This Monday, the 7th of May, is a Bank Holiday. We are open from 10am to 5pm AND we will have free food and drink for all visitors.

Come see the new F Basses, the fabulous AVPJ5 and some tiny Carvin bass combos.  Or just the usual unusual, like Fodera, Ritter and W&T.

We’ll also have new LOXX strap holders, Mono straps with memory foam and lots of accessories that we haven’t even had time to put up on the website yet.

Meet other bass players …or just er, meat.

Rumour has it that Phil, the owner, will not be driving that day, so keep his glass full and who knows what bargains might be had!

Don’t forget we are dead handy for the A4, M4 and M40.

Alex Lofoco

Enrico Pasini

Bass Gear are delighted to announce a Masterclass evening, featuring Wood & Tronics Founder, Enrico Pasini and top bassist, Alex Lofoco.

They will be performing and talking about playing techniques as well as giving an insight in to the creative thinking behind the gorgeous hand made W&T basses.

http://www.wtbasses.net

http://icmp.co.uk/instituteEventDetails.asp?ID=438

Founder and Owner, George Furnaletto, established  F Bass in 1978. He says…

“The F bass design evolved over 30 years of creating, repairing and studying other instruments, and it has been my desire to learn from and improve upon those designs. This process has led to a terrific combination of fat, natural sound, superb feel, exciting new look, and, because I play them too, comfortable balance and light weight. I hope refinements such as these create a niche away from instruments that sound and feel “high-tech”. At F bass, quality and craftsmanship are the standards by which we live. Even though we build for today’s player, I want our instruments to play and feel like great vintage basses. I am extremely proud of our F basses, as are the musicians who play them.”

A range of 4, 5 and 6 strings are now available to try at our showroom in Twyford, Berkshire.

After meeting the owners at NAMM and Musikmesse over the previous few years, we have finally got round to becoming a Carvin Custom Bass shop.  This gives our customers a chance to configure and order a USA bass to their specification at an astonishingly decent price and in pretty damn quick time. Plus we can’t wait to get hold of their micro bass heads and combos that also punch way above their weight. Not that they actually weigh much!

We enjoyed chatting to Brian Bromberg at NAMM and realised that his signature basses were actually a real hands-on collaboration between him and the Carvin team. Whilst the list of Carvin endorsees is impressive, when you realise that enthusiasts like Brian are actually hands on in the R&D department, you know you are dealing with a genuine instrument maker with heritage and passion.

We like these attributes and feel there’s going to be a good ‘fit’ with Bass Gear’s mission to bring the rare, the good and the innovative to UK bass players.

www.carvinworld.com

More will be announced soon. Meanwhile, here are a few snaps that we took whilst at the NAMM show of some very nice Carvin basses on their stand.

Since the sale started, eight basses have new owners. However, we

have also taken on board a few new additions, so it’s worth checking

the list below! Some great prices in the amp & cab section below too.

**********The sale will end Saturday 21st April 5pm**********

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

•       LACE Helix 5-string Trans-black, thru-neck, Serial#1 £550

•       SPECTOR Euro 4LX . Flame maple top. With case. £850

•       ZON fretless Sonus with fretlines. Black. With case. £1250

•       NG custom, by Nikolai Goliaev [2008] £750 (was £999)

•       MODULUS Quantum SPX 5 [1987]Carbon neck.W/hard case. £999 (was £1150)

•       RICKENBACKER 4003 [2009] Mapleglo with Hard case. £1299

•       RENEGADE Axion 4 LEFT HANDED. With semi hard case. £1299

•       FENDER Precision [1979] Black. With bridge Jazz pup. £1450 (was £1650)

•       CELINDER Vintage J4 [1994] Alder body/flame maple top, sunburst £1450 (was £1650)

•       FINCH six-string [1992]. Rosewood over mahogany.  £1599

•       FENDER Jazz Bass [1971]. Cherry sunburst. Modified £1799

•       FINCH six-string fretless [1994]. Cedar over mahogany £1799

•       FENDER 1972 P Sunburst, maple neck, all original (neck refin) £1999

•       FENDER Jazz Bass [1964] Sunburst. Pre-CBS Fender Jazz Bass £3825

•       RITTER Roya 5 ‘Charlie Brown’ Cert Pre-Owned. Hard case £3999

•       RITTER Royal [2009]. Hard case. £4199 (was £4599)

•       FODERA Anthony Jackson Double-Cut 5 [2005] £4650 (was £4750)

•       FODERA Imperial 5 Elite Camphor Burl. £6999 (was £7999)

…………………………………………………………

ALSO!

