Gear News
New Gear: Bergantino Audio Systems Introduces the Super Pre
Bergantino Audio Systems Super Pre, the ever-expansive, ultimate toolbox for bass players to dial in their ideal sound…
Bergantino Audio Systems has unveiled their latest innovation from creator Jim Bergantino with the release of the new Super Pre. Amazingly expansive and remarkably encompassing, the Super Pre covers all ranges of your sound. From enhancing your clean tone, to adding gain, to offering a wide range of compression, to the precise control of your EQ, to wielding bold distortions, overdrives, and fuzzes, this powerful unit the size of a cigar box has you covered. Whether you’re hitting the stage or the studio, this is the tool that will make your sound distinctively you.
With the evolution of the gigging bass player in mind, the Super Pre was designed for low enders of all levels and styles to have the freedom of taking their tone with them wherever they go. This is the perfect addition to any pedal chain and amp setup, but also functions as a standalone DI for those situations where you need to plug in and play without compromising any bit of your sound. Compact in size and durable enough for even the most extreme of road warriors, the Super Pre fits in your gig bag, backpack, carry on, and on your pedalboard with ease. Instead of hauling around a number of EQ’s, tuner, compressors, overdrives, distortions and fuzzes, this single unit will cover all of that for you and more.
Boasting endless possibilities, this unit offers all of the grit and power of big tube amp sound thanks to the DSP Embedded System Controlled Bass Amplifier, Bergantino’s BFT drive circuits, and programmable filters including a Bright Switch, Variable High-Pass Filter, Variable Low-Pass Filter, and Variable Feedback filter. The EQ possibilities are limitless thanks to the revolutionary Bergantino Speaker-File EQ System and 4-Band Multifunction EQ with adjustable frequency range and “Q,” which is all scene savable like all of the options on the Super Pre. Regardless of the genre you play or the size of the stage you step onto, this unit has you covered.
With 21 savable scenes, you’re able to dial in the exact tones you want and have them ready to go with a simple tap. Featuring 3 memory switches on the face of the box that each contain 8 individual banks, you can program enough sounds to cover every range of low end glory that you desire. Perfect for players who use different basses during their sets or in the studio, or for those who change their sounds within the matter of a song, the Super Pre will make sure your tone remains consistent.
With an ultra-crisp and easy-to-read OLED display and a user-friendly interface to navigate the system, the Super Pre doesn’t require flipping through the manual every time you use it. We understand that when you’re on the stage and in the studio, you don’t have time to troubleshoot your gear or Google solutions in a pinch. With six knobs, two buttons, and four footswitches, the Super Pre is easy to use so that you don’t have to compromise your creativity or your groove in the moment of inspiration.
The same BFT technology that is featured in the Bergantino Forté D comes equipped in this unit along with all of the overdrive, distortion, and fuzz in all of its glory. With overdrive that cops that old school tube tone, you get all of the dirt and grit that excites harmonics and cuts through all frequencies from high to low. Leave it on and adjust the gain to make it your permanent tone or crank it up to push your speakers to shake the walls. Give your fingertips some electricity!
The 4-Band Multifunction EQ covers your bass, low mid, high mid, and treble, all with adjustable frequency centers to give you absolute control over your tone. With the EQ functions of the Super Pre, you can decide how customizable you want to get. Choose your center point and the Q (the width of the frequencies) to dial it in even further. Additionally, the revolutionary Bergantino Speaker-File EQ System is flexible to the point where the EQ bands can overlap each other using the four EQ points and the Bright control. And as far as the Bright control, you can be heavy handed or subtle by adjusting it from 1db of boost to 12dbs. For upright and acoustic players, the Software selectable Input Impedance allows you to take it from 1 meg to 10 megs to match the impedance of the pickup and achieve a coherent tone with more presence that cuts.
While most compressions merely limit and shrink your tone, Bergantino gives you the choice of a serial or parallel VRC compressor. Like syrup on your tone that actually thickens your notes, you can use the parallel compression, which splits the signal and runs 50% through the compressor and 50% as your clean, or the serial, which grabs 100% of the signal and compresses all of it. You can even use it as a subtle volume boost with the make up gain available.
