tonight. Later, it became his principal instrument on the Back to the Egg tour. The pair of Yamahas is a rare example of instruments from McCartney's personal collection leaving his possession.

For lovers of slightly more ridiculous instruments, Dusty Hill's sheepskin-covered bass, which features a striking ZZ Top inlay and starred in the music video for Legs, fell just short of six figures.

The Explorer-style Dean sold for $95,250, having been a prominent part of ZZ Top's chart-bothering Eliminator era, which was famous for some truly bonkers instruments. Beneath the shag of its fluffy headstock, gold-plated Schaller tuners can be found. It also sports a single double-coil pickup and a black-and-gold-plated Badass tailpiece and bridge.

“One night, I received a 3 am phone call, it's Gibbons,” Dean Zelinsky recalls of the build. “He was on tour in the UK and had the guys from Def Leppard with him. He wanted to hook them up with some Dean Guitars.

“At the very end of the conversation, Billy drops the line, ‘I'm sending you some sheepskins I purchased while in Scotland, I want you to put them on some guitars.’

“I cleared a path down the center with electric horse shears to accept the pickups, tailpiece, and strings. And I remember we were still gluing the fur on the tuning keys when the FedEx driver showed up to pick up the guitars.”

Legs went on to win the inaugural MTV Video Music Award for Best Group Video.

Meanwhile, Jerry Garcia’s Tiger, which sold for $12 million at the Jim Irsay auction, has already been played on stage, thanks to its generous new owner.

The Fender Precision Bass used to record The Special's gloomy political anthem, Ghost Town, has sold at auction for over $15,000 – meaning its value has increased by more than 5,000%.

The bass, built in 1971, was bought by Horace Panter for £200 and was famously used on the 1981 track that topped the UK charts. Although its sale, by Gardiner Houlgate, fell short of the estimated high price of £20,000 (approx. $26,500), it still represents a staggering increase in value.

The auctioneer had expected the instrument, which has undergone a series of modifications over its lifetime, to “stir up considerable interest,” given Ghost Town's significance as a song that encapsulated the era's bleak political climate.

“Ghost Town is such an evocative track reflecting the social and political unrest of Britain at that time,” Gardiner Houlgate’s Luke Hobbs said ahead of the auction. “Horace Panter's bass is a big part of it.”

The four-string was also used in Horace Panter’s supergroup, General Public, which featured members of The Clash and Dexy’s Midnight Runners after The Specials broke up. It can be heard on their 1984 single Tenderness.

Panter had bought it from a store in Kettering, Northamptonshire, the same year Ghost Town was recorded and released. He would go on to install a brass bridge and nut, and DiMarzio pickups.

Further mods, made at a later date, included the addition of its brass pickguard and matching knobs. He also repainted the bass, giving it the Powder Blue chic it still has today.

In an Instagram post announcing the auction, Panter called the bass a “beauty.”

The auction, though, has been dwarfed by the sale of a large portion of the late Jim Irsay’s monumental gear collection. The line-up of electric guitars and other storied pieces of gear and memorabilia contains a number of the world’s most expensive guitars, and, in a surprise to no one, many sold for record-shattering prices.

Hello, and welcome to Guitar World’s gear round-up, your one-stop-shop for keeping up to date with what’s been happening in the big wide world of guitar gear over the past seven days.

From new electric guitars to amp modeler updates, the guitar industry is never short of fresh releases, and it can sometimes be hard to stay abreast of every new launch that may be of interest to you.

To make things a little easier, we’ve put together an essential must-read guide that will cover the major releases, the boutique drops, and everything in between.

This week, Gibson has given an unsung guitar hero his flowers, JHS Pedals released a firm-first pedal, and Tone King has followed up its first five-star preamp pedal with, potentially, another...

Gibson Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom

Mick Ronson is one of the music world’s most unsung guitar greats. This is a man who played with David Bowie, for crying out loud. Not only that, the session great also worked with Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed and more. Gibson is looking to correct course and give Ronson the flowers he deserves.

It’s doing that through a limited edition, Murphy Lab recreation of Ronson’s Bowie-era Les Paul, complete with its natural finish, uncovered humbuckers, mismatched control knobs, and all the nicks and dings found on the original.

“Mick Ronson is a true musical legend, and his impact – delivered in far too short a time – cannot be overstated,” adds Lee Bartram, Head of Commercial and Marketing EMEA at Gibson. “The world misses Mick Ronson more than it likely knows. We hope that this project advances the broader recognition he so richly deserves.”

Ernie Ball Music Man 50th Anniversary StingRay

50 years ago, Tom Walker, Leo Fender and Sterling Ball put their heads together to create an all-new guitar that would revolutionize bass string design. The result was the StingRay – the now-iconic, active electronics-equipped bass, which has been played by some of the most influential bass players in the world.

To celebrate that breakthrough, Ernie Ball Music Man – which ended up fully acquiring the Music Man and StingRay name – has released two special-edition StingRays. Molten Gold and Liquid Gold are the finishes on offer here, with Ernie Ball dressing the rest of the instruments in all-gold hardware. A very stylish celebration indeed.

JHS Pedals Double Dragon

Fresh from having its Notaklön anointed by Guitar World as one of the biggest gear releases of the 21st century, JHS Pedals has continued the momentum by releasing the Double Dragon – its first-ever octave pedal.

Now, I’m a sucker for a JHS pedal – I have three on my ’board at the time of writing – so naturally this is going to pique my interest. Even though I’ve never been too fussed on the whole octave thing, I’m sold by the Double Dragon. Firstly, that name is cool as heck. Secondly, that design is also cool as heck. Thirdly… well, it sounds cool as heck. Is it cool to say ‘cool as heck’? Probably not.

Built on the same old-school tech that helped propel the MXR Blue Box, DOD Octoplus, Boss OC-2 and EHX Micro-Synth, the Double Dragon is something of a wildcard pedal, with an all-analog monophonic octave down and up effect. “Weird, wild, and lo-fi” is the tagline here.

Tone King Royalist preamp pedal

Tone King is making a name for itself with its growing range of acclaimed preamp pedals. Its Imperial pedal achieved a five-star review when Guitar World tested it. Now, it’s returned with the Royalist – a two-channel, tube-loaded preamp pedal that looks to channel the Golden era Marshall amp tones.

That means everything from Plexi crunch, Super Lead drives and sweet JTM45 sounds. It does that through three 12AX7 tubes, authentic touch sensitivity and harmonic bloom, and a selection of cab sim options for greater versatility. Another five-star pedal? Most likely.

Cream T LT Series

Will modular guitar systems ever become mainstream? The jury is still out, but their cause hasn’t really been helped in the past by hefty price tags. Cream T has sought to change course with the Polaris LT and Crossfire LT models, which bring a modular pickup-swapping platform to a sub-£1,000 price point for UK readers.

“A serious modular alternative in the sub-premium market”, Cream T says. With the Polaris LT and Crossfire LT, the patented Guitar-X system lets players swap out pickups “in seconds” with no soldering or tool required. An interesting concept – one we’ve seen before, of course, but one that looks to do things a bit differently.

Benson Redland

Benson has been building up to the Redland’s release for quite some time, drip-feeding various teases and sound snippets over the past few weeks. Now, the Redland – which is unlike any other Benson amp that came before it – is finally here.

The design brief is simple: it goes after the “American” guitar tone more than any other Benson amp in the past. It also has a unique Bass parameter that moves a scoop up and down the frequency spectrum, which changes the character of the amp. So, not only do you get mid-forward Tweed tones and scooped black-panel sounds, the Redlands also branches into Vox and Marshall territory.

Wampler Golden Jubilee

Wampler’s Golden Jubilee looks like a very tidy twofer drive pedal. On the one side, you’re promised the “harmonically rich tones of US boutique amps”, while on the other you have the “raw, aggressive power of British high-gain monsters”. Put them together under one roof and you have the makings of a rather potent gain pedal.

It’s a workhorse pedal, Wampler says, that can serve as your complete gain solution. There are three controls per effect, footwitches for each, two character toggle switches for even more voices, and an order switch for choosing which effect comes first. Plus, it looks smart as hell. That green sparkle chassis, with the knurled gold control knobs? Phwoar.

Lollar Monolith

At some point in the recent past, Lollar sat down to design a higher-output pickup that could cater to guitarists who play modern and extreme styles of music. The result was the Monolith – a set of humbuckers that do exactly that.

For Lollar, most high-output humbuckers suffer from a boxy voicing, or a harsh top-end that might not be optimal. The Monoliths, then, promise to rectify this, offering “balance in all positions and increased dynamic and frequency ranges”. They can also be coil-split, and are available in six– and seven-string configurations.

Gretsch Streamliner Center-Block and Hollow-Body Vintage White

Nothing too major from Gretsch this week – just a welcome aesthetic update for its Streamliner Center-Block and Hollow-Body guitars, which are now available in Vintage White. It almost gives workhorse White Falcon vibes. You can’t go wrong with Vintage White.

Cort Core-MC Ovangkol

Cort has expanded its Core-MC range with an ovangkol-heavy build that uses – yep, you guessed it – solid ovangkol back and sides. There’s a solid cedar top, a Modern Concert cutaway body shape (tailored with a thinner waist and shallower cutaway for comfort), and a Fishman Presys VT preamp system. The draw here is that ovangkol, though, which Cort says will offer low-mid fullness and a broad tonal range.

Ernie Ball Music Man is honoring the 50th anniversary of its gold-standard bass, the StingRay, with an equally golden model.

Consequently, it’s got Sterling Ball, son of Ernie, reflecting on the iconic instrument’s – and the company’s – origins.

Finished in either Molten Gold and Liquid Gold, the celebratory model is paired with an ebony fretboard, glow-in-the-dark side markers, and a gold-plated Vintage Music Man bridge with gold-plated steel saddles. Heck, even the truss rod wheel at the heel of the neck is gold.

It’s a celebratory bass fit for royalty, as Ernie Ball Music Man celebrates the big 5-0 of a game-changing active bass. But how did the company get to this position?

The StingRay, first introduced in 1976, took cues from the Fender Precision Bass, which Leo Fender had designed years prior. The StingRay was put together by Fender, as well Tom Walker and Forrest White, while Sterling Ball offered his own input on the design

It distinguished itself with a single oversized active humbucker and a three-band preamp.

The bass caught on like wildfire, and was played later played by everyone from Flea to Tool’s Justin Chancellor and Tony Levin. Queen’s John Deacon, meanwhile, recorded arguably the greatest bassline of all time with one. Half a century later, it remains embedded in low-end folklore.

“It’s so much more than an instrument,” believes Sterling Ball. “I was there when that baby was born. And when you see that 50 years later, it’s still as important, as vibrant, as valid – that’s insane.”

“I didn't design this bass, Leo did,” Ball adds. “But I was able to point out things that needed adjusting. The vision was to make a better bass, and the vision was to [be the first company to] use active electronics.”

Yet despite Leo Fender's crucial involvement, the bass never joined the Big F lineup. Fender had sold the company to CBS in 1965, and the StingRay instead was released by Music Man – the company founded by White and Walker, and which Fender himself joined as a silent partner.

Then, in 1984, Music Man – including its trademarks and the StingRay bass design – was bought out by Ernie Ball at Sterling's request.

“So from there it was, ‘Okay, I bought it. What do I do with it? Congratulations. You just bought Leo Fender's guitar company,’” Ball laughs. “‘Now you've got to learn how to make guitars.’

“I was so excited, so fired up to do this that I didn't stop and think, you know what, you're taking over from Leo. I think that if I had thought that, I would have been a pretty presumptuous guy with no track record, and I think I would have failed.

“You get lucky in this business sometimes,” he develops. “And Leo got really lucky because it [the bass] was super bright. There was a two-band EQ, so turn that bass up, and you had a lot of bottom. You turn the treble up, and all of a sudden, Louis Johnson and all those guys picked up on it.

“It was an accident that it came out at the same time as slapping and funk, and it became known for that initially. And then, as players like Tony Levin would use it on some of the greatest records ever, they showed how versatile it was.”

The Ernie Ball Music Man 50th Anniversary StingRay bass is available now for $3,399.

See Ernie Ball Music Man for more.

A 1969 Fender Jazz Bass originally purchased by James Brown back in 1970, before it was used and owned by Bootsy Collins, has been listed on eBay with a “buy it now” price of $74,999.99

Bearing serial number #266610, it’s described as “a historically significant instrument directly tied to the genesis and evolution of modern funk music.”

When it originally came up for auction in December last year, the bass received a winning bid of $40,000 during the auction's final moments, far surpassing its initial estimate.

It’s now been listed for sale by Stinson & Company, an “old school antique pawn shop” based in Portland, Maine. The shop is owned by Joseph Stinson, a former professional bassist who has overseen its care since purchasing it.

According to the eBay listing, the bass has been “maintained under professional archival standards to ensure its ongoing preservation for future study, exhibition, and documentation.”

However, the sale does not include the original strings. Stinson removed the set – believed to date from 1977 – and has listed them separately on eBay for $299. The bass is currently fitted with a new set of Rotosound Swing strings.

Originally finished in Fender’s Three-Tone Sunburst, the body has been stripped back to the natural wood having once reportedly been covered in red and black psychedelic contact paper during Brown’s disco-era.

The lower horn also features two strap button holes, a modification Bootsy Collins himself confirmed as unique to his early James Brown bass, which he used to record several funk anthems including 1971’s Soul Power, Pts 1 & 2.

Late ‘60s and early ’70s Jazz Basses can be a minefield among collectors – good ones can be great (just ask Geddy Lee), but bad ones predominate.

Originality of finish and condition is all-important in this area, but thanks to signed provenance from bandleader Hollie Farris, this particular Jazz Bass is seemingly worth more than any mint condition ’70s model.

For more information on the sale, head over to the eBay listing.

The Fender Precision bass used to record The Specials’ 1981 hit Ghost Town, is headed to auction and could fetch up to £20,000 (approx. $27,000).

Its sale is being handled by the auction house Gardiner Houlgate, which has sold off the 12-string guitar that Mark Knopfler “borrowed” for 50 years, Peter Green's career-reviving Fender Duo-Sonic, and the Wuthering Heights Les Paul in recent years.

Built in 1971, the modded Fender was used by Horace Panter to record the song’s iconic, politically tinted gloominess, with the song written while Britain was in the grips of a recession. It also features in the song’s music video.

Like many established players sending their gear to auction, Panter wants to see it used, not collect dust in a vault.

“This is a bass guitar that’s going to stir up quite a lot of interest among fans and collectors,” says Gardiner Houlgate’s auctioneer, Luke Hobbs. “Ghost Town is such an evocative track reflecting the social and political unrest of Britain at that time – and Horace Panter’s bass is a big part of it.”

After The Specials, who broke up the following year, Panter used the instrument in the new wave supergroup General Public. The band also featured members of The Beat, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, and The Clash.

Panter bought the bass from a guitar store in Kettering in 1981, and it had already been modified to feature a now-replaced Metallic Blue finish, a brass bridge and nut, DiMarzio pickups, and a thinned-down neck. That gives it a more Fender Jazz-like playability.

Later down the line, Panter also modded the guitar, installing a brass pickguard and matching knobs, and repainted it with a Power Blue colorway.

The British band were a key driver of the two-tone ska revival that swept across the island in the late ’70s and early ’80s, and this bass was a key part of the band's success. It’s set to be auctioned off on March 10.

See Gardiner Houlgate for more information.

What is it?

Similarly to Green Day’s musical output, there are a couple of eras to bassist Mike Dirnt’s gear choices, and they largely coincide. Post-American Idiot, Dirnt has most often been seen clutching a Fender Precision Bass. Indeed, he even collaborated with Fender and Squier for signature versions.

However, rewind a little and fans will most closely associate Dirnt with his Gibson G-3. This three-pickup, natural-finished powerhouse took its shape from Gibson’s Grabber - introduced during the Norlin-owned era in 1975. The original Grabber made use of a Bill Lawrence-designed sliding pickup, which allowed you to reposition it from neck to bridge position (or any point in between) by simply grabbing the pickup – hence the Grabber name – and moving it.

The G-3 differs by using three pickguard-mounted single coils, and Dirnt’s G-3 fuelled the low end at Green Day’s live shows throughout their ascent from Gilman Street punks to arena-filling rock stars in the mid-late ‘90s.

For the Mike Dirnt signature Grabber G-3, Epiphone has employed a trio of Gibson USA single coils but unlike the original, Epiphone and Dirnt have made the standard finish option a cool-looking Silverburst, with a Natural version available as an ‘Exclusive’ finish direct from Gibson’s website and via selected retailers.

So, with a pick in hand, it’s time to explore a replica of the bass that propelled some of the best-loved basslines in pop-punk.

