Mr. Big: Next Time Around
How can you not love Billy Sheehan? Besides being a phenomenal bass player, he’s the epitome of cool. Here’s a great clip of Sheehan in the video for Mr. Big’s “Next Time Around,” which showcases his supportive playing with some great licks thrown in for good measure. Be sure to check out the fill at the 2:17 mark.
Bass of the Week: Roks Instruments Microtonal Futura
We’ve featured some gorgeous basses from Roks Instruments before, but this one comes with a twist. Luthier Axel Roks collaborated with bassist Sanne Verbogt to create a stunning microtonal bass. “Sanne started to see structure in music at the beginning of her conservatory study, which eventually led to her own music theory method: SV Method,” Roks writes on his website....
Radiohead: Nude, Live at Coachella
Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood always plays the perfect supporting bass lines. One of my favorites is “Nude” from the album In Rainbows. Utilizing octaves in the upper register of the neck provides a gorgeous thick tone that sets the mood for the song. Here’s the band playing it at the Coachella Music Festival this year. Building from a whisper, the band...
Fuzzrocious Pedals Now Shipping Blast Furnace Fuzz Pedal
One of the coolest new pedals we saw at NAMM this year was the Fuzzrocious Blast Furnace, an original gated fuzz circuit with a short-timed delay. The pedal, which is a collaboration with Lehigh Mining & Navigation, is now available. “Blast Furnace expands the sound possibilities by adding a short-timed delay (via the left momentary footswitch),” a press release explains....
Mastodon: Show Yourself
I’m a longtime Mastodon fan, so I can safely say that is one of their best albums. Anchored by Troy Sanders, it’s chock-full of killer riffs and melodies that will stick in your head. Here’s a nice clip of the band performing “Show Yourself” live on Jimmy Kimmel. Sanders delivers his big, fat tone that sits right in the pocket...
TC Electronic Introduces the PolyTune 3
TC Electronic has updated their Polytune stompbox tuner with the Polytune 3. The polyphonic tuner now incorporates their BonaFide buffer for preserving your tone over complex pedal setups. It still retains the true bypass as well, and the company added a switch to toggle between true buffer and true bypass modes to suit all players. Another new feature is an...
Fender Adds Options to Mod Shop Instruments
Fender’s online Mod Shop has expanded their set of options for 2017 with new colors, a new neck profile, and new pickups. Users can pick a model to begin with (Jazz and Precision for bassists), then choose colors, hardware, woods, and more. The instruments are built in Fender’s Corona, California factory and shipped out within 30 days. Starting this spring,...
Victor Bailey’s Basses Up For Auction
The world lost one of its great bass players in November with the passing of the legendary Victor Bailey. His work with artists ranging from Weather Report to Madonna as well as his own solo albums influenced a whole generation of bassists. Now, as part of his wishes, his estate is placing several of his basses and studio other gear...
Get In The Van: Touring Tips From The Pros
Spring is here and Summer is just around the corner. That means it’s just about time to pack up the van and take your jams on the road. Before you start pounding the pavement, it’s probably a good idea to take a few notes on what to expect and what to be prepared for on the road. Gear malfunctions, lack...
Paul McCartney Announces New U.S. “One on One” Tour Dates
Paul McCartney fans rejoice: the former Beatle has announced a new 14-show leg of his “One on One” tour. The trek will kick off with a string of dates in July forcusing on the South and Midwest before covering New Jersey, New York, and Michigan in September and October. It will include McCartney’s first visit to New York City’s Madison...
Walrus Audio Introduces Monument Harmonic Tap Tremolo
Walrus Audio is now shipping the Monument tremolo. Named after and inspired by the Monument Valley, the pedal is described as “both a harmonic, and standard tremolo that produces a rich, luscious, warm pulsating modulation capable of peaks and valleys as smooth or as jagged as the real ones that our dear mother nature created long ago.” Its controls include...
In Memoriam: Kerry Turman
Longtime Temptations bassist Kerry Turman passed away April 23rd from what are believed to be natural causes. He was 59 years old. The classic soul band announced the news on their Facebook page. “The Temptations lost a dear member of our family, as bass player Kerry Turman has passed away,” they wrote. “Rest In Peace, much love, much respect.” Hailing...