Bass of the Week: BassLab Guitars L-Bow
The L-Bow by BassLab Guitars is one of the most attention-grabbing designs in the bass world, but its extra bow in the neck is not for shock factor. This week we’re checking out a recent five-string L-Bow-V that, like their other instruments, features a tuneable composite material in place of wood. “This is the bass, that most often generates typical...
Wayne Shorter Releases “Emanon,” Featuring John Patitucci
Master jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter has blended his music with the visual arts on Emanon. The triple album, which is only available in physical releases, is accompanied by an 84-page graphic novel penned by Shorter with Monica Sly and illustrated by Randy DuBurke. Shorter borrowed the title Emanon, which is “no name” spelled backwards. “When Dizzy Gillespie had a piece...
Korg Announces MA-2 Metronome
Korg has expanded their line of metronomes with the MA-2, a compact card-type device that builds upon their MA-1 model. The new unit has an improved display, a louder sound, and new functions like a timer mode. Available in blue/black or black/red color schemes, the MA-2 has a tempo range of 30 bpm to 252 bpm. It allows for different...
David Ellefson Adds East Coast “Basstory” Tour Dates
Megadeth bassist David Ellefson is gearing up to release his second memoir, More Life with Deth, in November and he’s taking his bass on the road to support it. Following the final dates of the Midwest leg, his “Basstory: An Intimate Evening Of Riffs And Repartee With David Ellefson” tour will be coming to the East Coast with a string...
Zorg Effects Unveils the Glorious Basstar 2 Pedal
France’s Zorg Effects has updated their flagship bass pedal with the Glorious Basstar 2. New features include a vertical enclosure with top-mounted jacks and an optional soft switch relay true bypass. It still retains its sonic features with a three-band overdrive. “It cuts the signal in three frequencies bands: bass/mids/trebles,” Zorg writes. “Each band can then be saturated independently and...
Esperanza Spalding Teases New Album with Burniss Travis on Bass
Last year, Esperanza Spalding shocked the world by creating Exposure, an album created on the spot and completely live-streamed on Facebook over 77 hours. Now she’s revealed her next album, 12 Little Spells, will be available in October with another unique release. Starting on October 7th, Spalding will release one song per day on her website and social platforms until...
Whose Hat Is This? Announces “Everything’s OK?” Tour
Whose Hat Is This? has a new album coming in November called Everything’s OK?, and they’ve just announced a tour to lead up to its release. The “Everything’s OK” tour will see the band starting in New York City before jumping down to Mobile, Alabama so they can snake their way back up the East Coast. Anchored by bass heavyweight...
GHS Strings Reintroduces Tapewound Bass Strings
After discontinuing the line in 2015, GHS Strings has reintroduced their Tapewound Bass strings. They’re designed to be dark and thumpy like a double bass, the company writes. “Tapewound bass strings combine the thump and decay of an upright bass string while retaining the characteristics of an electric bass string,” GHS says. “Flatwound strings are wrapped with a black nylon...
Head Cage: An Interview with John Jarvis
John Jarvis has been tearing it up on the bass in Pig Destroyer for five years, but Head Cage is the first album to feature his bass playing. That’s no big deal for some bands, but Jarvis is also the only bassist they’ve ever had. Fitting his sound into the already intense band was tricky at first, but Jarvis is...
Bob Dylan Announces U.S. Tour Dates with Tony Garnier
The one and only Bob Dylan is going back out on the road again this fall for his first United States tour of the year. Starting in Midland, Texas, the bard will blanket the South throughout October before heading north mid-November. The run will include a seven-night run at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. It’s scheduled to wrap...
Barre Phillips Releases Final Solo Album, “End to End”
Bassist Barre Phillips is noted for being the first musician to record an album of solo double bass, which was his 1968 record Journal Violone (also known as Unaccompanied Barre or Basse Barre). Fifty years later he has released End to End, which he says is his final solo album. “It is a beautiful and moving musical statement,” ECM Records...
Trickfish Amplification Unleashes the Trilobite Preamp Pedal
After revealing it at the Winter NAMM show back in January, Trickfish Amplification has announced the Trilobite preamp pedal is available for pre-order. The pedal packs in two of the preamps found in their Bullhead amps with plenty of connectivity and routing options. Each channel of the Trilobite has independent gain controls with a four-band EQ. Channel A expands on...