Jeff Gorham

If there’s one thing about playing I’ve always had trouble with, it’s going through strings. My hands sweat. A lot. And sweat really breaks down strings, especially in places where the humidity can be really bad (such as the Midwest, where I live). I’ve played every brand and type of string: coated, uncoated, steel, nickel… the whole spectrum, and I’ve...

by PocketLabworks (in collaboration with Gallien Krueger) is the world’s first bass-exclusive iOS bass practice tool. The app was created in an effort to level the playing field for bass players, since there are so many guitar-exclusive apps out there. Features PocketGK features a bass amp with two channels: clean and Boost. Boost offers the Gallien Krueger GIVE circuit tone....

The Green Rhino MkII, by Way Huge Electronics made its debut at the NAMM Show in January, and I recently took it for a test spin. Way Huge was making pedals back in the 1990’s and sort of fell off the radar for a while. Dunlop now manufactures this new series, and one of the most popular requests for a...

In response to the my last column on bass pickups (Bass Pickups: A Guide to Formulating Your Sound) we received a request from a reader to cover the topic of setting up pickup height. Because everyone plays differently and every bass is different – even when comparing two similar models from the same company – there is no black and...

There are a number of variables to consider in the search for your ideal tone. To date, we have discussed options relative to amplification. Key among the variables that impact bass tone is pickups thus this column concentrates on pickups. While there are many things that contribute to the timbre and tone of your bass (tone woods, strings, etc), pickups...

Many people who have been playing for an extended period of time may be guilty of this. Many may have learned quickly, or still do it after 30 years of playing. But what happens when you use an instrument cable instead of a speaker cable to run your amp? And, furthermore, what are the differences between them? This month we’ll...

“Small. Under-powered. Lackluster tone.” These words come to mind when one thinks of a bass combo amp. We’re pre-programmed to assume this as most combo amps are all those things because most combos are beginner amps. TC Electronics’ has set-out to destroy the old combo amp negative connotations with its new BG500. The BG 500 bass combo amp comes in...

Amplification can be confusing to a newbie coming from a combo amp. If you are new to amps and cabs, this article should be helpful in explaining what speaker impedance is, and how it works with your amp head. You may also want to read my previous article, “Decoding Graphic Equalizers: Get Past ‘Scooping’ Your Tone”, for some more helpful...

I get a lot of calls and e-mails from fellow bassists and guitarists alike pertaining to all sorts of equipment problems. One of the most recessing issues I deal with is walking someone through the steps of setting-up their graphic equalizers (you know, the thing with all the sliding tabs that you arrange to look like a smiley-face). Most guitarists...