Specs

• Launch price: $1,299 | £1,199 | €1,399
• Made: China
• Type: 4-string electric bass
• Body: Maple
• Neck: Maple, C-shape
• Fingerboard: Ebony, 12.5-inch radius
• Scale length: 34”/864mm
• Nut/width: Bone, 41mm
• Frets: 20 medium jumbo
• Hardware: Open-gear ‘Clover’ button tuners, Leo Quan Badass II bridge
• String spacing at bridge: 58mm
• Electronics: 3x Gibson USA G-3 single coils, 1x Volume, 1x Tone, three-way selector switch
• Weight: 9.8lb/4.4kg
• Options: N/A
• Left-handed options: No
• Finishes: Silverburst, Natural (exclusive to Gibson and selected dealers)
• Cases: Hardshell case included
• Contact: Epiphone

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆½

Epiphone has caused more than a few eyebrows to head skywards with price increases in the last couple of years, and it’s not alone. The Mike Dirnt model comes priced to rival eastern import models from Sterling, Spector, Schecter and more.

But while the prices have raised, they’ve brought an uplift in quality with them, and in the case of the Mike Dirnt, Epiphone has done a great job at setting out its stall. The included hardcase feels like you’ve made an investment, and taking the Grabber out for the first time, it’s only really the Epiphone logo on the headstock that gives it away as ‘not the real thing’.

The finish looks great, and on the Silverburst review model, it's almost a shame that so much of the silver center is taken up by the black pickguard. In a strangely ironic way, the Silverburst removes some of the ‘signature’ element of this guitar for those who might be bigger fans of the Grabber than Green Day, while maintaining the association for die-hard Dirnt enthusiasts.

Speaking of which, supplied inside the case is a blank truss rod cover, so if you want to play-down the signature element of this bass, you can swap it. One of the most notable inclusions is the dark ebony board, which on this review model is rich and even throughout, and the frets are polished to a nice sheen to boot.

The neck is finished in satin, and it’s been executed without any areas for complaint, and this extends to the rest of the hardware, with the Epiphone open-gear tuners mirroring the formation of the V-shaped headstock nicely, all squared-up as they should be.

My only gripe, and it’s one for the big guitar builders in general, is the over-liberal use of protective plastic film. Here, it’s wrapping the scratchplate entirely, and to fully remove it would mean unscrewing the pickguard and lifting it out. In the case of this review, the film is removed for photography, but if I were buying this bass, I’d be faced with that option, or leaving the unsightly strands of film to wear away on their own over time. Overall, though, there’s nothing to complain about here.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★☆½

With a 34-inch scale length, 20 frets and a C-shaped maple neck, the Grabber feels instantly familiar to play. Epiphone’s take on a C-carve feels slightly less rounded than an equivalent P-Bass, for example. But the first highlight is the physical feel of the satin-finished maple, which has been smoothed-out beautifully.

Dirnt is known for playing busy runs, and the neck finish makes it a joy to traverse. Similarly, the 12.6-inch radius applied to the tasty looking ebony leaves plenty of space for executing Dirnt-style pull-offs on the first string (see When I Come Around, for example), and likely contributes to some of that less acutely rounded feel from the neck overall.

Thanks to those cutaways, reaching the higher frets is unhindered, albeit with a traditionally square-shaped heel. It’s not exactly light, weighing in at 9.8lbs but it does sit comfortably in the lap while balancing quite well on a strap.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆½

Before I even plug in, there’s a noticeable tonal boost coming from the bass, and it comes in part from the bridge. Not only is it strung thru-body, but the strings are sat atop a Leo Quan Badass II bridge. If you’re not familiar, the Badass takes the crown as the original beefed-up bridge, using high-density zinc to ensure greater vibration transfer for enhanced sustain. Here, you can feel the combination of the bridge and stringing rattling through the body wood into your ribcage, which bodes well.

Plugged in, it’s time to get into the G-3’s electronic configuration. The three-singlecoil layout uses Gibson’s traditional three-way switch to offer three individual sounds, but they aren’t necessarily as you might expect.

In the neck position, the neck and bridge pickups are both activated like a humbucker, and the bridge position on the switch offers the same, using the middle and bridge pickups. In the middle, you get all three pickups together, colloquially known as a ‘buck-and-a-half’, (a humbucker and a single coil engaged together).

Tonally, the ‘neck’ position throws up perhaps the biggest surprise, with some noticeable additional lower midrange around the 300-500Hz area. It responds well to overdrive and while in isolation it does add a little more ‘honk’ to the sound, it’s actually primed to deliver a little extra cut in a mix. With the tone rolled back, the high end is tamed further, and played clean I get a strong fundamental that lends itself nicely to thick, dubby/soul sounds.

Conversely, at the opposite end of the switch that bump is removed, and there’s more presence around the 2-3KHz area. The result is a punchier, clearer tone with a bit of a scoop to it.

On his original, Dirnt favors the middle position combining all three pickups together, to the point where (as he showed Rancid’s Matt Freeman in a 2025 video interview, below), he physically stops the switch from engaging the other two positions by winding tape around it. And it’s easy to see why when you select this voice. It’s closest in response to the ‘bridge’ position pairing, but comes with an extra sense of the scoop and high end being enhanced.

Now, as mentioned, the middle pickup is always present, and due to the hum-cancelling effect that it introduces, it means that adding gain to the Dirnt signature is free of inherent noise. Naturally, this calls for some heavy drive, and thanks to the grit from my Ampeg SGT DI and myriad options in the Tonex Bass, I’m free to smother it in everything from light, rattly overdrive to Sabotage levels of fuzz-wrapping, and it’s addictive.

The middle and bridge positions offer the most fun, with the scooped and extra presence bringing out the G-3’s bite. But with that said, the overall tonality of this bass in all positions, as you might expect from a Mike Dirnt signature, leans towards the brighter side of things. It’s simultaneously weighty, but with plenty of spike.

Verdict

The sticking point for some will be that this is an Epiphone instrument, at a price that we’re all slowly getting used to becoming the norm. There’s a debate longer than this review to be had involving origin, headstocks and price, not to mention that Gibson doesn’t currently make a bolt-on neck bass. So, for fans of basses from this era, Epiphone is the only option. Thankfully, the execution is of a high standard here.

Signature gear is often divisive - if you’re not a fan of the artist then it’s easy to ignore. But, as has been proved plenty of times before, to do this is a mistake. Yes, the Mike Dirnt G-3 serves up exactly what you’d expect, but the voicings from the three pickups add some interesting extra dimensions.

Guitar World verdict: No question, it’s a bass crafted for rock ‘n’ roll, but it’s certainly not limited to pop-punk. From the sounds to the playability to the visuals, this is a bass that will be right at home in more aggressive styles too.

Also try

Hands-on videos

The Bass Channel

Epiphone

Johnny Dibble

• Best bass guitars

NAMM 2026: Aria Guitars has announced a commemorative signature bass for the late Cliff Burton to mark 40 years since his passing.

The instrument, a reissue of the Aria Pro II Cliff Burton – which launched in 2013 with the approval of his family and Metallica – “honors Cliff Burton’s groundbreaking tone and legacy.” But isn’t purely sentimental, with Aria saying it has been “created for a new generation of players.”

Metallica’s golden-era bassist was a pivotal songwriting force in the band’s early successes, with tracks like (Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth quickly embedding themselves into the instrument’s folklore. And while his death in 1986, aged just 24, cut the musician’s life tragically short, the impact of his work still lives on.

Though Burton’s talents never earned him a signature guitar in his lifetime, the 2013 release saw his go-to bass and unsung brand celebrating his legacy, with that recipe now revived and refreshed 13 years later.

Currently, details about the bass are scarce. It remains to be seen whether the same alder body, seven-piece maple/walnut through neck, and 24-fret rosewood fingerboard recipe has been altered. The 2013 model also rocked a solid brass tailpiece with 24K gold-plated saddles and a single Aria MB-V passive pickup.

It will be interesting to see how much of this has been tweaked to cater to modern bass rigs. Judging by the image Aria has posted on Instagram, it certainly looks to be a faithful recreation of the instrument that Burton made so iconic and lusted-over. It doesn’t look any less gold-plated either. Fancy.

Thankfully, with its unveiling set to take place at NAMM 2026, the wait won’t be long, at least.

Other Cliff Burto-themed posthumous releases have included a reissue of his Morley fuzz wah and a limited-edition beer, which raised money for the late Metallica bassist's scholarship foundation to support young musicians.

What is it?

Picture a short-scale bass and it’s generally one of two things - a thump-tastic retro instrument, possibly with a set neck and a fat-sounding humbucker, or a scaled-down, beginner bass aimed at younger players and invariably built down to a low, low price.

Of course, that’s quite a reductive summary but you get the gist; it’s uncommon to see a short-scale bass that falls particularly far outside those categories. But to see a manufacturer take a number of professional-level modern features from full-size bass guitars, and stuff them into an affordable short-scale that still sits decidedly above the entry level of the market? That's an opportunity.

This is the new GB-Short Scale from Korean OEM giant Cort, and it’s not an exaggeration to say that it’s unique to the current bass landscape. Big words, for sure, so allow me to show my working.

It’s a shrunken version of Cort’s established and well-liked GB series: a sleek offset model which is broadly in the Jazz Bass camp aesthetically. The scale length is the usual short-scale measurement of 30 inches.

So far, you might be conjuring up images of those starter-pack instruments most of us left behind as quickly as we could...

Specs

• Price: $412/£299/€360
• Made: Indonesia
• Type: Short-scale, active four-string bass guitar
• Body: Poplar
• Neck: Bolt-on roasted maple, C shape
• Fingerboard: Roasted maple
• Scale length: 30”/762mm
• Nut/width: Plastic, 38mm
• Frets: 22, medium jumbo, nickel silver
• Hardware: Open-gear tuners, vintage 4-saddle bridge
• Electrics: Cort Powersound humbucker, MarkBass MB-1 preamp, controls for Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble, 3-way pickup switch for series/split/parallel operation
• Weight: 7.4lb/3.3kg
• Left-handed options: No
• Finishes: Forest Green (as reviewed), Yellow Crush, Fandango Purple
• Cases: No
• Contact: Cort Guitars

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★★

But, far from being cheaply lashed up from plywood and despair, here I'm presented with a poplar body finished in a pleasant high-gloss Forest Green – by far the subtlest of the available finishes, the others being the vibrant Yellow Crush and a blindingly-bright Fandango Purple, which in reality is more of a 'hot pink'. It’s a refreshingly fun choice of colors.

And what’s this – a roasted maple neck? Your eyes aren’t deceiving you – this is a clue to the aspirations that Cort has for the GB-Short Scale’s market position. It’s reasonably-priced, sure, but there’s no shortage of upmarket touches.

The construction quality lives up to it too, with smooth finishing, tight neck fit and excellent fretwork. Cort builds guitars for a number of big-name brands too. Remember; those long-running relationships wouldn’t be there if the products weren’t up to scratch.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★☆

The tight build quality contributes to a lively acoustic ring. The weight isn’t feather-light but is certainly comfortable - if anything, the neck tends to dive a little due to the small body and the normal-sized headstock.

Of course, it needs to accommodate four machine-heads, but I can’t help thinking some lighter tuners, or even a more compact 3+1 headstock design might balance things a little.

It’s a fun bass to play, of course – short-scales often are. There’s a slightly looser, more forgiving feel in the strings, tricky hand positions can become easier, and wider stretches open up. The smooth and comfortable neck is a further aide to this.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★½

Short-scales can, however, paint themselves into a corner sonically. The looser tension results in more low-end ‘thump’, and designs such as the classic Gibson EB models only emphasise this with fat, warm-voiced humbucking pickups, pushed right up against the fretboard.

Those basses aren’t renowned for versatility or definition as a result. The Cort’s slick playability and funky modern aesthetics will be for nothing if it falls into the same trap.

Luckily, it’s equipped with a preamp - and a proper three-band active EQ - from Italian bass amp mainstay MarkBass. There’s even a three-way toggle switch to select series, parallel or split operation for the mid-mounted, soapbar-sized humbucker.

In practice, this means a lot of different sounds are possible, far beyond the usual reach of a short-scale. With everything set flat, it has the short-scale ‘woof’ one would expect, this can of course be manipulated with the on-board MarkBass preamp. Boost the bass if you’re looking for that classic old-school tone, or back it off, shape the mid and treble to taste, and the GB-Short Scale does an accomplished job of more mainstream sounds.

A compressed Acoustic 360 emulation and some mid boost can make this little Cort ideal for disco and funk, while a gritty SansAmp tone, scooped mids and boosted highs will easily see it encroach on rock and metal sounds.

It doesn’t have the string tension to excel at drop-tuned heaviness, but it’ll certainly hold its own for most things short of that. It has plenty of output, and that EQ is a vital tool in unlocking sounds quite outside what might be expected of such a bass.

Verdict

The GB-Short Scale is a surprising addition to the market, perhaps, but one that makes a lot of sense and has plenty of utility.

It’s cool-looking, with excellent build quality and a well-chosen feature set that really elevates it above other similarly-priced short-scales. Add to that a slick playing experience and an unexpectedly broad sonic palette, and the conclusion is that it’s well worth a try.

Guitar World verdict: Cort has come up with a very interesting take on the short-scale bass, and one which has a lot more crossover appeal than most. Solidly built and with a very useful preamp, it’s a bass that could be just the ticket for a variety of situations.

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• Best bass guitars 2025: long and short-scale bass options for beginners to pros

What is it?

Take a look at the Fender line-up in 2025, and you’ll see that there’s no shortage of options when it comes to choosing a Precision Bass. With eight current ‘production’ ranges bearing the Fender logo on the headstock, it starts with the Indonesian-made Standard series, takes a trip through Fender’s Mexican facility with the Player II/Player II Modified and Vintera II series and tops-out with the American Ultra II.

Now, to some, a ‘real’ Fender can only come from America, and the American Ultra II is just one of Fender’s US-made lines. Beneath that we have the American Vintage II series, then the American Professional II, and now, the introduction of the American Professional Classic, which replaces the out-going American Performer range.

This latest addition to the Fender stable is also the most affordable when it comes to buying an American made Fender, and follows a fairly straightforward brief: merge vintage styling with modern playability.

Specs

• Launch price: $1,599/£1,549/€1,849
• Made: USA
• Type: Four-string bass guitar
• Body: Alder
• Neck: Maple/Modern C
• Fingerboard: Rosewood (maple on LPB finish), 9.5-inch radius
• Scale length: 34"/864mm
• Nut/width: 41.3mm
• Frets: 20, medium jumbo
• Hardware: Vintage-style 'lollipop' tuners, standard bridge (top-mounted) w/steel saddles
• String spacing at bridge: 19mm
• Electrics: Coastline split-coil P-Bass pickup, volume, tone (w/ Greasebucket circuit)
• Weight: lb/kg
• Left-handed options: No
• Finishes: 3-Color Sunburst, Faded Sherwood Green Metallic, Faded Lake Placid Blue (w/maple fingerboard)
• Cases: Fender hardcase
• Contact: Fender

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★½

You can’t market a Precision bass with the word ‘Classic’ in its name then rip up the blueprint. As such, the American Professional Classic Precision sticks to some of the key ingredients we know and love - an alder body paired with a maple neck. There are three finishes available - the 3-Color Sunburst of this review model, Faded Sherwood Green Metallic and Faded Lake Placid Blue. The first two are fitted with rosewood fingerboards, while the latter offers the maple ’board option in the range. These finishes are all urethane, so while the hues on offer reflect the ‘Classic’ styling, they’re a durable, hard-wearing and modern finish.

The 3-Color Sunburst is done nicely though, with a subtle and balanced fade from edge to center that has a definite red tint to it which screams ‘Jamerson!’, while allowing the grain to poke through.

The rosewood is immaculate and while a touch on the light side (depending on your tastes), could darken down with some conditioning. At the headstock end Fender has gone with vintage-style ‘Lollipop’ tuners, and while they feel thin and old-school, turn beautifully and hold the tuning with precision. At the other end, there’s more vintage-styling with the classic four-saddle bridge which uses steel saddles vs the American Professional II’s HiMass model.

So where are the ‘modern’ elements, exactly? Well, the neck is carved to Fender’s Modern C-shape profile, there’s a synthetic bone nut, truss rod access from the headstock end and Fender has equipped this Precision with its new Coastline pickup - here a split-coil P-Bass model, obviously. Overall its put together nicely, with the only small criticism being that the three-ply pickguard (the American Pro II uses a four-ply) appears a bit on the thin side, with the screws causing some slight rippling.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★½

Weighing in just shy of 9lbs, it’s right in the ‘average’ zone, weight wise. As a result, this Precision sits well balanced on a strap without causing fatigue, and - as always with a P-bass and those sleek contours - it’s comfortable in the lap when playing sat down.

The back of the neck is finished in a smooth satin, which lends the entire playing experience a ‘comfy slippers’ vibe of familiarity. It gets out of the way, particularly on longer slides and stretches and combined with the C-shaped profile and 9.5” fingerboard radius which as anyone who has tried one can attest, makes this an ergonomic player. If your hands are on the stubbier side then you won’t have any problems here.