*Clearance*Clearance*Clearance*Clearance*Clearance*Clearance*

•       ZOOT Funkmeister 5. Ex-display  £1650 (was £2250)

•       ZON Mosaic Standard 5, sold as new. Outstanding at £899 (was £1250)

+++++++++++++Sale on Pre-Owned/Clearance Amps & Cabs+++++++++++++++++

•       AGUILAR AG500 Amp + 2 x DB112 Cabs £1399 (was £1500) Replacement value £2600!

•       EBS Evolution Pro Line 2000 4×10. 4 ohm. £549 (was £599)

•       Schroeder 4X10L 4 ohm. £520

MARKBASS:

We have a few ex-display Markbass amps and cabs on special clearance deals.

All with full warranty!

•       Randy Jackson 1×15 cab. £599 (was £959)

•       MOMARK SD 800 £656 (was £899)

•       STD 104 HR £699 (was £855)

•       MINI CMD 121 P £699 (was £840)

•       Randy Jackson head £699 (was £959)

•       CMD 151 P (Jeff Berlin Combo) £799 (was £990)

CONTACT: Phil Nixon Tel.01189 706925    phil.nixon@bassgear.co.uk

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY.  Our showroom is by the main Paddington to

Reading line, Twyford station. Easy to get to from the A4, M4 and

M40. Free parking and free coffee/tea!

Cards accepted. Also trade-ins are welcomed.

Thinking of SELLING a bass rather than buying one? Ask about our

COMMISSION SALE SERVICE …we market and sell your bass for top price

and we take an incey wincey cut. No sale, no charge.

He, like hundreds of others, went in for the free prize draw at the London Bass Guitar Show. He won the lovely Kao finish version of the famous Boulder Creek electro-acoustic bass, which was kindly donated by Boulder Creek’s UK distributor, Summerfield Music. Event organisers, Oyster House Events, and Bass Gear Ltd created and managed the competition.

“It’s lovely – the Koa is stunning. Sounds great too – the pre-amp and built in EQ are really top notch”, said Trevor, who normally slugs a Loadstar solid electric bass. “I’ve not had an electro-acoustic bass before, so this is a brilliant prize.”

Those who’ve tried a Boulder Creek bass get to see and feel the difference to other designs. The whole acoustic chamber is uninhibited by the suspended bracing system unique to Boulder Creek, plus the wonderful rounded sound can be better heard by the player due to the sound hole on top of the bass, facing the player’s ear.

Bass Gear have a range of fretted and fretless Boulder Creeks, in both 4 and 5 string variants.

http://www.bassgear.co.uk/bass-guitars/boulder-creek/

Most items listed below have been discounted for this sale that
starts today.

………………………………………………………..

CARPARELLI hollow body 4-string with a stunning flamed finish.
With shaped hard case. Nothing beats it at £599 (was £699). (NOW SOLD!)

TOBIAS Gibson Killer B 4. [2009]. Mahogany, Bartolini’s, Pau ferro
fingerboard. With hard case. £599 (was £750). (NOW SOLD!)

NG custom, by Nikolai Goliaev [2008]. £750 (was £999).

MODULUS Quantum SPX 5 [1987]. White & funky. Carbon neck.
With hard case. £999 (was £1150).

RICKENBACKER 4003 [2009]. Mapleglo with upgrade scratchplate.
Hard case. £1299 (just in).

FENDER Precision [1979]. Black. Great example of a classic Fender
Precision but with the added flexibility of an added Jazz pickup.
£1450 (was £1650.

