Last week, we talked about some of the sights and sounds of the Summer NAMM Show, and I hope that you were able to get a bit of the feel and flavor of the Nashville show. This week, we hit the real highlights and feature the Bass Gear Magazine 2010 Summer NAMM Show Award Winners!
SWELL Pedal Co. – All-Tube Boost/Drive Pedals
Nashville’s own SWELL Pedal Co. had one of those booths that we found ourselves coming back to again and again. There was always someone else we had to introduce to these cool pedals! SWELL focuses almost exclusively on tube-based boost & drive pedals for bass and guitar. Their products are pretty much all the same size/layout, with the differences between models relating to the range of boost or drive the player desires. The bass pedal lineup includes the following: B-TOD v.2 (Transparent OverDrive), B-Max v.2 high-gain push-drive pedal, B-Valve v.2 mid-gain push-drive pedal, B-Drive v.2 low-gain push-drive pedal, B-Pro v.2 (basically, the B-Drive and B-TOD combined in one pedal), and the class-A XXL-Boost v.2 (designed for both bass and de-tuned guitar). All pedals are priced at $299.99, except for the XXL, which is $319.99. Whether you want to add some pleasant harmonic coloration to your rig, or whether you want to melt faces, SWELL has the pedal for you! www.swellpedals.com 
Warrior Instruments – Bolt-on Isabella 5-string Bass
Warrior Instruments is no newcomer to the world of high-end basses. They always have one of the nicest displays at any show, and this year was no exception. While all of their basses were very impressive, the new bolt-on neck Isabella really wowed us with its tone, feel, and response. In addition to the new neck, JDran also introduced a new preamp on this model. It is a custom Bartolini preamp with a unique midrange control. In theory, it seems similar to other 3-band Bartolini EQ’s with a 3-way mini-toggle for the midrange frequency and a cut/boost knob, but JDran tells us that this is something unique, and I will say that when you hear it in action, it definitely sounds different from other Bartolini midrange controls I have heard. All three positions on the mini-toggle yielded very usable, distinct “personalities,” which the gain knob lets you dial in. I was very impressed by the sounds I was getting in all three settings, and the whole package added up to one killer, killer bass! www.warriorinstruments.com
Erizias Basses
Many of the participants at the Summer or Winter NAMM Shows are return vendors, and they often have their booths in pretty much the same location year after year. At the start of each show, when I first go out to walk the floor, I typically start where I expect to see the most bass-related gear. After hitting the “usual suspects,” Steve Burkhalter and I finally made our way to the last row of vendors. This particular aisle doesn’t usually hold much bass interest, but I knew that TC Electronics was down this way, so we thought we’d check it out. TC was indeed there, but while we were chatting with them about the VoiceLive, I suddenly heard this fantastic fretless bass tone coming from right behind me, and I turned around to be introduced to Pierre Erizias and his magnificent basses. Pierre is a luthier from Montreal, where he has been building basses for over 14 years – though only recently has he hung out a shingle to the public. His lineup included some very affordably-priced J-basses (starting at around $1,200), as well as fully custom beauties. Pierre is a pro player, himself, and all of his instruments showed extreme attention to detail when it comes to playability. His setups were just great, and the tone that he was getting (from a TC rig – go figure!) was just top-notch! These were truly some of the more inspirational basses at the show, and Pierre himself is a very compelling and enjoyable person in his own right. www.eriziasbasses.com
Prat Basses
You don’t hear many stories of an artisan who relocates from Barcelona, Spain, to Canton, Ohio. But I’m sure glad that it has happened at least once in history, because it means that as a fellow Ohioan, I get to lay (partial) claim to Oscar Prat. Oscar makes truly custom instruments, and he does so with zest and originality. All of his basses were beautiful to look at, and wonderful to play (well, except for that intimidating 12-string ERB!). Sometimes, when a luthier offers a very wide range of different basses, you find distinct “hits” and “misses.” Not so, with Prat Basses. From the ebony/paduk 4-string, to the super low-action 6-string, to the super comfy neck profile 5-string, Oscar presented multiple winning recipes. They weren’t all in line with my personal preferences, but I could tell what he was after with each instrument, and he definitely hit the mark every time! Although he is willing to build an active bass if the customer really wants it, Oscar prefers to develop tone via passive electronics, particularly those from Villex. Prat Basses offer a very wide range of instruments, and they played as good as they looked! www.pratbasses.com
Electro-Harmonix – 44 Magnum Power Amp
