Each month, the IIB gives its viewers the opportunity to participate in various monthly giveaways. To become eligible to win products including basses, amplifiers, speaker cabinets, combo amps, effects, strings, instrument cables, pickups, gig bags, straps, gift certificates, DVD's, CD's, books, lessons, t-shirts, and more, simply: ENTER TO WIN TODAY!

Below, you will find a list of the current giveaway items available. Special thanks to all of our giveaway sponsors. Please visit their respective web sites to check out all of the great products and services that they offer.

E. & O. Mari, Inc., the maker of La Bella strings, is one of America's oldest and largest manufacturers of fine strings for virtually every kind of stringed instrument. E. & O. Mari makes and distributes worldwide over 2000 different strings suitable for every type and style of music. The Mari family began making violin strings in the town of Salle, Italy, in the 14th century. It was in 1640 that the Mari family came to prominence. For centuries, their factory supplied the finest strings to violin makers including Amati and Stradivari. By the 20th century, the House of Mari was one of the largest manufacturers of musical instrument strings in Italy. It was during that time period the Mari family began to sell their best strings under the brand name "La Bella." Today, no other company has such international scope nor makes strings for such an incredible variety of instruments. ... Read More.

Since the emergence of the electric bass guitar in the 1950's, La Bella has been dedicated to manufacturing superior strings for this instrument. As a pioneer and innovator, the company continues to develop strings following the electric bass' evolution. When selecting materials or set constructions, La Bella has always consulted with a long list of professional players and makers. All of the perfectly balanced sets, including the gauges for the 4, 5, 6, and 8-string basses, are used by many great jazz, rock, pop, and session players. The ultimate rock bass guitar string, the Hard Rockin' Steel series are very bright and long lasting. These round wound stainless steel strings are super-flexible for bending and sustaining notes.

Street Price - $22.95

Ibanez is recognized as one of the world's top-selling bass companies. Ibanez first drew attention in the 1970's and '80's with its neck-thru basses that featured active electronics. The Ibanez Soundgear bass was introduced in the 1980's, and since that time, the role of the electric bass has changed considerably. From jazz to funk to aggressive hard rock, bassists still rely on Ibanez basses to lay down the groove even though many new trends have come and gone. Today, Ibanez offers the most diverse bass line of 4, 5, and 6 basses available for every playing style in every price range. ... Read More.

The Ibanez SRT800DX is a modern-style bass designed for today's contemporary bassist. It delivers a clear and balanced tone that is perfect for rock as well as more aggressive playing styles. With its arched top and scooped back, you're going to love the smooth feel of its ergonomic mahogany body regardless of the music that you play. Its highly-figured flame maple top makes it visually stunning. The SRT's 5-piece maple/bubinga neck-thru construction enhances its resonance and attack while making playability and upper fret navigation effortless. A pair of U.S.-made EMG humbucking pickups features a dual coil design which provides a powerful presence. These low noise pickups supply plenty of output and can reproduce everything from the most pristine highs down to the punchiest, growling lows. A 3-band vari-mid EQ offers detailed tone tweaking capability while cosmo black hardware and a gloss finish give it a slick look. If you want the ultimate modern bass, you've got it with the Ibanez SRT800DX!

SRT800DX Specifications
Body: Mahogany with arched top, scooped back, and figured maple top
Neck: 5-piece maple/bubinga thru-neck
Fingerboard: Rosewood with abalone oval inlay
Frets: 24 medium
Scale: 34"
Pickups: EMG dual coils
EQ: 3-band vari-mid III
Bridge: Accu-Cast B20
Hardware: Cosmo black
Finish: Transparent gray

Suggested Retail Price - $1,199.99

Since 1992, the Epifani design team has consulted with many of the world's leading bassists on the development of their speakers and electronics. Together, they have discovered elegant solutions to the problems bassists encounter on a daily basis. Issues like portability, tone, accuracy, and weight matter greatly. Epifani focuses on real-world needs and strives to deliver practical products that embody superior form and peerless function. During the design process, Epifani evaluates every aspect of the project including size, wood type, construction techniques, cabinet tuning, speaker quality, electronic components, weight, and versatility, but the most important element is the musicality of the finished product. By evolving their products through the application of innovative technologies and designs, Epifani hopes to inspire musicians to new levels of creativity. The products need to "sing," and the defining moment for Epifani is when their customers experience music without thinking or worrying about their gear. They just play. ... Read More.

Epifani spends a lot of time in clubs talking with and listening to players of all skill levels and musical styles. Epifani will always explore emerging technologies, innovating and evolving their existing product lines, but it became apparent that they needed to design a line of amplifiers and cabinets capable of delivering the Epifani sound at a price that just about anyone could afford. If they were to put their name on these products, they were going to have to meet the Epifani standards of reliability, natural sound, and no gimmicks. Epifani's products have to perform anywhere, not just in a bedroom but also on a stage with other musicians in front of an audience and always knowing that your reputation is on the line. With real sound for the real world in mind, Epifani has released the Epifunky Series.

Epifunky 410 Specifications
- 4 x 10" 100 watt proprietary drivers
- 400 watts @ 4 ohms, (900 watts peak)
- 1" compression tweeter
- Off-flat-hi tweeter level control
- Frequency Response: 39 Hz - 16 kHz
- Sensitivity: 102 dB (1 W @ 1m)
- 2 x 1/4" output connector
- Dado joint construction void-free plywood cabinet
- Covered in tough "elephant skin" tolex
- High-impact metal corners
- Recessed handles
- 18 gauge steel grill
- Dimensions: 26.5" H x 23" W x 18" D
- Weight: 59 lbs.