Main Features
- Lightweight and durable casing
- Ultra-crisp and easy-to-read OLED display
- Two Studio-Quality DIs – Pre and Post, Latency compensated
- Revolutionary Bergantino Speaker-File EQ System
- 4-Band Multifunction EQ with adjustable frequency range and “Q”
- DSP Embedded System Controlled Bass Amplifier
- Software selectable Input Impedance
- User choice of serial or parallel VRC compressor
- Global Gain (-6db to +6db – scene savable)
- Programmable Filters: Bright Switch, Variable High-Pass Filter, Variable Low-Pass Filter, Variable Feedback filter
Additional Features
- Built-in Chromatic Tuner
- Auxiliary Input and Headphone jacks: for personal monitor and practice use
- Programmable Effects Send and Return Loop (scene savable)
- Pre Amp Line Output – (Level adjustable – 0db to +6db)
- Selectable Phase Output (Normal or Reverse)
- USB port: allows software upgrades/Speaker-File loads and more
Price
Bergantino Super Pre: $699.00
For more visit: bergantino.com
Gear News
New Gear: Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass
Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass…
Esopus Guitars is proud to announce the new “Tailwater” bass guitar, from legendary bass luthier Stuart Spector. This 32” scale bass is handcrafted by Stuart using the only finest woods and components at the Esopus Guitar workshop located near Woodstock NY in the Catskill Mountains.
From its fully carved spruce top (the top is carved on both its exterior and interior surfaces) with a thumb rest that is elegantly carved into the top, to its custom-made Fishman piezo pickup and super hard Carnauba wax finish, every detail of the Tailwater is part of creating the ultimate playing experience.
The Tailwater bass features a fully chambered spruce over alder body (15.5″ lower body bout width, 2.25″ body thickness measuring from the peak of the carved top) that delivers a super comfortable tonal tool for all your low-end needs.
Each Tailwater bass is hand-signed and numbered on the back of the peghead by Stuart Spector. A very limited number of Tailwater basses are handcrafted each year at the Esopus workshop.
“I am proud to present the Tailwater bass, a bass that I have spent the last three years perfecting. The Tailwater is a culmination of all of my 45 years of experience, knowledge, and passion for bass guitar crafting. I am so eager to hear what fellow musicians create with this exciting new instrument.” -Stuart Spector
Direct Pricing : $4995.00 plus options.
For more information about Esopus Guitars and Stuart Spector’s handcrafted instruments, visit www.EsopusGuitars.com.
Bass Videos
New Gear: Spector Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II
Spector Launches Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II…
Spector Musical Instruments expands their celebrated Woodstock Custom Collection with the Volume II series – a breathtaking series of 12 handcrafted, one-of-a-kind bass guitars, each one masterfully designed by members of the Spector team. Crafted in the Spector USA Custom Shop in Woodstock, New York, these works of art go beyond musical instruments and expand the boundaries of Spector Bass design.
Spector’s iconic design lays the foundation for the Volume II collection. Each bass showcases a unique vision, including the selection of tonewoods, electronics, captivating finishes, and intricate design details. The collection highlights Spector’s commitment to craftsmanship and artistry and the individual people and stories that make up the team.
“The Woodstock Custom Collection was such a huge success, and we had so much fun with it that we couldn’t wait to do it again,” said John Stippell, Director – Korg Bass Division. “With Volume II, we’re expanding on everything we learned from the first collection, as well as pushing our design and Custom Shop team even further. These basses are a testament to the inspiring talent, creativity, and skill of every person on the Spector team. I’m excited for all of these basses and love how they tell the unique stories of all involved.”
Visit online at spectorbass.com/
Bass Videos
New Gear: The Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model
Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model…
After playing a limited edition Dingwall live with Duran Duran, John Taylor has launched his
Dingwall Guitars production model, loaded with a Rupert Neve Designs preamp and
Rio-inspired graphics.
Dingwall’s major launch for 2023 was the limited edition Rio Dream Bass, featuring an
innovative Rupert Neve Designs onboard preamp. A year later, the range has been bolstered
with the Canadian company now offering unlimited access to its continued collaboration with
John Taylor of Duran Duran.
Dingwall CEO Sheldon Dingwall says the basses are a response to Taylor’s upfront bass style.
