In Memoriam: Chad Hanks
American Head Charge bassist Chad Hanks has died after fighting a terminal disease. He was 46 years old. Hanks co-founded the Minneapolis-based band in 1997 and, along with frontman Cameron Heacock, was one of only two consistent members throughout the group’s history. He’s featured on the band’s self-released debut, Trepanation, as well as The War of Art, The Feeding, and...
Blasko To Join Ozzy Osbourne on Farewell World Tour
Just months after playing his final concert with Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne has announced his own Farewell World Tour that’s slated to last into 2020. The metal pioneer may be finishing up his time on the road, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be done with music altogether. “People keep asking me when I’m retiring,” he says. “This will be my...
Bass of the Week: Frederiek de Vette Five-String Bolt-On Bass
Back in May we shared an incredible bass by Frederiek de Vette. Shockingly, it was her first ever build. Now she’s followed up with her second bass that looks just as stunning. We’ll let her tell you the story: “For this build, my second, I decided on a five string fretted bass with a bolt-on neck,” de Vette explains. “While...
Levy’s Leathers Introduces the Onyx Strap
Levy’s Leathers has expanded their line of guitar straps with the Onyx, a model they say offers deep, rich colors and comfort thanks to a special process. “The Onyx utilizes a unique process transforming firm veg-tan leather into a thick supple leather that needs no breaking in period – it’s super comfortable from day one,” they write. The strap comes...
OnkartGromt Introduces the Grompressor Pedal
Norway’s OnkartGromt has released a new compressor called the Grompressor, which the company describes as an advanced compressor that is very useful for bassists. “With options to control Input Level, Threshold, Attack, Release, Ratio, and Output Gain it is almost like a plugin in a DAW,” says pedal builder Øyvind Mjanger. “You can also save 3 presets for your favorites...
Oteil Burbridge’s “Water In The Desert” Now Available
Oteil Burbridge’s unique blend of funk, rock, jazz and more is crystallized in his new solo album, Water in the Desert. The album, which was 10 years in the making, revolves around the theme of love that is summed up in the title track. “[The song, “Water in the Desert”] is the central theme of the album. Obviously, it’s a...
Bag End Introduces Nebula S15-N Bass Cabinet
Bag End has announced the Nebula S15-N bass cabinet. Created to be compact, the model features a rear vented design with a single 15-inch driver for up to 600 watts of power. It weighs 46 pounds and measures at 18″x18″x15″. The cab is constructed with 15mm thick birch plywood covered in their Nebula finish, which Bag End says makes the...
Mission Engineering Introduces the 529 USB Pedal Power Supply
Mission Engineering has introduced an innovative new pedal board power converter called the Mission 529. Instead of utilizing a 9-volt power supply, the unit uses USB power. “Since USB is so popular and pervasive, there is a huge choice of different wall chargers, batteries, and other USB power ports, with a wide range of features and price points,” Mission points...
Cannibal Corpse Releases “Red Before Black”
Legendary death metal band Cannibal Corpse has returned with their fourteenth album, Red Before Black. Anchored by bassist Alex Webster, the new album sees the return of producer Erik Rutan, who previously worked on 2006’s Kill, 2009’s Evisceration Plague, and 2012’s Torture. The new release is a return to their more visceral sound. “We always try to make our music...
Fodera Reveals Masterbuilt Southwest Bass
Shortly after announcing the Woodblock, Fodera has unveiled their third Masterbuilt bass for 2017. The Southwest was designed by the company’s Emily Krohn and is inspired by the “textiles, textures, and colors of the American Southwest.” “To accomplish this look and theme, we chose various woods including Spruce, Bloodwood, Ebony, and Mahogany – capturing the warm tonalities of the region,”...
Dedalo FX Introduces ALU9 Aliaser Pedal
Argentina’s Dedalo Fx has introduced the ALU9 Aliaser, a pedal featuring a sample rate reducer that can be modulated by oscillator and trigger modes. “The effect can go from subtle to totally destroyed, and is very useful for many kinds of instruments besides guitar and bass, in particular, drum machines and synthesizers,” the company shared. The OSC mode offers 32...
TC Electronic Unveils 8 New Analog Pedals
TC Electronic has announced eight new analog effect pedals ranging between distortion, modulation, and dynamics. The series is dubbed the Analog Armada. “With strong steel enclosures and top mounted input/output jacks, these sturdy stompboxes provide analog warmth with and true bypass circuitry so your tone stays totally unaffected when the effects are off,” the company writes. The drive pedal portion...