It is evident that bass amp manufacturers have recently been focusing a lot on making the normal heavy, back straining and massive amplification a thing of the past. Ampeg is no exception, and at last years Winter NAMM they introduced a new line of bass amps made with a heavy influence of a past legend, the B15 Fliptop. Visually, everything is almost identical from the original fliptop in exception for the head, which is a smaller, lighter and a more compact version.

The design of the amp is beautiful, like the B-15 the head is hidden until “flipped” into action. When it is flipped and ready to be transported it looks exactly like a speaker cabinet, with everything safely inside ready for the next gig or session. I have also used the inside as a storage container for a few small things, of course making sure I take them out when I fire on the amp. The checkered fabric wrap that Ampeg chose for the look of the cabinet is very handsome, and looks as good sitting in the corner as a decorative piece as it does on a stage in its purple/blue glowing glory.

The power of the amp would be a little underwhelming for someone looking to gig in any situation besides a smaller bar show. Although there is the great addition of a XLR Line out on the rear of the amp, I for one need a little stage “rumble” to get me going. One thing that I was really impressed with was the overdrive that was apparent when I cranked the gain. It was not harsh or brittle, it was full on beautiful bass fuzz of the likes of The Black Keys. So for session work I found the PF500 to be incredibly versatile, covering all ends of the spectrum of my needs. I should mention that the fan is pretty loud, so you would have to separate the cab from the head when recording. The PF500 includes the normal (and reliable) Ampeg 3 band EQ, 5-position mid control and ultra-hi – ultra-lo switches. Being an Ampeg guy myself, I was glad to see such familiar controls and was able to easily get the sound I was needed without much searching.

I should also mention that the line out on the back of the amp has some very useful parameters. Those being; post-pre EQ, 0dB-40dB output and a ground lift. Essential controls that are left out of a lot of amps. Next to the line out is a tuner output that just serves as an amp “thru” and keeps your signal chain nice and pure to the amp.

For the casual player, the amps front has an input for “audio” and an output for headphones. So if you are wanting to rock out to some tunes in silence as your baby sleeps in the next room, you now have that option within an Ampeg all-in-one package!

Overall I think that the PF500 and PF-210HE stack is a really cool product. It serves its purpose as a low wattage, but toneful package from Ampeg. If you are looking to melt some faces with volume on a stage this is not the right amp for you. But if you are looking for a light weight all in one package that has the flexibility of several genres of music in a recording or small gigging environment, this is for you.

The first thing I noticed was how well constructed this bag is and the room it has is unmatched. I had no trouble getting what I needed for an overnight trip in there along with what simple gear needs I had. This thing even has a plush 15” space for my laptop, which is essential these days. I particularly liked the side locker door style access panels! The removable soft shelf panels are very nice so you can use it as a big open space or section it off according to your personal needs. Another fantastic feature was the pullout weather cover. Although I didn’t need to use it, it was very good to know that in case it rains, you can cover your much treasured tools and your awesome bag from the elements. All in all, I got my clothing, shoes, small gear, and toiletries all in this ONE bag.

The bag has stowaway airmesh backpack straps AND an adjustable hip belt to offset heavier loads. It appears they thought of everything when designing this bag! I enjoyed having this bag on this trip and the musicians I traveled with all wanted to know where they could get one!! Out of all the products we review and see here at Bass Frontiers, this one is a must for ALL musicians.

As I said, bass players LOVE them some Eden gear, and this piece should come as no exception. This box gives the player a ton of control over their sound, which is great because in the situations where you might only be using a DI signal on a gig, you’ll want to be able to tweak what you’ve got coming out so that you sound the best and perk up some ears.

The WTDI has a single 1/4″ input, with two outputs, one XLR balanced out and the other a 1/4″ unbalanced out. One feature I was really happy to see was a ground lift switch, so that you don’t have to look around and shrug your shoulders when the sound guy asks if you can do anything about the hum.

