The Best Bass Products Of 2008

As the year comes to a close, it is time to reflect on a collection of the best bass products to come through our doors in 2008. Every year, we value the opportunity to review some of the finest basses, amps, recordings, DVD's, books, and software in production. There is nothing like an innovative piece of gear or an inspiring instructional video to get you fired up and excited about playing the bass, and this year didn't disappoint. Here is a compilation of some of the top bass products of 2008. Artists and manufacturers are listed in alphabetical order.

Aguilar Amplification is pleased to announce that shipment has now begun for their highly anticipated preamp/D.I., the Tone Hammer. This unit, which made its debut at the winter NAMM show in January 2008, was designed to be more than just a "preamp in a pedal." Having more functionality than a standard D.I. or overdrive unit, Aguilar's Tone Hammer is an essential tool for every bassist's arsenal.

Dave Boonshoft, Aguilar CEO, states, "We are very proud of the Tone Hammer. The flexibility that it gives to working bassists is unparalleled." Bassist Dan Lutz (Robben Ford) echoes Boonshoft's sentiments; "It's a killer D.I., a versatile preamp, and a great overdrive. It's a tool that will prove invaluable for the most demanding players."

Starting with the warm, organic sound that Aguilar is known for, the Tone Hammer adds fully sweepable midrange frequencies, in addition to treble and bass controls to its preamp section, for maximum tonal sculpting.

To give this tone shaping unit the ultimate flexibility, Aguilar introduced their proprietary Adaptive Gain Shaping circuitry (AGS). AGS allows the player to kick in an additional gain structure and EQ curve with the "stomp" of a button. You can now easily go from modern slap sounds to vintage warmth or overdriven tones. 18-volt operation gives the Tone Hammer plenty of headroom to reproduce the most dynamic playing styles. With the Tone Hammer's pristine D.I. you are set to hit the studio or the stage.

Tone Hammer Specifications
- 3-band EQ with fully sweepable midrange
- Adaptive gain shaping circuitry (AGS)
- D.I. with selectable pre/post operation, balanced XLR
- 18-volt operation via batteries, phantom power, or optional power supply

To read the IIB's complete review of the Aguilar Tone Hammer, Click Here.

For more information on Aguilar Amplification, go to: AguilarAmp.com.

Street Price - $184.99

The innovative Italian bass amp manufacturer Markbass, after shaking up the industry with their popular Little Mark II amplifier and a varied product line of high-quality and lightweight amps, cabinets, and combos, are reconfirming their reputation for lateral thinking and cutting-edge technology by introducing a dynamic recording plugin called the Mark Studio 1.

The plugin, one of very few on the market that accurately models bass amps and speaker cabinets, is based on three Markbass amp heads and six Markbass cabinets. It also incorporates six different microphone choices plus control over compression, mic position, tweeter level, room ambience, and more. The amps featured are the all-tube Classic 300, the tube-preamp R 500, and the solid state (with tube compressor) TA 501. The cabinets modeled in the plugin are the Standard 151HR (rear-ported 1x15"), Standard 152HR (rear-ported 2x15"), Standard 104HR (rear-ported 4x10"), Standard 104HF (front-ported 4x10"), Standard 106HF (front-ported 6x10"), and Classic 108 (sealed 8x10").

Users can combine and adjust any combination of heads, cabinets, and microphones and store their settings in one of 64 user presets. They can also browse through 64 factory presets which have been designed by project engineers as well as top Markbass artists.

The plugin can be applied to a bass track either during or after recording, and a "standalone" version, which operates on its own without recording software, is also included. Both Mac and PC versions are offered.

The plugin gives users a wide array of sound choices for bass, providing a convenient, high-quality alternative to recording with bass amps and cabinets, while accessing more exciting, realistic sounds than are generally achieved by simply recording direct. The plugin is useful to not only bassists but also producers, engineers, songwriters, and anyone who uses hard disk recording software to create music.

The Mark Studio 1 plugin was designed in collaboration with Overloud Technologies and product manager Paolo Costa, a Markbass artist and one of the top session bassists in Italy. The DSP modeling was created at Studio Logic in Milan, Italy, using actual Markbass amps and cabinets in order to faithfully capture their sonic properties. The sessions were supervised by sound engineer Renato Cantele and sound designer Max Costa, both experts in computer science and sound. In order to create the most accurate and realistic emulations possible, they created the sound models by using non-linear convolution instead of standard DSP techniques, so as to more accurately "clone" the sound. Six of the most popular microphones were used including dynamic, condenser, and ribbon mics. These were carefully evaluated, both individually and in combinations, as were their positions relative to the speakers. This involved a lot of playing, listening, and comparing: all in the cause of accurately capturing the true sound of Markbass amps and cabinets in a plugin.