The heel is a traditional ‘square’ (rather than contoured) profile, but I didn’t notice access towards the top frets being inhibited nor awkward, and with the action set at a medium-low 2.2mm on the bass side, it’s an impressive, buzz-free performance across the scale.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★½

There’s a reason that this design has been the four-string of choice since its inception nearly 75 years ago. Like Coca-Cola, Levis or an AC/DC album, you know exactly what to expect from a Precision Bass. Here, though, Fender has given the Classic its biggest step out of the traditional circle thanks to the electronics. It’s still the same split-coil configuration we know and love from a P-bass, but it’s built around the new Coastline 60s pickup design, which in turn is paired with Fender’s Greasebucket circuit.

Starting with the pickup, it’s an Alnico V magnet, and as Fender’s Max Gutnik tells us, the Coastline series is “basically the Pure Vintage set – just like the American Vintage II guitars, but these are overwound a little to make them a little hotter.”

And that’s exactly what we get. It’s the classic Precision sound, all throaty poke, bolstered by a warmth that adds weight without becoming overbearing (although it’ll do that too with a bit of EQ). I tried the Precision through a few different preamps - including a Line 6 HX Stomp, Ampeg SGT DI and IK Multimedia Tonex One Bass - straight into a DAW and the resulting tones simply feel like ‘home’.

Plugged into an amp it’s a similar story, and the Professional Classic responds beautifully when you feed it a bit of grit. Played with a pick and dirt being provided by the Ampeg, with a fuzz setting on the Tonex, it brings out even more of that classic nasally point, cutting through and accenting the notes with clarity and bite. But all the while, it’s offset by the solid foundation of full fundamentals and vintage-style warm roundness.

Now, the Greasebucket is designed to preserve low end when you roll the tone back, and it's a circuit Fender employs in numerous guitars across its range. But, while in a Strat or Tele the effects are more overt, here, it's more subtle. Many players will likely be indifferent, but some will likely prefer the traditional tone circuit for its familiarity.

Verdict

As I mentioned at the start of this review, if there’s one thing that Fender isn’t lacking, it’s choice. That means that there’s something for everyone in its range, pretty much across the board.

The window starts to narrow once you impose your own criteria and rules. There are basses in the Fender range that lean way more to the future - just this year it released the excellent Player II Modified, which serves up heaps of contemporary value for around 2/3 of the price.

Going the other way, it’s around another 1/3 on top to stretch to an American Professional II, or vintage fans can scratch that itch with the Mexican-made Vintera II Road Worn for a couple hundred bucks less. That’s where Fender rarely misses - it knows its customer.

Guitar World verdict: If it absolutely has to be an American-made instrument - and lets face it, there’s something special about knowing your instrument is from that lineage - and you want a versatile bass that hits the sweet spot of Fender’s heritage, sound, practicality and price, this Precision checks all the right boxes.

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Paul McCartney has expressed his dismay at the financial troubles that are rocking Höfner. The future of the German company is under threat, after it was revealed that it had filed for preliminary insolvency proceedings at the Fürth Local Court, in Germany.

McCartney has been playing Höfners since since 1961. He picked up a 500/1 violin-style bass guitar for around 50 bucks when the Beatles were workshopping their sound night after night in Hamburg.

It was on a Höfner that McCartney made his name – on The Ed Sullivan Show, on tracks such as She Loves You, I Wanna Hold Your Hand and Love Me Do.

“It is very sad to see Höfner go out of business. They have been making instruments for over 100 years, and I bought my first Höfner bass in the sixties,” writes McCartney on Instagram.

“I have loved it ever since. It’s a wonderful instrument to play: lightweight, and it encourages me to play quite freely. It also offers pleasing variations in tone that I enjoy. So, commiserations to everyone at Höfner, and thank you for all your help over the years.”

Talk of Höfner going out of business might yet be premature. These are bleak times for the fortunes of the company, no question. But these preliminary insolvency proceedings do not necessarily mean the company will go to the wall.

As yet, Höfner has made no statement clarifying its position, but under preliminary insolvency proceedings the company is free to continue operations under the court’s supervision.

The filing states that “preliminary insolvency proceedings will be ordered on December 10, 2025, at 5:05pm” to safeguard the debtor’s assets from “adverse changes”.

There are not many more details, although No Treble reports that a former Höfner employee has said the company’s financial woes are longstanding.

Höfner makes a range of stringed instruments. There are cellos, ukuleles, violins, violas, classical guitars, acoustic and electric guitars in its lineup, along with a range of accessories and spares.

But when you designed the bass guitar that one of the Fab Four used, that’s what people will know you for – that’s how you will be remembered.

It works both ways. McCartney will always be remembered as the moptop with the Violin Bass – which was why, when he formed Wings in 1971, he decided to use a Rickenbacker.

Speaking to Bass Player in 2021, he said it new band, new look. So why not switch things up.

“Maybe it was a combination of things,” said McCartney. “I knew I was known for the violin shape. It’s like Charlie Chaplin, you know? The little walking cane, the moustache, and a bowler hat, and he’s Charlie. If he comes on with a bandanna and he’s shaved and he’s on a bike, it’s like, ‘Who’s that?’ So I think there may have been an element of that was what I looked like, kind of a trademark.”

Guitar World has approached Höfner for comment

Höfner, the German instrument maker whose iconic Violin Bass was famously played by Paul McCartney, has reportedly filed for bankruptcy.

The news comes from No Treble, which cites court documents from the Fürth District Court in Bavaria in its report. The filing states that “preliminary insolvency proceedings will be ordered on December 10, 2025, at 5:05pm” to safeguard the debtor’s assets from “adverse changes”.

No Treble also reports that, according to a longtime former employee, the company has been facing financial issues for some time. One Dr. Hubert Ampferl has been appointed as an insolvency administrator, tasked with tackling the debts by finding investors.

Höfner previously experienced a restructure back in 1994, when it became part of the Boosey & Hawkes Group. It was also sold to Music Group in 2003, and a year later to Klaus Schöller.

The company itself was established in 1887 by Karl Höfner, and celebrated its 135th anniversary in 2022. Originally a violin maker by trade, it began manufacturing its first guitars during the 1930s, and developed the Violin Bass – the model with which it’s most synonymous – in the ’50s.

In 1961, a Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass was purchased by Paul McCartney, who famously used the instrument as his number one bass all the way throughout his career, including with the Beatles and in his later work. McCartney became synonymous with the Violin Bass (he had four in his collection) and cemented its place as a stalwart in British rock music.

That particular Violin Bass mysteriously disappeared and went missing for over 50 years. In 2023, it was found and reunited with McCartney thanks to the efforts of the Lost Bass Project.

Miraculously, five decades after it had been stolen from the back of a van in October 1972, it turned up in the home of an individual living on the south coast of England. Almost a year ago to this day, McCartney played the long-lost bass on stage for the first time since it went missing. A documentary is currently in the works.

Höfner has been contacted for comment.

On December 5, one particular Fender Jazz Bass – bearing the serial number 266610 – belonging to arguably one of the coolest cats on bass, Bootsy Collins – and previously, James Brown – went up for auction.

Initially, the bass was up for grabs at a remarkably low price – just $5,250 – before it shot up to $40,000 during the auction's final moments.

There's still time to beat that amount, though: the Heritage Auction website allows you to make an offer to the new owner – but the offer will have to be more than $50,000.

To say the James Brown- and Bootsy Collins-owned 1969 Fender Jazz bass is simply “storied” is a massive understatement. The instrument was originally purchased by Brown in 1970 for Collins, who was then a young bassist in Brown's band, The J.B's. The bass was later wielded by Fred Thomas, another one of Brown's longtime bassists, and was used on various records and tours.

Indeed, this bass is a cornerstone of funk and soul history – directly connected to Bootsy and Brown's landmark recordings of Sex Machine, Super Bad, Soul Power, and Give It Up or Turnit A Loose. Thomas went on to use it on more classics – Hot Pants, Make It Funky, and Papa Don't Take No Mess, to name a few.

In an interview with Fender, Bootsy clearly recalls being given this bass: “When I first joined up with the James Brown crew I had a $29 Silvertone guitar, and I thought I was awesome,” he recounts. “Until I met James Brown and he told me, ‘Son, you can't come on my stage with that funny-looking thing right there!’

“He broke my heart, but at the same time, I was like, ‘Okay, well, I would love to have a Fender Jazz Bass.’ He said, ‘No problem. I'll have it for you tomorrow.’ The next day came and Mr. James Brown got me a Fender Jazz 1969 bass. And I was like a kid in a candy shop. It was the bomb!”

The bass comes with provenance tracing directly from the James Brown Band's 1977 Miami tour through multiple eyewitness accounts, including a signed document from bandleader Hollie Farris, which confirms that, “Mr. Brown originally purchased this bass in Cincinnati for Bootsy Collins to play on concerts and recordings when he hired him in 1970. After Collins left the Band in 1972, Fred Thomas played this bass on concerts and recordings as his main instrument.”

For more information, visit Heritage Auctions.

Show us a bassist who doesn’t have at least a little bit of affection for a late-’60s Fender Jazz and we’ll show you a bassist without a heart.

One particular Jazz Bass, which bears the serial number #266610, was once owned by the coolest cat in pretty much all of bass guitar history, Bootsy Collins, and is to be sold at auction on December 5 2025.

Originally purchased by James Brown back in 1970, the body was reportedly covered in red and black psychedelic contact paper during the group's disco-era stage period, but has since been stripped back to the natural wood.

There are also two strap button holes on the lower horn, a modification Bootsy himself confirmed as unique to his early James Brown bass.

“When I first joined up with the James Brown crew I had a $29 Silvertone guitar, and I thought I was awesome,” Bootsy told the Fender YouTube channel. “Until I met James Brown and he told me, ‘Son, you can't come on my stage with that funny-looking thing right there!’

“He broke my heart, but at the same time, I was like, ‘Okay, well, I would love to have a Fender Jazz Bass.’ He said, ‘No problem. I'll have it for you tomorrow.’

“The next day came and Mr. James Brown got me a Fender Jazz 1969 bass. And I was like a kid in a candy shop. It was the bomb!”

Further provenance is provided via a signed document from bandleader Hollie Farris that reads: “Mr. Brown originally purchased this bass in Cincinnati for Bootsy Collins to play on concerts and recordings when he hired him in 1970. After Collins left the Band in 1972, Fred Thomas played this bass on concerts and recordings as his main instrument.”

William Collins – as nobody calls him – was involved in Brown’s backing band only for a short time, but during his tenure he recorded several anthems, including Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine, and Soul Power, Pts 1 & 2.

Following his departure from the JBs in 1972, Bootsy's ’69 Jazz Bass continued its life on stage and in the studio with Brown’s new bass player, Fred Thomas, whose grooves went on to power such classics as Hot Pants, Make It Funky, Papa Don't Take No Mess, Get on the Good Foot, and Pass the Peas.

No estimate for the sale is listed, but at the time of writing, bids stand at $5,000.

See Heritage Auctions for more.

A Warwick bass once owned by The Who’s late, great John Entwistle has tripled in value ahead of its auction after wood grain analysis revealed its links to another British rock icon.

The 1986 Warwick Buzzard was initially estimated to sell for £10,000 (approx $13,000), though its value later rose to £40K (approx $52,300) after “a painstaking exercise in matching the pattern of the wood grain” uncovered its extra-illustrious past.

Precise grain-matching has confirmed that it’s the very same bass played by Queen’s John Deacon in the video for the band’s 1986 single, Friends Will Be Friends, and during their Montreux Pop performance in 1986.

It’s believed to have been loaned to Deacon, after which the bass returned to Entwistle’s sizable collection by the time of his death in 2002.

“The wood grain of a guitar is like a fingerprint, so thank goodness the bass wasn’t painted,” says Gardiner Houlgate’s Luke Hobbs. “If it had been, the current owners probably wouldn’t have been able to prove the connection to Queen.”

The guitar was auctioned off for £3,500 (approx $4,600) in 2003 by Sotheby’s, but the connection between the two massive bands hadn’t been made. If it reaches its £40K estimate, its value would have inflated by 1,042%.

Entwistle's signature bass was designed in collaboration with Warwick in the mid-1980s. It features a wild X-like shape and a pretty sizable headstock, designed to resemble a buzzard’s beak.

This particular bass is a prototype of the Buzzard made in 1986, with the serial number #005, four EMG pickups, and that all-important natural finish. Entwistle had partnered with the German firm after pivoting away from his Rickenbacker 4001.

The bass became a regular feature during Entwistle’s final years with the band. Deacon, it turns out, was also privy to its kind of magic.

This doubly prestigious bass will be auctioned by Gardiner Houlgate on Tuesday, December 2. It will also be available for public viewing ahead of its second sale.

Visit Gardiner Houlgate for more information.

Its price tag falls way short of the most expensive bass auctions, with Billy Wyman's Fender Mustang, which sold for $384,000 in 2020, and Paul McCartney's $496,100 Yamaha BB-1200, auctioned off a year later, topping the pile. The most expensive guitars sold at auction sit comfortably ahead of those.

Epiphone has partnered with Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt for a signature version of his cult classic Grabber G-3 bass.

For the launch, Dirnt looked back on his early bass days and recalled the exact moment he pivoted from six strings to four, and set out on the low-end path that's defined his entire career.

"I was introduced to bass via playing guitar," he reflects in an interview with Epiphone. "First, my mom had an old pawn shop bass. All it had was a flatwound E and A on it, and I would screw around on that thing.

"But our friend Sean – we were at band practice, he was our old bass player – had a dentist appointment, and he took off. I kind of looked at the bass, Billie [Joe Armstrong] looked at me. I'm like, 'Yeah, I'm gonna pick it up. Let's play.'

"The second I picked it up, I was like, 'Oh, wow, this is fun.' I look over Billie, and Billie's like, 'Oh, boy, we found something here.' And I was like, 'Did I just become a bass player?'"

The Mike Dirnt Grabber G-3, which comes in Natural and Silverburst finishes, arrives after the double-cut bass was reprised by Gibson in September 2024.

As one of the Grabber’s foremost players, Dirnt was an obvious choice for a signature version. The 34” build gets a maple body and three-piece maple neck, and either a maple or ebony fingerboard. Both iterations come with 20 medium jumbo frets and abalone dot inlays.

Tonally, a trio of Gibson G-3 pickups is on hand. Wired in a quirky “buck-and-a-half” configuration, they’re joined by a three-way pickup switch for engaging the neck, middle, or all three humbuckers simultaneously. There are also Master Volume and Tone controls.

Hardware choices include open-gear tuners with “historic” clover buttons on the V-style headstock, a bone nut, and a Leo Quan Badass II bridge. It’s a string-through-body system, which further adds to the G-3’s hearty sustain.

The Epiphone Mike Dirnt G-3 is available for $1,299/£1,199. The Natural finish is available exclusively on the Epiphone website.

Head to Gibson for more.

Speaking with Bass Player earlier this year, Dirnt got forensic about tone and detailed the making of their massive rock opera, American Idiot.

What is it?

Unlike long-time parent company, Fender, Gretsch isn't known for its mainstream success in the bass guitar market.

Sure, there have been dalliances with short-scale, vintage-inspired models such as the Junior Jet, and the odd bass variant of the company’s esteemed hollow-body guitars too, but none have ever crossed over to wider approval – they’re just a bit too niche.

If any Gretsch model stands a chance at altering those fortunes, the Corvette might be it. An elegant but relatively under-the-radar solid-body shape from the company’s past, the Corvette originally debuted in 1961; a riposte to Gibson’s then-new SG and Epiphone’s double-cutaway solid-body range.

Examples were played by Rory Gallagher and even Jimi Hendrix, but the model has often been left to languish in the history books. Now though, Gretsch have rebooted the idea for the 21st century, with the brand-new CVT range.

We’ve already tested the electric guitar version, the Electromatic CVT, but it’s time to see how the Electromatic bass (the first ever four-string variant of the Corvette) stacks up.

Specs

• Price: £499/$419/€555
• Made: China
• Type: Medium-scale four-string bass guitar
• Body: Mahogany
• Neck: Bolt-on, mahogany - 'Performance C' shape
• Fingerboard: Laurel, pearloid Neo-Classic Thumbnail inlays
• Scale length: 32"/813mm
• Nut/width: Bone, 39.6mm
• Frets: 20, medium jumbo
• Hardware: Sealed die-cast tuners, nickel-plated adjustable 4-saddle bridge
• String spacing at bridge: 19mm
• Electrics: Low-Down alnico single-coil (bridge), Low-Down alnico humbucker (neck), bridge pickup volume, neck pickup volume, master tone
• Weight: 8.2lb/3.7kg
• Left-handed options: None
• Finishes: Vintage White (as reviewed), Bristol Fog, Havana Burst
• Case: Not included
• Contact: Gretsch

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★½

In a tried-and-tested white and tortoiseshell colour scheme, the CVT pulls the trick of looking retro while not directly resembling any instrument of old.

It's not a classically attractive shape, though – the CVT six-string’s design language might be described as a slightly gawkier reboot of the original Corvette, and that carries through to the four-string.

The teardrop pickguard specific to the bass doesn’t help, not really complementing the lines of the body.

Build quality is generally solid, though – the neck fit leaves a bit of a gap and the edge of the nut could be rounded off, but the hardware feels solid for the price, and the mahogany body and neck have a decent acoustic ring to them.

