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Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 453


Earthquaker Devices Introduces The Bellows
Pedals & Effects

Earthquaker Devices Introduces The Bellows

The eccentric effects creators at EarthQuaker Devices have released the Bellows Fuzzdriver, which they describe as a “back-to-basics, transistor-based dirt device.” The pedal is pared down to just Level and Drive controls for a straight-forward vintage vibe. “Similar to the volume control of a “non master” amp, the Drive determines how hard the signal hits the input. At lower drive...

Olivier Babaz: Minor Swing
Bass Videos

Olivier Babaz: Minor Swing

Bassist Olivier Babaz sent us this video of himself taking an arco solo over the gypsy jazz standard “Minor Swing”, and I had to watch a few times. Besides playing some great ideas, he gets a huge tone that will make your ears happy.

Guns N’ Roses: Sweet Child O’ Mine, Live 1992
Bass Videos

Guns N’ Roses: Sweet Child O’ Mine, Live 1992

I’ve been getting pumped up for the Guns N’ Roses reunion this year by checking out older performances, and this one caught me. Shot in Tokyo in 1992, the video starts with Duff McKagan riffing for Axl Rose to intro the band with “Sail Away Sweet Sister” and “Bad Time” before kicking into “Sweet Child O’ Mine”. The song, of...

Vels Trio: Yellow Ochre
Bass Videos

Vels Trio: Yellow Ochre

There’s been a great wave of instrumental/jazz-rock bands as of late, and Vels Trio is one of them. Anchored by bassist Cameron Dawson, the group explores genre bending grooves and textures. Here’s a great clip of the trio performing “Yellow Ochre,” which has Dawson alternating between a bubbling, filtered bass line and a straight groove.

Gogo Tuners Introduces the Horizon Pedal Tuner
Accessories & Strings

Gogo Tuners Introduces the Horizon Pedal Tuner

GoGo Tuners has announced the Horizon Pedal Tuner, a new chromatic pedal tuner with a large horizontal screen. Its pitch detection range stretches from A0 (27.5Hz) to C8 (4186.00Hz) with +/- .5-cent accuracy. Other features include true bypass and the ability to daisy chain power for other pedals. “The new Horizon tuning pedal captures the ‘bigger is better’ philosophy with...

Brian Wilson and Carol Kaye: Good Vibrations
Bass Videos

Brian Wilson and Carol Kaye: Good Vibrations

Carol Kaye is a living legend of the bass who played on countless recordings with memorable bass lines. One of those is “Good Vibrations”, and we’re lucky enough to have found this clip of Kaye and Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson playing through the tune as a duet. While the bass could be louder in this recording, it’s easy to...

Bass of the Week: Evilectric Skull Bass
Bass of the Week

Bass of the Week: Evilectric Skull Bass

With a name like Evilectric, you might guess that the company makes some gnarly looking basses. You’d be right. Evilectric builds full 41 3/4-inch scale electric upright basses with custom designs. Only three have been made so far, and this week we’re checking out the Skull bass. The body is a skull and cross bones with the bridge sitting right...

The Gap Band: Shake, Live 1981
Bass Videos

The Gap Band: Shake, Live 1981

Robert Wilson was the Godfather of the Bass and a pioneer of the funk. Here’s just a taste of what put him in the history books as one of the greatest bassists of all time. This 1981 clip of “Shake” comes from a live concert in Houston, Texas and has Wilson in top form. The song is chock full of...

Weezer Announces New Album, Music Video, 2016 Tour Dates
Concerts & Tours

Weezer Announces New Album, Music Video, 2016 Tour Dates

Good news, Weezer fans: the band has announced a new self titled album, an extensive 2016 tour, and a new music video. The whirlwind announcement was made on their website. “This album was inspired by my experiences hanging around the Westside of Los Angeles, which has been our home since Weezer began,” frontman Rivers Cuomo wrote. “Hanging out with people...

Godin Guitars Announces Passion RG-4 Bass
Basses

Godin Guitars Announces Passion RG-4 Bass

Godin Guitars will be showing the new Passion RG-4 Swamp Ash Bass at the 2016 Winter NAMM show. Following the Passion guitar line, the RG-4 features five tuned, Synchronized Resonance Chambers that are interconnected inside the body for air transfer. Godin says the chambers create “exceptional resonance and a lightweight, vibrant body.” Its body is Red Cedar with a Swamp...

Peavey’s MiniMEGA Bass Amp Now Shipping
Amps

Peavey’s MiniMEGA Bass Amp Now Shipping

Peavey is now shipping their MiniMEGA 1000 watt bass amplifier. The nine pound head unit utilizes the company’s KOSMOS circuitry to provide increased bass impact. Further, the company includes exclusive psychoacoustic low-end enhancement adds bass without overburdening speakers. The MiniMEGA is packed with a built-in compression, a 4-band EQ, Punch and Bright switches, and semi-parametric mid controls with narrow Q...

Jared Smith: Archspire’s “Lucid Collective Somnambulation” Bass Playthrough
Bass Videos

Jared Smith: Archspire’s “Lucid Collective Somnambulation” Bass Playthrough

Technical death metal outfit Archspire recently filled out their lineup with the addition of bassist Jared Smith. The Vancouver-based group made the announcement on Facebook. “We are pleased to finally complete our lineup with the addition of Jared Smith on bass,” the band said in a statement. “He’s a monster musician with a killer writing style. We have already started...