Guild Guitars Announces Starfire Bass II Flamed Maple
Guild’s iconic Starfire Bass II is available in a new Flamed Maple version for 2018. The company debuted the instrument at the Winter NAMM Show. “The Starfire Bass II Flamed Maple (FM) is a dual-pickup semi-hollow bass guitar that adds additional sonic options to Guild’s iconic Starfire Bass,” Guild writes. “As its name suggests, the Flamed Maple version replaced the...
Sanne Verbogt: Microtonal Pop Bass
Last year we featured Sanne Verbogt’s awesome microtonal bass from Roks Instruments. Now she’s released a new video demonstrating it on a pop song. “In my study to explore the use of microtones in Western music I chose a pop/dance song to make an arrangement for microtonal (quartertone) bass guitar. The song of choice is a personal favourite: Kygo’s remix...
Shane Cooper and Mabuta Release Debut Album, “Welcome To This World”
Last year, bassist Shane Cooper launched a new project called Mabuta. The South African band is billed as a jazz quintet, but their mix of jazz, world music, and electronica blend into something that is hard to pin down as one genre. That’s evident by their debut recording, Welcome To This World, which is available now. The Johannesburg-based band consists...
Ibanez Introduces Soundgear SR670 and SR675 Basses
Ibanez’s flagship Soundgear bass series is being bolstered even further this year with the addition of the SR670 and the SR675. The four and five-string basses are set apart by a mahogany body topped with ash in a black and silver finish. They also feature Ibanez’s new B500 and B505 bridges. “The Ash top offers superior tonal clarity and attack,...
Thomas Laffont & Arthur Billès: Bass and Drum Cover of “Don’t Worry Be Happy”
“Don’t Worry Be Happy” has to be one of the catchiest tunes of all time. Once you hear it, it’s stuck in your head. That’s one of the reasons why bassist Thomas Laffont decided to channel the song through his bass. Another reason is that he’s a huge Bobby McFerrin fan. Accompanied by drummer Arthur Billès, Laffont puts a little...
Thunder Case Introduces the Flight Case Compact Vault
For musicians needing some extra protection while flying, Thunder Case has introduced the Flight Case Compact Vault. The case/stand is only 14 or 19 inches wide and can hold up to four basses (or guitars). It’s built with a military-grade outer shell coating and a foam inner lining. “The Thunder Case shell is made out of wood reinforced with inner...
Bassics Unveils New Bass Amplification and Pedals
After releasing the BPA-01 floor bass preamp, Bassics took to the Winter NAMM Show this year to unveil a host of new products designed by renowned studio engineer Malcolm Toft. The range includes the A900 power amp, the AH900 bass amp head, and four new pedals: a compressor, a distortion, an EQ, and a preamp. Bassics describes the A900 as...
Danielle Nicole Returns with “Cry No More”
Singer/bassist/songwriter Danielle Nicole’s new album Cry No More is a step in a new direction. The 14-song collection is her most personal yet while adding new elements to her style. Of course, the former Trampled Under Foot bassist is still steeped in the blues. “I’m definitely taking more chances now,” she says. “I grew up playing the blues, and the...
Dean Guitars Adds Flame Top Fretless, Six-String Edge Basses
Dean expanded their Edge bass lineup with two new iterations: the Edge 4 Flame Top Fretless and the Edge 6 Flame Top. The basses share many of the same attributes, including a mahogany body, a flame maple top, a maple neck, and a killer transparent black satin finish. Both basses also have a pau ferro fingerboard. The main differences lay...
Lorenzo Feliciati: Grey and Red
Lorenzo Feliciati always impresses me with his sense of space and texture. Here’s a great example of that with a video for “Grey and Red.” Feliciati builds the song with loops and effects to create an atmosphere like a movie soundtrack.
Radiohead Announces North American Tour Dates
Although guitarist Ed O’Brien suggested they would limit performances this year, Radiohead will be touring North America in 2018 after all. They’ll start July 7th in Chicago before a three-night stay at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Other performances focus on the Northeast and Midwest including Montreal, Toronto, Detroit, Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Boston, and Philadelphia. The band hinted that...
Bass of the Week: Dahrendorf Guitars Dynasty V
Luthier Sergey Poedinko sent us the details on his latest build and it’s a real beauty. The Dahrendorf Guitars Dynasty V is a five-string that imagines a bass guitar from 200 years ago. “Like our other instruments, it’s balancing between classics and modernity,” Poedinko writes. “But unlike others, it’s much more smooth and fluent. Style and aesthetics came when I...