Fender Unveils Limited Edition American Professional Jazz Bass
After introducing the American Professional line in December, Fender has unveiled the Limited Edition Exotic Collection. The series includes the 2017 Limited Edition American Professional Jazz Bass FMT, which combines the features of the Professional model with a figured maple top. The bass is built with an alder body, quartersawn maple neck, and rosewood fretboard. The neck has a slim...
The Grateful Dead’s Debut Album Given 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
The Grateful Dead celebrated the 50th anniversary of their band back in July 2015, and now they’re celebrating 50 years since their debut album with a special re-release. The Grateful Dead: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition contains a remastered version of the original album plus a bonus disc of an unreleased concert from July 29th, 1966 and select songs from July...
Ampeg Introduces Two New Bass Pedals at NAMM
Ampeg launched two new pedals at the Winter NAMM Show this year with the Classic analog bass preamp and Scrambler bass overdrive. The pedals represent either side of Ampeg’s other pedal offering, the SCR-DI, into two smaller focused pedals. The Classic pedal allows for dialing in an Ampeg tone with its three-band tone stack as well as Ultra-Lo and Ultra-Hi...
Juan Alderete and Halo Orbit Preview New Music
Juan Alderete has teamed up with guitarist/synth player suGar Yoshinaga and drummer Mark Guiliana for a killer new project called Halo Orbit. The trio is spread across the globe with the Alderete in Los Angeles, Guiliana in New York, and Yoshinaga in Tokyo. Their combination of influences and styles create a sound they describe as blending “futuristic rock, a volatile...
Tedeschi Trucks Band Announces Summer Tour with Wood Brothers, Hot Tuna
The Tedeschi Trucks Band has been going hard on the road this year, and now they’ve announced the biggest “Wheel of Soul” tour to date. The third annual summer tour will include support from The Wood Brothers and Hot Tuna, meaning bass lovers will be treated to Timothy Lefebvre (Tedeschi Trucks), Chris Wood (The Wood Brothers), and Jack Casady (Hot...
Bass of the Week: Stradi Symphony Stone Bass
A lot of times, basses with exotic burl tops look like they are made out of marble. The Stradi Symphony Stone Bass is a step in that direction. In addition to its unique singlecut body shape, this particular bass is built with a cedar body topped with a thin layer of natural stone. The result is stunning. The bass’s five-piece...
In Memoriam: Pete Overend Watts
Pete Overend Watts, who founded and played bass for Mott the Hoople, has passed away after a battle with cancer. He was 69 years old. Born in Yardley, Birmingham, Watts started on guitar while at Ross Grammar School. He switched to bass when he was 18 and eventually started playing professionally with guitarist Mick Ralphs in The Buddies. The band...
Aguilar Amplification Unveils AG 700 Bass Amplifier
Aguilar Amplification has announced the expansion of their AG amplifier series with the AG 700. The company describes their latest creation as having the clarity, dynamic range and fast transient response of their AG 500 with a larger low end and headroom. It offers 700 continuous watts at four ohms while weighing just 4.9 pounds. Its tonal shaping controls include...
The Killers Reissue “Hot Fuss” on Vinyl
In 2004, The Killers took the pop and rock worlds by storm with their debut album Hot Fuss. Propelled by bassist Mark Stoermer’s catchy bass lines, the release garnered hits with “Mr. Brightside”, “Somebody Told Me”, “Smile Like You Mean It,” and “All These Things That I’ve Done.” Now the band has reissued their breakout album on vinyl. Hot Fuss...
Reverend Guitars Unveils Mike Watt Signature Wattplower Bass
Bass legend Mike Watt has teamed up with Reverend Guitars for a special signature bass called the Wattplower. The short-scale bass also features a smaller body and is reminiscent of vintage basses that Watt gravitated towards. “He was always modifying the vintage basses,” Reverend writes, “so Joe Naylor built the Wattplower with all of his favorite mods on board, some...
The Wood Brothers Release Live Album, Announce Tour Dates
The Wood Brothers are back with a new live album and tour for 2017. The trio of guitarist Oliver Wood, bassist Chris Wood, and drummer Jano Rix have just released Live At The Barn, which sees the band performing at a beautiful and bittersweet venue. Late drummer/vocalist Levon Helm regularly featured the Wood Brothers at his barn in Woodstock, New...
Aidan Hampson Releases Red Hot Chili Peppers “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” Bass Transcription Book
Aidan Hampson has once again expanded his library of bass transcriptions, this time focusing on the funk rock work of Flea. More specifically, the book has the bass parts written out for the entire Red Hot Chili Peppers album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. “There are some absolute classics in here, including ‘Give It Away’, ‘Under the Bridge’ and ‘My Lovely...