Warwick Announces LWA 1000 Black Bass Amp
Warwick has released a new version of their LWA 1000 Lightweight bass amplifier. The amp is now available in a completely black finish with an all-metal housing as opposed to having wooden side panels. Its technical specifications are still retained, including two input channels with full EQ and compressor sections for each. “The pre-amp is based on Warwick signature low...
Glenn Hughes Announces Classic Deep Purple Live Tour Dates
Rock legend Glenn Hughes will be revising part of his earlier days in music this year with a 17-date tour. “Classic Deep Purple Live” will showcase the bassist/vocalist’s time in Deep Purple during the MKIII and MKIV lineups. Hughes was a member of the group from 1973 to 1976 and was featured on four studio albums: Burn, Stormbringer, Come Taste...
Beast of the Bass: An Interview with Jeff Pilson
The original lineup of Dokken reunited in 2016 for a string of dates in Japan. Recordings from that tour are being released this month as Return To The East Live 2016. The members include Don Dokken, George Lynch, Mick Brown, and the great Jeff Pilson on bass. Pilson’s hard rock history is well documented. Besides being in Dokken, he laid...
ZYkR: Only Human (Live)
As music technology continues to grow, it’s fascinating how musicians can incorporate it into their sound. NYC bassist Pedro Zappa shared his latest project, ZYkR, which explores that very concept. “In the past couple of weeks I’ve been having a lot of fun experimenting with playing my electric bass alongside synth bass on the Ableton Push,” he writes. “This is...
New Benjamin Orr Biography Due This Fall
Eighteen years after his passing, The Cars bassist and vocalist Benjamin Orr will be the focus of a new biography. Let’s Go! Benjamin Orr and The Cars by Joe Milliken details the life and times of the rock star. The author spent a decade working on the book. “There is an interesting aspect about Ben Orr’s early life that many...
D’Addario Introduces DIY Solderless Pedalboard Audio Cable Kit
For musicians interested in making their own gear, D’Addario has unveiled a new DIY Solderless Pedalboard Audio Cable Kit with Mini Plugs. The set includes 10 plugs, 10 feet of cable, a mini cable cutter, and a screwdriver. “Featuring solderless plugs that connect to cables in seconds, creating custom lengths has never been easier,” the company writes. “It’s as simple...
King Crimson Releases “Live In Vienna”
Another recent King Crimson performance has been released as a live album. Live In Vienna, December 1st, 2016 is a three-disc set that has the two set evening spread across discs one and two with the third offering encores and ambience. “Disc three includes a series of soundscapes edited into newly sequenced pieces,” the album’s notes explain. “Drawn from the...
Arild Andersen Releases “In-House Science”
Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen has released a new live album called In-House Science. The largely improvised jazz album features his trio consisting of Tommy Smith and Paolo Vinaccia from a stellar 2016 performance. “[The trio’s] energies are arguably best captured in a live context, and here the three musicians deliver a characteristically smoking performance at the Villa Rothstein in Bad...
Chapman Guitars Announces MLB1 DH Basses
Chapman Guitars has teamed up with Dave Hollingworth to launch a new signature bass. The MLB1 DH was created with the Dorje and Toska bassist to deliver what he considers the perfect bass. A four-string player, Hollingworth’s model doesn’t have a five-string version. Instead, it comes in either regular or fanned fret versions. “I’ve always been a 4-string player and...
Chicago Looks Back with “VI Decades Live”
Chicago has been steadily rocking the world since the ’60s. Now the band is celebrating with Chicago: VI Decades Live, a 4CD/1DVD set that captures the band across the 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s, 1990’s, 2000’s, and 2010’s. While the set does not include current bassist Jeff Coffey, it does feature longtime low-enders Peter Cetera and Jason Scheff. The first two discs...
Dug Pinnick Joins MC5 Kick Out The Jams 50th Anniversary Tour
This year marks the 50th anniversary of The MC5’s seminal album Kick Out The Jams, and Wayne Kramer is going to celebrate it in style. The guitarist, who founded the band in 1964, has assembled an incredible band for the MC50th Anniversary tour featuring Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil, Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty, Zen Guerilla singer Marcus Durant, and King’s X...
Bass of the Week: Amnesia Guitars Leo Bass
Italy’s Amnesia Guitars is a workshop run by luthier Carlo Carbone, whose imagination creates beautiful and functional instruments. This week we’re taking a look at his Leo model. The Leo comes standard as a five-string fretted bass, though options are available. Its contoured ash body is topped by a rich ziricote cap. The bolt-on neck is made from maple and...