This month, Squier threw us a curveball with the new Paranormal Precision Bass Thinline SJ – a lightweight, semi-hollow take on the classic Fender P-Bass that looks every bit as fun as it sounds. Squier’s latest also promises to play like a dream, too. The kind of dream you have when you eat cheese at bedtime.
We also welcomed the Spector Rex Brown Euro Bass, and saw the worldwide arrival of the Aria Cliff Burton Signature Bass, bringing the unmistakable spirit of Metallica’s legendary bassist to players around the globe.
If you’ve ever wanted to channel Burton’s thunderous low-end – preferably at irresponsible volume – now is looking like a good time to start.
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Kiesel also expanded its bass lineup with the Antares Bass, a low-end counterpart to the company’s guitar model. And because no modern bass launch is complete without some serious signal-chain wizardry, it features Darkglass Electronics circuitry for a suitably aggressive range of tones.
From semi-hollow P-Bass twists and legendary metal-inspired signature models to high-performance basses loaded with modern tone-shaping technology, here’s our pick of the best bass gear from August 2026.
Spector Euro 4 Rex Brown Signature
Pantera bass icon Rex Brown uses Spector for a reason: because they play like nothing else on Earth, and presumably also because he likes the colour.
The Spector Rex Brown Euro Bass features a neck-through body, pairing a three-piece maple neck with empresswood body wings topped with flame maple.
The Desert Gold finish takes inspiration from the New Mexico landscape, where Brown now lives, while an Indian rosewood fingerboard features smoke crown inlays. Gold hardware, a classic script Spector logo and Brown’s own logo on the back of the headstock complete the look.
For electronics, Spector has equipped the bass with a set of EMG PJ-X pickups alongside its TonePump active preamp.
“It has been a labor of love,” says Brown. “We took our time with every detail, from the balance of the pickups to the backplate design. It features the same neck profile I’ve used on my Spectors for years. It all comes together in a bass I’m incredibly proud of and one I think players will really enjoy.”
Aria Pro II SB-CLB Cliff Burton Signature
First unveiled at the 2026 Winter NAMM Show, the Aria Pro II SB-CLB Cliff Burton Signature Bass is now shipping worldwide – meaning fans of Metallica’s legendary bassist can finally get their hands on this detailed recreation of one of heavy music’s most iconic instruments.
Aria says the limited-edition model has been painstakingly recreated to capture the tone, feel and appearance of the SB-1000 Burton played during Metallica’s early years.
That includes the distinctive SB body shape, a high-output active circuit and neck-through construction, all designed to deliver the punch and sustain that made the original SB series so revered.
Other features include a seven-piece maple and walnut neck, the original QHB-1 brass bridge, and Aria’s BB Circuit, a low-pass filter with six presets that dramatically reshape the bass’s tonal character.
Squier Paranormal Precision Bass Thinline SJ
As the name suggests, this isn’t your standard P-Bass – don’t play, or even look at, this bass if you’ve got a hangover.
The Squier Paranormal Thinline SJ reimagines Fender’s original bass guitar with a semi-hollow body and a pickup combination that boasts a single-coil ’51 P-Bass pickup in the neck position and a single-coil Jazz Bass pickup at the bridge. The two pickups are wired to a three-way blade switch.
The semi-hollow body is designed to bring added acoustic resonance while reducing the overall weight, which should make those longer sessions a little easier on the shoulders.
Available in Vintage White, 3-Color Sunburst and Olive, the Thinline SJ features a nyatoh body and maple neck. The Olive and Sunburst models come with Indian Laurel fingerboards, while the Vintage White version gets maple.
Elsewhere, you’ll find a C-shape neck profile, a four-saddle vintage-style bridge with slotted barrel saddles and vintage-style open-gear tuners.
Kiesel Antares Bass
With its pronounced upper cutaways, elongated horns and deeply offset body, the Kiesel Antares Bass certainly isn’t trying to hide its metal credentials. And if that wasn’t enough, it’s available exclusively as a 5-string.
Built around an alder body and a carbon-fiber-reinforced maple neck, the Antares Bass has also been designed to address one of the potential drawbacks of its extreme body shape: neck dive. Kiesel has fitted a removable 1.3lb stainless-steel counterweight to the body to help keep the bass balanced.
Essential for any true onstage exhibitionist, the angular design is also complemented by a Darkglass Electronics preamp to add some suitably serious tone-shaping capabilities.
There are two pickup configurations to choose from. A pair of JVA single-coils offers traditional J-Bass-style tones, while a JVA single-coil paired with an HB humbucker provides a thicker, more powerful voice.
