Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 284

Another giant of the music industry is being marked as a casualty of 2020 as Guitar Center is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The 61-year old company, which has 269 locations, is the largest music instrument retailer in the United States.

Bergantino Amplification has once again expanded their Forté line of bass amps with a new model. The 800-watt Forté D builds upon the original version with the company’s Big Fat Tube (BFT) technology.

Live concerts are on hold for the foreseeable future, but we can still relive great performances from the past. There’s one more great show to revisit with Iron Maiden’s new live album, “Nights of the Dead – Legacy of the Beast: Live in Mexico City”.

AC/DC is back with a new album, complete with the classic lineup anchored by bassist Cliff Williams. Now, Ernie Ball Music Man is helping Williams celebrate with a limited-edition bass bearing his name.

Calton Cases has teamed up with Gibson to create a Gibson Signature Series of guitar cases. The lineup includes custom cases made in Austin, Texas for all of Gibson’s basses through history.

The idea of a metal all-star group can be hard to pull off. However, Killer Be Killed has once again proven just how perfect it can be with their second album, “Reluctant Hero”. We caught up with Troy Sanders to get the scoop on that and more.

Tony Lewis of The Outfield tragically passed away last month at 62 years old. The bassist, who sang the smash hit “Your Love”, was busy working on a new album at the time and now his family has released it.

Empress Effects has expanded its lineup of compressors with two new models. While their flagship model has been revamped to include a “tilt” tone EQ control and selectable side chain, the new bass model has been retooled for us low-enders.

Bassist and educator Orlando le Fleming has produced another instructional book for 2020. “Polymuting for Bass Guitar” covers his specific funk muting technique, which he utilizes heavily with his band Romantic Funk and with Wayne Krantz.

The weekly webinar held by Steve Bailey and Victor Wooten is rolling on this week with a presentation featuring the entire roster of Snarky Puppy, including bassist Michael League.

After years of anticipation, Wolfgang Van Halen has released the first piece of music from his band, Mammoth WVH. The wait for the record, we now know, was for a good reason. “Distance” is an emotional open letter Wolfgang wrote for his father.

Master luthier Gerald Marleaux is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Marleaux Basses this year, and he continues to experiment and dream up new instruments. This week we’re checking out the MBass Big Hollow 5-String Fretless.