The 2026 NAMM Show will be remembered by many – myself included – as the one that was cut short by a massive winter storm affecting a huge chunk of the continental United States. This was the second year of the “3-day NAMM Show,” and having it cut down to only two days for many of us definitely made the pace rather hectic. That being said, for the quick of pace, there was no lack of great gear to check out, including some real standouts.
Our Bass Gear Magazine team always tries to reach consensus on our award winners, and we normally have a decent number of contenders, which we collectively whittle down to what we all feel really stand out from the pack. This year involved a good bit of discussion – and a number of “almost there” candidates – but at the end, we came up with a consensus list of truly worthy products.
With no further delay, here are the Bass Gear Magazine 2026 NAMM Best of Show Award winners:
Ashdown Engineering – OBM-C112-500 Bass Combo
Ashdown Engineering has been making killer gear for decades, and the big news this year was that they have brought back the strong majority (90%) of their production to the UK. In addition to being made in the UK, they have also incorporated a number of upgrades, from construction to components, including all new drivers from B&C, Sica®, and Ciare. The newly UK-made models also received a striking new look, with “Ice Blue” Tolex and Silver Weave grille cloth. While we were all very impressed with the entirety of the refreshed models, the OBM-C112-500 tilt-back combo really grabbed our attention. OBM stands for “Original Bass Magnifier,” and the other numbers tell us that this is a 1×12” combo, capable of putting out 500 watts (with an extension cab); the prior model topped out at 300 watts. This particular combo is loaded with a more efficient Sica driver. Combined with a more powerful class-D amplifier, this not only provides more overall output, it also feels much more responsive and dynamic. The tone is very clear, but still full, and it just sounds great. The weight is quite reasonable, and considering that it is now made in the UK, the price of $1,099.00 also seems very reasonable. This is a highly giggable combo, particularly with an extension cab, and it also works great in tight spaces. We do need to give an honorable mention to the new 200w Ant bass head (the PBM200). It has real heft to it – so it won’t fly off the top of your amp! – and it sounded really good, to boot; all for $379.00, as well. Kudos to Ashdown for bringing production back to the UK! The bass playing public are the big winners, here! https://ashdownmusic.com/
Torzal Guitars – Genesee Bass Guitar
You may know Torzal Guitars from their innovative “Natural Twist” basses, which feature an intentionally twisted neck. They are wild to look at, but actually fairly natural to play! This year at NAMM, Torzal founder Jerome Little handed me this beautiful, svelte bass. The first thought that came to mind was that it had great lines and proportions. Next, I noticed that it was not “twisted.” Then, I saw that it employed fanned frets, and shortly thereafter, I recognized that it was setup for right-hand tuning. I was just processing the unique “Mustang/BigSplit” pickup configuration when Jerome drew my attention to what is really unique about this instrument. This bass features what Jerome refers to as a SustainCore hybrid neck, which uses a torrefied (roasted) sugar pine core, wrapped with a continuous C-shape of carbon fiber, and a curly maple outside “skin.” Let that sink in a moment… A soft wood like pine for the neck; carbon fiber, not as rods, but as a wrap; all encased in beautiful curly maple. My first thought was, “That can’t work,” followed pretty quickly by, “Actually, it just might work!” Playtesting proved that it does, indeed, work quite well! This bass looked stunning in person, felt very natural in your hands, played very well, and is quite compact. The fanned frets range from 30.5” to 32,” making it a short-to-medium scale hybrid. The body is also (Ponderosa) pine, and the fingerboard is Indian rosewood. The pickup and 3-band preamp are from Nordstrand, and the headless bridge/tuning system is from Riviera. The string lock mechanism on the “headstock” is a Torzal design. This bass (which lists at $2,850) is really something special, and it grabbed our attention right away. Jerome Little brings a ton of innovation to the bass world, and if you are not hip to Torzal Guitars, do yourself a favor and check them out! https://www.torzalguitars.com/
Neural DSP – Quad Cortex mini Modeling Pedal
Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past several years, you are undoubtedly aware of some of the very impressive modeling pedals currently on the market. Amongst these, the Quad Cortex from Neural DSP has definitely established itself as one of the best of the best. At the 2026 NAMM Show, Neural DSP showed off the new mini version of the Quad Cortex. We had high hopes for the mini right out of the gate, and we were interested to learn what features and functions had to be dropped from the Quad Cortex to make it … well … “mini.” As it turns out, the compromises were kept to a minimum. From a processing and functionality perspective, the two units are nearly identical. The only functional/connectivity changes we can ascertain are that there are seven less footswitches (though it still seems fairly easy to navigate with the four footswitches on the mini), one less physical expression pedal insert (though Neural tells us you can add more expression pedal controls via MIDI), and one less XLR input (one of the combo XLR/TRS inputs was substituted for a ¼” TRS input). Other changes include the headphone output, which is 1/8” TRS on the mini (versus ¼” TRS on the big brother), and the MIDI-DIN was swapped out for 1/8” TRS Type-A. All in all, it is shocking how much they were able to fit into the smaller enclosure. Even the 7” touch screen is the same between the two units. It was also nice to see that you even get a decent price break (of $400, for a purchase price of $1,399.00) if you downsize from the “full” Quad Cortex to the Quad Cortex mini. With all the power of the Quad Cortex in a compact, durable package, the mini will appeal to a wide range of players and saves a big chunk of real estate on your pedalboard. Well done, Neural DSP! https://neuraldsp.com/
Ernie Ball Music Man® – DarkRay II Bass Guitar
Back in June of 2021, Ernie Ball Music Man decidedly made our post-pandemic lives just a little better with the introduction of the original DarkRay, a Stingray Special with custom Darkglass electronics, featuring a 2-band EQ and three modes of operation: Clean, Alpha (distortion), and Omega (fuzz), modelled after – you guessed it! – the Darkglass Electronics Alpha Omega distortion/fuzz pedal. With an enthusiastic reception to the DarkRay, a killer Sterling by Music Man model followed, and now in 2026, as part of the brand’s 50th Anniversary celebration, we have the latest iteration, the DarkRay II. In addition to the Alpha/Omega circuits, it adds the option of an octave up, or an octave down. The octave effects offer a variable blend with the clean tone, all the way from all the way clean, to just the octave effect. The modes of operation work a little differently on the DarkRay II, with options for: Clean, Octave (up or down), and Octave (up or down) with Alpha or Omega. Tapping the octave button selects between up or down and tapping the Alpha/Omega option switches between the distortion and fuzz. Both switches operate very quickly. If you want the Alpha/Omega options without an octave effect, you can just set the octave knob to all the way clean. Like the original, the DarkRay II features a roasted maple neck and an ebony fingerboard. Some octave effects can seem like a novelty, and some only track well when you are playing higher notes. The Darkglass circuit on the DarkRay II seems to track very well, even down to an open E. Yes, it starts to get a bit more warble, there, but it fares far better than many octave effects, and anything from a G on up seemed very stable. And get this, it is a polyphonic octave effect, which makes it all the more compelling. That is not an easy feat, and truly impressive! For those who like even more of a good thing, the DarkRay II (available in Black, Showtime, Spectralite, and Mean Green Burst) really delivers! Look for availability later this spring. https://www.music-man.com/
