Archive for September 2012 - Page 3

Snark has introduced the SN10, the company’s first pedal tuner. The new stompbox features a large LCD display to show which pitch you’re tuning and red, yellow, and green bars to determine whether you’re flat, sharp, or in tune. It also offers pitch calibration from 415Hz to 466Hz. The pedal is powered by either a 9-volt battery or a 9-volt...

Ethan “EBassMan” Farmer has just released the music video for the song “Watch” from his solo album Wine & Strings. This song is funky beyond belief.

If legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson ever likened you to bassist Ray Brown, you’re obviously doing something right. That’s just the case for Brandi Disterheft, whose new album Gratitude is available now on Justin Time Records. The 27-year-old Canadian bassist, who has studied with Rufus Reid, Don Thompson, Niels-Henning Orsed Pederson and Ron Carter is well versed in the jazz...

Focusrite has a new USB audio interface dubbed the Scarlett 2i4. Featuring two inputs and four outputs, the 2i4 is housed in an anodized aluminum unibody chassis. The two combo XLR inputs allow for plugging in your bass, guitar, or microphone. Each input’s gain knob has a signal halo around it that changes color to inform you about your signal....

Bassist Pablo Elorza has started a new series on YouTube he’s calling “Deep Into Electric Bass Classics” with the infamous Jaco Pastorius tune “Havona.” Elorza rips through the tune, then breaks it all down for everyone trying to learn. He speaks in Spanish, but don’t worry, there are English subtitles for his in-depth analysis. Time to hit the woodshed!

Two years after her self-titled solo debut, Julie Slick has returned with Terroir, which is now available on BandCamp. Full of lush soundscapes, inspired compositions, and incredible bass playing, the 10-song album’s title offers several dimensions to the album’s meaning. ”Terroir is a French word, meaning ‘from the earth,’” she explains. “It is used to describe the qualities of a...

Fodera is finishing out their Standard series of basses with the Monarch 4 Standard. Similar to the Matt Garrison, Emperor 5, and Yin Yang Standard basses, the new model is built in batch and offered in a single configuration with no options in order to keep the price and wait time down. The Monarch 4 Standard is built with a...

Usually when we mark an anniversary, it is cause for celebration. Today isn’t one of those anniversaries. Twenty-five years ago today, the world lost a man many say was the greatest bass player ever. Jaco Pastorius, at the age of 35, died days after a violent altercation at a Florida bar. In the 25 years since Jaco’s passing, a lot...

The Wood Brothers have released the second installment of their live set with the release of Live, Volume 2: Nail & Tooth. The duo recorded the live sets during their 20-date U.S. tour, featuring covers from some of their biggest influences, including songs by Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Allen Toussaint. Bassist Chris Wood, who also handles vocals and harmonica and...

The Shuker Singlecut Elite is one beautiful instrument. Built by luthier Jon Shuker in the UK, the bass is highly customizable with options running from number of strings to top wood to construction type. Standard features include a 7-piece laminated neck made of maple, wenge, and padauk, a walnut body core, and a fingerboard of either Rio Rosewood, ebony, or...

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” might be a familiar phrase to most of us, but Victor Wooten has evidently never heard of it. Or, if he has, he’s never heeded its advice. With his ground-breaking A Show Of Hands CD, Wooten launched himself into the limelight of the bass community (and the greater music community too), proving himself...

Alistair Lasken sent in this video of Peter Kastner playing a funky version of the jazz standard “Nardis.” Peter has a simple drum track to accompany him and his Rob Allen MB-2 fretless bass. (Check out our Bass of the Week feature on the MB-2.)