As far as the EQ sound goes, you get your 3 basic bass, mid, and treble controls, each of which have a boost/cut amount of 15dB. In addition, the box has a bass boost that follows the Fletcher-Munson curve (You can read exactly what that is, in brief, here. Essentially, humans don’t hear low frequencies at softer levels. This helps.). There is also a mid shift switch. It alternates between 550Hz and 2.2KHz for your mid signal. Very helpful.

Past the EQ, you’ve got your basic gain knob and master volume knob. Beyond that, you get a VERY handy compression knob that is subject to the input gain level. If you ever decide to get working on effects and outboard gear, as a bassist, the first thing you want is good compression. This knob can squash some unruly peaks, but never quite sounds like it’s beating your tone down. I really, really liked that.

Then there’s the “Enhance” knob. In the literature included with the box, it is also referred to as “The Magic Knob”. This knob helps dial in the very specific sound that hoards of bass players have come to rely on from Eden. It’s what you would dial in when you plugged into an Eden head or combo. They’ve just made it really really simple. The knob, all at the same time, boosts the really low bass frequencies, the upper mids (simultaneously cutting the low mids), and highs. This way, you get that stomach rumbling bass sound, but get punch and cutting clarity all at the same time. On funk/r&b gigs, as well as pop/country gigs, I found that this was all I needed. I left the 3-band EQ at zero, and turned this puppy up to about 60-70%. Worked like a charm. They should make a smaller cheaper version for me that just has the bottom row of knobs!

Overall, if you’re in the market for a DI preamp, you should give the Eden WTDI some serious consideration. I found that with both passive and active basses, this really helped give me a serious, professional sound on a few small and medium stages. In addition, I was using it both with output to an amplifier and without. My sound in the front of house was great no matter what.

The Eden WTDI is yet another fantastic product out of a bass amplification juggernaut.

Did you know they make strings?

Yes, friends, the Fodera Diamond Series and Signature Series bass strings are a real commodity, and not just “a little extra” for the company to work with. The strings are made by just three people in small batches and have been developed over the course of 15 years! Fodera makes their Diamond Series strings with many options; in 4, 5, and 6 string sets, plenty of gauge options, tapered B-string sets, XL sets for 35″ and 36″ scale lengths, and the Signature Series includes sets bearing the names of Anthony Jackson (a long-scale 6-string contrabass set), Matt Garrison (a set only available in E-A-D-G-C configuration, for those wanting that little bit of extra range on top), and Victor Wooten (in 4 and 5 string sets, these are the lightest gauge strings Fodera makes). The Victor Wooten set are what I’ll be covering.

As I just mentioned, the Victor Wooten Signature set is the lightest gauge set of strings that Fodera produces. The 5-string set comes in at a lean 40-55-75-95-120. This makes these strings extremely quick, expressive, and pliable. After having not played with these strings for a few years, I put a fresh set on my Fodera Emperor 5, and as not to be biased, I also put a set on my Acacia custom 5 (my first “good” bass).

Right away, I remembered why these strings were special. First of all, I love the feel of a nickel plated string. To me, you can just maneuver the fingerboard a lot better with a string that feels slick opposed to stainless steel, which to me, feels pretty sticky (Fodera does make stainless steel strings for those of you who disagree).

Dealing with a string gauge this light, you might easily think that they’re going to feel pretty tightly taut on the neck. While they very much feel that way (the 120 gauge B is especially tight), it is very easy to bend the strings, and execute quick and punchy hammer-ons and pull-offs accurately. The Victor Wooten Signature Series bass strings haven’t been around as long as Victor Wooten’s style, but it’s clear that since their institution, his playing has benefitted by the boatload by having strings that respond greatly to the touch, and produce a lot of different sounds.

Yes, slapping, popping, tapping, finger-style, and muted thumb playing are all the styles that I applied to these strings on both basses on gigs with country artist Brandi Thornton as well as masses at St. Henry’s Catholic Church here in Nashville. The Brandi Thornton gig is exactly what you’d expect out of a pop country gig, and I play accordingly. The St. Henry’s services afford me a lot more space to play melodically, using chords, and dynamics. The Fodera strings hold up extremely well in all these situations. One of the nicest things is that the light gauge gives a punchiness on the Brandi Thornton gig that cuts through so many large sound systems’ thick, muddy tendencies. You can really hear the nuance in a way that you definitely couldn’t when I was using some large name brand strings on the same stages and systems. All this, and the strings are just as strong and present across the entire neck and string to string.

