Dr. No Effects Announces MotherBrain Analog Delay
Dr. No Effects has released the MotherBrain Analog Delay for guitar, bass, keyboards and vocals. The limited-edition, hand-crafted pedal is described as a “high-end delay that produces classic tones.” It features three controls: Present, Insanity, and Memory. Present acts as a mix of the delay and dry signals, where Insanity is the actual Delay time and Memory controls the repeats/feedback....
TC Electronic Unveils the WireTap Riff Recorder Pedal
TC Electronic has introduced the WireTap Riff Recorder, a compact pedal that can record 8 hours of recording time stored in CD audio quality. Similar to the Ditto, the new pedal has pared down controls for “plug and play” capabilities. Pressing the footswitch begins and ends the recording process while play, back, and next buttons allow you to listen back...
Nenad Vasilic: Zapevala Sojka Ptica
Ever since we posted Nenad Vasilic’s solo bass version of “Vranjanka“, I’ve been hooked on his playing. His use of ghost notes and bass percussion create such driving songs, especially for solo bass. Here’s a great clip from a recent concert in Nis, Serbia where he performed songs from his latest album, The Art of Balkan Bass. Check out “Zapevala...
Niodel: 6
I love musicians that experiment and think outside the box. Here’s a great example of that with a video by Niodel. The duo of bassist Paolo Cipollini and drummer Mattia Bellotti get their sound by mixing in live electronics and “sound expansions” to create eerie and sublime sonic textures. Here’s a clip they simply call “6”:
Bass of the Week: Jersey Girls Goose Bordeaux
This week we’re checking out a Goose bass by Jersey Girls Homemade Guitars. This particular bass – built by the team of luthiers Kaz G, Akiko Oda and Eiko Goto – is called the Bordeaux for the lovely wine colored finish over its light ash body. Its hard maple neck is topped by a fingerboard made from Karin, also known...
Ben Titus: Looping Bass Arrangement of “Radioactive”
Bassist Ben Titus sent in this awesome looping arrangement of the Imagine Dragons hit “Radioactive”, and I’m glad he did. He gets a gorgeous tone from his six-string and creates a perfect pad with his chord voicings.
In Memoriam: Marshall “Rock” Jones
Sad news to report today: Ohio Players bassist Marshall “Rock” Jones has passed away after battling cancer and recently suffering a stroke. He was 75 years old. Jones was a founding member of the Ohio Players precursor band The Ohio Untouchables in 1959, though he left after getting in a fistfight 1964. Another shakeup led to Jones rejoining in 1970....
Cog Effects Introduces Knightfall 66 and Mini 66 Overdrive Pedals
Cog Effects has discontinued their Knightfall pedal to create two new stompbox offerings: the Knightfall 66 and Mini 66 Overdrives. Each pedal is built one at a time with true bypass switching, engraved aluminium enclosure and no PCB-mounted jacks. The Knightfall 66 has two Gain knobs with an A/B footswitch so users can have two different drives dialed in. Both...
MonoNeon on Playing with Prince
When Prince died on April 21st, the world lost another legend. The Purple One touched so many lives through his music that he was more than a musician; he was a cultural icon. Besides being a world-class bassist himself, Prince always kept top-notch low-enders by his side. Rhonda Smith, Mark Brown, André Cymone, Larry Graham, Ida Nielsen, Andrew Gouché and...
Tom Barger and Leland Sklar: Jamaica Rendezvous
Today is Leland Sklar‘s birthday, and we’re celebrating with another great video. If ever you’re looking for a lesson in tone, taste, and time, just look up a video of Lee. (Even better, you should follow him on Facebook.) Here’s a duet he shared of “Jamaica Rendezvous” with the late singer/songwriter Tom Barger. Sklar lays down a tasty groove with...
The Killers Bassist Mark Stoermer Halts Touring
The Killers have announced that Mark Stoermer will be taking a break from touring with the band to work on his own projects. The bassist, who has been part of the lineup since 2002, will still be a part of the band and involved in recording the group’s new album. “Mark has decided to take a break from The Killers...
Fur Peace Ranch Announces 2016 Bass Workshops
Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch and Arts Center has announced its lineup of bass workshops for 2016, and it’s bound to be a good year. Kaukonen’s Hot Tuna partner and regular FPR educator Jack Casady will return while bassists Kai Eckhardt and Bobby Vega will teach their own workshops this summer and fall. First up will be Eckhardt, who will...