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...
Gerald Veasley’s Bass BootCamp Returns for 2018
Gerald Veasley’s Bass BootCamp is back for 2018! Set for March 16th through the 18th in Philadelphia, the weekend-long bass camp features hands-on workshops, masterclasses, and performances. Every year the camp has an incredible lineup of instructors, and this year is no different. Veasley will be teaching alongside David Dyson, Chico Huff, Michael Manring, Patrick Pfeiffer, Divinity Roxx, Rob Smith,...
Warwick Adds Corvette Taranis Model to RockBass Line
Warwick introduced the RockBass Corvette Taranis at this year’s Winter NAMM Show. The four-string bass features an extra long 35-inch scale for better use with drop tuning. The bass is built with an ash body, a bolt-on maple neck, and a wenge fingerboard. Warwick fits it with a pair of active EMG DC35 soapbar pickups matched to a two-band EQ....
Alex Lofoco: “The Spear” NAMM Performance
Alex Lofoco released his debut solo album, Beyond, late last year and was on hand at NAMM to play through some of it. Here’s a killer version of “The Spear” taken from the Gruv Gear booth. Lofoco utilizes several extended techniques to vary the song’s tonal palette as it moves through different sections. “The album is a mix of fusion...