Archive for February 2012 - Page 3

Eric Czar’s Signature bass from Adamovic is a thing of beauty. With a monstrous 7-strings and 30 frets, the instrument gives Czar an incredible range. Strung E to A#, bass was designed between Czar and Nikola Adamovic to allow for easy chord playing and fast tapping while combining “the unique voices and timbres of a bass and a baritone guitar...

Passion trumps all. That’s what master luthier Michael Pedulla learned after building his business to greater and greater heights. Starting as a one man shop in 1975, Pedulla reached a pinnacle in production during the mid-1990’s, putting out close to 750 basses each year. Michael was forced to work more on running the company than building basses, and since then...

One of my favorite bassists, Miles Mosley took the stage at one of my favorite off-NAMM events, the annual Bass Bash. Here’s Miles with Tony Austin. The duo won “Best In Show” at NAMM 2012 for their performance at the Bash. He’s also rocking it on his Blast Cult bass (check out our story on Blast Cult and the bass).

BB Blackdog is a band that defies the norm. Comprised of two bassists and a drummer, the Steampunk rock outfit has been spreading their own brand of catchy riffs and low-end goodness for several years with tours across Europe and the U.S. John Ferguson is the band’s rhythm bassist and Dale Rowles is the lead bassist and vocalist. The trio...

In 2010, Ibanez unveiled the Gerald Veasley Signature GVB1006 Bass. Built by the company’s master luthiers in Japan, it comes with a price point that not everyone can reach. For 2012, Ibanez has introduced the GVB36, which shares many of the same attributes while making it more affordable. Similar to the 1006, the GVB36 is a 6-string with a string...

Q: I’m an amateur bassist, and my current setup consists of an active bass, multi-effects pedal and a combo amp. All of these have equalizers built in, and I’m really unsure how to use them all to the best of their potential. The multi-effects pedal has the most versatility, having separate modules for high and low equalizers with an option...

You know when you stumble upon a random video, and you were really glad you did? This is one of those videos. The tune is “Latin Dream”, which bridges so many styles and rhythms at once it makes it hard to classify it as anything other than awesome. Bassist Jonathan Levy switches effortlessly between unison lines and holding down the...

Big Sir has released their fourth album, Before Gardens After Gardens. Part electronica and part indie rock, the band is a collaboration between Mars Volta bassist Juan Alderete and vocalist Lisa Papineau who provide the foundation for the music. Before Gardens After Gardens deals with life and death, as the both Alderete and Papineau were diagnosed with serious illnesses around...

Meet Jessica Karjanis, a bassist from Stamford, Connecticut who is about as versatile as they come. Jessica plays electric, upright (and cello), in bands ranging from original hard rock to bluegrass to metal. Jessica is our player in the spotlight for the week of February 21, 2012. Bio: I’m a 27-year-old teacher who spends the nights and weekends playing bass....

Genz Benz expanded their cabinet offerings with the introduction of the Focus LT series at NAMM this year. The lineup includes a 1×12, a 2×10, a 1×15, and a 4×10. Designed to be compact and high-powered, the Focus LT series have a smaller stage footprint to save space during performances. Each of the cabinets carries speakers with ceramic/ferrite magnet structures,...

Of all the great EWF songs out there, “That’s the Way of the World” might be my favorite. Here’s the band performing that tune live at a 1981 concert in Oakland, and they are in top shape. Of course, the legendary Verdine White is helping to lay down the “almighty groove.” As one commenter reacted, “Verdine on bass. It just...

Metallica has announced the Orion Music + More Festival, a two-day event full of music, entertainment and culture named in part as a tribute to bass legend Cliff Burton. (“Orion” was the instrumental hit penned by Burton featured on the group’s Master of Puppets album.) The band itself will be headlining each night’s festivities with performances of their classic albums...