Bass guitar

Back in 2014, guitarist Andy Alt launched a Kickstarter for an electric guitar pickup that added a separate drop-octave signal to the instrument's lowest strings, A Little Thunder started shipping mid-2015, and now version two has been released.

Fender has officially announced the American Ultra Series electric guitars and basses. With the release, the iconic brand is aiming to set "a new industry standard for precision, performance and feel."

​In January, 2019, Line 6 released a useful update to its excellent Relay G10 wireless system for electric pickers, where the receiver housing was reworked to fit on a pedalboard. Now Roland's Boss brand has followed suit with the WL-60 Wireless System.​

​Back in 2016, Line 6 said that its Relay G10 wireless system was not only the most advanced in the industry, but was as easy to use as an instrument cable. Now there's a new flavor designed to integrate into a pedalboard – the Relay G10S.​

There are a number of devices available that allow musicians to connect a guitar to a computer. But IK Multimedia says its Axe I/O is the high-end audio interface that guitar and bass players have been waiting for.

​String pickers on the road often can't take their guitars of choice of their travels – due to size or safety concerns – so might carry or more portable flavor to help keep calluses from going soft. But what if you played a double bass? That's where the TravelBass comes into its own.​

The last year has seen iconic brand Gibson collapse and be reborn, Fender experiment with hybrid guitar forms, and Moog release its first analog polysynth in decades. It's been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, but we're focusing on the positive for a look back at music gear highlights in 2018.

​A few years back, Dean Miller created the Tele Servo Bender, a modified guitar that used servos to sound like a lap steel. His latest project moves to the low end, with a self-contained, battery powered FM Synth Bass with four voices and six operators. And lots of LEDs.​

​The Roadie 2 robotic tuner from Band Industries has been available since the close of 2017, and has now been joined by the Roadie Bass. We've spent the last couple of weeks in the company of bass players to get a feel for how it performs.​

​Following LEDs on a guitar's neck is a great way to learn playing basics fast. Late last year Fret Zealot started shipping an LED learning sleeve out to Kickstarter backers, one that positioned lights right up to the 15th fret. Now a bass version has launched on the popular crowdfunding platform.​

When bass player Yerko Sepulveda had trouble hearing the sound of his instrument in a particularly busy mix, he opted to build a device that would allow him to feel the thunder. The resulting portable rumble box – named BackBeat – is clipped to a player's strap to deliver low end you can feel.

​IK Multimedia has updated its all-in-one audio and MIDI interface from 2013, giving the iRig Pro I/O volume control for headphone monitoring, MIDI thru for flexible routing options and the ability to charge connected devices.​