Markbass - MB GV 4 GOG CR RW FC Blue Sky

With the MB GV 4 GOG Blue Sky, Markbass and Andrew Gouchè are playing the controlled groove card. This model takes the J Style silhouette, well known to lovers of slap and dynamic fingerpicking, and slips in JJ Style Noiseless pickups capable of recording every attack without breath or noise. What you have here is an instrument that's not about folklore: each component has been chosen to maximise precision and musicality, without trying to show you off... even if, between you and me, that Blue Sky finish makes quite an impression.

Its ultra-thin maple neck is an invitation to string together melodic lines without tiring. If you're the kind of person who plays for hours without looking up, you'll soon realise that this bass has muscle memory. The C-shaped profile hugs your hand like an old friend, while the rosewood fingerboard welcomes your fingers with barely feigned benevolence.

Markbass has designed this bass for those who refuse to choose between aesthetics and efficiency. The alder body provides a good balance between warmth and clarity, and every control - independent volume for each pickup, passive tone - responds to your fingertips without unpleasant surprises. In use, you can sculpt your sound with precision without having to go through 12 hidden menus. So, are you ready to wake up the walls or hypnotise an audience with the sheer force of your harmonics? It's there, just waiting for your groove.

The little bonus that changes everything? This MB GV 4GOG Blue Sky comes in its own case, snug in its MB Bass Bag Gloxy cocoon. Solid and well finished, it protects without doing the job halfway. It's reassuring enough for even the most awkward backstage bassists. Take it with you wherever you go, but be warned, you might be asked to play one more tune. Or two. Or eight.