Archive for July 2015 - Page 9

Tech 21 has unveiled the VT Bass 500, a bass amp head that marries their all-analog SansAmp preamp with a 500-watt Class D power amplifier. The amp, which is adapted from the SansAmp Character Series, weighs in at 6.5 pounds. A key point to the amp’s circuitry is its Character control that alters the overall tone of the unit from...

Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris is getting ready to take his solo project British Lion out on the road for a month-long tour of the UK. For a teaser of what’s to come, the bass legend posted this live clip of “Eyes of the Young” from his 2012 album. Harris brings his signature snarling tone and driving bass lines to...

The first official video release of a 1982 Shea Stadium show by The Who has arrived on DVD and Blu-ray. Featuring restored video and newly mixed sound, the concert shows a band in its last days with its second drummer Kenney Jones. The tour promoted the band’s album It’s Hard, and would be its last until 1989. Of course the...

Mark Egan has a very specific sound. Whether it’s from co-founding the jazz fusion band, Elements, or being a part of the Pat Metheny Group… or from the Gil Evans Orchestra to his work with Sting, Joan Osborne, Cyndi Lauper or Art Garfunkel. The smooth, fretless electric bass sound is unmistakably his. Egan spent a significant amount of time honing...

Here’s one for your throwback Thursday files: Rush performing “2112” on December 10th, 1976 at Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey. I love how Geddy Lee says they don’t have a lot of time, so they’ll play “2112”.

Swedish hardcore punk band Refused has released its first album in almost 20 years, Freedom. The record features one of its original bassists, Magnus Flagge, who was tapped to play with the band for its reunion shows in 2012. Refused was known for its revolving door on bass, having featured 13 bassists during the band’s lifetime. Check out Refused’s comeback...

Q: What is your opinion of the role of bass in both Death Metal and Black Metal? I’m a big fan of both styles and have tried to work out by ear, exactly what the bass is doing, but within these styles, the bass is very seldom heard. In a situation like this, what’s the best way of playing along...

Here’s a super fun video of the Hamish Stuart Band performing in 2013. In this clip, Will Lee is not only looking sharp, he’s laying down the funk (with some iconic bass lines thrown in here and there for good measure).

Back before Alice Cooper was known only as one man, it was the name of an entire band. And that band’s bassist was Dennis Dunaway, who co-wrote Alice Cooper (in terms of either the band or the man) hits like “School’s Out” and played on iconic albums like Billion Dollar Babies. Dunaway has now released his story of the band’s...