Archive for July 2014 - Page 7

After keeping them to limited to artists and exclusive dealers, Dean Markley has launched a nickel-plated version of their Blue Steel bass strings. Similar to the stainless steel set, the Blue Steel Nickel-Plated strings are cryogenically frozen with liquid nitrogen to improve their lifespan. The company describes the strings as gentler to the touch. Nickel also creates less distortion for...

Rufus Reid has a vibe on bass that will fill an entire room. Check out this video of his Out Front trio performing the jazz standard “Come Rain or Come Shine” live at Dizzy’s and you’ll see what I mean. Reid’s distinct tone and cooler-than-cool phrasing sets the tone as he plays the melody and supports pianist Steve Allee before...

Conquering Dystopia’s self-titled debut album has made its way to another format — . With Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse) on bass, the record is a force of instrumental death metal that lasts nearly an hour. The remaining members of the band are Jeff Loomis (guitar), Keith Merrow (guitar), and Alex Rudinger (drums.) You can check out how Webster achieves his...

This week we check out the Custom AG by Belgian luthier Paul Belgrado. Finished in a root beer color nitrocellulose finish, the bass gives an air of classic ideas with a modern approach. The AG is built with an alder body, maple neck, and madagascar rosewood fingerboard. It gets its meaty sound from a pair of Lindy Fralin double coil,...

Here’s something I never thought I’d see. Studio legend Carol Kaye gave KISS bassist Gene Simmons an impromptu bass lesson at Sunset Sound studios in Hollywood, and luckily cameras were rolling to catch it.

Hip hop supergroup Deltron 3030 is continuing to tour in support of their latest release, , which dropped in September. The group, featuring the core of Dan the Automator, Del the Funky Homosapien and Kid Koala, features bass extraordinaire Juan Alderete laying down the low end. The North American leg of their tour wraps up this month with dates in...

Q: I’m having trouble grooving with the drummer in my band. My bread and butter is hip-hop and R&B, and he is coming from the world of straight-ahead jazz. We play in a very backbeat-oriented group, and the only time there is ever a pocket is if I put him in mine and carry him around in it all night,...

Dirty Loops has just released a new cover video, this time tackling Avicii’s “Wake Me Up.” Taking a more laid back feel than their previous covers, the clip has bassist Henrik Linder taking a more chordal approach. And no, your eyes do not deceive you. The bassist is using his Mattissonbass that features true temperament frets, making the frets uneven...

The collaboration between bassist/vocalist dUg Pinnick (King’s X), guitarist/vocalist Eric Gales (Lauryn Hill) and drummer Thomas Pridgen (The Mars Volta), known collectively as Pinnick Gales Pridgen, was too good not to keep alive for a second album. The music on runs the gamut, ranging from psychedelic blues to progressive soul and hard rock. And although the trio loves playing together,...

Okay, so this week’s spotlight is on a bassist who seems quite cool, starting with his name: Charles William Power Jones. “Cool” is also the word Charles used to describe both the bass and the bassist he saw playing it when he was in the 8th grade. A short time later, he began his musical journey and hasn’t looked back...

In a move that has shocked the music industry, members of Pink Floyd have announced they will be releasing a new album later this year entitled The Endless River. The album will be their first in 20 years, following The Division Bell, which . “Pink Floyd can confirm that they are releasing a new album, The Endless River, in October...

Adam Stevens has shared some impressive all-bass covers over the years. This time around, he’s taking a new approach – technically speaking – in covering Justin Timberlake’s “I Think She Knows Interlude”, as part of his experimentation with live performance relying on looping. “Just having some fun with Ableton Live and its incredible live looping capabilities. This is my first...