Special mention for the trad Gretsch knurled chrome knobs; a small thing, maybe, but these are controls you touch frequently. They might easily have been ditched for something more cost-effective in plastic - it’s nice that they weren’t.

Alongside the classic edge-position inlays, and the nicely-bound neck and headstock, care has clearly been taken in the details.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★☆☆

The slightly awkward shape of the CVT bass rears its head again while playing; it isn’t the most ergonomic. The weight isn’t excessive but the body feels bulky.

The contouring in the elbow area is strictly aesthetic, doing nothing for comfort. The bass is well-balanced when played standing up, though, and the bolt-on mahogany neck is slim and comfortable.

Even though it’s a 32” scale, not far off a full-length bass, it’s also relatively compact due to the pickup and bridge placement, potentially suiting players of a smaller stature.

The two pickups are far apart - butted right up against the bridge and neck respectively. This leaves no ideal anchor point for the plucking-hand thumb, and so the CVT might be more suited to pick-style players.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

The pickups themselves are two chrome-covered units of odd sizes - the bridge pickup is roughly mini-humbucker sized, though actually a single-coil. The neck unit is a slightly bigger humbucker, slightly smaller than the so-called ‘mudbucker’ found on Gibson EB models.

With both pickup volumes at full, the two combine for the CVT's most conventional sound. Even with the zingy overtones of the new strings, it's warm and classic.

Through some classic Ampeg SVT and Acoustic 360 bass amp emulations, there's a distinctive hollow ‘ring’ to the tone, but also plent of low end thump from that neck pickup.

The bridge pickup alone, being right at the very end of the string's vibrating length, is light on bass frequencies but emits a pleasing, high mid-forward growl that could pair quite effectively with some trashy-sounding distortion.

As might be expected, the neck pickup is pretty much the opposite - bass and low mids are the order of the day here.

It's not quite as full-bodied as the Squier Telecaster Bass I tested recently, but it absolutely nails the sounds of the ‘60s when palm muted and picked. Stick a strip of foam in front of the saddles and you're there.

Verdict

There are a few different ways Gretsch could have approached a bass model for the new CVT range; it could have ended up quite conventional, but what we have here is from the leftfield. With its medium scale and unusual pickup configuration, it has a sound of its own.

Its aesthetics are a little unresolved and the ergonomics not fantastic, but the former at least is a matter of taste. If you want a quirky vintage-sounding bass at a great price, it's worth auditioning.

Guitar World verdict: If you're after old-school sounds, and the looks do it for you, then the CVT bass is a good-value entrant to the retro bass guitar market. It's compact in length, with a slim neck, and it's certainly got some interesting tones on tap too.

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• Best Gretsch guitars 2025: Explore those iconic Gretsch tones with our top picks

MxPx punk bass icon Mike Herrera has been honored with an all-new Sterling by Music Man signature build – and it's headlined by the fact it has two control knobs that do absolutely nothing.

Herrera has injected what the firm calls his “relentlessly DIY spirit” into this Artist Series StingRay Bass, and it’s an instrument stripped down to the raw essentials. It comes three years after a Ernie Ball Music Man signature run was limited to just 10 models.

A jabon body joins a hard maple neck and 21-fret fingerboard. Hardware includes a fixed bridge, a single passive ceramic humbucker for “punchy tone and road-tested reliability,” and open gear tuners.

The bass has one volume knob for functionality, and two dummy knobs that pay homage to Herrera's minimalist wiring preference without impacting the aesthetic heritage of the StingRay. It's punk, but it's also respectful of a widely adored instrument.

Its Orange Creamsicle finish also nods to the bass's early hue, with a color-matched headstock and a graphic pickguard that references the band’s Pokinatcha LP to complete its look.

“The result,” Ernie Ball says, “is a punk rock workhorse built for players who value simplicity, style, and stage-ready performance.”

“This is the bass I’ve wanted to make for years,” says Herrera. “After playing a StingRay for over two decades, I know exactly what I need from it. This Sterling bass sounds exactly like a StingRay should, with a look and color that’s instantly recognizable in a crowd.”

This being a Sterling by Music Man, the Mike Herrera Artist Series StingRay Bass costs just $449.99.

Head to Sterling by Music Man for more.

Herrera previously told Bass Player that his music career has been full of valuable lessons.

The drop follows the long-awaited Sterling version of Rabea Massaad’s signature Sabre guitar. The British virtuoso signed with Ernie Ball in 2023, and his well-spec'd Music Man Sabre launched at NAMM 2024.

A score of instruments from U2 bassist Adam Clayton’s personal collection is set to be auctioned off next month, after a three-week exhibition in Ireland.

The 18-strong collection, housed at The Museum of Style Icons in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, Ireland, opened last week and will run until November 9th. Following the exhibition, they’ll be shipped to Nashville to feature as part of Julien’s Auctions’ latest Played, Worn and Torn collection of music memorabilia. The two-day auction takes place at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum’s Municipal Auditorium, November 20-21.

All guitars come from Clayton’s personal collection, marking the first time his bass guitars of choice have been part of such a public showcase.

“I’m fortunate enough to have owned many wonderful instruments in my life, and I have amassed a very personal collection of basses over the last 40 years,” Clayton explains. “They have all become favourites for one reason or another, a reminder of a particular tour or recording session.

“My only regret is that I don’t get to play them all as often as I would like. A musical instrument needs time and attention. I’ll be sad to see these basses go, but this is an opportunity to give each and every one of them a new home in the care of a new owner. And maybe they can become someone else's favourite.”

Among those up for grabs is Clayton’s Sherwood Green Fender Jazz signature guitar, which was used for U2's performance of Invisible on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon on February 17th, 2014.

A year later, it played a starring role on the Innocence + Experience tour in 2015 across Europe, the US, and Canada.

His 200 Lakland Joe Osborn J sunburst bass, played during the U2’s Vertigo tour a decade earlier, as well as on their classic hit One, sits alongside a score of 1960s and '70s Fender basses. Those include a 1964 Jazz in Olympic White, a 1964 Precision Bass in Lake Placid Blue, and a 1978 Sunburst Jazz.

Elsewhere, there’s a 2010 Gold Sparkle Fender Adam Clayton Precision Bass deemed a “mistake” by his guitar technician due to the Jazz Bass-decaled headstock, which could sell for $60,000.

Other brands get a look in, too. There’s a pair of Warwick Gold Reversos played on U2’s 360 world tour in 2010, and a 2010 Sadowsky Will Lee J Style bass in Green Sparkle.

See Julien’s Auction for more.

Speaking to Bass Player, Clayton once revealed how Bono had pushed for him to use a guitar pick in the band, but believes “there's nothing quite like that contact of pulling the wires”, as he detailed the crux of U2's Grammy-grabbing sound.

Leo Lyons achieved success as the bass player for blues-rock band Ten Years After before moving into record production and professional songwriting in Nashville. Through most of his career, Leo has mainly been a one-bass guy, but his hands aren’t the only ones to have played his road-worn 1962 Jazz Bass. Leo takes us back to the beginning.

“I went for guitar lessons when I was 11 and my teacher introduced me to a couple of his other pupils. They had one of those bands that rehearsed twice a week and gigged twice a year. There were four guitar players and a drummer and they needed someone to play the bass, so I started playing the bass lines on the low strings on my guitar.

“I really took to it, so I sold my bicycle and my guitar and bought a Höfner bass on hire purchase. There weren’t many bass guitars around in those days and the only one in my hometown in Mansfield was the one I got. I played that until I found a 1960 Precision in Jennings on Charing Cross Road.

“It came with me to Germany when we began playing the Star-Club in 1962. A bassist in the other house band had a Jazz Bass and I preferred the narrow neck and the chrome parts, but I couldn’t afford one. In late 1962 we were back in England playing a gig in Norfolk and the guy in the support band was playing a Jazz Bass.

“We got talking and I asked if he wanted to sell it or do a swap. He told me he wasn’t really a bass player and had bought the bass from a music teacher just so he could get the gig. We agreed to swap instruments and I gave him £15 on top.

“That guy was Ian Hunter who went on to form Mott The Hoople, and the last time I saw him he offered to return the £15 in exchange for a commission for every gig I’ve done with it. He actually still owns my 1960 Precision.”

Precious Hard Work

Leo acquired his Jazz Bass the same year it was made, and he confirms it was almost like new: “It came from the second run of Jazz Basses that Fender made. The earliest ones had volume controls with dual concentric tone controls, but mine has two volumes and a separate tone control. It was from that changeover period in 1962.”

One glance at the bass and it’s clear to see it’s had a lot of use, as Leo explains: “I used to clean it after every gig and put it into a velvet bag before I put it back in the case. I was very precious with it, but the varnish eventually got worn down and I made an indentation in the wood that you can probably see in the photographs.

“It did a lot of work and was used on stages where history was made. I didn’t tour with several basses; I just took my Jazz Bass. If I broke a string, somebody would talk to the audience or the band would simply carry on playing without me while I put on a new one. It has been on all the records I’ve done, too.”

Studio Stories

By the time Ten Years After came off the road in the mid-’70s, Leo had already started producing. The band’s label, Chrysalis Records, had just bought Wessex Studios and asked Leo to supervise the refurbishment and manage the facility.

During his production career, Leo’s Jazz Bass was always on hand and proved popular with other musicians.

“I produced three records with UFO, and Pete Way always played my bass,” Leo says. “He had that old Gibson Thunderbird that looked really good hanging low at the hip, but it sounded like crap. It was the same with the Magnum records I did.”

Quite a few famous bands used Wessex Studios, including Queen, but Leo’s stint lasted for little more than a year. “Chrysalis wanted Ten Years After to go back on tour,” he says, “so I had to give up the job. After that, I bought a Neve desk and built my own studio, which I ran as a commercial facility.”

However, one of Leo’s earliest recording studio experiences was in 1960 when a nascent Ten Years After, then called The Jaybirds, signed a deal with the legendary Joe Meek.

Leo remembers: “Joe was very eccentric, but he wasn’t too bad with us and he was very innovative. He had an 8ft-square room with a couple of tape recorders and he would bounce tracks between them. The floor was always covered with pieces of edited tape. He would DI the bass, the piano had drawing pins pressed into the hammers, and the echo chamber was the bathroom.”

Jimi Jams

Leo’s bass has also been played by Jimi Hendrix. “In the late ’60s we were all doing the same gigs and hanging around together,” Leo explains. “It was the time when the headline act only gave you half the PA power, you couldn’t use lights and you had to set up in front of the other band’s equipment. Everybody was a musician, we all mucked in together and we all knew each other.

“When Jimi first came to London, Chas Chandler was looking after him and I met them down the pub. I knew Chas and he asked if I’d be interested in joining Jimi’s band. They were offering good money, maybe £40 per week, but Alvin and I had put so much time into Ten Years After that I didn’t want to do it.

“We hung around a few times and used to play in The Cromwellian Club, where lots of musicians would come to jam. Jimi also played my bass in New York at The Scene, and on another occasion Mitch Mitchell came up to jam.”

Taking Woodstock

Ten Years After’s Woodstock performance in ’69 has long since passed into legendary status, but Leo recalls how, at the time, it seemed anything but.

“Nobody expected the gig to be that big,” he says. “There were lots of festivals during that period and we were on the road with Nina Simone and Dizzy Gillespie as part of the Newport Jazz Festival tour.

“We had played Missouri the night before and when we arrived in New York to travel up to Woodstock, we learned it was total chaos and the roads were blocked.

“We checked into a Holiday Inn nearby and flew into the gig, and that’s when I saw how many people were there and what it was like. There was rain and mud slides, and the stage was covered in cables and wires with water running between them. The audience was great, but when we came off stage we hadn’t eaten for 24 hours and the helicopters had stopped flying.

“By the time we got back to New York they had given away my hotel room and I had to sleep on a table in a conference room. It felt like just another gig, but people soon began asking about it – and after the movie came out things went supersonic. Before Woodstock we were playing to crowds of 3,000 in the US, and within a few years we were drawing 50,000.”

Power Struggles

Leo has used some very cool amps over the years, including a few that were seldom used for bass. “Alvin and I started out with a Vox AC15 each and our rhythm guitarist had an AC10,” he says. “Then I started using valve hi-fi amps like Leaks and Quads with a 12-inch speaker in an old TV cabinet before I went on to 18-inch speakers and enclosures that I built myself powered by 25- and 50-watt stereo amps.

“My friend, who played bass for Shane Fenton and the Fentones, had a deal with Jennings Musical Instruments [Industries], so he had Jet Harris’s AC30 Super Twin. I bought that when he emigrated to America and I used it until Watkins started providing us with gear.

“I stopped using Watkins amps when we began touring America because we couldn’t get Watkins gear over there. That’s when we changed over to Marshall amps and I stuck with them through most of my Ten Years After career. I was using two 100-watt heads with 16 12-inch speakers. I’ve also used Acoustic, Fender, Ampeg and Genz Benz over the years, but recently I’ve gone back to Watkins.”

All That Jazz

Despite having used his Jazz Bass almost exclusively, Leo has still acquired 26 basses along the way, including a quintessential pawn-shop find courtesy of Billy Gibbons.

“That was when we were playing in Houston, Texas,” he tells us, “and I got on well with the guys in the other band, which included Billy. We had a few days off, so I went back to Houston to hang out with them and Billy took me to a pawn shop where they had a 1955 Precision in the window. I really liked it, so I bought it, but I’ve only played it live once at The Isle Of Wight Festival and I recently gave it to my son.

“I also own a replica of my original Jazz Bass that was made by Barry Moorhouse at The Bass Centre in London. It’s his Leo Lyons signature ‘Woodstock Bass’ and I’ve been gigging it almost exclusively with my band Hundred Seventy Split because it looks and sounds almost exactly the same.”

“The original just became too valuable to take on the road and when I did sneak it out, the crew guys would start to feel uncomfortable. I couldn’t leave it on stage and I’d have to take it out of the van every night and keep it in my hotel room. I’m not a collector; I’m a musician who believes instruments are meant to be played. That’s why I am considering selling my Jazz Bass if I get the right offer for it.

“Everything about the bass is original besides one potentiometer, and it has been refretted. I’ve owned quite a few Fender basses, but this Jazz Bass is unique and whenever I use it on a record I do wonder why I bothered to buy all the others.

“It’s a historic artefact that has been on countless records and even appeared in the Eurovision Song Contest when I lent it to a friend. I’m 81 now and I’m thinking, ‘What are my boys going to do with it when I’m gone?’ If I sold it now, I’d probably be doing them a favour.”

• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

What is it?

Like all the other world-changing instrument designs which built Fender's reputation, the Jazz Bass has needed very little evolution to stay relevant. Once the control layout was altered, a year or two into production, it was basically perfected; six decades later, it's still all the bass guitar that many players would ever need.

However, as with those other Fender icons, its design is also highly adaptable. Everyone knows the Jazz is great in its original form – but it also takes very well to modification, whether subtle or radical.

Fender hasn't been averse to this either. Alongside era-specific reissues, we've seen a steady stream of modernised Jazz variants in recent decades. But what about something that combines these seemingly incompatible approaches? And with a Squier logo on the headstock, signalling that all this can be had for a reasonable price?

That's what has landed with me here – a Classic Vibe ‘70s Jazz Bass, but enlivened by a two-band active preamp.

Specs

• Price: $524/£489/€529
• Made: Indonesia
• Type: Four-string active bass guitar
• Body: Poplar
• Neck: Maple, C-shape
• Fingerboard: Maple, pearloid block inlays
• Scale length: 34"/864mm
• Nut/width: Bone, 38.1mm
• Frets: 20, narrow/tall
• Hardware: Vintage-style tuners, HiMass bridge
• String spacing at bridge: 20mm
• Pickups: 2x Noiseless single-coils
• Controls: Master Volume, Pan, Tone, stacked Bass/Treble boost, active/passive mini-switch
• Weight: 8.4lb/3.8kg
• Options: Classic Vibe Active '70s Jazz Bass V five-string available in Ocean Turquoise or Sienna Sunburst, £509
• Finishes: Ocean Turquoise (as reviewed), Mocha
• Case: No
• Contact: Fender

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

It's a fabulous-looking bass, resplendent in a not strictly period-correct but very attractive Ocean Turquoise (a rare Fender custom colour that was out of use by the early ‘70s). Its maple fretboard, with white binding and pearloid block inlays, looks superb.

Quality seems tight as well, save for a slightly untidy bridge pickup rout. The use of a HiMass bridge nods to the common practice of retro-fitting a Badass or equivalent heavyweight bridge to a Jazz Bass.

The weight isn’t excessive either – not always a given with Jazz Basses. As with most current Squiers, a poplar body stands in for the more traditional alder or ash, which may contribute to this. The overall feel, though, is of a solid, high-quality instrument with the kind of ergonomics that Jazz loyalists will expect.

The electrics, however, differ to the established Classic Vibe ‘70s Jazz. Here, we’ve two Fender-designed Alnico Noiseless single-coils, paired with the aforementioned preamp.

The control layout – master volume, pickup pan, passive tone control – is augmented by a stacked pot for active treble and bass, and a mini-switch to turn the preamp on and off.

