Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay Special Basses Now Shipping
Earlier this year, Ernie Ball Music Man announced they were revamping their flagship Stingray bass. Now the Stingray Special is shipping. The model, which was originally released in 1976, has been reimagined with a host of new features while retaining its identity. The body has been contoured and the neck joint has been sculpted for improved access to the upper...
Maurizio ?ber Basses Introduces the Fretless-Only M?B-F Model
Maurizio ?ber Basses, aka M?B, has unveiled a new model called the M?B-F, a fretless-only bass they say was designed from the ground up to be “a true fretless bass as opposed to a bass without frets.” “A fretless bass is a different instrument. It is played differently, with more attention to nuances and subtleties, with fewer boundaries and a...
Unearthed John Coltrane Album Features Jimmy Garrison
In one of the most exciting discoveries in jazz, a new John Coltrane album has been unearthed and released as Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album. The recording comes from reference tapes kept by the saxophonist’s first wife that were cut in March of 1963. It features seven songs including two never-before-heard originals. Coltrane’s band on Both Directions is...
Blasko Launches New Podcast
If you’re into heavy metal, you’re going to want to listen to this. Blasko has a new podcast called “A New Level” that explores the genre by way of interviews with titans in the industry. The bassist, who has worked with Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie, Danzig and more, is also an artist manager and approaches the podcast with the idea...
Fender Introduces Flea Signature Jazz Bass Active Model
Fender used the Summer NAMM Show to unveil a host of new instruments, including a new signature bass with Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. It’s his second bass with the company after they released a Jazz model two years ago. “Our artist signature active bass with Flea was designed to complement the Shell Pink Flea Jazz Bass — a...
The Melvins: Live at House of Strombo
We always like to say the only thing better than one bassist is two. The Melvins acted upon that notion with their latest album, Pinkus Abortion Technician, which features both Jeff Pinkus and Steven MacDonald. The band has also been touring with their two-bass configuration and luckily their set at the House of Strombo was captured on film. The band...
YOB Releases “Our Raw Heart”
Doom metal band YOB have always been about reflection and meditation, but their latest release is their deepest yet. Guitarist/vocalist Mike Scheidt spent months battling acute diverticulitis, a devastating intestinal disease, that almost cost him his life. During his recovery, he wrote Our Raw Heart. “I had no idea, really, if the band was going to be able to continue...
Westminster Effects Announces the Wittenberg Bass Preamp/DI Pedal
Westminster Effects has unveiled three new preamp/DI pedals for Summer NAMM, including the bass-specific Wittenberg Bass preamp. The three-knob pedal has a volume control, a Frequency control for setting the center frequency, and an EQ control for setting how steep the EQ’s curvature is. It has a standard 1/4-inch input and output as well as an XLR output. The Westminster...
The Stanley Clarke Band Releases “The Message”
The Stanley Clarke Band has returned with a new album entitled The Message, which follows up their 2010 self-titled album. It also marks 45 years since the bass master’s debut solo album. The band lineup has changed since the previous album, but Clarke has kept the stable of Cameron Graves, Beka Gochiashvili, and Mike Mitchell for several years now. “I’m...
Dominic “Forest” Lapointe: Augury’s “Message Sonore” Playthrough
Heavy metal monster Dominic “Forest” Lapointe is back with a new playthrough video. This time he demonstrates how to perform the bass line to “Message Sonore” by Augury. Lapointe is known for his fretless mastery but opts for a fretted six-string for the two-handed tapping heavy song. His lines provide countermelodies to the guitar riffs while providing a running low...
In Memoriam: Richard Swift
More sad news today: Richard Swift, who toured with The Black Keys as their bassist, has passed away. He was 41 years old. Born in California to a musical family, Swift was a multi-instrumentalist and self-starter who began by experimenting with four-track cassette recorders. He launched a solo career in the early 2000s and quickly became a producer. He joined...
Squier Expands Contemporary Series with New Jazz Basses
Squier’s Contemporary Series got a little bigger at the Summer NAMM Show this year with the introduction of three new Jazz Basses: the Contemporary Active Jazz Bass HH, the Contemporary Active Jazz Bass HH V, and the Contemporary Jazz Bass. Notably, the four and five-string active models offer a more modern take on the Jazz Bass with a set of...