Victor Wooten Trio: Funky D
Victor Wooten and his trio with drummer Dennis Chambers and saxophonist Bob Franceschini warmed up for their recent Blue Note Club residency with another gig: the halftime show at a Knicks game. The three musicians performed the song “Funky D”, blowing away the enormous crowd in Madison Square Garden. Luckily there was a video made. This clip is the camera...
In Memoriam: Elliott Rubinson
More sad news to report today: Elliott “Dean” Rubinson, bassist and CEO of Dean Guitars, has passed away after a battle with brain cancer. “On behalf of everyone at Armadillo Enterprises, words cannot express how much we appreciate the kind words and condolences shared by many, regarding the loss of our dear friend and former CEO, Elliott Rubinson,” Dean Guitars...
Pigtronix Introduces the Disnortion Micro Pedal
Pigtronix has announced a micro version of their popular Disnortion pedal, which features all of the 18-volt headroom of the original analog Fuzz and Overdrive circuits into a smaller unit that runs on 9 volts. It also has a couple upgrades. “This new Micro version of the Disnortion hugely one-ups the original’s broad palette of touch-responsive dirt sounds by including...
Halo Orbit, Featuring Juan Alderete, Releases Debut Album
Halo Orbit’s new self-titled debut album is available now. The trio is anchored by bass heavyweight Juan Alderete (Mars Volta, Deltron 3030), with drummer Mark Guiliana (David Bowie’s Blackstar, Beat Music) and guitarist suGar Yoshinaga (Buffalo Daughter). Each member’s unique voice blends to create incredible sonic explorations that range from atmospheric improvisations to trance to hip hop to grunge. “Back...
Ibanez Introduces the Ashula SRAS7 Hybrid Fretted/Fretless Bass
Ibanez shocked many bassists again this year by introducing a new Ashula bass. The SRAS7 is a seven-string model that has a unique hybrid fretted/fretless design with three strings over a fretless purpleheart fingerboard and four strings over a fretted rosewood fretboard. The fretted portion is tuned to a standard E-A-D-G, while the fretless section is tuned A-D-G. Each section...
Elbow Releases Seventh Studio Album, “Little Fictions”
English alt-rock band Elbow has returned with their seventh studio album, Little Fictions. Inspired by topics ranging from love to Britain’s pending exit from the European Union, the entire album is rooted by Pete Turner, who dishes out melodic bass lines to punctuate dreamy songs. Little Fictions is available now on , and as a digital download ( and )....
In Memoriam: Steve Lang
Steve Lang, who played bass for the Canadian classic rock outfit April Wine, has died at the age of 67. No cause of death has been announced, though he had suffered from Parkinson’s Disease. The news of Lang’s passing was shared by April Wine bandleader Myles Goodwyn. “My dear friend Steve Lang passed away this weekend,” Goodwyn wrote on Facebook....
Bass of the Week: Manne Guitars Moab
This week we’re checking out the Manne Guitars Moab, which they describe as their flagship luxury bass model. The bass comes in four, five, and six-string versions with a korina body topped by walnut, Italian Yew, or poplar. Its multi-laminated neck is fitted with a thin “F resin” fretboard, which Manne says allows for precise attack without dead notes. Its...
The Levin Brothers Announce Spring Tour Dates
Bass legend Tony Levin has announced a spring tour with his brother Pete. The Levin Brothers will begin with a Rosendale, New York gig on March 4th before heading south to Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia, and El Salvador. They’ll then return to the U.S. for a handful of dates in the Northeast. The duo will be joined by saxophonist Erik...
Spector Celebrates 40 Years with Euro4LE 1977 Limited Edition Bass
Spector is celebrating 40 years of bass building with the Euro4LE 1977 Limited Edition bass. Based on the company’s original bass from 1977, it’s built with neck-through construction with a fully carved body with solid American walnut body wings and a 3-piece maple neck. Spector went so far as to measure the dot inlays that adorn the 24-fret rosewood fingerboard...
Digitech Announces FreqOut Feedback Pedal
Digitech has unveiled the FreqOut, a pedal for bass and guitar that creates controlled feedback. The stompbox uses pitch-detection technology to identify the harmonic content of notes and chords then makes those frequencies feedback in a musical way with several settings. “Roaring feedback from an amp can add intensity and musicality to a live performance when used correctly,” Digitech’s Tom...
Wing Instruments Introduces Two New Models
Wing Instruments expanded their product lineup at the NAMM show this year with the Wing Bass NT and Wing Bass 30. The company describes the new models as representing an evolution in their philosophy that “life is short scale.” Similar to the original Wing Bass, the NT measures up at just 21 inches and plays like the top range of...