NAMM-news

[Chris P.]

For the magazine I put some known and expected NAMM news together. Here it is in very short. Ofcourse next week we know more!


Aguilar makes the 1x12 in Blue Bossa


Bartolini's B-Axis is a passive split coil Jazz pickup, a bit like some Nordstrands and the new Seymour Duncan Apollo.


D'Addario will have the stronger, louder, longer lasting and more steady NYXL strings as bass strings.


Darkglass will make a complete amp!! With some on board Darkglass effects.


Digitech has a new bass fuzz.


Dunlop / MXR launches a Mini Cry Baby Bass Wah and flat wound strings in the Super Bright series.

EBS will have an updated, deluxe version of the Sheehan Drive


ESP has new basses with fanned frets.


The New American Elite Series will replace the American Deluxe Series basses.


The Fodera Monarch P has all the Fender style woods, a split P, it's passive and it has to sound as a good '60s P. It's passive but it has room in the cavity for a preamp.


Jerry Genzler is back with amps and Cabs. Genzler Amplification.


The Godin Dorchester bass is a bit Mosrite and a bit Rick guitar and it has P90 style bass pickups.


Hotone has a mini wah too, also usable als volume or expression pedal.


Phil Jones has mini bass monitor, which can be placed on a mike stand, a great looking amp head with all the controls on the upper side (it looks a bit like a very small mixing desk) and inputs for jack and XLR, and a small combo.


Sire has a limited edition with black blocks of the Marcus Miller Jazz and a Candy Apple Red-ish colour is available on all basses.


Taurus brings a DI with compressor, linked to the gain. And a Drive with extra lows.


Warwick has a lot of news. A Rex Brown Reverso, a Lee Sklar Star Bass with a 'Producer's Switch' with no use;)
A LTD 2016 Corvette, leather gigbags,
All German Warwick basses have no (v battery but an accu which can be charged with a standard phone charger and gives you 500 hours of playing time. The new electronics have more headrome and there's a passive tone control.
The German Star Bass can be ordered in 32" now.

[Pilgrim]

The new Genzler amps have a substantial thread running on TB.  I love my Genz amp but I'm not planning on switching.

[Dave W]

I wasn't aware until recently that Lee Sklar is now a Warwick player.

The Warwick rechargeable preamp is something new. Most of the rest sounds like more of the usual.

New and improved strings (yeah, right), yet another new J pickup, another 1x12, Fender changing a series name. Ho-hum.

[Chris P.]

Yes, all  not very exciting yet, however the Darkglass amp could be a winner. I hope some more news will come up.

[Alanko]

Were Dimarzio stupidly ahead of the curve with the Model J or something? A split coil Jazz bass pickup really shouldn't make many ripples, right?

[Dave W]

Were Dimarzio stupidly ahead of the curve with the Model J or something? A split coil Jazz bass pickup really shouldn't make many ripples, right?

No, it shouldn't. Plenty of them already out there. But there's always the pressure for each manufacturer to come up with something that they can sell to their dealer network as new or improved.

Take strings, for example. If you conducted blind listening tests, could people tell the difference between D'addario XLs and NYXLs? I doubt it. Now Chris says they will introduce "stronger, louder, longer lasting and more steady NYXL strings."  Yeah, sure. And if you believe that, I've got some swampland in the Sahara to sell you. 

[uwe]

I wasn't aware until recently that Lee Sklar is now a Warwick player.

It's his beard. It obstructs his lower view, so he doesn't really notice or mind.

[gearHed289]

ONCE IN A WHILE.... black hardware looks good. 

http://www.schecterguitars.com/bass/michael-anthony-bass-detail

[Dave W]

It's his beard. It obstructs his lower view, so he doesn't really notice or mind.

But his beard has other uses. 

From NAMM 2012

[Alanko]

Michael Anthony is with Schecter now? I thought he was with Yamaha. Both are PJ basses with 3-way switches... 

[uwe]

But his beard has other uses. 

From NAMM 2012

Obviously a really nice, down-to-earth person. How unsettling! 

[Chris P.]

I will post lots more news soon. Including a great Tech21 Fly Rig for bass (want it), new amps of DNA (David Nordschow, ex Eden), Hartke and Eden, a nice new long scale Danelectro, ...

[Aussie Mark]

Ernie Ball is making (very ugly) passive P and P/J basses now.  Desperate times?

[Denis]

Ernie Ball is making (very ugly) passive P and P/J basses now.  Desperate times?

They've had plenty of experience in ugly. That Bongo thing... yeesh.

[Dave W]

Ernie Ball is making (very ugly) passive P and P/J basses now.  Desperate times?

Interesting that you brought that up. Did you see what Sterling posted in a NAMM thread at the Ernie Ball forums? He said that their business used to be 90% basses, but now it's 75% guitars, and the Petrucci models alone account for 40% of their volume.

They've tried some new bass designs over the past few years and most of them (like the Big Al) just haven't sold well enough to keep in production. So they'll keep trying to find something appealing. Unfortunately I don't think the new P and P/J models will do it for them. Even if I liked the looks, the 7.5" radius would keep me from ever buying one.

Can't blame them for trying, though, and I wish them the best.