ESP Guitars Announces Two New Bunny Brunel Signature Basses
After launching the Bunny Brunel Signature Series at the Winter NAMM show, ESP Guitars took to the Summer NAMM show to expand the lineup with a pair of new models: the LTD BB-1005/QM/Black Aqua and the LTD BB-1005 QM/Burnt Orange. Both models are 5-string fretted basses, which fills a gap in the initial Brunel signature offering of a fretless fiver...
Morning Bound: An Interview with Panagiotis Andreou
It’s easy to get wrapped up into a specific genre, but there’s a whole world of music to discover and explore. No one knows that better than bassist Panagiotis Andreou. The Greek-born bassist is a student of all types of music, and that’s not just lip service. He’s been playing bass since he was sixteen and has studied loads of...
Alissia Benveniste: On The Go
Funk bass phenom Alissia Benveniste is back with a new song and music video, and if you’ve been following her, you know this is about to make your day. “On The Go” brings all of the bassist’s thick slap grooves to an upbeat track that will have you tapping your foot. “My vision for my music is to inspire people...
DigiTech Reissues DOD Meatbox Subharmonic Bass Synthesizer
Another legendary pedal is getting reissued as Digitech has announced the DOD Meatbox Subharmonic Bass Synthesizer is being put back on the market. The pedal, often championed by Juan Alderete, has been updated with several new features including true bypass, a TRS output, a 9-volt power supply input, and a blue indicator LED. The Meatbox is much more than just...
Guild Unveils Chris Hillman Byrd Bass and Starfire Bass II
Guild Guitars is introducing two new basses this summer with the Chris Hillman Signature Byrds Bass and the Starfire Bass II. The company revealed the instruments at the 2015 Summer NAMM Show in Nashville, Tennessee. Chris Hillman anchored the Byrds during the mid-1960’s and used a Guild Starfire to record the songs “Turn, Turn, Turn,” “Eight Miles High,” and “The...
Bass of the Week: Modified Rickenbacker 4001 Piccolo Sitar Bass
And now for something completely different. We recently featured a video by Indian music enthusiast and seven-string bassist Jason Everett. While a seven-string may be outlandish to some, he sent me some info on a special bass he modded to fill another role for his style. After being inspired by John McLaughlin’s guitar work with Shakti, Everett turned his Rickenbacker...
Kenny Barron and Dave Holland: Billie’s Bounce
Jazz greats Kenny Barron and Dave Holland make a great team. The duo, who released The Art of Conversation last year, utilize their deep understanding of each other’s playing to bring out the best of their own music. Here’s a great clip of Barron and Holland performing the standard jazz blues “Billie’s Bounce” live at the Jazz à la Villette...
Eden Announces The Glow Plug Pedal
Eden has expanded their pedal lineup with the Glow Plug, a pedal that contains a 12AX7 to add organic tube warmth to your bass sound. The pedal, which is specifically designed for bass, has adjustable warmth control to change the gain level of the tube. The Glow Plug also has variable crossover control to select the specific frequencies the tube...
Zeroliser: Bass Arrangement of Flume’s “Ezra”
Our Facebook friend Tim Grunwald sent us a clip of YouTube bassist Zeroliser playing a solo bass version of Flume’s “Ezra”, and I’m glad he did. Zeroliser uses some looping to flesh out the arrangement, which is lush with harmonics, chords, and percussion. Have a video to share? Send it to [email protected].
Tensor Bass Introduces 4-String Model
After introducing the 5-string Tensor Bass at the Winter NAMM show this year, Tensor Inc. will be unveiling the 4-string version of their bass at the Summer NAMM Show in Nashville, Tennessee. The bass’s design centers around the company’s Force Balance system that replaces a conventional truss rod. “The Force Balance system utilizes the string tension to generate the appropriate...
Anthrax: Caught In A Mosh, Live
Thrash metal legend Frank Bello’s birthday is today, and we’re celebrating with his band Anthrax’s “Caught In A Mosh”. The clip is taken from The Big 4 concert in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 2010. The song, originally heard on 1987’s Among the Living, is a shining example of the bassist’s style. After the intro, Bello sets up the main riff to...
King Crimson with Tony Levin: Red, Live 1994
King Crimson had plenty of lineups, but this one may be my favorite. The chemistry between Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, and Tony Levin never disappoints, and creating the double trio with the addition of Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn makes it even better. Here’s a great clip of the band from a DVD of a live concert in...