CELINDER Vintage J4 [1994]. Alder body with a lovely flame maple
top, sunburst finish. Hard case. £1450 (was £1650).

SADOWSKY NYC ‘P’ Red. [2009.] Light and fast. Hipshot D-Tuner.
Sadowsky ‘hard’ case. £1450 (was £1795).

FINCH six-string [1992]. Rosewood over mahogany. From the man who
made them for Pino Palladino, Joe Hubbard & other top bass players.
£1599. (Just in)

FENDER Jazz Bass [1971]. Cherry sunburst. Interestingly modified.
£1799 (Not in Sale).

SADOWSKY NYC [1990'S]. Trans white, maple neck. Sadowsky ‘hard’ case.
£1799 (Was £1999). [NOW SOLD]

FINCH six-string fretless [1994]. Cedar over mahogany. Sibling to
the fretted, above. £1799. (Just in).

MTD 535-24. Ash with Blackheart Sassafras top. With MTD case.
£2399 (was £2599)
FENDER Jazz Bass [1964] Sunburst. A beautiful Pre-CBS Fender Jazz Bass
from early 1964. £3825 (Not in Sale).

RITTER Roya 5 ‘Charlie Brown’. [2010]. Certified Pre-Owned. Hard case.
Great value for a Ritter! £3999.

RITTER Royal [2009]. An exceptional instrument & incredibly light,
despite having 38 frets! Hard case. £4199 (was £4599).

FODERA Anthony Jackson Double-Cut 5. [2005]. A real ‘Player’s Bass’.
Good price too. £4650 (was £4750).

FODERA Imperial 5 Elite Camphor Burl.  One of only five basses crafted
in Camphor by Fodera. £6999 (was £7999)

…………………………………………………………

ALSO!

*Clearance*Clearance*Clearance*Clearance*Clearance*Clearance*

ZOOT Funkmeister 5. Ex-display; a bass that comes alive in the hands
of a hard task master. £1650 (was £2250).

ZON Mosaic Standard 5 Sold as new but recently had been the steed
of our Chief Test Pilot, Tom Kent. Outstanding value at £899 (was £1250).

+++++++++++++Amps & Cabs+++++++++++++++++

AGUILAR AG500 Amp + 2 x DB112 Cabs in chocolate brown with covers.
Top rig in top condition.  £1399 (was £1500).

EBS FAFNER rig. TD600 in Gator rack with Evolution Pro Line 2000
2×10 + 4×10. Muscle with precision. £1599 (Just in).

MARKBASS: We have a few ex-display Markbass amps and cabs on special
clearance deals. Please contact us for prices.

CONTACT: Phil Nixon Tel. 01189 706925. phil.nixon@bassgear.co.uk

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY.  Our showroom is by the main Paddington to
Reading line, Twyford station. Easy to get to from the A4, M4 and
M40. Free parking and free coffee/tea!

Cards accepted. Also trade-ins are welcomed.
Thinking of selling a bass rather than buying one? Ask about our
COMMISSION SALE SERVICE …we market and sell your bass for top price
and we take an incey wincey cut. No sale, no charge.

Bass Gear are stockists for:
Aguilar
Alleva Coppolo
Aphex Pedals
Bag End
Boulder Creek
Carvin
Cool Cobra Cables
Diamond Pedals
F-Bass
Fodera
Gruv Gear
Hiscox cases
Markbass
Pocketlabworks
Richter Straps
Ritter
StageClix
Tech21
Vovox
Wood & Tronics
Zon
Zoot

Over the last 30 years, many pro bass players cite Joe Hubbard as the man who taught and inspired them the most. A Bass Player, Teacher/Clinician & Contemporary Jazz Fusion Recording Artist, Joe Hubbard reveals what gear he uses.

