Archive for July 2011 - Page 6

Released in 1986, Megadeth’s second studio album, Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? hit platinum status. For the first time since the original release, the album has been digitally remastered and repackaged in a 25th anniversary edition by Capitol/EMI. The landmark album features the bass work of Dave Ellefson. The deluxe set comes in a lift-top box with 5 discs, 3...

Recorded live in November 2010 for a Fender event, here’s Marcus Miller performing his take on Prince’s “When Doves Cry”.

Fender has incorporated some low end into their Blacktop series with the introduction of the Blacktop Precision and Blacktop Jazz Bass guitars. The line of basses are made for a thick, heavy sound and are what Fender describes as “two of the most distinctive iterations of the instruments.” Built on an alder body, the Blacktop Precision has two humbucking pickups...

Practicing scales in a musical way helps keep things interesting. In this lesson, we kick off with some tips for practicing scales by using different intervals, arpeggios and fingerings. We’re also introducing a new approach to looking at the Major scale formula. Normally, we view it as 7 different steps (8, if you count the octave): G A B C...

After first meeting at EuroBassDay in 2010, Italian bassists Simone Vignola and Alberto Rigoni have teamed up for a new project called the BASStards. Featuring “fat riffs, hard grooves and catchy atmospheres,” the collaboration has released this music video to their first single, “Obsession.”

Bassists/singers Mike Watt and Kira Roessler have released their latest effort from their bass-focused duo, Dos. Dos y Dos is a 13-track release featuring two basses and vocals by Roessler. The duo first teamed up in 1985. Watt was playing bass with The Minutemen full-time while Roessler performed with Black Flag. The two began recording together on Watt’s four-track, before...

Custom bass builder Luthman Basses has announced their latest model, the Mystic First. Mystic First is a passive bass with bolt-on construction. Bodies are made with the bassist’s choice of ash, alder, ovangkol or mahogany woods, and the neck is made with either wenge with maple accents or the reverse, maple with wenge accents. Fingerboard wood choices include either rosewood...

Bassist, singer and songwriter Rhonda Smith‘s musical resume is as impressive as they come. Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia to a musical family, Rhonda started on baritone horn, keyboard and guitar. Picking up the bass, she said, was all thanks to her brother. “He brought a bass home one day and told me not to touch it.” Most recently, Rhonda...

Solo bassist Kimberly Lynn has shared her latest video, a live bass looping performance dubbed “Song with No Name.” Kimberly explains, “Another one of my grooves that goes over well when performing. And, as with most of my grooves that ‘turn into tunes’, I sit around a bit and ponder what to title it. In this case I’m just letting...

The reggae rockers of Sublime with Rome have released their first album, Yours Truly. The band of course consists original Sublime members Bud Gaugh and bassist Eric Wilson, with singer/guitarist Rome Ramirez filling the spot of the late Brad Nowell. Fans of the original lineup will get the same bass-heavy reggae/ska/punk fusion they’ve come to love. Wilson, whose fat bass...

Cort has teamed up with the German bass builders at Sandberg to create the Arona series of bass guitars. Available in 4 or 5-string versions, the Arona marries Sandberg’s engineering and designs with Cort’s production. The Arona is available with a swamp ash or alder body depending on the finish, and has a 3-piece bolt-on maple neck with a rosewood...

Q: How would you approach teaching children? Trying to keep it interesting while teaching technique, reading and material seems an impossible combination to me. Kids just don’t have the patience that adults do. Any advice? A: My advice? Teach adults! Seriously, this has perplexed me as well and I’ve had to become honest with myself and decided that I just...