Mark Studio 1 Specifications
- 3 top-class Markbass amp models: TA501, R500 and Classic 300
- 6 Markbass cabinets: STD 151HR (rear-ported 1x15"), STD 152HR (rear-ported 2x15"), STD 104HR (rear-ported 1x15"), STD 104HF (front-ported 4x10"), STD 106HF (front-ported 6x10"), and Classic 108(sealed 8x10")
- Choice of 6 microphones, plus a preset combination of 2 front microphones
- More than one microphone can be used simultaneously: main (woofer), tweeter and, where applicable, rear bass reflex (port)
- Features Overloud technology and their fourth generation audio engine
- Faithful reproduction of every characteristic and nuance of Markbass amps and cabinets
- Each mic/cabinet combination has been recorded in a high-end studio by the best Italian sound engineers
- Ultra bass frequency control for extra-deep sound with one mouse click
- 64 factory presets designed by top engineers and Markbass artists and 64 storable user presets
- Ultra-flexible signal path makes it easy to balance the direct (plugin) input, line out (amp direct out), and mic output levels.

For more information on the Markbass Mark Studio 1, go to: Markbass.it.

Street Price - $199.99

This past year, Markbass won a number of distinguished awards and expanded their product line considerably. The Markbass Little Mark II was voted the "Best Bass Head" and "All-Around Best New Product" by the readers of Bass Player magazine. In addition to the release of their innovative Mark Studio 1 plugin, Markbass also debuted several other notable pieces of gear including the F 500, Little Mark II Limited Edition, Studio Pre 500, and TSA 500 amplifiers along with the New York 604, New York 121, and Classic 152 cabinets.

Marcus is the latest solo project to be released by 2-time Grammy award-winning bassist Marcus Miller. Since the 1980's, Miller has released eight critically-acclaimed and genre-defying solo productions which showcase his astounding technique. His signature sound has become one of the most identifiable in contemporary jazz. With special guest performances by Corinne Bailey Rae, Keb' Mo', and David Sanborn, this collection of tracks contains "Blast," "Funk Joint," "Free," "Higher Ground," "Milky Way," "Pluck," "Lost Without U," "'Cause I Want You," "Ooh," "When I Fall In Love," "Strum," "Jean Pierre," "What Is Hip," and "Lost Without U (spoken word)."

"Blast!" has been nominated for the "Best Pop Instrumental Performance" Grammy Award to be announced on February 8th at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards ceremony.

For more information on Marcus Miller, go to: MarcusMiller.com.

Street Price - $14.99

Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooten, each a powerful force of nature in his own right, have done more in recent decades to redefine the electric bass and push the limits of its potential than any other musician alive today. When these three titans, collectively known as S.M.V., converge on the low frequencies, the results are no less than earth shaking. Thunder, their debut collaboration which was released on August 12, 2008, is a high-energy phenomenon whose impact is guaranteed to resonate throughout every corner of the jazz world. A complete track listing includes "Maestros De Las Frecuencias Bajas," "Thunder," "Hillbillies On A Quiet Afternoon," "Mongoose Walk," "Los Tres Hermanos," "Lopsy Lu - Silly Putty (Medley)," "Milano," "Classical Thump (Jam)," "Tutu," "Lil' Victa," "Pendulum," "Lemme Try Your Bass," and "Grits."

Shortly after its release, Thunder reached the peak of Billboard's "Top Contemporary Jazz" chart.

To read the IIB's complete review of Thunder, Click Here.

For more information on S.M.V., go to: SMVMusic.com.

Street Price - $14.99

SWR has unveiled the ultimate tool for bassists - the Marcus Miller Preamp, created in collaboration with one of the most influential bassists of his generation.

Miller himself calls it "The missing link between your bass and a great sound!" The Marcus Miller Preamp is one of the most versatile devices a bassist can use in his arsenal with features painstakingly customized by Miller himself, working closely with SWR engineers to reflect his own distinctive tonal range while considering the needs of bassists of all styles.

The single-channel preamp has two selectable inputs for easy instrument changes and two 12AX7 tubes (tube DI and preamp). The versatile wealth of controls include 3-band semi-parametric tube-driven EQ with sweepable mids, gain, Miller-modified SWR aural enhancer circuit with pull defeat, EQ bypass switch, mute switch, bass intensifier circuitry with level and frequency cutoff controls, SWR studio-quality tube-driven compressor with pre or post EQ "comp position" switch, boost feature with volume control and compression blend, side-chain effects loop with blend control, master volume, selectable line out for tube DI, post-EQ or compressor position out.

The bass intensifier, EQ bypass, effects loop, and boost can all be controlled using the included four-button footswitch.