One thing that got me a bit was that while I like to change my strings about every 6-7 weeks, I found myself needing to do just that with these strings. I hadn’t been keeping track very much with the strings I had been using previously, but I’m going to assume it’s been just about the same, keeping in mind that I perform 10-12 hours per week, as well as practice about 1.5x that. So, with my hands on these strings that much in a week, I suppose 6-7 weeks is a pretty good lifespan. I’m betting people that play less will see their string life last beyond what I’ve described here.

Overall, if you want to put a serious set of strings on your bass, then look no farther than the notorious name of Fodera. Their strings are made with just as much quality and standard as their basses are. I can’t recommend these enough.

Fodera strings are available at the Fodera online store.

One of the best things about being the Editor in Chief here at Bass Frontiers is that I get to keep my finger on the pulse of all things new concerning bass guitar. I recently saw the new SKB Injection case for bass guitar, and with some serious road dates of my own coming up, I thought it would be a fantastic chance to put it to the test.

When I first got word of this case being available, I noticed that whatever that thing is it looks “military grade” and not to my surprise it was indeed! I immediately called SKB and had one sent out, as I am still very active as a touring musician, to personally check out and review. SKB was very happy to get one out to me.

After receiving it, I had a fly date to Canada. Without fail, my old flight cases always weigh more than allowed by airlines, so I am always having to put most of my accessories in my luggage. Not the case here! The shell is made of Co-polymer polypropylene, so there is no problem with weight at all. With my bass and everything I needed it weighed in at 34.90 pounds! There are too many great things about this case, but my favorite is the TSA approved locks so my bass, which I consider a part of me, would be all snug and safe till I picked her up at my next stop. These locks work with the latches, which are unbreakable glass reinforced nylon. This case has an open cavity so any bass will fit it (SKB also has a model that is properly fitted for P and J style basses). Best of all (for airport travel), it has handles on each end AND wheels! They left nothing to be desired on this thing, and it all performed beautifully!

SKB was started over 30 years ago by friends and guess what? The same friends still own and run the company.
You can certainly tell that a lot of thought and care went into the design of this very well built case, and we are very thankful because it’s EXACTLY what musicians have clamored for as long as I can remember. I really don’t think this thing could be destroyed if they tried, and we all know that most airlines can tear up an anvil without even trying. Another fantastic thing is that this case is waterproof. They are made in Orange, California in the USA.

I strongly recommend if you are looking for a new way that is safe and sound to travel for your bass…this is it!!!

When I received the straps for review, the first thing I noticed was how stiff they seemed (Hmm, don’t know if I’m going to like this!), so I checked out the construction. These straps are incredibly well made in the U S of A. The stitching is precise and sturdy, the screen printed designs are clear and crisp, and the shoulder pad is…stiff?

Actually, this is one of the design traits that separates Wide Rides from the rest of the pack. The shoulder pad is constructed of a stiff plastic type material with a memory foam pad on the side next to your shoulder. Immediately, I could see the advantage. The stiff backing keeps the memory foam in check so it won’t stretch or bind. This in itself will help ensure a long and useful life for the strap.

They also give you an option of “slippery” or “sticky” material covering the shoulder strap next to your shoulder. You choose if you want it to stay in one position or be able to slide across your shoulder. Now you may still think, “hey a strap is a strap, is a strap”…but not so, grasshopper!

These straps actually have two patents pending. The first is for the way the strap is attached to the shoulder pad. Most straps just have a shoulder pad which slips onto it and can slide back and forth on the strap itself. However, Wide Rides have their pad permanently attached to a strap on each side. This is their first design patent. The way it is attached helps distribute the weight across the entire pad. Since the pad can’t slide back and forth, you must have a way to adjust the positioning of the pad for each different player. Enter the second patent….

