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The headline basses in Guitar World’s September 2026 gear roundup are the Mayones Cali HL 5 and Cali HL 6, compact-platform signature models developed with Dirty Loops bassist Henrik Linder. The roundup describes them in Gothic Black Matt and Ultra Pink, with five- and six-string versions, respectively. Its “smallest signature bass” label is an editorial hook, not a measured market-wide comparison: no dimensions or comparative data are supplied.
The same roundup highlights new basses and amplification from Dingwall, Ashdown, Fender, Spector, Aguilar, Guild, Cort, EBS, and Ampeg. It reports product features rather than hands-on test results, so the details below are best read as a guide to what each launch is designed to offer—not as a ranking of sound, value, or performance. Guitar World’s roundup is the source for the product descriptions and quoted specifications.
Mayones Cali HL 5 and Cali HL 6: compact signature basses in two finishes
Mayones worked with Henrik Linder on two signature versions of its Cali platform. Guitar World describes the original Cali 4 and Cali 5 as compact travel basses; the HL models extend that concept to five and six strings. Linder’s request for the larger version is recounted as: “Hey, can you make a 6-string version too?”
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- Cali HL 6: six strings.
- Reported shared features: ash top, dual humbuckers, series/parallel switching, and custom bridge string spacing.
- Reported finishes: Gothic Black Matt and Ultra Pink.
Guitar World calls the platform unusually compact, but provides no dimensions or comparison establishing that either HL model is objectively the smallest signature bass available. Scale length, total weight, price, and regional configurations are not stated in the roundup.
#1 Best Overall
- One right-handed Fender Concert Acoustic Bass Guitar
- Concert Body: This guitar's concert body shape provides a well-balanced, well-rounded, and bright tone, great for freestyle fingerpicking and solo playing. Perfect for beginners and songwriters
- Premium Materials: Solid spruce top with scalloped "X" bracing, black painted mahogany back and sides, mahogany neck, and walnut fingerboard all come together for a deep and rich satisfying sound
- Enhanced Playability: Easily enhance and control your sound with the built-in Fishman Classic Design pickup/preamp tuner
- 2-Year Limited Warranty: Fender guitars are built with unmatched quality, down to the last screw- which is why Fender warrants this Fender acoustic guitar to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for two (2) years from original purchase
Other artist and signature bass launches
Dingwall Jared Smith Signature
The Archspire bassist’s signature instrument is described with one FD3n bridge pickup, a custom pickup ramp, and a Darkglass preamp. Smith says he wanted to “create exactly the instrument I need and reduce the options I never use.” He also describes a slimmer neck for fast playing and a focused tone from the bridge pickup alone. Those are the artist’s stated goals and impressions, not independent test findings.
Fender Lee Sklar Precision Bass
Guitar World describes this as a recreation of Lee Sklar’s P-Bass, with dual EMG active pickups, a slim 1962 Jazz Bass C-shaped neck, mandolin frets, a Hipshot BT-3 Bass Xtender, and a Badass II bridge. The reported construction and finish are an alder body with satin Heirloom nitro lacquer. Sklar says the team focused on the instrument’s pickups and electronics as well as its feel and response.
Spector NS Icon Neck-Through Series
The neck-through models are described as an extension of Spector’s NS Icon series, with a curved body, custom-shop design, custom neck carve, crown inlays, Aguilar DCB pickups, and an OBP-2 preamp. The roundup mentions four gloss finishes, and names Teal the Deal and Sweet Tea, but its finish details do not clearly establish the complete lineup.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteGuild Starfire Deluxe
The Starfire Deluxe bass joins Guild’s Newark St. Collection. Guitar World lists two Guild BS-1 BiSonic single-coil pickups, individual volume and tone controls, a three-way pickup selector, master volume, Grover Vintage Bass open-gear tuners, and an adjustable bridge with rosewood saddles. Guild Product Manager Nick Beach describes the bass as a reimagining of an iconic electric instrument that honors the company’s 1960s-era legacy while adding contemporary touches.
Cort Retro 304
The Retro 304 is described as a short-scale alder bass offered in Candy Apple Red or Seafoam Green, with a passive Voiced Tone VTB-TB humbucker and one volume and one tone control. Cort says the pickup is voiced for a deliberate vintage character and defined attack. The roundup does not specify the instrument’s scale length.
Ashdown’s contrasting Saint bass lines
Saint Avant
The Saint Avant uses a multi-scale design, which Ashdown presents as a way to optimize string tension across the fretboard. The roundup does not provide scale-length figures or a hands-on assessment of how the design feels.
Rank #2
- One right-handed Fender Kingman Acoustic Bass Guitar
- California Player: Decked out in the electric-inspired style of Fender's California Player series, this acoustic bass guitar delivers the full, deep acoustic projection and comfortable playing feel you expect from Fender.
- Premium Materials: Painted spruce top and mahogany construction, a mahogany jazz bass neck, and a walnut fingerboard
- Enhanced Playability: Easily enhance and control your sound with the built-in Fishman Classic Design pickup/preamp tuner
- 2-Year Limited Warranty: Fender guitars are built with unmatched quality, down to the last screw- which is why Fender warrants this Fender acoustic guitar to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for two (2) years from original purchase
Saint Artisan
The Saint Artisan takes a more traditional direction. Guitar World lists five finishes: Verdigris Green, Aegean Blue, Obsidian Black, Amethyst Purple, and Cardinal Red.
Bass amplification and cabinets
Aguilar DB 700 hybrid bass amp
Guitar World describes the DB 700 as a hybrid amplifier with two 12AX7 preamp tubes and a front end based on DB 751 architecture. Its reported output is 700 watts continuous into a minimum 2.67-ohm load. Connections and features listed include dual Speakon outputs, dual XLR outputs, an effects loop, auxiliary input, headphone output, and USB-C connectivity for loading cabinet impulse responses through Aguilar’s Cabinet Suite. These are specifications as reported by the roundup, not separately verified manufacturer data here.
EBS Session 110 combo
The Session 110 is described as a tilt-back solid-state combo with DSP-based shelving Bass and Treble controls, variable Mid-frequency control, a Character filter, Bluetooth audio streaming, and headphone output. Its balanced XLR line output has ground lift and pre/post-EQ switching. Guitar World gives the Character filter’s reported changes as +6 dB bass, -4.5 dB mids, and +4.5 dB treble. EBS describes the sound as a result of the interaction between its EQ, speaker, tweeter, and back-ported cabinet; that is manufacturer product language reproduced in the roundup.
Ampeg Venture VB-212 cabinet
The VB-212 is reported as a 40-pound, 500-watt RMS 2×12 cabinet with two custom-voiced 12-inch Lavoce neodymium woofers and a variable high-frequency driver with a three-way attenuator. Ampeg’s VB-212 PF Grille Assembly Accessory gives it a Portaflex-style appearance. The weight and power rating are figures reported by Guitar World, not measurements from a common comparison test.
How to compare these launches for your setup
The roundup offers features but no shared test protocol, prices, or current inventory. Rather than infer a winner, start with the requirements that will affect whether a model suits your playing and rig:
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Quick Recap
- For a bass: match string count and physical format to your playing, tuning, and transport needs; then consider scale design, neck shape, bridge features, pickup and preamp configuration, and available finishes.
- For an amplifier or cabinet: check output and supported load, cabinet configuration and weight, EQ and other controls, connectivity, and how often you will need to move the rig.
- Before buying: confirm the exact model, finish, regional specification, price, and stock with Mayones, the relevant manufacturer, or an authorized seller. The roundup does not establish current availability or retailer listings.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