The Chain of Sound

By Joe Hubbard

Today we live in a world of information overload.  You can literally Google or Wiki any subject and have reams of answers at your disposal for free.  As cool as this may seem, not all information is equal and with that said, when it comes to the subject of bass gear, it all boils down to your own experimentation and trial and error when discovering the links to the chain of sound. Think about this: let’s say someone asked you what the definition of ‘sweet’ is.  Think about it, this can’t really be described; in order to know what sweet actually is- you have to actually taste something sweet.  With that said, for you to truly understand what kind of bass guitar, amplifier, strings, cables, and pedals you are looking to invest in, you have to actually test drive the equipment for yourself.  The litmus test is in the functionality of the equipment that you use. I have always been a one bass guy.  Throughout my entire career, I have focused on getting all of the sounds I need from a single instrument.  These days there is a wide-range of high quality developments happening within the world of bass guitars, so I highly recommend trying out as many different instruments as possible before you make up your mind.

Currently, my bass guitar of choice is a Roscoe SKB3006 (6-string) and this is the first link in my chain of sound. The Roscoe is a beautifully handcrafted bass guitar combining boutique aesthetics with real-world bass guitar functionality.  The clarity of the low B-string is unbelievable all the way up to the 24 fret!  The Roscoe has a bolt-on maple neck with a Purple Heart stringer to increase neck stability. The body is made of Spanish cedar with a Grade AAAA flame maple top.  For the great unwashed, the body wood is what adds to the sound, where the top woods used are purely for aesthetics.  Spanish cedar is a very strong wood with a full fat tone that is similar to Mahogany, but lighter in weight and more acoustic sounding properties.  It has a beautiful warm sound, but has a particular edge that really cuts through a mix.  I am also partial to maple fingerboards and my Roscoe is fitted with a stunning Bird’s Eye maple fretboard.  The combination of the maple neck, the Spanish cedar body and the maple fingerboard sets up a fantastic acoustic platform to work with; contrary to popular belief- the electric bass guitar has many acoustic properties that are governed by the wood combinations used, not exclusively by the pickups and electronics used.  The pickups are a new line by Bartolini called the CB (Classic Bass).  These are dual coil humbuckers that feature and extended frequency range supplying more definition to the overall sound.  This is complimented by Bartolini 3-band onboard preamp that features a treble/bass stacked knob with a mid-range push/pull frequency control where you can cut or boost 800hz or 250hz. The length is 35’’ and spacing at the bridge is 19mm (Fender Jazz Bass spacing).

My strings of choice are the La Bella Nickel Plated SN41-CB.  These strings have a nice tight fit and give me the warmth I need without sacrificing the brightness to the overall sound.  I find the nickel plated strings to be kinder to my frets as well.  All in all, the playability and the sound of Roscoe basses are second to none!

My amp setup is arguably the best and most compact system I have ever played through.  What am I talking about?  The Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 along with two SL112 full range cabinets. The Tone Hammer 500 uses the latest technology in Class D amplification in a small package weighing in at 4lbs.  This is punctuated by the SL112s which are so compact that when I first saw them I didn’t think that it was physically possible to pack that much punch into such a compact enclosure; so compact that they both comfortably fit into the boot of my car.  The design of these cabinets is slightly different in that the actual speakers are mounted in a slant configuration enabling the size of the cab to be smaller.  Hearing is believing!  Do yourself a favour and put this rig to the sound test.  One of the attributes that a bass amplification system needs to have for me is the ability to accurately track what I am playing in real time with clarity.  Many systems are fine if you are playing relatively slow, but as soon as you increase the velocity the tracking is often nano-miliseconds behind.  This is not the case with Aguilar.  In fact, I have always been a fan of their equipment, but their early range was just too damn heavy and bulky to transport around.  With the development of new technology, Aguilar has delivered a fantastic bass amplification rig that must be heard to actually believe is superiority over its competitors. I tend to boost the low mids on my bass and the high mids on the Tone Hammer 500.  Here is how I set the controls on the TH500: Gain and Master at 12 o’clock; Drive at 10 o’clock; Treble at 11 o’clock; Bass between 12 and 1 o’clock; Mid Freq at 1 o’clock and Mid Level 2 o’clock. In the studio, I tend to go direct into the board.  I love the old Neve 1081 equaliser/mic preamp.  My sound is pretty simple, I usually start with these EQ settings and tweak from there- 40HZ boost (bass); 500-800HZ boost (mid range); 1K cut (high mids) and 4HZ boost (treble).  The dynamic range of cut and boost is dependent on the situation; no one playing scenario is exactly the same.  I sometimes scoop out the mids in the studio for a slapping sound if required.  As far as effects go, I currently use an Aguilar Filter Twin envelope filter and an Alesis Nanoverb 2 for reverb and chorus.  I never over saturate my sound with these effects, but rather use them to compliment the dynamics of whatever music I am playing.