Street Price - $499.00

Evidence Audio was founded in 1997 to offer the finest musical instrument and studio cables available. Their technology is based on 20 years of research in preserving the quality of sound as it passes through electronics. Cables are an area in the production and reproduction realm that can deliver serious improvement (or degradation) for the least amount of money. A void was recognized in the music industry for cable products based on merit rather than marketing hype. Hence the formation of Evidence Audio to bring performance-based cables at reasonable prices to those of us "laying it down." ... Read More.

Guitar Player Magazine's 2004 Readers' Choice Awards - Best Accessory. The best cable Evidence Audio produces. The Lyric HG is a line-level cable especially well-suited for high gain amplifiers or passive pickups where microphonics can be a challenge. The Lyric HG is an intelligent blend of materials and design which results in a new level of sonic transparency.

Street Price - $91.00

In order to overcome the distortion found in most other cables of lesser quality, Evidence Audio's Lyric is a directional instrument cable which utilizes high-grade IGL copper conductors, solid core conductors, a balanced design, foamed polypropylene insulating material, a high-density pure copper braid for shielding to keep out interference, Wonder Solder from TRT, and Neutrik plugs. Many inferior cables will degrade audio signal through poor conducting material, insulation material, plugs, solder, strand design, and geometry, but the Lyric really excels in every area. Although the solid core conductors prevent the Lyric from possessing the flexibility of a stranded cable, the solid core conductors more than make up for that tradeoff with enhanced signal quality. These are heavy-duty cables. With the foamed polypropylene insulation, the amount of air around the conductors is maximized which in turn preserves the detail in resolution. In addition to the high-density pure copper braid, the conductors are also wrapped with graphite tape to further reduce extraneous noise. The Lyric can be utilized in long lengths without the fear of losing high frequencies because the Lyric was designed with that obstacle in mind.

Street Price - $71.20

The Melody signal cable has been designed for use with instruments, as well as for studio, pedal-board, and rack wiring. The Melody is built by designer Tony Farinella to be what he calls a "coax cable done right." Based on years of research in cable theory and design and most importantly time spent listening, the Melody incorporates fundamental features pioneered by Evidence Audio that allow signal transmission with minimal degradation. It is designed to pass audio with as little change as possible for an honest presentation of associated equipment and playing styles.

Street Price - $61.00

The Siren II is the next generation Siren speaker cable.

Street Price - $92.00

Originally established as a repair and custom guitar shop in a retail music store called the Buffalo Guitar Outlet, Zon Guitars was founded by Joe Zon in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, in 1981. As a repair technician, Zon had earned a reputation for years of high-quality repairs and building customized instruments. In order to address all the problematic issues encountered with instruments while a repairman, Zon designed his first production-model instruments in 1982, the Standard and Signature model basses. After years of continued growth, Zon relocated his shop to Redwood City, California, in 1987, which continues to facilitate as Zon's base of operations today. ... Read More.

The Zon Pro Series Gig Bag is a premium quality gig bag that is constructed from heavy-duty, waterproof codura fabric and fits all bass guitars. It features thick padding, plush lining, zipper, adjustable dual-padded shoulder straps, and three storage pockets.

Street Price - $99.00

Since 1998, it has been the continuing goal of BassBooks.com to be your ultimate online resource of educational material for the bass guitar.

BassBooks.com $25 gift certificates can be utilized for purchasing any item from their huge inventory of merchandise. ... Read More.

Street Price - $25.00

Cliff Engel is an electric bassist and the founder of the International Institute of Bassists (InstituteOfBass.com). He has been playing electric bass in all styles of music for more than 20 years with a primary emphasis on solo electric bass guitar, fusion, and jazz. Cliff is a former long-time student of world-renowned jazz improvisation instructor Charlie Banacos (New England Conservatory of Music). He also studied bass performance under the direction of Anthony Vitti at Berklee College of Music before earning a bachelor of arts degree from Fort Hays State University. As a solo bassist, Cliff has been arranging and performing contemporary music for unaccompanied electric bass guitar for many years by combining fingerstyle, slapping, tapping, and chordal techniques with altered tunings. Cliff has also been featured in a number of ensembles including regional jazz duos, trios, quartets and quintets, fusion bands, rock bands, funk bands, big bands, R&B bands, country bands, musicals, and orchestras. With over 15 years of teaching experience, Cliff has instructed hundreds of bass guitar students located around the world through his online bass lessons by correspondence program. He is currently working on a series of instructional books and a DVD demonstrating his techniques and concepts. ... Read More.

Cliff has been teaching bass guitar lessons in the correspondence format since 2000, and over the past several years, he has instructed hundreds of students located around the world. Cliff's primary objective is to offer the highest quality bass lessons available anywhere at an extremely affordable rate. Through a systematic, planned approach, Cliff will guide you through a course of directed study that will be conducive to your goals. His course is aimed towards any aspiring bassist who needs assistance and is unable to find a competent bass instructor in his/her immediate area. For those of you who live in a rather remote area and are unable to attend one-on-one lessons with a private instructor on a regular basis or maintain a difficult schedule due to work, family, etc., lessons by correspondence is the next best alternative. These lessons are all personally tailored to the needs of each individual in the sense that even though all bassists need to have a thorough understanding of certain techniques and concepts, the order and manner in which they should be presented with this material sometimes differs from one bassist to the next. Through Cliff's lessons by correspondence, you can learn at your own pace, on your own time, in the privacy of your own studio, and at a cost that is MUCH cheaper than the price of most one-on-one private bass lessons.

Street Price - $16.00

Hanes Beefy-T 100% Pre-Shrunk Cotton
Front: IIB Logo
Back: The International Institute Of Bassists
Sizes: Large & X-Large
Colors: White

Street Price - $15.00



* Suggested Retail Price = Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price
* Street Price = Price If Purchased Directly From Sponsor