Velcro! Yes instead of those difficult belt systems on other straps, Wide Rides uses Velcro. Simply pull the tab and shorten or lengthen each side of the strap as needed. Quite ingenious. But how does this all work?

Well, I attached the strap ends to my candy apple 1985 Spector NS2 bass to find out. It took a bit of persuading but I finally cajoled the strap ends on to the pegs. No strap lock needed here! I adjusted the strap ends to my playing position with no effort at all, and began playing. An hour-and-a-half later, the 9 pound behemoth still felt light as a feather. Well, maybe as light as the whole bird, but still…light! The Velcro held solid and never gave me any worries of losing the bass to the power of gravity. I have to say, that for the very reasonable $34.95 they retail for, and a 100% money back guarantee, these straps are a real bargain and a great way to help you better enjoy your gig.

Wide Ride Straps get a big thumbs up from this bassist!

Review by Kurt Broderick

Let me start off first by stating, I usually do not swap pickups in my basses. I am more of a purist feeling that if it is not broken, do not try to fix it. However, several of my early Ernie Ball Stingray basses seemed to have a hum problem when playing out live. I have been a big fan of Ernie Ball basses for years and the 2 band EQ Stingray is one of my go to basses. I had several soundmen remark to me how much they loved the sound of the basses, but they were getting a bizarre hum from the direct feed to the board. I own several 2 band EQ Stingrays and did several head to head tests with other basses that I own. The results seemed to suggest a possible shielding issue.

I did not want to stray from the classic Stingray sound, but I did want to create a cleaner signal to the board. I had heard several other pickups in Stingrays that always seemed to stray away from the classic Bernard Edwards/ Louis Johnson sound.

Then I heard about the Nordstrand pickups. The Nordstrand pickups state they use the same wire, same magnets and the same resistance of the early Music Man pickups. I specifically bought the MM4.2 to swap out for one of my 2 band EQ Stingrays. The pickup came well packaged with brief but accurate wiring instructions. The Nordstrand pickup looks identical to the Ernie Ball pickup except for rounded pole piece edges and a tiny N stamped in the lower right hand corner. This should be a benefit for anyone wanting to keep the stock look of the bass. The pickup is glued into the cover. Bad news for anyone wanting to swap out for a white pickup cover.

After the installation, I took the bass to one of the venues where I had been having the problems with the hum. All I can say is wow! The bass sounds awesome with no cycle hum. The characteristic midrange growl is still there as well as the whole tonal spectrum of the original pickup. I brought along another similar stock 2 band EQ Stingray to compare with the Nordstrand equipped bass. The two basses sounded almost identical to one another with perhaps a little more low mid definition with the Nordstrand.

I would recommend that anyone wanting to swap out their Music Man pickup with one that does not stray away from the original coveted tone seriously consider the Nordstrand version. Some may argue that the hum could have been stopped by shielding the pickup cavity. While I have known this to have worked, I was also interested in going to the more rounded edge pole pieces like the newer version Ernie Ball pickups. In my opinion, Carey Nordstrand has come up with a clear winner for those seeking the original Music Man tone and look with a few more modern amenities.

Retail: $108.00

When I first received the KSM bridge, the first thing I noticed was the construction of it. It was very well made and very lightweight. It is retrofitted for most any bass, and so I had a tech (Raymond Hardy) install it on a Yamaha P-Bass.

The fact that it locks in place once it is installed was a BIG plus to me. The installation was fairly simple and took no more than 20 minutes. Once the bridge was in place and new strings were added, the Yamaha P took on a whole new identity. The clarity, intonation, and sustain were substantially better than before. Thus, I was an instant fan of this company. When the bridge is locked down it does not appear that there is any room for movement. It is REALLY locked down!!

I would recommend this bridge to anyone looking to replace a standard bridge on ANY bass guitar. A GREAT product at a great value!

by Jarad Clement

“The Asterope cable is both durably and audibly superior to the competition. Using this cable is a reminder of the sometimes overlooked details on making a solid rig. It has proven to be a long term investment due to the immense build quality. I would recommend the Asterope cable to anyone.”

GrooveTech String Cutters

For more information please visit www.cruztools.com