As such, the input jack has had to migrate to the side of the body instead of its usual place on the control plate.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★½

The Squier plays very well, with the comfortable neck dimensions and body ergonomics that typify the Jazz Bass. The HiMass bridge is usefully adjustable and presumably contributes to the pleasing unplugged ring of this example.

The only gripe one might have, as with the new Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster Bass I reviewed recently, is the gloss on the neck. Some players won't mind at all, some will be breaking out the wire wool immediately.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★½

For testing, I engaged a suitable 70s-spec clean tone - an Acoustic 360 emulation with an 8x10 cab sim, compression and subtle chorus. Later, I switched to a Sansamp emulation for a grittier, overdriven sound.

Starting with the preamp switched off, this Jazz initially falls a little flat. The Noiseless pickups don't provide an especially punchy output by themselves, even with their heights adjusted, and the instrument seems to lack a little depth and fullness.

It's not bad, and does provide the usual suite of Jazz Bass voices one would expect, but it's just not a particularly inspiring or powerful sound, either clean or overdriven.

Thankfully, the preamp brings out what was missing. A simple bass and/or treble boost circuit, it can be dialled in to provide all the punch and growl the signal needs.

With new strings, a treble boost didn't feel necessary so I left that dialled back, but got some enjoyable results with the bass boost in the range of 1/4 to 3/4 of the way up.

It's slightly disappointing that the bass seems to lean on the active circuit to make up for a shortfall in its passive tone, rather than as a tool to further extend its capabilities. However, the preamp itself does sound good, and certainly allows more tweaking than a standard passive Jazz Bass would.

Verdict

That preamp, and the upgraded bridge, are both features that add real value to the '70s Active Jazz Bass, without compromising the all-important vintage vibe – it somewhat evokes a cool old Jazz Bass that's picked up some useful mods over its years on the road.

It'd benefit from some hotter, more characterful pickups to truly unlock the potential of that preamp though – a bass that looks and feels this good deserves a knockout tone to match.

Guitar World verdict: Squier has created a very stylish and well-judged addition to the Classic Vibe range here, providing some valuable player-focused enhancements to the standard '70s Jazz blueprint. With a suitably charismatic set of pickups to live up to the rest of the package, this is a giant-killer in waiting.

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Fender

Room 34 / Scott Anderson

• Best Squier guitars 2025: Stratocasters, Telecasters, Jaguars and more for the budget-conscious player

What is it?

If the iconic Fender Telecaster truly has a bass guitar equivalent, it's the Fender Precision Bass. Both can trace their roots back to the pre-rock n’ roll age, and both became industry standards for their versatility and ingenious design.

The Precision, though, didn't stay unaltered in the way that the Tele (mostly) did. Around 1957, its simple single-coil pickup and huge pickguard made way for the famed split-coil and smaller 'gurad we've become so accustomed to. The rest, of course, is history.

However, in 1968 Fender decided that its earlier P-bass design bore revisiting; the company now views this as its first ever reissue. The name had to change, though. The revamped Precision Bass had settled into world domination by that point, and Fender didn't want to confuse matters. Lo and behold, the Telecaster Bass was born.

Maybe that original Precision design was cursed, though, because come 1971 the Telecaster Bass would morph into something else entirely. The body remained similar, but the scratchplate changed, again, and there was a whole new pickup design – a bass version of Fender's first humbucker, the esteemed Wide Range designed by Seth Lover.

This was, unusually, butted up against the neck, for a different sound to any other Fender bass. Perhaps it can be viewed as a bass counterpart to the Wide Range-equipped Telecaster Deluxe and Custom models - there are aesthetic parallels, as well as the related pickup designs.

This ‘70s revamp lasted until the end of the decade and was recently reissued by Fender - but now Squier are in on the act too, introducing the model to a lower price bracket.

It's a bit of a niche candidate for a reissue, perhaps, as this isn't one of Fender's most-loved vintage models, but it certainly offers something different, and with a potent ‘70s aura about it.

Specs

• Price: $474/£449/€499
• Made: China
• Type: Four-string electric bass
• Body: Poplar
• Neck: Maple, C profile
• Fingerboard: Maple
• Scale length: 34" (864mm)
• Nut/width: Bone, 41.3mm
• Frets: 20, narrow/tall
• Bridge: 4-saddle vintage-style, slotted barrel saddles
• Tuners: Vintage-style
• String spacing at bridge: 19mm
• Electrics: 1x Fender-designed Wide Range humbucker, 1x Volume, 1x Tone
• Weight: 7.2lb/3.26kg
• Options: N/A
• Left-handed: N/A
• Finishes: Vintage White (as reviewed), Mocha - gloss polyurethane
• Case: N/A
• Contact: Fender

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★★

Lifting this Vintage White example out of the box, it's an aesthetic delight – the colour a creamy off-white, with a glossy, tinted maple neck and fretboard.

With its comfortable weight, excellent neck fit and perfect fretwork, quality might well exceed that of many CBS Fender originals. And for an even more era-specific look, it can be had in an oh-so-’70s transparent Mocha with a black scratchplate.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★☆

New strings often do some heavy lifting for the unplugged sound of a bass, but the medium-weight poplar body evidently has a nice resonance to it.

It's also a supremely comfortable bass to play, set up nicely straight from the box. Some players may be opposed to the degree of gloss on the back of the friendly, shallow C-profile neck, but there's always wire wool or fine sandpaper for that.

If there's any ergonomic gripe to be had, it could be the lack of thumb support for fingerstyle playing closer to the bridge.

Pick-style players may feel unusually liberated by the lack of any bridge or middle pickups in their way, though, and the simple electronics encourage you to just get on and play.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

Sonically, it has a single pickup and two controls, just like a P-bass, but due to that Wide Range humbucker and its unusual placement, it sounds pretty much nothing like one.

You don't exactly have a wealth of different tones at your disposal; you'd better like deep, booming lows and chewy, growling low mids, as there's not much else on offer. Even with an overdriven signal, digging in with a pick, it's difficult to coax much brightness from the Telecaster Bass, and what little there is might solely be down to the fresh strings.

However, if you bear that in mind and lay back into warmer, more subdued sounds (a vintage-inspired Ampeg emulation provided great results), the Telecaster Bass reveals its strengths – its big, rich, room-filling voice that works a treat for older soul, blues and funk. It's not out of place in a more modern indie rock setting either, providing an even, powerful foundation that fills out the low end of a mix beautifully.

Verdict

This new offering from Squier mightn't be to all tastes - it's not a modern-sounding bass, and it's never going to trouble a Precision or Jazz in the versatility stakes.

Its speciality, though, is providing fat, rich, vintage-tinged low-end in spades, which ought to earn it an audition given its competitive price tag. It's also a well-built, great-looking bass that's immensely likable. Keep an eye out for the Telecaster Bass – maybe we'll see it hit more stages in the coming years.

Guitar World verdict: Squier has taken a lesser-spotted old Fender model and created a worthy reissue, an ideal gateway drug for those looking to explore new sounds. It won't do it all – but it offers a wonderful playing experience, and characterful tones quite different to the usual suspects.

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Hiwatt Scott

• Squier Classic Vibe '60s Jazz Bass review

Fender has joined forces with first-call producer and composer Adrian Younge to create a new signature Masterbuilt bass guitar, and it's a doozy.

Based on Younge's personal 2021 Custom Shop Jazz Bass, the semi-fretless (!) signature model is envisioned as a strange, futuristic brew of twists on Jazz bass convention that nonetheless evokes Younge's more retro influences.

“For me this bass… represents something that was kind of put into a time capsule in hopes that somebody would find this in the future and use it,” Younge says. “It is a creative machine. I’m just excited to see what everyone’s going to do with this.”

A multi-instrumentalist whose influences and work incorporate hip-hop, soul, funk, R&B, and a touch of woozy psychedelia, Younge first came to prominence via the colorful score he created for the popular 2009 blaxploitation homage, Black Dynamite.

He's gone on to further acclaimed soundtrack work, and collaborations with a virtual who's who of hip-hop royalty – Jay-Z, Wu-Tang Clan, Common, and Kendrick Lamar all feature on his CV.

Younge's signature bass is meant, in turn, to reflect the variety of his needs.

“Trying to capture an artist’s personality within a custom instrument is no easy task, but Adrian’s love of vintage analog recording equipment and his distinct playing style are on full display in his signature Jazz Bass,” Fender Custom Shop Director Chase Paul explains.

“The design of this bass elegantly weaves together wild features into something that truly feels like it could’ve been a producer’s secret weapon in the early 1970s. It’s the perfect representation of Adrian’s creativity and style.”

So, let's get down to the nitty-gritty, shall we?

The model is bestowed with a Journeyman Relic-Aged Silver Sparkle lacquer finish, lightly oxidized hardware, a black pickguard, a vintage-style bass bridge, vintage-style tuners, and a dark rosewood fretboard.

The headlining feature is, of course, that fretboard – which is fitted with vintage upgrade fret wire up through the 9th fret, and is fretless from there all the way to the 20th.

And things get more interesting still from there.

Tone-wise, in place of your typical line-up of single-coils, there's a Custom Shop Hand-Wound ‘62 Split Single-Coil Precision Bass pickup and a Curtis Novak BS-DS pickup. And that's not to mention the pair of on-board effects.

A nod to Younge's own favorites, the bass features a ‘60s-voiced fuzz and a square wave tremolo, accessible via switchable push-pull toggles on the master volume and tone knobs. Used in combination with the fretless upper register of the fingerboard, players can, Fender says, “seamlessly move from early-’70s fuzzy funk grooves to spacey, synth-like melodies.”

“Whether it’s the half fretless, or the built-in effects, there are so many things about this bass that are new and innovative that make it a creative workhorse, but at its core it is still a classic Fender that feels like it has been pulled from the past,” posited Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilder Levi Perry, who worked with Younge to create the model.

“It’s precisely that fusion of classic, contemporary, and totally far out that feels like the perfect way to pay homage to Younge. I am honored to be a part of this project and to get these Bass's into players hands and to see the creative and sonic boundaries it pushes.”

Being a limited-edition, Custom Shop Masterbuilt model, the Limited Edition Masterbuilt Adrian Younge Jazz Bass, to give it its full name, is a premium purchase, ringing up at $14,500. It comes with a custom, vintage-inspired strap and certificate of authenticity

For more info on the model, visit the Fender Custom Shop

Ernie Ball Music Man has honored low-end legend Pino Palladino with three new four-string signature guitars.

Palladino is a maverick who requires no introduction. The revered session bass guitar player, songwriter and producer has carved out a formidable career, working with everyone from Jeff Beck and David Gilmour to John Mayer, Eric Clapton, Nine Inch Nails and even Adele.

Now, Pino – whose connection to the StingRay bass has been the backbone of his musical journey – has been awarded three new signature bass guitars that pay tribute to one of his most cherished instruments: a 1979 fretless StingRay.

Two Artist Series versions – one fretted and one fretless – have been released alongside a more intricate Icon Series variant, which has been dubbed a “museum-grade replica” of the original.

It’s a full-circle moment for the revered bass player, who first crossed paths with a Music Man bass when he was a youngster. But he’d have to wait a few years until he got his hands on one.

“In Wales where I was born, there was a music store,” Palladino explains in a promotional video. “I remember seeing a Music Man bass in the window and thinking, ‘What is that?’ Because I was only familiar with Fender basses.

“I went and checked it out, and the guy who ran the store wouldn’t let young musicians like me pick the instruments up. So I was always ready to try it out but I never got the chance.

“Roll on a whole bunch of years to 1981, I was in New York on a tour with my good friend Jools Holland. I walked into Sam Ash Music Store and I saw this fretless Music Man bass up there on the wall and it just looked so cool.

“I hadn’t really played much fretless bass before that, but I just immediately felt I could play it. It was fun to play so I had to have the bass. I got my tour manager and said, ‘I need 350 bucks now,’ which he wasn’t very happy about.

“Eventually he came up with it and I bought the bass, and I played it that night on the gig. Since I bought that bass, it really changed my career. I became known as a fretless bass player and used that bass exclusively on nearly all the recordings from ’81 through to ’96.”

The Icon Series model recreates this career-altering bass in all its glory. Every detail (read: bangs and scrapes) has apparently been scrutinized and faithfully reproduced, from the aged sunburst finish to the authentic relic’ing, NOS hardware, model-accurate Wales Rugby sticker on the rear, and Pino’s signature on the headstock.

It’s composed from hand-selected poplar bodies and slab rosewood fingerboards (fretless, of course) and offers a custom-wound pickup with ⅝” Alnico V magnets and 42 gauge wire. In other words, it’s exactly like the original.

“This is more than a signature instrument,” Ernie Ball writes of the bass, of which only 15 will be produced. “It’s a faithful time capsule of an artist-defining tool that helped shape the course of modern bass playing.”

For those Palladino fans who aren’t keen on fretless guitars – and aren’t worried about getting all the bells and whistles of the Icon Series model – the two Artist Series models look to offer the same charm.

They too feature a poplar body, with hard rock maple necks and rosewood fingerboards. The unblemished sunburst colorway is joined by a string-through-body bridge with brass saddles, a Graph Tech nut, a micro-tilt three-bolt neck joint and vintage-style Alnico pickups.

The Icon Series Pino Palladino StingRay bass is available for $5,999, while the two Artist versions are priced at $3,499 apiece.

Visit Ernie Ball Music Man to find out more.

What is it?

Sheldon Dingwall didn’t set up shop specifically to make bass guitars for the metal crowd – they found him.

Though Dingwall instruments have been seen in the hands of notable bassists across multiple different styles of music, to many the company is best-known for the NG series, developed with star producer and musician Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood.

Not only some of the most distinctive, purpose-built rock and metal bass guitars available, but also relatively accessible. Nolly’s instruments form a core part of Dingwall’s Ready To Play range - in other words, non-custom basses resulting from ‘hybrid manufacturing’ processes in both the Far East and at Dingwall’s Canadian headquarters.

Now, though, Dingwall has expanded that range with something a little more… universal. The Super P isn’t new - it’s been in the custom line-up for over a decade now - but this iteration, the SP1, is the first time it has been available as a series production model, and comes with either four or five strings.

What’s ‘Super’ about it compared to a regular P-style bass, then? Well, the headline is that, as with all Dingwalls, it’s a fanned fret bass. To the uninitiated, that means every string has a different scale length, the lower strings being longer and the higher strings shorter, so the frets appear to ‘fan out’.

In theory, every string on the bass is under the correct tension, resulting in a clearer-sounding, more consistent-feeling instrument.

This is what makes the company’s metal-oriented five and six-string models so popular – low notes are tighter and clearer than you’ll find almost anywhere else. Now to see how that philosophy can benefit players seeking something more traditional…

Specs

• Launch price: $2,499/£2,199/€2,449
• Made: Indonesia/Canada
• Type: Four-string multi-scale bass guitar
• Body: Alder
• Neck: Maple, elliptical profile
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Scale length: 32"-34.25"/813mm-870mm
• Nut/width: GraphTech Black TUSQ/42mm
• Frets: 22, banjo-sized, nickel silver
• Hardware: Satin black, Dingwall Minimalist bridge, Dingwall open gear tuners
• String spacing at bridge: 19mm
• Electrics: Passive, alnico, Dingwall Dual P split-coil and FD3n soapbar. Volume, Tone, Quad-Tone 4-way rotary pickup selector
• Weight: 7.3lb/3.3kg
• Options: Four and five-string versions available
• Left-handed options: None
• Finishes: Gloss Vintageburst (as reviewed), gloss Metallic Black, gloss Dark Candy Green (all with Matte Coco Gold scratchplate), matte Ducati Pearl White (with Matte Pablo custom-designed scratchplate)
• Case: Dingwall padded gig bag included
• Contact: Dingwall Guitars

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★★

Taking the SP1 out of its excellent Dingwall gigbag, there’s an immediate impression of high quality. The alder body, slightly slimmed-down from a traditional P-bass, sits on the low side of medium weight. The satin sunburst finish on this prototype sample (production models will be gloss) is silky and flawlessly applied.

Meanwhile, the neck profile is comfortable and reasonably slim - possibly helpful in mitigating the shock of the new for those unfamiliar with multi-scale instruments.

Speaking of which, those all-important fanned frets (cut from tiny banjo fretwire) are installed to perfection on the light rosewood fretboard, and the good-looking satin black hardware is pleasingly solid too. This example also bears a rather stylish matte gold scratchplate.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★½

All this would be wasted if the SP1 didn’t play well, since this bass is clearly aimed at converting those with more classic tastes to the fanned-fret cause – it needs to be easy to pick up and get comfortable with straight away, otherwise it’ll be a much harder sell to newcomers.

Luckily, it is – you may be surprised how slight the learning curve is with a multi-scale instrument, especially one built to these exacting standards. After only a few minutes, I think most players will be acclimatised - and possibly wondering why it’s taken so long to try one out.