Electro-Harmonix has been making killer guitar and bass pedals basically forever. So what could they possibly bring to the table that was new and exciting? Well, several items, in fact, and though none of them were dedicated bass pedals, they were cool enough to grab our attention (and garner an Award!). In addition to the killer-sounding Neo Clone chorus pedal, note stop/hold Freeze sound retainer, and several other cool guitar pedals, Larry Demarco showed us the belt-clipable Headphone Amp (which is smaller than a Snickers bar!) and the 44 Magnum Power Amp. This little wonder is the size of a small pedal, but it’s actually a 44-watt power amp (a 22-watt version is also available). It does have an external power supply that is almost as big as the pedal, itself. Larry was running all of his pedals through the 44 Magnum and was driving a 4×12 to very impressive volumes. It’s probably not enough to cut through a loud drummer without PA support, but for most guitar players, it yields a very gig-worthy output. While there is no reason that this should not work on bass, 44 watts really only gets you so far. Still, this is such a cool little product, we just had to give them an award!www.ehx.com
Taylor Guitars – V-Cable
It may seem odd to see an acoustic guitar maker as the recipient of a Bass Gear Magazine Show Award, but any such feelings of inappropriateness evaporate once you lay eyes upon the killer tool which Taylor has unleashed upon the gigging public! For any player who switches between multiple instruments during a show, or who wants a volume control within easy reach, or who just wants to be able to mute their signal without having to walk over to their amp (or resort to unsightly pedals), the Taylor V-Cable is a “must have” item, for sure. This is one of those products that just makes sense the moment you lay eyes on it, and it really makes you wonder why no one has done this before. Basically, they put a potentiometer (you can choose either 250k or 500k) and an on/off switch at the instrument end of a high-quality cable. The connectors are made exclusively by Neutrik for Taylor, and the feel of this knob is very smooth, with just the right amount of positive feedback. I strongly feel that this is a product that has merit far beyond the acoustic guitar application, and if you give it a little thought, you may find some uses for which this cable would be just the ticket. www.taylorguitars.com
Ernie Ball brought only new models to the show. This included the Stingray Classic (which now come with either a flamed or birdseye maple neck, standard!), the Reflex (a somewhat trimmed-down version of the 25th Anniversary SR HH), the Big Al 5-string (which Ed Friedland reviews in issue #5 of BGM). Check out those flamed maple necks!
One of the real gems of the show was the Lakland booth. They had some phenomenal basses on display, and a rather interesting story to tell. Everyone knows the Lakland name, but there are some very interesting developments taking place in Chicago. Rumors had been floating of an external purchase of Lakland (possibly by some folks out in California), but as it turns out, control shifted within the company. A group led by Hanson Musical Instruments, Ltd. (who have been making the Lakland pickups since 2005, and who are located within the same building as Lakland in Chicago) bought the company, and former Lakland COO and Global Sales Director John Pirruccello takes over as President of the new entity, Lakland Guitars, LLC. Dan Lakin is no longer involved with the company, but it appears that all Lakland luthiers and support staff will be reatained. This is going to be a very interesting story, which we will delve into much deeper in future issues of Bass Gear Magazine. I have to add, though, that playing an alder/rosewood USA-made Joe Osborn (now known as a “44-60”) was a transcendent experience! Leo also showed me an equally cool “Joe Osborn” that had been made for Adam Clayton.
The GK mini-might MB112 made its debut, and joined the MB115, MB210, and MB212 in GK’s lineup of killer, lightweight, powerful, affordable combos. And yes, it too passes the “pinky test!”
Newcomer Better Audio had some interesting cabs based upon 6” and 8” woofers married up with planar tweeters. In addition to this 4×8, Better Audio featured two 4×6” bass enclosures (straight-front, and one with the top two drivers angled up), as well as small “monitors” and some 4×6” guitar cabs.
Brian Barrett always brings the goods to the Summer NAMM Show, and the Low End booth was a Mecca for bass lovers. He brought several LEJ’s, a Benavente or two, some vintage instruments, and even a Ritter. One of the more intriguing offerings was the new Low End T-bird. It’s about time people started loving the ‘Bird, if you ask me!
GK always delivers, even when the crowds are small (this was a fairly down year, as far as the Show goes). They had several newish products on display, including the MB-200 and MB Fusion (both of which are mere weeks away – they are just waiting on some parts to reach the factory).