Top 5SponsoredHas said they use
Said in Conversation with Nathan East on His Yamaha BBNE2 Signature Bass (Bass Musician Magazine), October 2018
No store page for this one.
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Nathan East. Every item links to its public source.
5 items · Last checked What bass does Nathan East play?
Nathan East uses the Laney DIGBETH DB-EAST signature bass head and the DB-EAST-PRE preamp pedal, both launched with Laney in 2025 and 2026. He has said he plays his Yamaha signature basses, the BB NE and the BBNE2, and he has said he uses the Yamaha NE-1 bass EQ he helped develop.
Top 5
Where to start with Nathan East's gear.
01
02
Laney
DIGBETH DB-EAST Signature Bass Head
Top 5SponsoredUses
“After all these years, I finally have an amp that reproduces the sound I love so much.”
Said in Nathan East & Laney Unveil DIGBETH DB-EAST Signature Bass Head (Laney), March 2025
03
Laney
DIGBETH DB-EAST-PRE Bass Preamp
Top 5SponsoredUses
“There's a lot of information packed in this little box”
Said in Nathan East's First Signature Preamp Arrives: The Laney Digbeth DB-EAST-PRE (No Treble), February 2026
04
Yamaha
BB NE Signature Bass
Top 5SponsoredHas said they use
Yamaha
BB NE Signature Bass“I wanted a sound that was percussive, but with body”
Said in Nathan East: Pillar of Bass (Yamaha All Access), June 2003
No store page for this one.
05
Yamaha
NE-1 Bass Equalizer
Top 5SponsoredHas said they use
Yamaha
NE-1 Bass Equalizer“That box is great”
Said in Nathan East: Pillar of Bass (Yamaha All Access), June 2003
No store page for this one.
What bass gear Nathan East uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Amps
Laney
DIGBETH DB-EAST Signature Bass Head
SponsoredUses
“After all these years, I finally have an amp that reproduces the sound I love so much.”
Said in Nathan East & Laney Unveil DIGBETH DB-EAST Signature Bass Head (Laney), March 2025
Laney
DIGBETH DB-EAST-PRE Bass Preamp
SponsoredUses
“There's a lot of information packed in this little box”
Said in Nathan East's First Signature Preamp Arrives: The Laney Digbeth DB-EAST-PRE (No Treble), February 2026
Yamaha
NE-1 Bass Equalizer
SponsoredHas said they use
Yamaha
NE-1 Bass Equalizer“That box is great”
Said in Nathan East: Pillar of Bass (Yamaha All Access), June 2003
No store page for this one.
Basses
SponsoredHas said they use
Said in Conversation with Nathan East on His Yamaha BBNE2 Signature Bass (Bass Musician Magazine), October 2018
No store page for this one.
Yamaha
BB NE Signature Bass
SponsoredHas said they use
Yamaha
BB NE Signature Bass“I wanted a sound that was percussive, but with body”
Said in Nathan East: Pillar of Bass (Yamaha All Access), June 2003
No store page for this one.
Questions
About Nathan East's gear.
What bass does Nathan East play?
Nathan East has played Yamaha signature basses: the original BB NE, which grew out of Yamaha's BB5000 five-string, and the later BBNE2, a neck-through five-string he discussed with Bass Musician Magazine in 2018.
What amp does Nathan East use?
Nathan East uses the Laney DIGBETH DB-EAST, a 1,000 watt signature bass head launched in March 2025. He told Laney that he finally has an amp that reproduces the sound he loves so much.
What preamp does Nathan East use?
In 2026 Laney released the DB-EAST-PRE, Nathan East's first signature bass preamp pedal, built on the preamp section of his DB-EAST head and loaded with impulse responses of his cabinets.
What EQ does Nathan East use?
Nathan East helped create the Yamaha NE-1 bass equalizer. In a Yamaha All Access interview he described it as a stand-alone EQ that cuts mids, adds high end for popping and makes the low end rounder.
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Named in this guide
NE
Nathan East
About this guide · Last checked
Nathan East is the session bassist heard on records by Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, and a founding member of Fourplay. This guide covers his Yamaha signature basses, the Yamaha EQ box he helped create and his Laney signature amp and preamp.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Nathan East didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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