The 2024 NAMM Show proved that the Show was “back,” and 2025 definitely built upon the success and excitement of the 2025 Show. In fact, not only did the numbers of vendors and attendees appear to be up from last year, but the number of really good products potentially deserving of awards also seemed to be up.
Our Bass Gear Magazine team tries to reach a unanimous decision with regard to our Best of Show Award recipients, and everyone’s input is valued and considered. There were so many great options that we didn’t have unanimous buy-in on as many of the front-runners. However, the three products which did receive awards were pretty much by unanimous vote, and extremely deserving. I would have loved to have given out more awards this year, but after these three, the lines blurred too much.
That being said, here are the Bass Gear Magazine 2025 NAMM Best of Show Award winners:
Gallien-Krueger – RB Legacy Bass Heads
When I mention the “classic GK heads,” you probably think of the original RB series (the 800RB and 400RB), especially if you are over 50 years old. If you are a bit younger, you may think first of the 700RB or 1001RB (Series I or II). The various RB series heads had many things in common. They were all (or at least mostly) class-H (a version of class-AB), which involved heavier transformers, they punched way beyond their advertised output power, and they had a growly, full clarity which was quite unique to GK. They actually seemed to like being pushed hard – “riding the rails” – and seemed to sound better, the more you turned them up. However, as the world of lightweight amplifiers really opened up – and some of them were/are very, very good (including GK’s own class-D products) – players moved away from heavier “lead sled” style amps. Now, in 2025, class-D bass heads almost entirely dominate the market. But yet, when I do go back to my favorite old lead sleds, there is often a sense of fullness/excitement/slam that I didn’t realize I had been missing. Apparently, Bob Gallien feels the same way, and he spent the last 5 years honing his latest revision of the class-H RB head design. You need to hear these for yourself to really appreciate them, but everyone who played through them at the Show just loved them. The RB Legacy comes in two flavors: the single-amp 1001 RB, and the dual-amp 2001 RB, which can be run in bridged or dual-mono mode. The output sections are all rated at 300w/400w/600w into 8/4/2 ohms, with “burst power” rated at 700w/1,000w into 8/4 ohms. In bridged mode, the 2001 is rated at 800w/1,200w into 8/4 ohms, with burst power listed at 2,000w into 4 ohms. Considering how much volume I can get from my old 700RB-II, this is a frightful amount of power! Modern amenities, such as an adjustable limiter, cab simulation, voicing filters, and a studio quality headphone amp round out a very impressive package. These heads aren’t light (though GK still has you covered with the Legacy and Fusion heads, if that is your preference), but man, do they sound and feel impressive! www.gallien-krueger.com
Swan Custom Basses – Alpha Gura Special Bass Guitar
I was first introduced to Swan Custom Basses at the 2024 NAMM Show, and they were definitely in the running for a Best of Show Award. Their designs are very unique, but also seem to immediately “make sense” (if that makes any sense!). Once you start playing them, they feel very normal/natural. In fact, even though we all play different styles of basses, all of the BGM team who played the Alpha Gura Special felt right at home. It had that excellent blend of fullness and clarity which few basses can achieve, but on top of that (and the excellent playability), the note-to-note separation and definition are among the best I have experienced. I was also impressed by the stability of these instruments. These basses are made in Argentina, and it was @ 70% humidity when they were boxed up for NAMM. Upon arrival, southern California was @ 7 % humidity – a dramatic difference! Yet each bass I tried had impeccable action and playability. Very impressive! The Swan team were as friendly and knowledgeable as you could hope, and I definitely feel like Swan Custom Basses will be a top contender every year for our Best of Show Awards. Find a way to try one, yourself, and thank me later! https://www.facebook.com/Swancustombasses
Focal – Lensys Professional Headphones
There was a time when I almost never used headphones. This was called “single life.” Once I entered the “married with kids” phase, I found myself using headphones all the time, especially since my opportunity to practice and learn new material seemed to predominantly come when the rest of my family was trying to sleep. If you spend much time recording/mixing/mastering, you also understand the value of a great set of cans. For many years, though, I was content to just be able to hear “the bass” when practicing, but then I started to find opportunities to hear really good headphones, and I realized that the headphone experience can be so much more. The first revelation was that what I could hear through really good headphones was much, much closer to what I heard when playing through a good rig. Next, I realized that I could now clearly differentiate between my various basses – they didn’t all sound the same (like they used to)! Finally, I realized that finding the “right” set of headphones is its own rabbit hole. Open or closed back? A more “voiced,” or a more “flat” response? And then there is the massive variation in price. Different headphones are great for different things, and everyone has their own preferences. This was clearly the case amongst our various BGM team, as we listened to a number of great headphone options at NAMM. Which is why it was remarkable that we all agreed that these Lensys Pro closed-back headphones were flat-out amazing! They have a very natural, open soundstage (not as common in closed-back designs), with good balance top to bottom. They have excellent isolation, and the comfort is impressive. You can hear the bass quite well, and while the $699 clearly moves them out of the bargain basement, they hold up to competitors (even other Focal offerings) costing several times as much. Check these out, for sure! www.focal.com/products/lensys-professional
