Bass Gear Roundup: The Top Gear Stories in April 2024
April was a surprisingly great month for bass gear news.
This month’s Bass Gear Roundup includes not only the most viewed in our gear category but also overall on No Treble.
1. Ampeg Announces the Venture VB-88 Bass Cabinet
Last fall, Ampeg launched its newest line of amps and cabs with the Venture Series. Now, they’ve unveiled the largest cabinet of the group with the VB-88. The cab is rated at 800 watts RMS while only weighing 67 pounds.
2. Stuart Spector Unveils First Bass Model From Esopus Guitars
Since launching Esopus Guitars, Stuart Spector has focused on making acoustic guitars. Now he’s back to building basses. The Tailwater bass is a 32-inch scale instrument handcrafted by the legendary luthier.
3. Valkenburg Announces the David Pastorius Proto Bass
Valkenburg has teamed up with David Pastorius for a new signature bass. The “Proto Bass” is the first of their Innovator Series and combines “modern options and styling with a retro-distressed feel.”
4. Ernie Ball Music Man Launches “Custom Design Experience” Instrument Configurator
Ernie Ball Music Man has launched the Custom Design Experience, an online instrument configurator that lets you spec out your own StingRay Special bass.
5. Ampeg Now Shipping the Venture V7 Bass Amp
Ampeg launched the Venture Series late last year. After introducing a new cabinet earlier this month, the company announced that the lineup’s mid-level amplifier is now shipping.
6. Dingwall Introduces John Taylor Signature Bass
Dingwall unveiled a limited edition Rio Dream Bass with Duran Duran’s John Taylor last year and now they’re expanding on it with a production model. The new John Taylor Signature bass follows in the footsteps of the Rio Dream with similar specs, but the company will be offering unlimited access to it as a regular model.
7. Boss Unveils First Katana Bass Head, New 1×12 Cabinet
Boss has released a few bass combo amps in the Katana series, but now they’ve unveiled the first head unit in the lineup. The Katana-500 Bass Head was introduced alongside the new Katana Cabinet 112 Bass.
8. Dunlop Launches Robert Trujillo Signature Strings
Dunlop has teamed up with Metallica’s Robert Trujillo to unveil the latest in their signature series of bass strings. The set was designed with the bassist to complement his signature sound.
9. Spector Unveils Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II Basses
Spector has revealed the second volume of their Woodstock Custom Collection featuring 12 handcrafted, one-of-a-kind basses made by the company’s master luthiers. Each bass is built in their Woodstock, New York workshop and builds upon Spector favorites while trying new things.
10. Mane Custom Bass Introduces the KJ5 Standard Bass
We got a sneak peek of the new Mane Custom Bass model at NAMM this year, and now we have the full scoop. The KJ5 Standard is based on their KJ5 Signature model but utilizes different woods to offer a competitive price without compromising quality.
