In Memoriam: Jim Rodford
Sad news to report: Jim Rodford, who played bass with The Kinks and The Zombies, has passed away after falling down stairs. He was 76 years old. Rodford was born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England in 1941. He began his musical career in a Skiffle band called Bluetones. He helped his cousin Rod Argent form The Zombies in 1961 by...
Yamaha Introduces Flame Maple Models To TRBX Series
Yamaha’s TRBX bass series will get two models this year. The company will be unveiling the TRBX604FM and TRBX605FM at the 2018 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California. Four and five-string basses, respectively, the TRBX604FM and TRBX605FM upgrade the bass’s looks with flame maple tops with matching headstocks. They carry many of the same features of their predecessors with Yamaha...
Dead & Company Announce Summer Tour Dates
Dead & Company are heading back out for an extensive summer tour in 2018. Featuring members of the Grateful Dead and anchored by bassist Oteil Burbridge, the band will kick things off May 30th in Mansfield, Massachusetts before heading down the East Coast, across the Midwest, and to the West Coast. They’ll wrap the trek up with a pair of...
Schecter Unveils The Apocalypse Bass Series
Schecter will be rolling out a new line of basses at the Winter NAMM Show called the Apocalypse Bass Series. Designed with “high-end specs and aggressive style,” the company says that the C-4 and C-5 Apocalypse basses pack a punch thanks to their pickups. “[They are] powered by Schecter US Custom Shop Apocalypse Bass Humbucker Pickups,” Schecter explains. “These earth-shaking,...
Dawn of the Dregs: An Interview With Andy West
Last year one of the biggest surprises for music lovers was the announcement that the original members of the Dixie Dregs would be reuniting for a tour. That lineup includes guitarist Steve Morse, violinist Allen Sloan, drummer Rod Morgenstein, keyboardist Steve Davidowski, and – of course – bassist Andy West. West co-founded the band with Morse, who now spends much...
Fender Reveals American Original Series Including Four New Basses
Fender will be unveiling the American Original series at the 2018 Winter NAMM Show, including four new basses. The line focuses on recreating instruments from the company’s past while updating them with enhancements. “For more than six decades, Fender’s core models of guitars and basses have developed their own distinct personalities and legions of devoted disciples. Whether it was the...
Joe Satriani Releases “What Happens Next” with Glenn Hughes
Guitar legend Joe Satriani has just released his sixteenth studio album, What Happens Next, and he lined up a killer trio for it. The record is filled out by Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and former Deep Purple bassist Glenn Hughes. Though he’s known for his progressive style, Satriani took a more straight-forward approach he described as “pure...
Corrosion of Conformity Releases “No Cross No Crown”
Corrosion of Conformity has returned with No Cross No Crown, their first album to feature guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan since 2005’s In the Arms of God. Keenan reunited with the band in 2016 to return them from a trio to a quartet. “It’s been great, definitely good to have the whole crew in effect and go out there and take it...
Fano Guitars Announces the JM4-FB Bass
Fano Guitars has introduced the JM4-FB bass, and instrument they say is inspired by the classics and redefined by creativity. The model, which will be debuting at the Winter NAMM Show, is based on one of their guitars. “Using the ever-popular JM6 as a springboard, we designed the JM4 Bass to look and feel as though it’s been part of...
Steep Canyon Rangers Announce New Bassist
The Steep Canyon Rangers have announced a change in the ranks with the addition of bassist Barrett Smith, who will fill the shoes of Charles Humphrey III. Humphrey was the band’s original bassist, but they say Smith is already a great fit. “Our new bass player is Barrett Smith,” Woody Platt stated. “He’s from Columbia, South Carolina, but we met...
Bass of the Week: Dream Studio Guitars Voodoo Bass
This week we’re checking out the Voodoo Bass from Dream Studio Guitars. Created as a signature model for Jorge Casillas of the Voodoo Glow Skulls, the bass brings old-school tone with a more futuristic body. “No Active Pick Ups, no Ebony Neck; this is old school bass here,” Dream Studios writes. “Maple Neck, Maple Fretboard, and some good old vintage...
EvenMidi Updates H9 MIDI Controller
EvenMidi has updated their H9 MIDI controller with a host of new features. Designed for the Eventide H9 as well as other devices, the unit offers control of up to four devices simultaneously or switching from one to the other. It has nine banks of three presets for a total of 27 presets that can be customized. It works with...