Here, the scale ranges from a medium-length 32” on top, to a slightly longer-than-standard 34.25” on the bottom string. Compared to a standard-scale bass, the even string tension makes for a slinky and comfortable playing experience with superb consistency.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

Between the volume and tone controls, the SP1 boasts a four-way rotary pickup selector offering the Dual-P split-coil by itself, the two pickups in parallel, then in series, and then just the FD3n soapbar at the bridge. Plenty of sounds, then, but the core P-style bass tone is there – full of chewy low mids and rich bass frequencies, no doubt helped by the multi-scale tension.

The parallel sound offers a slightly scooped grunt that Jazz Bass players will likely get on well with, while the series setting is louder and more forthright as expected. The soapbar back pickup is a useful modern addition, clear and punchy with a mid-forward character.

The SP1’s sonic range works well with either retro or modern clean amp settings, while dialling in some grit provides nice harder-edged rock sounds, whether played fingerstyle or with a pick.

The only gripe is that the selector knob is unmarked – you have to train your ears to know which setting you’ve got.

Verdict

Could this Dingwall convert newcomers to fanned frets? Well, why not?

The SP1 has a fine range of sounds that cover a variety of traditional and modern bass tones, and its feel would put any player at ease, whether they're a seasoned multi-scale connoisseur or have never set eyes on one before.

The price is far from entry-level, but the quality is delightful, and the care taken in its design shines through.

Guitar World verdict: The SP1 seems tailor-made to win over those previously unfamiliar or skeptical when it comes to fanned fret instruments. It offers a suite of classic sounds and natural playability, wrapped up in a cool-looking and superbly built package. It's not cheap, but Dingwall could well have a hit on its hands here.

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Hands-on videos

Dingwall Guitars

Nate Navarro

Philipp Rehm

• “If you can handle the fanned frets, this is a bass you’ll cherish for decades”: Dingwall John Taylor Signature review

What is it?

Bassists may not be too familiar with the Cort brand name, but it’s odds on that you've already played on a guitar or two built by this Indonesia-based company. As well as its own range, Cort also manufactures for other brands. In fact, it seems that almost every big American guitar maker that has expanded its range with a Far East-built line has used Cort’s considerable resources at some point.

The GB-Fusion series is specifically aimed towards the bassist who craves the feel of a Fender-style instrument, but doesn’t want to spend a fortune to get it. Add some individual styling, including a spalted maple top and an eye-catching Blue Burst finish, and the GB-Fusion 4 is born.

The blueprint is reminiscent of the classic Fender Jazz Bass, albeit with a longer fretboard and deeper treble-side cutaway. The body is made from alder, which should give the bass a resonant and well-rounded tone, with a spalted maple top. Electronics comprise a pair of Cort’s newly-designed single coil pickups, master volume and pickup blend controls, and an active 3-band EQ.

We have reviewed bass guitars by Cort before, notably Jeff Berlin’s Rithimic and the headless Artisan Space 5, but this latest addition is modelled on one of Leo Fender’s big hitters. So here we go: a lower mid-market four-string J-Bass that comes in at a budget-friendly $699.

Specs

• Launch price: $699.99 / £659 / €699
• Made: Indonesia
• Type: Four-string electric bass guitar
• Body: Alder, spalted maple top
• Neck: Hard maple, C profile
• Fingerboard: Indian rosewood
• Scale length: 34 inches / 864mm
• Nut/width: Plastic / 38mm
• Frets: 22, medium-jumbo
• Hardware: Hipshot Ultralite tuners, MetalCraft M4 bridge
• String spacing at bridge: 19mm
• Electrics: 2 x Voiced Tone VTB-ST single coil pickups, 1 x push/pull pot for volume & preamp bypass, 1 x pickup blend, 3-band active EQ
• Weight: 9.4lb / 4.2kg
• Options: Antique Brown Burst finish and Birdseye Maple fingerboard on 5-string model
• Left-handed options: No
• Finishes: Blue Burst
• Cases: Cort gig bag
• Contact: Cort

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

The alder body is capped with a spalted maple top that, in combination with the Blue Burst finish and matching headstock, gives an elegant appearance that belies the relatively modest price tag. The finish has been applied well and certainly looks the business beneath the see-through pickguard.

The hard maple neck has a rounded C profile with a 12-inch fingerboard radius and a smooth matte finish for a more ‘vintage’ feel. As with the alder of the body, I'd not expect this wood to be of the quality found on a US-made instrument, but a one-piece neck is nonetheless very welcome.

A two-way trussrod can be accessed at the base of the neck should you wish to adjust the relief, while a straightforward bolt-on joint, consisting of five screws with individual metal collets, securely holds the neck onto the body.

The fingerboard is Indian rosewood, unbound and inlaid with glow in the dark side dot position markers, while 22 medium-jumbo frets are all neatly installed, profiled and buffed so as to provide a silky smooth playing surface.

The MetalCraft M4 bridge is fitted with four chunky steel saddles. The design allows for the strings to be loaded either through-the-body, or from the top, depending on the thickness of the strings. This is a rock-solid design and one in which we put a lot of faith. By the same token, you can’t really go wrong with the Hipshot Ultralite tuners, which feel smooth and easy to turn.

The controls are reassuringly grippable, although some have a slightly flimsy air about them, especially the push/pull volume control. Whatever the feel, everything is neatly wired, as a peek behind the plastic control cover will attest.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★☆

The overall design, as noted, is clean and well proportioned, which translates to a comfortable feel when you pick up the bass. It balances well in both sitting and standing positions and nestles comfortably against your body when strapped on.

You'll have noticed that in some reviews we often ramble on about how accessible the upper frets are on electric guitars, but in this case, that top F on the 22nd fret of the G string really does lend itself to easy playing. That doesn't happen all that often.

When tangling with guitars in the lower price bracket, it’s often the setup that suffers the most, but here the intonation is surprisingly good, remaining in tune with all but the most abusive dive-bombs that we could throw at it. The action is set a little high, but not enough to put players off.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

Plugging in and giving those single-coil pickups a bit of a workout with the 3-band EQ set flat results in an articulate tone. Even without any knob twiddling, I’m able to work my way through the genres and sound like I’m fitting in.

There’s not a huge deal of harmonic complexity on offer, but this bass nevertheless performs well given its very approachable price tag, the directness of the fundamental tone making for a really likeable bass guitar that’s capable of a wide range of styles.

The bridge pickup is pure fingerstyle funk: punchy and with all the midrange bark you’ll ever need, while singling out the neck pickup lends extra presence in the bass frequencies. The pickup positioning means that plucking right back towards the bridge or forward over the middle of the body is effortless.

Through a decent amp, the active EQ is surprisingly effective, with slapping made especially versatile, especially with the user-friendly 38mm nut width. Roll off the mids (but not all the way: this bass needs some mid-range to avoid feeling sucked-out) and you'll find a breezy, wasp-in-a-box tone.

The GB-Fusion 4 also has the edge when it comes to old-school tones, given that the active electronics can be switched off with the push/pull volume knob, although the purist in me does miss a passive tone control.

This bass has plenty of cutting power, and it's versatile enough to handle just about any gig from modern rock to subtle jazz.

Verdict

When a factory has been building guitars for companies such as Fender, Ibanez, Schecter, and Music Man, you’ve every right to expect a decent standard of construction, and the Cort GB-Fusion 4 doesn’t disappoint.

The minor issue of a loose volume control isn't something you wouldn’t see on considerably more expensive instruments once in a while. To put things in perspective, this is the only real fault that can be levelled at this bass. It’s also some way visually from the average lower-priced or mid-range J-style instruments, and that streak of individuality also scores highly.

There’s really little to complain about here, particularly the price, which should already be lower in your local guitar emporium than the list price quoted here.

Guitar World verdict: The Cort GB-Fusion 4 gives the impression of being a rather more expensive bass guitar than it actually is. Solid hardware and a decent setup help to make this a real player's instrument that should easily satisfy anyone after classic bass tones in an individual-looking package.

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Hands-on videos

Jonny Dibble

Patrick Hunter

• “The cult-classic Growler bass makes a long-overdue return to the bass market”: Tobias Growler IV review

What is it?

Fender teaming up with the world's biggest online retailer makes a lot of obvious sense, especially when it comes to reaching brand-new electric guitar and bass players. So an exclusive Squier series is hardly a curveball. The aggressively low prices are more surprising.

Fender is clearly very keen to gets its iconic Tele, Strat and P-Bass body shapes and C-shape necks in the hands of as many players as possible with its lowest Squier price points right now. But that doesn't have to mean that only newer players – enter me with my bass guitar ambitions.

I've spoken to many guitarists over the years who praise the benefits of picking up bass – it offers a new level of appreciation for the bassist in your band for starters, but it can also get you writing songs around the rhythm section first and also thinking more about how basslines can enhance guitar parts and compositions as a whole.

I used to own an entry-level Yamaha beginner bass back in the late '90s when I had Jeff Ament ambitions, but a recent conversation with a friend sparked a new four-string interest.

He was doing some recording and wanted the classic P-Bass sound on a budget, so he went out and bought one – the cheapest he could find. And the Squier Debut Series Precision Bass wasn't just a cheap stopgap for him either; he was thoroughly impressed by it when it arrived at his door.

He sold me on the idea enough to peruse further, and I found the Black finish option for £129.99 ($155.99) on the UK Amazon site. Further sweetening the deal, there was an interest-free repayment plan. I was running out of excuses not to click 'buy now', and the series-exclusive matte finish pushed me over the edge.

So here I am, the owner of a bass again. A bargain bass. What could possibly go wrong?

I'm not reviewing this just from the perspective of an enthusiastic six-stringer (and one spending his own money). The core appeal of the Debut collection is for beginners - young and older. So balancing that price accessibility with the need for newcomer appeal could be a tricky one for Squier here.

Let's find out how well it does.

Specs

• Launch price: $155.99/£129.99
• Made: China
• Type: Four-string bass guitar
• Body: Basswood
• Neck: Maple / C-shape
• Fingerboard/radius: Indian laurel / 9.5"
• Scale length: 34" / 863.6mm
• Nut/width: Synthetic bone / 38mm
• Frets: 20
• Hardware: Squier cloverleaf nickel open gear tuners, four-saddle hardtail nickel bridge
• Electrics: Squier split single-coil, 1 x volume, 1 x tone
• Weight: 8lb / 3.62kg
• Left-handed options: No
• Finishes: Black, Dakota Red, 2-Tone Sunburst, Daphne Blue, Seafoam Green
• Cases: Not included
• Contact: Amazon

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★☆☆

The Squier Debut Series Precision arrives at my door with typical Prime speed, and it's the most well-packaged instrument I can recall receiving from the Fender stable. The problem is, it's a little too well packaged.

While the paper cover over the strings is an appreciated touch, plastic wrap covering over each of the cloverleaf tuners seems a bit much. And as I remove them they leave residue marks all over the polished nickel. I end up having to use rubbing alcohol to get them back to their best.

But elsewhere it's a good first impression aesthetically; it's hard to overstate just how much of a different vibe the matte black finish brings. It looks more premium than the usual Sonic series spec this bass is an offshoot from. It's attractive – sleek and stealthy. It could be even more so if you swap out the white scratchplate later.

Since I bought mine, Fender has added appealing new finishes with its classic Daphne Blue and Seafoam Green (I think I would have opted for the latter if I'd known it was coming), bringing the total finish options to five with the launch trio of Dakota Red, Black and 2-Tone Sunburst.

The laurel fingerboard of mine looks a little dry out of the box and a feed would really bring out the attractive grain. The back of the neck has a satin finish, which is great for added beginner player comfort. Just don't tell Johnny Marr. But the most striking thing is the weight.

This is a light P-Bass at 8lbs – neck-heavy with the wrong kind of strap. The listing for the Debut Series models is very clear on the weight being a conscious decision too. It's not necessarily just about wood selection either – these basswood body instruments are thinner than a lot of their brethren in the Squier and Fender catalogues, measuing 41mm at the thickest point rather than the usual 44mm minimum. This body also features the ubiquitous P-Bass belly contour at the back too – something I'm a big fan of for comfort when standing up.

It's not all great news on the build side, though. The fret ends are the kind of sharp I notice every time I go up and down the neck – they will have to be filed. This issue is usually caused by the fretboard wood shrinking down over time, or simply poor QC.

My usual neck relief test with review instruments also suggests a little adjustment is required, but the included hex key is so difficult to fit in the truss rod nut I initially wonder if it's the wrong size. It turns out it's just a very difficult fit that I can only access by holding the hex key to fit at the extreme sides. This means I need to loosen strings to move them out of the way. And I find this is not an isolated issue.

My friend, who inspired me to buy the Debut Series bass, tells me he has had exactly the same problem with his model. Are we just unlucky? It's an issue I've never encountered on a Fender family instrument before. It's solvable (well there's a workaround/compromise) but it shouldn't have to be dealt with, and it definitely adds time to the process of adjustment as you have to retune two strings each time to check the relief.

The tuners are not as smooth as you're going to find further up the range, but the tuning holds up well in my testing. Those who like to keep their finishes pristine may want to give pause to the matte finish here – when I brought in my bass for the review photoshoot I found it had picked up a line of gloss finish on the back when the instrument had rubbed against something, losing the matte. How this happened, I really have no idea. But it's a reminder that matte finishes can wear to a gloss with repeated contact. Or indeed be polished up to one.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★☆

Putting aside those sharp fret ends, the light weight, C-shaped neck and satin finish on the back combine should make this a bass that feels welcoming and addictive to play. Although it's a full 34" scale this is one of the most accessible feeling P-Basses I've encountered that could bode well for newcomers. The 38mm nut width is my preferred Jazz Bass width rather than the standard Precision 43mm to make this a friendlier player for smaller hands. Trouble is, there's one big caveat on the bass I've bought.

The stock action on mine is high – very high. I'm a 'how low can I go?' player when it comes to setups but at over 3.25mm clearance from the 12th fret on the low E, this is not a friendly action for anyone out of the box - least of all beginners. I'm obviously going to have to lower the action considerably to have any kind of future with this bass.

Again, not something a beginner bass player would (or really should have to) consider. And although I do think a setup is worthwhile for any new instrument, it would add relative cost to the outlay here for a player if they need to take it to a paid tech. But it's just too high to leave it. Just as the fret ends are too sharp to ignore in the longer term.

It's quite a significant adjustment to get it to the low-medium realm of 2.15mm clearance on the E and 1.90mm on the G string. My trusty MusicNomad Precision Setup Gauge Kit – easily the most useful guitar toolkit I have – helps a lot. And with a little more truss rod and intonation adjustment I have a much more playable bass.

My immediate fear when taking the action down, and tweaking over a two-day period (the neck can move further under the change in tension on the strings) before it settles is that the bass will be more open to fret buzz that wasn't detectable with a higher action. I'm relieved to find there's only a couple of spots that buzz with harder picking, and a check with a fret rocker reveals these are high spots. Not something I'm surprised to find on most new guitars and another one for the guitar setup to-do list.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

With the action lowered this bass becomes a real joy to play, and it's helped a lot by a surprisingly resonant acoustic performance that means I can happily play around the house with it when I don't have an amp or plugin to hand. And as a new bass player I'll need the practice!

Squier has always done a good job of capturing the fundamentals of the iconic Fender instruments it has based models on, and that's absolutely the case here with the most recorded electric bass design of all time – one that's proved hugely versatile across a wealth of musical genres since it emerged in 1951.

The true value of the P-Bass isn't versatility in terms of tonal variation – there's no active circuitry here of course – but it's the core sound that makes it fit so well with drum frequencies, without the aide of outside EQ.

The split pickup design helps with definition so the P Bass can balance warmth across the strings with a punchiness good enough for punk. And I find it here as I test the Debut Series Precision through a Positive Grid Spark 40's bass amp models with a few effects, as well as some amp captures on the Neural DSP Nano Cortex through a Line 6 Power Cab. 'Balance' is an easy term to throw around but this bass sounds and feels right without any fuss.

The higher register and even the G don't betray tinniness with the tone control maxed, and it will definitely suit my bass recording needs.

Verdict

I've had the word 'expectation' on my mind a lot while testing the Squier Debut Series Precision Bass. There were things I didn't expect – the high action and difficulty adjusting the truss rod. But also just how playable and likeable this bass became once I'd sorted those issues.

I like modding Fenders – to make them more customised to my tastes, but also to invest a little and see what they're capable of becoming. Right now with this bass after putting it through plugins for recording, I don't really feel like I need to change it – beyond perhaps a red tortoiseshell scratchplate to match my Mustang and Tele!

But getting back to expectation, what do we really expect from a $155 bass? Perfection out of the box? There are hidden costs when things aren't quite what we hope for from an online guitar purchase – and you either send it back, do the work yourselves to put them right, or you pay someone who can.

Wood and metal under the tension of strings move, and that can create issues that need further adjustment, and in my experience, those issues tend to be more common on cheaper guitars.

For beginners though, it might not be that simple. And that's when the advice and extra service of a good music shop can justify higher prices – a shop with trained staff who can deal with possible out-of-the-box issues before the instruments go on sale.

As a new player in the '90s, with dial-up internet still ahead on the great virtual horizon, I didn't know about adjusting a truss rod – and I certainly didn't know how to lower the action or file sharp fret ends. It's worth learning at least some of these things in time, but when you're first getting to grips with an instrument, you have enough to digest and physically adapt to.