The last link in the chain is my cables.  I have been using Pete Cornish cables for 25 years- in fact they are the same ones!  These cables are the most reliable high quality cables I have ever used.  They are expensive, but they have lasted forever. There is no way to provide a definitive conclusion on this subject.

In your personal quest to find your own sound, make sure you are spending time researching the subject of sound reproduction and ultimately understanding the individual links to your sound.  Understanding all of the individual components will give you a “staked deck” of knowledge that will give you more control over your sound by what actually occurs in real-world playing situations. I wish you guys every success with your own experimentation.  If there is anything I can do to assist, please let me know via the links below. Make sure to check out my new book, Walking Bass Lines. Practice hard, but more importantly- practice smart!

All the Bass,  Joe

http://www.joehubbardbass.com

http://www.youtube.com/JoeHubbardBass

http://www.facebook.com/JoeHubbardBass

http://www.twitter.com/joehubbardbass

The Bass Gear team, with some guy who blagged his way in to the shot

Well, we have caught our breath and are getting the showroom back to normal after the weekend’s excitement at the London Bass Guitar Show.

We met so many nice people on our stand and renewed old acquaintances. Highlights included virtuoso performances on our stand by Tom Kent, Alex Lofoco, Roberto Badoglio, Enrico Passini and a special appearance of Paul Turner. Paul played through an impressive pedal board to Jamiroquai tracks and delivered some great, punchy lines with tight effects-enriched tones.

Paul Turner on the Bass Gear stand

During the regularly enforced ‘quiet’ times, our basses were played in silence through our seven channel Jamhub.

Jamhub in action

W&T's Enrico Passini enthuses with a visitor

There was a fantastic reaction to the Wood & Tronics new Quintessence basses that made their public debut at the show. Really light, easy action and beautiful craftsmanship. W&T’s Enrico Passini came over from Italy to see what the playing public thought of his new instruments and was delighted with the very positive response.

Being at the show was all about enabling bassists to encouter instruments that they don’t get to see too often in the ‘flesh’. We had a regular queue to try a Fodera, or Ritter, and it was good to let the Godin electro-acoustics get in to the hands of discerning players.

Vic likes the Gruv Gear Duo strap

Very popular accessories were the Fretwraps from Gruv Gear as well as their new ‘invention’ the Duo Strap. We just managed to get these flown in in time for the show. Bass Gear T-shirts were also in demand as usual.  Lots of folk went in for the free prize draw that we supported to win a Boulder Creek electro-acoustic bass. The winner will be drawn very soon, after the entries have all been collated, so watch this space!

It was good to see the ’stars’ hob-knobbing amongst the stands rather than just staying to the live stages. That’s one of the great things about the London Guitar Bass Show, it gives our bass community a chance to meet and greet in a nice mutually respecting sort of way. T.M. Stevens, Yolanda Charles, Bruce Foxton, John Paul Jones, Doug Wimbish, Dave Swift and Paul Turner, were happy to mingle, to name but a few. Top bass ‘inspirers’ such as Joe Hubbard, Dave Marks, Scott Devine and Steve Lawson were actively involved too.

It was also good to see so many brands come from far away to be part of what surely must be the biggest consumer bass show in the world. Stuart Spector on the Spector stand, Dave Boonshoft & Dave Avenius on the Aguilar stand, and Sheldon Dingwall on the Bass Direct stand. It made one wonder where were some of the other top Bass brand names that were noticeably absent!

If you haven’t made it to the LGBS then hopefully this snippet helps you decide to make it next year.

Tom Kent & Alex Lofoco

Roberto Badoglio

Enrico Passini