Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 15

Mercyful Fate recently announced they were splitting ways with Joey Vera. Fans had a clue as to their next bassist, and it turns out they were right. The Danish heavy metal band revealed their new master of the low-end is Becky Baldwin.

Ernie Ball Music Man is revamping the StingRay Special for 2024 with a whopping 13 new colorways. The lineup will include the same signature features from forty years ago.

NAMM rolled on for day three, and despite some tired legs, we fought through the crowded aisles to seek out the coolest new bass gear - and more. Here’s some of what we saw.

Ibanez’s 2024 offerings are being expanded to include the SRMS720 and SRMS725. The new models are a variation of their SR basses and employ multi-scale construction for even tension across all the strings.

Day two of the 2024 NAMM Show was packed, proving that the excitement for the event has not waned. We continued covering the floor aisle by aisle, finding the incredible and unique new offerings in the bass world.

EBS has revealed its next release for 2024. The EBS Black Haze 2 is a blended drive that lets you dial in overdrive while retaining your low end. A three-way mini switch selects between Deep, Normal, and Thin for three different types of drive.

The 2024 Winter NAMM Show marks the return of North America’s largest music trade show back to its January timeline for the first time since 2020. Here’s a recap from day one of the show.

Ashdown has unveiled the OriginAL EVO Mini Bass Head, which they say meets the demands of modern bassists with simplicity and sonic excellence.

Tech 21 will be on hand at the 2024 NAMM Show to introduce their latest development: the SansAmp XB Driver. The “all-in-one” box brings together elements from their SansAmp Bass Driver DI, the Para Driver DI, the Q/Strip, and dUg Pinnick Ultra Bass 1000 into one unit.

The String Cheese Incident has revealed their initial tour dates for 2024. The band, anchored by bassist Keith Moseley, recently released Lend Me a Hand, an album described as “a poignant yet high-spirited reflection on love, loss, and resilience.”

Verdine White and Earth, Wind, & Fire are keeping plenty busy this year. They’ll be back on the road again with Lionel Richie for the second round of the “Sing A Song All Night Long” tour.

Blake Burley of Burls Art states on his website that all of his instruments begin as an idea, “with some ideas being more daring than others.” This week we’re checking out a super cool build called the Burst 5-string bass.