In the Squier Debut Series Precision Bass's potential favour is Amazon's return policy and Fender's own two-year guarantee if you do find any issues you aren't prepared to deal or live with. I think this bass still stands up as excellent value and I have zero buyer's remorse. I do think younger, smaller players may want to go for a shorter-scale Squier bass like the Sonic Series Bronco or Affinity Jaguar. But both are more expensive than this.

And that's not surprising – this really is a great price for a Squier bass. Whether it's your first bass, a modding project or like me, a go-to recording tool.

Guitar World verdict: The Squier Debut Series Precision Bass is a bargain with some caveats, but once I dealt with the setup and build issues out of the box, a very playable instrument emerged.

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Jeff Ament has been reunited with one of the most sentimental bass guitars he’s ever played, more than three decades after using it to track an iconic Pearl Jam record.

In a new post on Instagram, Ament told the tale of his 1961 Fender Jazz Bass, which he had rented from none other than Norman Harris of Norman’s Rare Guitars during the early 1990s while Pearl Jam were tracking Vs.

The band’s second studio album, Vs. introduced a handful of iconic Pearl Jam cuts to the world, including the likes of Go, Daughter, and Animal, all of which Ament recorded using the black-finished, tortoise-shell pickguard-equipped, color-matched headstock 1961 Jazz Bass.

However, as Ament explains in a lengthy post on Instagram announcing his newest acquisition, he didn’t buy the guitar outright at the time – in fact, he forgot about it, and ended up paying a rather hefty rental fee.

“The week before making VS, Brendan [O’Brien, producer] asked if I had a Jazz bass, and I didn’t. He asked @normansrareguitars to rent his best one to us and they sent the beautiful black ‘61 stack knob, at a rate of $200 per week or $4k if I wanted to buy it, which was impossible at the time.

“Three months later, I found out we had accidentally stored the bass after recording in Seattle and paid $2,500 in rental fees!”

Unable to purchase the bass – “the Ten residuals were in the Sony ‘pipeline,’” he says – Ament eventually returned the bass, which was later sold to the Seminole Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood, Florida, where it has remained on display ever since.

“I visited around 2000, and thought, ‘Man, that’s the one that got away!’” Ament reflects. “Fast forward to hanging out with Chris Osceola [Hollywood Councilman for Seminole Tribe of Florida] at the new Seminole skatepark, and mentioning they owned one of my favorite basses.

“The next day, he brings and gifts the bass to me. Unreal! I don’t think I’ve been happier about a material (and somewhat spiritual) thing in my whole life. The bass I played on Rats, Animal, & WMA was in my hands again, saved from the confines of the display case.

“Thank you Chris and @hardrockholly for the gift of a lifetime. Did I mention that she sounds fooooking incredible?!”

Having reconnected with his old instrument, Ament wasted no time in putting it to action, using it during Pearl Jam’s show at the Hard Rock Live venue. And, to mark the occasion, vocalist Eddie Vedder even gave the bass a shout out, reportedly changing the lyrics of Elderly Woman Behind The Counter in a Small Town to “I seem to recognize your face… that bass!”

Head over to Jeff Ament’s Instagram account to read the full story.

What is it?

Don’t adjust your set – Tobias bass guitars really are back. The revered small-shop brand was purchased by Gibson in 1990, finding a new audience, but very little has been done with the name since the turn of this century.

Company founder Michael Tobias moved on in the mid-'90s and started his now well-established MTD brand, while the original basses bearing his name have maintained a cult following during their time off the price lists.

For 2025, Gibson has re-introduced Tobias to the landscape, with Indonesian-built versions of the neck-through Classic, and two bolt-on models originating from the early Gibson era - the Killer B, and the Growler.

All models are available as either four or five-string basses. The model I have today, though, is perhaps the simplest expression of a 2025 Tobias bass - a four-string version of the company’s single-pickup design: the Growler.

Introduced in 1995 (so always a Gibson-era product), the Growler was designed by Tobias R&D/product specialist Jim Burke, going on to become a popular model.

It was inspired by the time-honored Music Man StingRay blueprint, but with tweaks including a two-octave fingerboard and its own preamp and pickup design created with Bartolini offering greater control over the single-pickup's tonality. Happily, that unique circuit has been replicated here, as we’ll see.

Specs

• Price: $1,399/£1,399/€1,599
• Made: Indonesia
• Type: Four-string active bass
• Body: Paulownia
• Neck: Three-ply maple and purpleheart, bolt-on, asymmetrical profile, dual-action truss rod
• Fingerboard: Wenge, no inlays
• Scale length: 34"/863.6mm
• Nut/width: Bone/41mm
• Frets: 24, jumbo
• Hardware: Gotoh compact die-cast tuners, Babicz FCHZ4BK bridge
• Electrics: Bartolini MM42CBJD3 quad-coil pickup, volume control, centre-notched pickup blend control, stacked bass/treble boost/cut for rear coils, stacked bass/treble boost/cut for front coils, three-position mid frequency switch for rear coils, three-position mid frequency switch for front coils
• Weight: 6.2lb/2.8kg
• Options: The Growler V five-string is $1,499 in Satin Natural.
• Left-handed: Satin Natural only
• Finishes: Satin Natural (pictured), White Pearl and Black Pearl
• Cases: Tobias premium gig bag included
• Contact: Gibson

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

Not everything is as it was, however. For the Growler’s offset body, the original ash has been replaced by paulownia (two pieces, neatly center-joined). This wood has been on the fringes of the industry for a couple of decades, with several makers having dabbled with it - it’s notably fast-growing, making it an easily-available, ecologically sound choice.

The neck is maple and purpleheart, crowned by a dark, straight-grained wenge fretboard with no inlays. It all adds up to a sleek, minimalist aesthetic, a good-looking instrument which should appeal to fans of 'modern' bass designs - Tobias, of course, having originally helped to popularize that style.

Notwithstanding a small gap in the neck pocket by the bottom horn, overall build quality is tight - with a neat control cavity, and premium hardware from Gotoh (Compact tuners) and Babicz (FCHZ4 bridge).

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★★

A defining characteristic of paulownia is its low mass, and so this Growler is absolutely feather-light, barely over 6lbs - quite a change if you were expecting a dense ash-bodied bass (the attractive grain of this example could easily be mistaken for it, in fact).

Consequently, alarm bells rang in my head as regards on-strap balance, but in fact, thanks to the body’s long top horn, it balances extremely well. It also rings like a tuning fork - a pleasing, lively acoustic response, which should bode well for when it's plugged in…

The neck showcases Tobias’s signature profile, a rounded asymmetrical carve with a thicker bass side to support the thumb when holding down lower notes, and a noticeably slimmer treble side for agile higher-register playing. It’s a great profile - one might be pleasantly surprised by how natural it feels from the off.

Despite the very comfortable weight and balance, it remains possible that some players will find the flyweight paulownia body to be less substantial than they're used to - but those concerns lessen after you lose a few hours playing this bass and realize how untaxing you’ve found the whole experience, with the comfortable shape, low weight and ergonomic neck.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★½

The electrics also offer much variety to keep you engaged. The single humbucker might lead you to expect a simple StingRay derivative - not so fast on that. It’s a Music Man-sized pickup, yes, but with four coils instead of two.

There are separate two-band EQs for each half of the pickup, and a pair of three-way switches for setting midrange frequencies - which designer Burke originally termed the ‘slap switch’. Lastly, a volume control, and a centre-notched pot for panning between the two halves of the pickup.

Those mid-frequency switches provide a lot of variation on their own - from full-bodied low-mids to a pronounced scoop. These switches and the EQ knobs should be considered together, as some switch positions benefit from further adjustment. And don’t discount that pan pot either - this ended up being vital to unlocking the Growler’s versatility.

But panning between two halves of the same pickup - surely that's a bit of a waste of a feature? What can really be so different between the two when they sit directly next to each other?

You might think so – before you dial-in the EQ of each side separately, and particularly, engaging the switches. Setting the back half of the pickup for a scooped, aggressive bark, and dialing-in a warmer, more mid-heavy tone on the 'neck' side, the Growler comes into its own.

That former setting, at the bridge end of the pickup, is a magic bullet for technical slap parts when played with a clean, compressed tone.

The titular ‘growl’ really comes out with an overdriven signal – followers of Rage Against the Machine and Faith No More will love how the scooped EQ helps higher-gain tones retain awesome clarity and aggression. The same can be said for pick players of heavier styles.

Meanwhile, the other side of that Bartolini can bring out warmth and punch that lends itself to cleaner, fingerstyle funk, disco and pop – Bernard Edwards or even Joe Dart fans will find plenty to enjoy here.

And far from just sounding good at those two extremes of the pan pot, these settings also blended very effectively - in dead-centre, we ended up with a punchy, defined tone that really does offer the best of those two worlds.

Verdict

So, lightweight comfort, a surprising variety of sounds, quality construction, and a unique custom-shop aesthetic, all on a bass that still effectively sits in the mid-priced sector.

It's also nice to see Gibson engaging with the heritage of one of its lesser-spotted brands, bringing a cult-classic bass back into the limelight. Some players might find the incredibly light weight disconcerting, but others will marvel at how it practically disappears underneath the hands, facilitating contented, relaxed playing for hours on end, particularly for long live sets.

Guitar World verdict: The Growler IV is an excellent instrument, offering a distinctive sound and vibe of its own, with a level of playing comfort that is tough to beat for this price. On this evidence, Gibson's relaunch of Tobias deserves to succeed – thankfully, it's clear that real effort has gone into doing the name justice.

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Hands-on videos

Gibson

• “In terms of sheer value for money, it’s hard to beat”: Sterling by Music Man Joe Dart Artist Series Bass review

Sterling by Music Man has completed its trilogy of Joe Dart signature bass guitars by reviving its hugely popular Dart I model – and releasing not one, but two distinct new four-string models for the Vulfpeck funk maestro.

Last year, Dart – who already had three Ernie Ball Music Man signature guitars to his name – partnered with the firm’s affordable offshoot for the first time in his career to launch the Dart I bass.

The made-to-order, direct-to-fan release was only available to order for a month, and cost less than $400. It was a remarkable drop for bass fans, to say the least, and it goes without saying that the Dart I swiftly sold out.

Now, though, Sterling has reunited with Dart to keep up traditions and complete a trilogy of signature launches, reviving the Dart I and unveiling the Dart II and Dart III models that bring new body shapes and pickup configurations to the table.

Naturally, the price tags are going to be one of the biggest talking points here and, as was the case with the Dart I, Sterling has managed to keep its latest Vulfpeck signature models immensely affordable.

Specifically, the Dart II and Dart III are both available for $499. That represents monumental savings of over $2k on the original Ernie Ball Dart II, which cost $2,699, and the Dart III, which debuted at $2,599.

As expected, these models follow the component precedent set by their Sterling sibling. However, whereas the first model offered a sole humbucker, the Dart II comes equipped with two single-coils, while the Dart III features a split-coil.

The Dart II also offers a subtly offset body shape in line with the Ernie Ball Music Man Caprice, whereas the Dart III is in keeping with the more conventional contours of the flagship model.

Both builds broadly offer the same core specs, including soft maple bodies, hard maple necks with 9.5” hard maple fingerboards, and five-bolt neck joints. They also have open gear tuners, dual action truss rods, fixed bridges and ceramic pickups.

There are some further deviations to this blueprint, though, aside from the pickup and body shape swaps. The Dart II has a 34” scale length and 21 frets, as well as two volume controls, whereas the Dart III has a 30” scale length, 22 frets, and one volume knob.

The returning Dart I, meanwhile, retains all of its original specs. These are, as expected, similar to the above, with the exception of its sole ceramic humbucker.

“Jack Stratton and I are thrilled to team up once again with Sterling by Music Man to build affordable versions of the three best basses I've ever held in my hands,” says Dart.

“The Joe Dart I, II, and III represent three different sounds and feels, three different eras of bass, and three different shades of my own work as a bassist. The feel of these instruments is incredible, and the quality would be remarkable at any price point.”

Each new bass will be made to order, and will be available to preorder for a window of two months between April 1 and May 31. Shipping will start in September.

Head over to Sterling by Music Man to find out more.

Gibson has turned its focus towards low-end glory as it unveils the return of the boutique Tobias bass guitar under the Gibson name.

Originally crafted by luthier Michael Tobias in the late ’70s, Tobias basses brought a certain level of pedigree to the bass world.

Through experiments with ergonomic designs, dual truss rods, and elongated upper horn designs – all features commonplace on many modern guitars – Tobias proved way ahead of his time.

The company has since been bought by Gibson. leading to its reprisal and all-new guise.

Coming in four- and five-string varieties for both dexterities, Gibson says its basses are “built for unrivaled articulation, low-end punch, and exceptional ergonomics,” as it stays true to Tobias’ recipe.

Models take in the Classic, Killer B, and Growler, and they’ve been treated to a host of high-end tonewoods, hardware from Babicz and Gotoh, and electronics from Bartolini. Tobias’ original asymmetrical neck design, meanwhile, remains untouched.

Promising “uncompromising performance,” via a clear low-end, punchy and articulate mid-range, and “sweetness” in the high frequencies, the Classic IV ($2,199) serves a 34” scale length. Tonewoods unite a five-piece hard maple and purpleheart stringer neck through-body flanked by three-layer body wings made from walnut, wenge, and capped with a highly figured quilted maple cap.

There’s a 24-fret wenge fretboard, Gotoh tuners, and a Babicz bridge for “exceptional action and intonation adjustability”.

A pair of active Bartolini humbuckers join forces with an 18V preamp, Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble, and Blend controls, and a mid-frequency switch for unscrupulous tone tweaking.

The five-string Classic V ($2,299) promises the same trio of tonal flavors and 34” scale length, but here opts for a three-piece neck.

A “well-balanced and ergonomically contoured body” is made from paulownia, which is generally thought of as being lighter than alder and rosewood but more resonant than basswood. Hardware and electronics specs mirror the four-string build.

The Killer B IV ($1,499) and V ($1,599) follow similar recipes, delivering “exceptional clarity, articulation, tonal balance, and musical tonewoods”. They are built with the same 34” scale and hard maple/purpleheart five-piece neck, this time with a bolt-on construction.

They are gain crafted with the Tobias Asym profile, and continue the Gotoh, Babicz, and Bartolini spec sheet trend, though a sapele body offers a little variety.

Paulownia bodies return on the Growler IV ($1,399) and V ($1,499), while their bolt-on necks are three-piece, blending hard maple and purpleheart again, and are crafted with the Tobias Asym profile once more.

Again, players will find 24-fret wenge fretboards, Gotoh and Babicz hardware active Bartolini pickups, and a nicely expansive suite of controls.

“I’m thrilled to release Tobias basses, emphasizing the use of exotic woods, ergonomics, and authenticity to the original Tobias basses,” says Aljon Go, Product Development Manager for Tobias, Epiphone, and Kramer.

“This revival is a dream come true, blending modern craftsmanship with the timeless essence of Tobias.”

“It’s amazing to see this icon of the bass world return,” adds Andrew Ladner, Brand Manager for Epiphone and Kramer.

“These models are truly a bass player’s bass, and true to the DNA that makes Tobias world-class – the ace up the sleeve of bass players around the globe since 1978.”

Each model ships with a Tobias premium gig bag, but there is an option to upgrade to a hardcase with protective black plush lining and durable latches.

The Classic comes in Satin Natural and Transparent Black Satin finishes, while the Killer B and Growler models are available in Satin Natural, White Pearl, and Black Pearl.

Head to Gibson to learn more.

Blink-182 drummer and pop punk production whizz Travis Barker is the latest subject of Reverb's ongoing My Career Through Gear video series, and while chatting with the online retailer, has revealed that he is come to rely on a bass gifted to him by none other than Green Day’s Mike Dirnt in almost every session he’s produced.

Barker built his Waiting Studio to provide a one-stop shop for all of the band's needs; they can record albums, rehearse for tours, shoot videos, play basketball, and ride BMXs all under one roof.

But the fun isn't just for his band: everyone from Willow, Machine Gun Kelly, and Avril Lavigne has recorded with Barker, and there's one bass guitar that is used on virtually every track he works on, despite the fact it’s not been seen much for over 20 years.

“It’s called the star bass,” he says, admitting that it has “a pretty generic name”. But comes from far less generic circumstances.

As Barker explains in Reverb’s clip, it dates back to Blink-182’s 2002 Pop Disaster tour, which they co-headlined with Green Day, supported by the likes of Jimmy Eat World and Simple Plan.

“Me, Mike [Dirnt, bass], and Billy Joe [Amstrong, guitar] from Green Day would jam all the time,” Barker relays.

“At the end of the tour Mike was like, ‘Dude, I want to give you this bass!’ It was so cool. Who knew it was going to be something that's used every day in the studio?

“I gave him a snare drum in return. Anything – besides pretty much a Blink album because Mark has so many basses that he's really in love with – was recorded with this bass.”

So what makes the bass so special?