Marcus Miller Preamp Specifications
- 2 selectable inputs for easy instrument changes
- 3-band semi-parametric tube-driven EQ with sweepable mids
- EQ bypass capability
- Marcus Miller-modified SWR aural enhancer circuit with pull defeat
- All-tube studio-quality direct out
- Mute switch
- Bass intensifier circuitry
- SWR studio-quality tube-driven compressor with pre or post EQ "comp Position" switch
- boost feature with volume control & compression blend
- Side-chain effects loop with blend control
- Selectable line out for tube DI, post EQ, or compressor position out
- 4-button footswitch (bass intensifier, EQ bypass, effects loop, boost) included

For more information on the SWR Marcus Miller Preamp, go to: SWRSound.com.

Street Price - $899.99

The Thunderfunk TFB750-A bass amplifier delivers unsurpassed tone, punch, and clarity. Handmade in the U.S. by Dave Funk, the TFB750-A is an improved descendent of the amp that Jaco Pastorius loved, the legendary AMP BH-420. With an all-aluminum chassis, the TFB750A weighs in at only 21 pounds. Quieter than other amps, with two great sounding DI's, it's perfect for studio use.

TFB750-A Specifications
- 750-watts RMS into 4 ohms
- The Switch with indicator LEDs
- New mute switch with indicator LED
- Limiter
- Aural enhancer
- 4-band parametric EQ
- Timbre control
- Headphone jack/line out
- Line in
- New pre-EQ balanced DI output
- Post-EQ balanced output with level control
- Ground lift switch for both XLR outs
- Pre-EQ effects loop
- Post-EQ effects loop
- 2 1/4" speaker outputs
- 2 speakon outputs
- Aluminum chassis
- Auto-fan with backlite
- Weighs only 21 pounds
- Removable rack ears standard

The Thunderfunk's tone is achieved by using high quality film caps in the preamp's signal chain just like a high quality mixing board. Twenty-five times more expensive than electrolytics used in other amps, film cap's tighter tolerances maintain phase coherence through the amp producing a focused punch unlike any other amp. Add two to three times the filter caps of other amps, you get a round, focused bottom that doesn't roll around the stage but instead projects into the room.

Dynamic range is a function of power, transient response, and quiet. Thunderfunk purposely does not use toroid transformers as they've found they don't sound as good as the old-fashioned EI iron. And to reduce hum, they add a hum-bucking wire across the transformer to inject hum into the preamp's ground canceling the radiated hum achieving an amp quieter than an equivalent toroid powered amp. With the unique SS/Tube switch you'll be able to choose from a super clean solid-state tone for slap and double bass playing to a gutty, warm, tube-tone for all the rest.

For more information on the Thunderfunk TFB750-A, go to: ThunderFunk.com.

Street Price - $1,899.95

Expanding on the groundbreaking concepts he introduced in his book, The Music Lesson - A Spiritual Search For Growth Through Music, master bassist Victor Wooten lays out his unique philosophy of teaching and learning music in Groove Workshop, an exciting new DVD from Hudson Music. The 2-disc set features nearly five hours of material including a complete master class where Victor, along with bassist/educator Anthony Wellington and six bass students, uses his personal experience and expertise to delve deeper into rarely discussed, yet vitally important, aspects of music making.

While traditional music education focuses primarily on developing technique and note-perfect performance, professional musicians like Victor know that there's much more to making music than just playing the right notes. On Groove Workshop, Victor redefines the essential elements of music and demonstrates how to apply them in fresh, creative, musically relevant ways.

Chapters and content include:
- Notes: Sometimes even the "right" notes can sound wrong. But applying chromatic scales and playing within the musical context can make "wrong" notes sound right.
- Grooving: Why feel and emotion are important in music and an explanation of the elements that need to be present for a good groove to happen.
- Articulation/Duration: How changes in articulation can affect the feel and help create a more professional sound.
- Dynamics: How to use dynamics to connect with your audience.
- Rhythm/Tempo: Victor's suggested rhythmic exercises along with the creative use of metronomes and drum machines will improve a player's sense of time.
- Tone: Understanding the role of tone quality and how to adjust it for different situations.
- Phrasing: Utilizing singing, breathing and imagination to create more natural, more musical phrases.
- Space/Rest: A discussion and demonstration of why space is such an integral part of playing music.
- Listening: Learning to trust your ears and why listening may well be the most essential aspect of playing music.

Victor's open approach will provide effective improvement to any player's musical skills and, as the students on the DVD show, many of the most important lessons can be learned amazingly quickly. Also featured on Groove Workshop are several solo performances by Victor, as well as duets with Anthony Wellington.

For more information on Victor Wooten's Groove Workshop, go to: HudsonMusic.com.

Street Price - $39.95