Archive for 2011 - Page 19

This week we look at the Spalt Instruments vViper, a custom built bass with a unique pickup design that pivots. The idea for the “wiper” arm pickup is the brainchild of proprietor Michael Spalt, a luthier who started building after studying film, photography and painting in San Francisco. After consulting on it with Bill Bartolini, the end result allows infinite...

The evolution of heavy metal has presented a plethora of extreme subgenres: thrash metal, death metal, tech metal… the list goes on and on. But while the term extreme metal covers lots of territory, you can’t talk about extreme metal bass playing without talking about Alex Webster. As a founding member of the iconic band Cannibal Corpse, Webster has spent...

Rule of Thump (aka Or Lubianiker) covers all the bases in this nifty solo bass piece he wrote and shared with us. Love the harmonics, love the slap, love the finger-style funk. Or said, “The bass guitar is the most beautiful instrument conceived by man, a true ambassador of Groove, Harmony and Melody.” Well said, Or! Keep the videos coming.

Roger Waters has announced North American tour dates for his production of “The Wall” for 2012. The 36-stop tour begins May 1st, 2012 in Houston, Texas and will include several outdoor stadium concerts at venues including Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Toronto’s Rogers Centre. Waters, who revived the show in 2010 and has performed it over 120 times since then, says...

Q: I mean this in the most respectful of ways but, when I listen to six string bassists who play a lot of chords and solo. I can’t help but wonder why they don’t just play guitar. A: I’ve heard this question before, and thanks for being respectful. I’m a 6-string player, so I’ll share my views on the subject....

Here’s a ripping bass performance by Brazilian bassist Joel Moncorvo. Moncorvo, who is a well rounded player with styles ranging from jazz to extreme metal, displays some awesome technique including a three-finger style and some incredible tapping.

Megadeth’s highly anticipated thirteenth studio album, one which marks the return of bassist Dave Ellefson, has been released. TH1RT3EN follows Endgame, released in 2009, and blends the works of Megadeth’s previous twelve albums, says guitarist Dave Mustaine. “There are moments on TH1RT3EN that capture my every emotion,” Mustaine said. “…and other moments where I am releasing feelings I never knew...

Meet Ollie Pietruch, a bassist, session musician and teacher from the UK who some liken to the late Cliff Burton. Ollie is our player in the spotlight for November 1, 2011. Bio: I started playing bass at the age of 15, and now five years down the line I have achieved distinctions for both years at Music College in the...

Bruno Tauzin has released Indian Bass: 72 Ragas, an instructional ebook that delves into the Melakarta Ragas which are the Indian equivalent of scales and modes from traditional Western Harmony. The 47-page book includes a total of 72 Ragas in the key of C, written in both musical notation and tab. In addition to the Ragas, Indian Bass has an...

Our question of the week: What have you been practicing lately? Answer below in the comments, or on our Facebook page.

Bassist “Davie504” gets funky with his modified FleaBass, and offers some instruction along the way. Enjoy the tune, or play along with the tabs.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th Anniversary Concert saw an unlikely pairing in 2009, when Lou Reed performed with Metallica. After the performance, they began talking about a possible collaborative recording effort. Nothing materialized until February of this year, when Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett announced that the band was going to start a new project in May, saying...