“We've only changed the strings one time and we go to it ‘case it's kind of dead-sounding, in a great way,” he reveals. “It doesn't poke through too much, it's not too bright.”

One of Tom DeLonge's signature Gibson ES-335 models, with its striking brown and cream colorway, is his go-to recording guitar – although it like has its strings changed at least a little more often.

“I’ve had it [since] forever, since when these came [in 2006], out he gave me it. I've used it on a bunch of stuff,” he smiles. It doesn’t look like he’s been gifted one of DeLonge’s standout Fender Starcaster guitars, though. Perhaps he’ll have to wait until Christmas...

Over in the Blink gear camp, last year Tom DeLonge revived a super-rare prototype that predates the original Fender Tom DeLonge signature Stratocaster.

While on the bass front, there has been some Fender love for Mark Hoppus too, who has combined Jaguar, Precision, and Jazz Bass parts on his new Fender signature model.

What is it?

In the blink of an eye, eight years have passed since British distributor, Barnes & Mullins revived the Shergold name. The brand’s roots began in the late ’60s when former Burns employees Jack Golder and Norman Holder first started putting guitars together under the Shergold name, before shutting shop in 1992 following Golder’s death.

Since being brought back, Shergold has built an impressive reputation with its six-string electric guitars, designed under the experienced eyes of UK luthier Patrick James Eggle with models such as the Masquerader, Marauder and Telstar proving that great guitars don’t have to have a four-figure price tag.

But, as fans of the original Shergold name will know, it also had a strong pedigree in the bass guitar market with models such as the pickup-swapping Modulator, single-pickup Marathon (a favourite of Joy Division/New Order anglepicker, Peter Hook) and, perhaps most famously, the double-neck 12-string/4-string hybrid touted by Genesis’ Mike Rutherford.

Now, in its latest incarnation, Shergold has once again turned its attention to the lower octave with the Libertine, and the subject of this review, the Telstar Standard Bass.

Taking its cues from the success of the six-string Telstar Standard ST14 of Shergold’s ‘new era’, it’s a loosely offset T-shaped outline with two FilterSonic foil-style humbuckers.

But, perhaps most interesting is the 30” scale length, making this not only a candidate for those who find the stretch of a 34” traditional bass too much, but also making the transition between guitar and bass smoother.

Specs

• Launch price: $499 / £479 / €549
• Made: China
• Type: Four-string electric bass guitar
• Body: Poplar
• Neck: Roasted Canadian maple, ‘C’
• Fingerboard: Laurel, 12”/305mm radius
• Scale length: 30”/762mm
• Nut/width: Synthetic bone, 38mm
• Frets: 20 frets, extra jumbo, hard nickel
• Hardware: Closed-gear, four-in-line tuners,, four-saddle chrome bridge
• String spacing at bridge: 57mm
• Weight: 7.8lbs/3.5kg
• Electrics: 2x Shergold FilterSonic humbuckers, 2x volume control, 1x tone
• Left-handed options: No
• Finishes: Black [as reviewed], Champagne Gold
• Cases: No case
• Contact: Shergold

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★½

If you scrolled past the spec sheet, let’s take a moment to recap. Starting with the neck, Shergold has opted for the stabilizing properties of roasted Canadian maple, and it’s a beaut. Finished in satin, its caramel hue is rich to the eye and smooth to the touch with no imperfections.

This is topped by a laurel fingerboard, which on the review model Shergold sent to me appears fairly light in colour, but nice and even, featuring rolled edges and 20 hard nickel, extra jumbo frets. There’s a synthetic bone nut, and four-in-line Shergold tuners.

The headstock is neatly matched to the review model’s Black finish with a painted veneer – always a welcome addition in my book – and it also features a ‘racing stripe’ design which adds to the retro charm of the Telstar.

At the other end, the neck joins the body with four bolts, arranged in an L-shaped pattern around the contoured heel. The body is poplar, which helps to keep the weight down while still delivering plenty of rib-rattling resonance.

The slab body is one-piece with no belly or forearm carves, but the bevelled centre channel combined with the three-ply red tortoiseshell pickguard saves it from appearing a step too simplistic. The hardware is completed by a top-loaded bridge and three knurled controls offering volume controls for each pickup and a master tone control.

The gloss finish is nicely applied without blemishes, and the chroming on the hardware is neat and solid-looking. If you put this in the hands of the uninitiated, I’d wager they’d struggle to guess that they were holding a relatively affordable bass.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★½

The Telstar comes to me set up with a medium-height action. There’s enough space to lower the height without ushering-in any intrusive buzz, but it’s perfectly comfortable in its factory settings.

On the lap, the Telstar sits snug thanks to the body cutaways, and the smaller, T-derived body shape makes it easier and more natural than my Squier Jazz Bass, with less slippage while I play.

On a strap, it’s well balanced, and thanks in part to the shorter scale length, there’s no neck dive. Back at the body, if you’re used to smoother curves and fewer right-angles, you might miss them during longer sessions, but I didn’t find the lack of a forearm curve to be fatiguing in any way.

Clearly, one of the biggest factors in the Telstar’s playability comes from that reduced scale length, and whether this is your first bass as a beginner, or perhaps a toe-dip into low end as a guitarist, you’ll appreciate the Telstar’s reduced fretboard real estate.

Say the words ‘short-scale’ and many players will instantly start to imagine a cramped, miniaturised playing experience. That’s not the case here – yes, it’s shorter, and yes, that’s going to be helpful for the smaller-handed amongst us. But nothing feels bunched up, I still feel like I’m playing a bass, everything is just more manageable.

Being a dual-humbucker model, there’s plenty of anchor-points if you’re playing fingerstyle. However, the placement of the neck pickup does inhibit slapping/popping slightly, and I found my spare digits hitting the pickup often when playing in that style. It’s possible, but made a bit more difficult.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★½

Does an instrument’s styling dictate its purpose? Some would robustly argue ‘Yes’, while others will maintain that you can play any style on any guitar. I’m somewhere in between, in that the Telstar’s look and feel certainly leans towards the more ‘classic’ end of things,

Played clean, the neck pickup is deep, slightly hollow and woody-sounding: exactly what you might hope for from this position. It’s full of thump in the note attack with a bulbous response without being muddy, almost like a slightly scooped EQ.

That’s contrasted by the bridge pickup, which comes out of the gate full of funky mid-heavy honk coupled with some additional high end. It’s addictively old-school sounding with heaps of definition, but when played solo it might lack some of the weight required to carry groove-heavy styles.

So, I found my favourite ‘traditional’ tones with an equal combination of the two pickups. With the three volume controls maxed-out, you’ve basically got a set-and-forget all-purpose bass sound that’ll see you right for most styles.

To me, the Telstar is screaming out for blues, classic rock, soul and vintage funk lines, and whether played fingerstyle or with a pick, it’s got plenty of power.

Rolling back the tone and pushing the balance in favour of the neck unlocks some beautiful dubby, palm-muted sounds, while restoring it to max and flipping the balance to a more bridge-heavy sound makes it a lot of fun with a bit of overdrive or fuzz. The reduced low end in this combination also robbed me of plenty of time playing through an octaver for some psychedelic ’60s-style riffs.

I mentioned earlier about the Telstar’s physical slap barrier from the neck pickup, but that doesn’t mean it won’t do it. In fact, considering it’s a passive bass clearly aimed at pickers, I was able to coax some pretty satisfying slap tones from the Telstar with very little processing.

Verdict

Not all bassists are guitarists, but let’s be honest, all guitarists consider themselves some-time bass players, don’t they?

The Telstar lends itself perfectly to this application, whether it’s for use at home, on the stage or for recording, it’s bursting with staple sounds. So are many other basses, but Shergold has managed to bring something to the table that checks most of the boxes.

It sounds great, bridges the gap between guitar and bass-playing very nicely, and its done so with heaps of character from the visual design points, tonal offering and overall styling.

Final verdict: If you’re looking for a bass in a more manageable format, or want to cross the guitar/bass streams without having to resort to finger-yoga beforehand, the Telstar has a lot to offer. It feels, sounds and responds like a ‘proper’ bass for pick and finger players, and does so with the added bonus of being a lot of fun to play.

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Shergold

• “It’s becoming harder and harder to see why one guitar made of two lumps of wood bolted together with some basic electrics and hardware can cost $5,000, while one like this is a 10th of that price”: Shergold Masquerader SM11 Standard review

What is it?

The Music Man StingRay is often touted as a must-have bass guitar sound for any professional studio. While the US-made models remain ever popular, there continues to be a section of the bass-playing public that requires a more affordable alternative to the company’s Californian output.

Fender addressed a similar situation by introducing Squier in the early ‘80s, and with such a lucrative sector of the market still open to them, the Ernie Ball Family Brand took the bull by the horns in 2008 and released the ‘Sterling by Music Man’ range of guitars and basses.

Intended for the beginner bassist on a budget, this latest StingRay variation is taken from the all-new Intro Series, and features a cool range of new colors alongside some retro-inspired features that hark back to the original '70s design.

Just like the original, it's equipped with a single oversized humbucker, the iconic ‘teardrop’ scratchplate and Music Man’s ever popular ‘3 over 1’ machine head configuration. So where are the savings being made?

Well, the production costs in China are significantly less than the US, but a low price is only a good thing if the bass actually works well. A cheap but un-playable instrument is a false economy however you look at it.

At just under $250, the Intro Series StingRay looks too good to miss. But what can it deliver in terms of tone and playability?

Specs

• Launch price: $249.99/£198/€238.50
• Made: China
• Type: Four-string electric bass guitar
• Body: Poplar
• Neck: Hard maple, bolt-on
• Fingerboard: Amaranth (purple heart)
• Scale length: 34 inches / 864mm
• Nut/width: Plastic / 40mm
• Frets: 21, medium
• Hardware: Fixed bridge, open gear tuners
• String spacing at bridge: 18mm
• Electrics: 1 x ceramic humbucker
• Weight: 8.8lb/3.9kg
• Options: Maple fingerboard on Black and Sunrise Orange models
• Left-handed options: No
• Finishes: Misty Green (as reviewed), Electric Blue, Black, Sunrise Orange
• Case: No
• Contact: Sterling by Music Man

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

Visually, the Intro Series StingRay Ray2 has all you would expect from such a revered design. The body, with its asymmetrical twin cutaways, has been made from a piece of poplar with a glossy high-polish finish that’s straightforward, smart and durable. The maple neck is attached via a square heel join consisting of a six-bolt plate, ensuring a rigid and stable connection point.

Poplar is a common choice for lower-cost electric guitar bodies and remains a reasonably cheap timber. It’s also fairly light in terms of weight, which means, along with some well-rounded body curves and a smooth rib-cage contour, you should get through a gig without too many physical complaints.

Should you wish to administer any relief to the neck, the truss rod can be tweaked via a rotary adjuster wheel at the base of the neck.

This is a simple single-pickup bass, equipped with an oversized ceramic humbucker with large exposed pole pieces. Unlike the original StingRay models, with their two-band active EQ, the single pickup has just a pair of controls, namely volume and passive tone.

The chunky bridge unit is a reassuring sight on the Ray2, its rear lip concealing the ball ends of the strings (there’s no option for through-body stringing). Perhaps best thought of as an old-fashioned Fender-type bridge on steroids, this classic Music Man-style design offers each string its own saddle, allowing accurate adjustment of action and intonation.

A set of chunky, open-geared machine heads complete the hardware inventory with the G string tuner on the underside of the headstock in the trademark StingRay configuration.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★☆

It’s easy to see why the StingRay has remained the first port of call for so many players over the years, and this latest variation serves as an excellent reminder of just how good the original blueprint was.

The Intro Series StingRay Ray2 is properly designed to offer a comfortable and accessible playing experience – something absolutely essential in a beginners’ instrument. The overall setup is also of a surprisingly high standard for a bass at this price.

One of the greatest strengths of this bass is the playability of the neck – the slim C-shape profile with its satin finish is incredibly comfortable in use.

The single pickup provides a comfortable ledge to rest your thumb, should you wish to play finger-style directly over the pickup, and is height adjustable via three mounting screws. You can achieve rapid 16th notes playing down near the bridge and there is plenty of space for more aggressive slap techniques too.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

Plugging in, the core tone is punchy and clear, with a scooped low mid-range that’s ideal for driving rock or fingerstyle funk, à la Flea or Louis Johnson. There are also some excellent sweet spots to be found along the fingerboard – amaranth is a hardwood that lends the high-register sounds a subtle focus.

The single humbucker is no slouch and produces a healthy signal, and while the tones don’t compare with Music Man’s high-end output, the sounds on offer are good enough to appeal to the first-time buyer – they may even catch the attention of frustrated guitarists looking to try something new.

I couldn’t help but feel that the acoustic sound was a little let down by the passive circuitry, though some players may well prefer the passive tone to an EQ-affected bass sound. There is scope to upgrade the electronics if you should wish. Either way, at this price it is difficult to expect more on the circuitry side.

Verdict

With the Intro Series occupying the entry-level position in the Sterling by Music Man range, our review model can be forgiven for not being quite as lavish as the company’s US-made basses, but the solid build quality and excellent playability will be invaluable to budding bassists – many a prospective player has been put off by a shoddy first instrument.

This a very playable bass that provides a welcome reminder of exactly why the StingRay has been and continues to be the weapon of choice for so many bass players. The range of sounds on offer is a little limited, but if the low price encourages new players to start, so much the better.

Guitar World verdict: If you’re on a tight budget, the Intro Series StingRay does a fine job. Any bass for under $250 with this sort of pedigree…how can you go wrong?

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Jonny Dibble

Get Offset

“Introduced in 1961, the Fender VI is often referred to as the Bass VI. When I was growing up I wasn’t a catalogue geek and I was unaware that this model even existed when I saw a listing in the classifieds of a local newspaper for a Fender VI. I just assumed it was a six-string guitar. It was a sunburst and the guy wanted $200 so I bought it anyway.

“My friend recognised what it was and I soon discovered that the VI was used by Glen Campbell, The Hollies, Aerosmith, Jack Bruce, The Beatles and Brian Wilson. The VI also became a studio staple in Nashville. Although I wasn’t even old enough to drive, I had discovered that you could open up Fender guitars and find dates on the neck and body.

“I had also learned how to read date codes on potentiometers, and very few people knew these things in the 1970s. The neck date was 11/60 and the potentiometer dates showed January 1961, so it was one of the very first VIs made.

“I just fell in love with these instruments, but for whatever reason I sold it and I later realised that the later ones had different pickups. Most people think they’re Stratocaster pickups, but they’re really not because the coil is wider. If you look at the bobbin material and how it’s cut, they’re basically Telecaster bridge pickups complete with inductance plates.

“They have the cool-looking metal surrounds, too. The earlier pickups really do sound better and that’s why they’re the ones serious professionals want if they’re using them to record. They sound richer and thicker than the later Jaguar pickup and they’re just wonderful.”

“I went on a quest looking for the earlier ones with the Telecaster pickups. I saw a few sunburst examples but never any custom colours. They’re so rare to see on a VI and are actually far more common on Stratocasters and Jazzmasters.

“I eventually found a blonde one and I hung onto that for a while, then I found a Fiesta Red ’63 with the later pickups, and eventually I came across the Shoreline Gold one that we can see here.

“It’s a January ’62 with the bridge cover, all the tags and a slab fretboard. The headstock is non-matching, but by late 1962 matching headstocks were on practically every one, despite it supposedly being an optional extra.

“The ’63 Champagne Sparkle came from a guy in California who used to be a guitar finder for me. He thought it might have belonged to someone famous, but he wasn’t sure who. Of course, that set me off on another quest. I discovered that Kathy Marshall, the ‘Queen Of Surf Guitar’, had a Champagne Sparkle Jaguar.”

“Having mixed a quantity of paint, Fender would have sprayed more than one instrument in that colour, so I’m sure this VI was painted at the same time as hers. I tried to figure out who Kathy’s bass player was, but it seems she mostly sat in with other bands, and I never did find out who the original owner was.

“It’s a genuine Dennis Swiden sparkle finish of the period and there’s only a little bit of wear and tear. I used to talk with Dennis on the phone and he shared lots of little tells to identify original examples.

“The period from 1961 to ’64 was a crazy time and that’s when almost all of the Fender sparkle finishes were done. Fender carried on spraying sparkle finishes in-house up to ’68, but they look very different. The metal flake altered and a lot of them had urethane over the top, rather than nitrocellulose.”

“The later VIs had Jaguar-style circuitry where you could turn each pickup on and off individually and also that phasey bass-cut setting. That fourth switch wasn’t included on the earlier ones. It’s interesting that you can still get strings for them and my preference is for flat-wounds because they sound more authentic. But you can also fit round-wound strings and play with a dime to get that sharper Joe Perry sound.

“The mute is another great feature that players like Glen Campbell used, but the reissues don’t have them. The VI can sound like so many different instruments; I think people are rediscovering them and creating sounds that have been missing from music for a long time.

“Of the two guitars, the Shoreline Gold is my favourite. Technically, it’s for sale – I’ve priced it at a point where I hope nobody will ever buy it because I know I’ll never see another.”