“John’s bass playing with Duran Duran really imprinted on me how a bass should fit into a band mix. The combination of tastefully busy syncopation, his punchy tone, and tight performance immediately drew my ear. His basslines have always had a special combination of energy and elegance.”
The John Taylor Signature model follows the formula of the limited edition Rio Dream Bass,
combining a lightweight Nyatoh body with three neodymium pickups to produce what Dingwall deems “wonderful playability and tones that display a rare clarity and refinement.” The JT Signature model also updates the Rio Dream Bass with a range of new colors; Metallic Black, Primrose, Cranberry and Seafoam Green, as well as a new 5-string variant.
Other specs include a bolt-on Maple neck, a Pau Ferro multi-scale fingerboard with the ‘Rio Eye’ inlaid at the 12th fret, and Dingwall’s new ‘Minimalist’ bridge. The headstock sports lightweight tuners and a Rio-inspired graphic that complements the body stripes, designed by longtime Duran Duran collaborator, Patty Palazzo.
Finally, an onboard preamp designed and configured in collaboration with Rupert Neve Designs, whose studio consoles have long represented the pinnacle of high-end audio engineering, promises a clear voice that balances punch and sustain. “Duran’s breakthrough single, the title track from 1982’s Rio, was originally recorded on a Neve console, so the history was already there,” says Sheldon. “But the team at Rupert Neve Designs absolutely nailed the tone.”
Like the Rio Dream Bass, the JT Signature has also been configured to Taylor’s own personal
specifications. “It all started when I was in Toronto about six years ago,” says Taylor. “A friend
showed me a Dingwall bass on his phone. I loved how it looked and immediately said to my
tech, ‘You’ve got to reach out to these guys!’”
For further information on the range options, head to dingwallguitars.com
Gear News
New Gear: Nembrini Launches Bass Hammer Plugin
Bass Hammer Plugin…
Nembrini Audio launches the Bass Hammer plugin which is engineered for advanced bass tone sculpting. Modelled on the Aguilar Tone Hammer* which is renowned for its tone shaping flexibility, the Nembrini Bass Hammer features Adaptive Gain Sculpting, comprehensive EQ adjustments and versatile cabinet simulations.
The Nembrini Audio Bass Hammer plugin has been designed to infuse discerning musicians’ digital workspace with the legendary tonal characteristics and dynamic versatility of its hardware counterpart. The new plugin delivers all the distinct organic warmth, detailed midrange control and adaptive tonal shaping the Tone Hammer* is famous for in a flexible digital format.
Bass Hammer features Adaptive Gain Sculpting to transform a signal’s EQ curve and gain structure and alter the behaviour of the MID parameter. The Graphic EQ has six bands enabling nuanced shaping across the bass frequency range. Plus, the four selected bass guitar cabinets, four carefully selected microphone emulations and a parallel D.I. signal with console compressor offer users plenty of scope to explore ambient reverb blending.
Introductory prices of $29.99 for the Desktop version (regular price $137) and $9.99 for the IOS form (regular price $19.99) are available until 30th April 2024. Bass Hammer is PC and Mac (VST2, VST3, AU, AAX) compatible and requires a FREE iLOK account.
To find out more and download the Bass Hammer plugin please go to nembriniaudio.com/products/bass-hammer-bass-amplifier or
apple.com/us/app/bass-hammer/id6480058361Video
Gear News
Gear News: Ernie Ball Music Man Custom Design Experience
Ernie Ball Music Man is proud to launch the Custom Design Experience.
Ernie Ball Music Man Custom Design Experience is an online custom instrument configurator that allows customers to design and build their dream StingRay Special Bass guitar. Customers can choose from 4-string and 5-string models, right and left-handed orientations, single and double humbucking pickups, a multitude of finish options, many neck, pickguard, hardware, string gauges, tuning, case options, and more.
All Custom Design Experience instruments are built in the Ernie Ball Music Man San Luis Obispo, CA, facility and are shipped directly to the customer.
Options include:
Right or Left hand
4-string or 5-string
Single H or double HH pickups
30 unique finishes
3 hardware finishes
5 pickguard options
12 fretted neck options
2 fretless neck options
Regular or SLO Special neck profiles
4 tuning setups
3 string gauges
2 cases
For more information, visit online at music-man.com/custom-design-experience
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
New Gear: Spector Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II
New Gear: The Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler
