Archive for March 2018 - Page 5

Dean Markley has added an Extra-Medium set to its NickelSteel Bass Signature Series of strings. The XM strings split the difference between medium and heavy with gauges of measuring .050, .070, .090, and .110 mm in the four-string set. A five-string set adds a .130mm low B string. The company describes the string as offering a “full bright sound” with...

We’re still eagerly awaiting the release of the new Derek Smalls album, Smalls Change. Thankfully the Spinal Tap rock god has given us another tease with a music video for the song “It Don’t Get Old”. Smalls (portrayed by Harry Shearer) is joined by session guitar legend Waddy Wachtel as well as a wigged Chad Smith on the drums. And...

TC Electronic has expanded their bass offerings with the SpectraDrive, a bass preamp and line driver that the company calls a powerful tone tool for bass players. Its preamp section is taken from their BH800 head and features a four-band EQ plus TonePrint compression from their SpectraComp effect. “But the real power of SpectraDrive is the custom built studio-grade DI...

Stuart Clayton is one hard-working bassist and educator. Here’s a new lesson he’s just released, covering how to play Flea’s bass line on Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Hump de Bump.” Check out the video and be sure to download the full transcription from Stuart’s Bassline Publishing website.

Stone Temple Pilots are back with their first album since 2010’s self-titled release. Their new album, also self-titled, is the first to feature new lead singer Jeff Gutt, who fills the shoes of the late Scott Weiland and Chester Bennington. Of course, the album is anchored by the creative bass lines of Robert DeLeo. The bassist was first introduced to...

Norway’s OnkartGromt has expanded their pedal lineup for bassists with three new models: the FunkyFellow envelope filter, the TurboTore EQ, and the Tremolando tremolo. Each of the pedals is fitted with a unique OLED screen that gives a visual representation of the effect’s parameters. In the case of the FunkyFellow, the screen shows the frequency response live. The filter has...

With nearly six decades in the business, Buster Williams has just about seen it all. He’s worked with some of the world’s best instrumentalists (Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Sonny Stitt, and Gene Ammons to name a few) and the world’s best vocalists (Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan, Dakota Staton, and Carmen McRae, to name a few). As you can imagine, he’s...

Last month we featured a video by Brady Watt & the Lifetronics performing “Roots Around My Ribcage” – a video that made the top 10 reader favorite list for the month. Here’s another live clip by Brady and the band performing Chick Corea’s tune, “Captain Marvel.”

At the end of 2016, Peter Hook & The Light embarked on a North American tour to perform Joy Division and New Order’s legendary Factory Records compilation albums “Substance” live, sequentially and in their entireties. Now they’re bringing it back for another round of tour dates from April to June. Hook, who shares bass duties with his son Jack Bates,...

Every year, Warwick produces a limited edition bass from their custom shop. This year they’re also releasing a Pro Series Teambuilt limited edition model. The Warwick Streamer Stage I LTD 2018 is part of their Custom Shop Masterbuilt Limited Edition basses. Available in four of five-string versions, the bass is built with a swamp ash body topped with a 1-inch...

I’ve always dug Janek Gwizdala’s compositions. Guitarists Martin Miller and Tom Quayle dig them too. So they decided to take on Janek’s tune, “Mana.” Along with bassist Benni Jud and drummer Felix Lehrmann, these guys nailed it.

Mud Morganfield has returned with a new album entitled They Call Me Mud. The son of blues icon Muddy Waters, Morganfield draws heavily on the Chicago blues sound while mixing in classic R&B. “Certainly, there will be comparisons to his dad, but that can be expected and rightly so,” co-producer Rick Keher explains. “Mud comes as close to the Muddy...