Dwarfcraft Devices Releases the HAX2 Pedal
Dwarfcraft Devices has released a new take on one of their earliest effects. The HAX2 is described as “light years beyond” the original and adds the option of a square or sine wave ring modulation. Each of the waveforms has a broad frequency range, which Dwarfcraft says ranges from subsonic tremolo to laser blaster highs to a warm chorus-like effect....
Frank Kimbrough Releases “Monk’s Dreams” with Rufus Reid
2017 marked the centennial of the influential jazz pianist Thelonious Monk’s birth. Frank Kimbrough has celebrated the occasion by releasing an incredible six-disc album called Monk’s Dreams that features performances of all 70 of the late legend’s compositions. “The recordings form a fantastically diverse collection,” the liner notes read. “On the six-CD set, Monk’s compositions are played in various configurations,...
Bass of the Week: XTRM Basses “The Bass of Navarone”
This week we’re checking out a total monster of a bass built by Dimitris Matkaris, who says he likes to build “weird” basses to test his building skills. This instrument, which he dubbed The Bass of Navarone, has a multi-scale neck with a behemoth 47-inch scale B-string. For comparison, that’s 13 inches longer than a standard bass scale. “Electric guitars...
John Entwistle with Rick Wakeman And His Band: Go America
Now this is the kind of email we like to get. Brian Thomson wrote in with this incredible clip of The Who bassist John Entwistle from a TV show in the early ’80s. “[Yes] Keyboardist Rick Wakeman has been posting clips from the TV show GasTank that he co-hosted in 1982-3, in the UK, and John Entwistle was a guest...
The Rolling Stones Announce 2019 Tour Dates
The Rolling Stones have announced a new leg of their “No Filter” stadium tour that will take place in the U.S. for 2019. The 13-date outing will kick off at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida before heading to both coasts and then wrapping up at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. Of course, bassist Darryl Jones will be laying...
MXR Releases The Mini Iso-Brick Power Supply
MXR has introduced a new power supply for your pedalboard with an emphasis on saving space. The Mini Iso-Brick Power Supply offers noise-free DC power while “taking up less space than a candy bar.” It has five fully-isolated outputs, four of which supply 9-volts at 300mA. The fifth can dish out either 9 volts or 18 volts at 800mA. If...
Chase Bliss Audio Unveils The Dark World Reverb Pedal
Chase Bliss Audio has expanded their line of pedals with The Dark World, a dual channel reverb that is their first fully-digital effect circuit. The effect is a collaboration with Keeley Electronics and Cooper FX that they say celebrates classic and ultramodern reverb engine. “Its dual channel format transcends what most people think of as a reverb pedal, moving freely...
Acoustic Amplification Adds B300C and B600C to Bass Combo Lineup
Acoustic Amplification has unveiled two new models with their C-Series: the B300C and the B600C bass combo amplifiers. Both models are built with class-D power sections for strong output power while maintaining a reasonable weight. The 300-watt B300C is fitted with a 15-inch ferrite speaker matched with a piezo horn tweeter, while the B600C bumps things up to 600 watts...
Muse Experiments on “Simulation Theory”
Muse’s latest album, Simulation Theory, explores the idea of living in a simulated existence while steeped in ’80s culture references. The album artwork was designed by “Stranger Things” artist Kyle Lambert, and all the music videos reference film like Back to the Future, Thriller, and Teen Wolf. Muse also dig into the sounds of the era. As opposed to the...
Godlyke Announces the EMMA Electronic Navigator Delay Pedal
Godlyke has announced the release of the ND-1 Navigator Delay from EMMA Electronic, which they say “offers everything you need in a delay pedal, and nothing you don’t.” This includes tap-tempo function, modulation, wet/dry outputs, trails, and beat-splits. “The Navigator’s most unique feature is a separate Level control for the beat-split delay repeats,” Godlyke writes. “This option allows the user...
Anderson .Paak’s “Oxnard” has Killer Bass Lines
Anderson .Paak’s highly anticipated third album, Oxnard, is available now. The star-studded effort is the realization of the singer/drummer’s “beach series” and features guests including Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dog, Pusha T, J. Cole, Q-Tip, and more. “This is the album I dreamed of making in high school when I was listening to Jay-Z’s The Blueprint, The Game’s The...
Updated Edition of “Rock Bass 101” Available Now
Ed Friedland’s instructional book Rock Bass 101 has been updated for 2018 by publisher Hal Leonard. The 50-page book covers essential bass lines, techniques, theory, and grooves for the working bassist. It includes full-length songs that are available for download or streaming via Hal Leonard’s website. Specific topics include tips on playing position and posture, warm-up exercises, essential scales, and...