Fender Bends V2 Compressor & Pelt V2 Fuzz
Fender has given its pedal lineup a refresh, unveiling V2 versions of The Bends Compressor, The Pelt Fuzz, the Santa Ana Overdrive and the Pugilist Distortion. While all four can find a home on a bass pedalboard, Fender is particularly keen to point bassists toward the Bends V2 Compressor and Pelt V2 Fuzz.
The Bends V2 combines compression and boost in a single pedal. Its controls include an Attack switch, Release and Input knobs, plus a Blend control that lets you mix your clean signal back in.
There’s also a rear-mounted Vintage switch for re-voicing the circuit, a Comp pre/post switch and a Compression LED that shows the amount of compression being applied in real time.
The Pelt V2, meanwhile, is built around silicon transistors and a buffer-friendly input stage, taking Fender’s fuzz formula well beyond the usual Tone, Fuzz and Level controls. Sag and Bloom knobs let you shape how the fuzz breaks up, while an Octave (Chaos) footswitch adds an octave-up effect.
Fender has again included a Blend control, allowing bassists to retain their clean signal – because sometimes you want your fuzz to sound completely broken without losing the bottom-end.
Origin FX EQDELUXE
Origin Effects has taken one of the most celebrated pieces of studio hardware in history and squeezed it onto a pedalboard with the new EQDELUXE Studio Equalizer and Drive, a tribute to the legendary Pultec EQP-1A.
At the heart of the pedal is the “Pultec Trick,” which allows you to simultaneously boost and cut the low frequencies. For bassists, that means more low-end heft without simply turning everything up and hoping for the best.
But the EQDELUXE isn’t just about the bass frequencies. Alongside the Low Frequency Band, there are dedicated Mid and High Frequency Bands that offer more comprehensive tone sculpting when you need it.
The UK-based company has also recreated the Pultec’s distinctive output stage using solid-state circuitry, delivering the tube-like saturation associated with the original 1950s hardware without requiring a vintage studio rack to achieve it.
Harley Benton PB-62 & JB-62 Aged Series
Harley Benton has jumped aboard the relic train with its Aged Series, bringing roadworn looks to a range of budget-friendly instruments without requiring decades of gigging to get there.
The lineup includes two basses: the P-style PB-62 and the JB-62. The PB-62 is available in Black and Ocean White, while the JB-62 comes in 3-Tone Sunburst and Lake Placid Blue over Sunburst.
And because not everyone wants their brand-new bass to look like it’s survived 30 years of questionable tour vans, both models can be ordered with either light or heavy aging. In other words, you can decide how much road wear you want.
Baboomin Q-River Air
Yes, we know headless basses were cruelly mocked back in the ’90s. You don’t have to remind us – we were there. Still, we think the design has proved its staying power, and Baboomin is a brand that has fully embraced the headless format.
Available in Standard and Pro versions, the Q-River Air comes in 4- and 5-string configurations, with the 4-string weighing in at an average of just 6.8lb.
The Standard model is equipped with two single-coil pickups, while the Pro adds a dual-coil pickup in the bridge position, offering ’60s Jazz, ’70s Jazz and humbucker-style tones.
Fender American Vintage II 1966 Jazz Bass Lake Placid Blue
Fender has given its American Vintage II series a fresh lick of paint, adding a new Lake Placid Blue finish to the 1966 Jazz Bass. The iconic colour joins the model’s existing Sea Foam Green, 3-Color Sunburst and Olympic White options.
The company first began using Lake Placid Blue in late 1959 after adapting it from General Motors’ automotive paint catalog, before making it an official option on Fender’s first formal custom colour chart in 1960.
Beneath that new finish, the American Vintage II 1966 Jazz Bass retains its period-correct specifications, including a nitrocellulose lacquer finish, vintage-style neck profile and year-specific pickups designed to deliver the feel and tone of the original-era instruments.
Eastwood The Sandman Deluxe 4-string
Last year, Eastwood Guitars introduced “The Sandman,” a 2-string bass inspired by the modified Premier Scroll Bass played by Morphine’s Mark Sandman. Now, in collaboration with Sandman’s estate, the company has expanded the series with the Sandman Deluxe 4-String.
The new model retains the distinctive looks and character of the 2-string Deluxe while adding the range and versatility of a traditional 4-string bass.
Features include a mahogany body, maple neck and rosewood fingerboard with white double-dot inlays. It’s equipped with a pair of custom D-Style pickups, vintage-style tuners and a satin finish.
Yes, it looks a bit nuts – so what? We like crazy-looking gear…
