Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 471

If you haven’t seen the James Brown documentary Mr. Dynamite yet, you’re missing out. It follows the iconic soul singer’s rise to the top of charts with incredible interview segments with his musicians. Of course, one of the film’s highlights is the introduction of Bootsy Collins into Brown’s band. Collins offers deep insight into his relationship with Brown as well...

Dwarfcraft’s new Paraloop is a utility pedal designed for adding flexibility to your signal chain. The stompbox features two effects loops that are “normally closed,” which the company explains as meaning a buffered clean signal comes through each. It has a single Send level knob that allows for boosting each loop or – if both loops are empty – acting...

Sometimes it’s not the notes you play, it’s how you play them. Kate Davis proves that point in this beautiful duet with guitarist Rob Moose on her song “Keep An Open Heart,” filmed for the One On One Sessions at City Winery in New York City. Davis keeps a simple beat with roots and fifths while playing up on the...

Andrew Gouche recently posted a set of videos from his time playing with Chaka Khan. “I’m very proud of my time as Musical Director with CK, We had a great team!,” Gouche wrote. Here’s a great clip of the bassist laying it down with Khan on the Rufus song “Stay,” live in 2011. Gouche sets up the groove with a...

This week we’re checking out the Orchid bass by CG Lutherie, a headless bass with some sleek features. The unique body shape includes a forearm contour and an extended upper horn, while the majority of the bass’s top sits flush thanks to recessed volume and tone controls. While the bass is fully customizable, this fretless Orchid features a stunning poplar...

Ibanez has announced two new basses to their SR500 series with the SR500TFF and the SR505TFF. The basses, which are four- and five-string versions of the same model, feature mahogany bodies with a traditional Tri-Fade Burst Flat finish. The neck on each bass is a five-piece laminate of jatoba and bubinga topped with a rosewood fretboard. Ibanez fits the basses...

Mesa Engineering has gotten into the world of lightweight amplifiers with their new Subway Bass Series. The lineup includes the company’s first ultra-lightweight Class D amplifier and a pair of bass cabinets loaded with neodymium speakers. Heading up the series is the Subway D-800, an 800-watt amplifier that weighs in at five and a half pounds. Mesa says the amp...

After announcing their lineup and a single Halloween concert, Grateful Dead alumni group Dead and Company has revealed a 10-date run this fall. The band will kick things off in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center before a two-night run at Madison Square Garden and several other East Coast dates. Their final dates are set for the end...

Want some free music? Paul McCartney is getting ready to continue reissuing his solo catalog with remastered versions of Tug of War and Pipes of Peace on October 2nd. To celebrate, the legendary bassist is giving away a free download of the 1982 single “Take It Away.” Though “Take It Away” appears on Tug of War, the remastered single edit...

Bassist Cheikh Ndoye shared this awesome video of his work on the African Contrabass, also known as the bass ngoni. The West-African traditional instrument is fretless with three strings. Ndoye, who was born in Senegal, did some of his own modifications to get it to fit his style. “The traditional instruments are very hard to tune without the tuners,” he...

Bassists using pedalboards have a new option for keeping their effects in place with the Pedalboard Supplies Pedal-Links Effect Mounting System. Pedal-Links utilize the housing screws found on the bottom corners of most pedals to fasten them to your pedalboard. The fasteners are used by removing the housing screws, threading the screw through the Pedal-Link’s eyelet, then re-fastening it into...

Veteran tube amplifier tech Blackie Pagano of NOISE Audio Design has unveiled The Perfect Storm, a limited edition high-transconductance, high-current tube bass guitar preamp. The sleek preamp takes its moniker from a realization Pagano had after receiving a box of Russian-made 6C45pi tubes, which are sensitive to audio signals and, despite their small size, run the same currents of larger...