Bass of the Week: Rick Turner Guitars Model 1 Bass
This week we’re checking out the Model 1 Bass from the legendary luthier Rick Turner. The instrument is a take on the Alembic co-founder’s Model 1 guitar and features a medium 32-inch scale. Described as “incredibly acoustic and detailed with a modern full-bodied tonal range,” the deluxe version of the bass is built with a mahogany body, 5-piece laminated maple...
NYC Ska Orchestra: Mood Indigo
I just got back from spending the week at the International Society of Bassists convention, and it was a double bass heaven. One of the many great bass players I got to see was Paul Nowinski, who spent years playing with Les Paul and is featured on the latest Keith Richards album. He shared this cool video of himself playing...
Ibanez Releases Big Mini Pedal Tuner
Ibanez has introduced a new line of MINI pedals, including the Big Mini pedal tuner. The compact pedal features a large LED display with Needle or Strobe tuning modes. It offers up to ± 1 cent accuracy with a tuning range of A0 (27.50Hz) to C8 (4186Hz). A push button allows for drop tuning down four semitones, while a second...
TC Electronic Unveils the Hall of Fame 2 Reverb
TC Electronic has expanded their line of effects with the Hall of Fame 2 Reverb. The new edition of the company’s stompbox adds a Shimmer reverb to its tonal palette. Even more interesting is a new type of footswitch they call the MASH. The MASH footswitch reacts to pressure, so the more you lean on it the more intense the...
Peter Dominguez Releases “Groove Dreams”
Peter Dominguez has released Groove Dreams, an intimate and jaw-droppingly beautiful new solo double bass album. While the 10-song collection varies in content from jazz standards to new compositions to pop ballads, there is one common thread throughout: the late, great jazz legend Milt Hinton. Dominguez, who is a professor of jazz studies and double bass at Oberlin Conservatory, first...
Electro-Harmonix Unveils the Battalion Bass Preamp
Electro-Harmonix is sending reinforcements for bassists with the new Battalion bass preamp and DI. The comprehensive unit features a four-band EQ, fully-featured MOSFET distortion section, a compressor, a noise gate, and flexible connectivity. Its distortion section has its own footswitch with Level, Blend, Drive, and Tone knobs for dialing in your grit. It also has a mini-switch to route it...
Simon Sammut Returns With “Crossing”
Bassist Simon Sammut has released his sophomore solo album called Crossing. Following up on 2011’s Bassic Attitude, the effort is an evolution of his sound, which he describes as “fluid in texture and inspiration.” “The musical score and complimentary paintings are based on a common theme of ‘crossing,'” he writes. “Essentially it is about crossing barriers or boundaries whether they...
Mu-FX Introduces the Phasor 2X Pedal
Mu-FX has expanded their line of effects with the Phasor 2X. The pedal is an enhanced reissue of the Musitronics Mu-Tron Phasor II from the 1970’s and was designed by Musitronics co-founder Mike Beigel. “The Phasor 2X features the same analog electro-optical phase-shift circuitry as the original Mu-Tron Phasor II, with many enhancements,” a press release states. “These include: dual...
Phil Lesh Weighs In On New Grateful Dead Documentary
Grateful Dead fans are ecstatic about Long Strange Trip, the new four-hour documentary that tells the legendary band’s tale. It is showing in select theaters and now streaming on Amazon Prime. As in-depth as the film is, bassist Phil Lesh says it doesn’t cover the whole story. “It’s only telling part of the story,” he told Rolling Stone. “The Grateful...
Points of View: An Interview With Tom Kennedy
With decades of playing with some of the world’s top musicians under his belt, Tom Kennedy has seen a lot. Starting with jazz greats when he was just a teenager, the master bassist has seen the world from the stage and the studio. That’s only part of why his new album, Points of View, is so aptly titled. The release,...
Harry Shearer To Release Spinal Tap Bassist Derek Smalls Solo Album
Thirty-three years after the mockumentary that put Spinal Tap on the map, Derek Smalls is making a solo album. The “Big Bottom” bassist, a character played by Harry Shearer, is reportedly in the process of recording his solo debut, tentatively entitled Smalls Change. Shearer talked about the project with GQ, saying it will “shed light on the travails of partying...
The Who’s 2004 Isle Of Wight Festival Released On Blu-Ray/DVD
The Who’s return to the Isle of Wight Festival in 2004 was important for several reasons. First, it was the first time playing the festival since their legendary 1970 performance. It had just been restarted in 2002 after a long absence. Secondly, it was the first time the band played in their home country since the untimely passing of bassist...