Bass of the Week: Stambaugh Designs 6-String Custom Inlayed Bass
Chris Stambaugh of Stambaugh Designs posts a “Build of the Month” on his website to show his best work of the month, and it’s incredible to see the range of styles he produces. This week, we check out a custom six-string design he featured in November 2012, with a dramatic fingerboard inlay and breath-taking body wood. “This instrument is one...
Felipe Gianei: Charlie Parker’s “Cherokee” Solo on Bass
We can learn a lot about our instrument by transcribing other instrumentalists, and Charlie Parker’s recordings are a lifetime of lessons. Bassist Felipe Gianei spent four months transcribing Bird’s solo on “Cherokee” and applying it to bass. “[The] first time I listened to this recording of Cherokee I thought, ‘Man, I want to know what he’s doing here, I wanna...
MXR Now Shipping the M85 Bass Distortion Pedal
After announcing the pedal at the NAMM Show this year, Dunlop is now shipping the MXR M85 Bass Distortion. The pedal was designed with Fuzzrocious Pedals founder Ryan Ratajski and is described as revamp on a “famously nasty sounding distortion circuit” that’s been retooled for the modern player. The M85 has separate Dry and Wet level controls to retain low...
Andrew Gouche: 1968 Fender Jazz Bass Church Flow
Gospel bass legend Andrew Gouche has started posting videos of his church performances, and this one of his “church flow” with his trusty 1968 Fender Jazz Bass is on point. Gouche accompanies the choir on “Is My Living In Vain” during a recent service. The clip is a treat as a performance, but it also serves as a lesson in...
Devi Ever FX Reintroduces Silver Rose Fuzz Pedal
Devi Ever FX is re-releasing the Silver Rose with some upgrades. The company, which was acquired by the people who run Dwarfcraft Devices in 2013, says that the monster fuzz pedal’s updated circuitry allow for extreme versatility. “[The Silver Rose] covers all the ground of the original with some serious improvements, like swapping out the IC Muff clone for a...
Kiesel/Carvin Guitars Unveils RV69K Roy Vogt Signature Vanquish Bass
Nashville bassist and educator Roy Vogt has teamed up with Kiesel/Carvin Guitars to release the RV69K Roy Vogt Signature Vanquish Bass. The 6-string bass, which is the first bass to carry the Kiesel badge, is made in the USA in the company’s custom shop and can be ordered with a variety of options. Standard features on the RV69K include an...
In Memoriam: Louis Johnson
Bass legend Louis Johnson, the funk session musician who played on Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”, has passed away of undisclosed causes. He was 60 years old. Nicknamed “Thunder Thumbs,” Johnson was born in Los Angeles in 1955 and learned to play bass alongside his brother George. The duo would work alongside each other with Bobby Womack, the Supremes, and Billy...
Maxon Introduces the BD10 Hybrid Bass Driver
Maxon has announced the BD10 Hybrid Bass Driver, a bass overdrive pedal that features a symmetrical clipping circuit for “heavy yet articulate distortion.” The company teamed up with famed Japanese bassist Masaki to design the unit to keep up with extended techniques. The BD10 has a dedicated clean level for mixing in your dry signal. It also boosts up to...
West Coast Get Down: An Interview with Miles Mosley
Miles Mosley is a man that keeps busy. Since we last talked with the Los Angeles native, he’s done extensive touring and been featured on several albums including Kendrick Lamar’s chart-topping To Pimp A Butterfly. His most recent work can be heard on bandmate Kamasi Washington’s album The Epic, where Mosley supports a wall of sound in an innovative new...
Will Lee, With the CBS Orchestra: MacArthur Park
Tonight marks the final episode of the Late Show with David Letterman, bringing an end to the legendary career of the longest running late-night talk show host. It also marks the dissolution of the CBS Orchestra, which has stuck with Letterman since his days at NBC when they were known as the World’s Most Dangerous Band. Bass guru Will Lee...
Chris Squire Diagnosed with Leukemia
Bass legend Chris Squire has been diagnosed with an uncommon form of leukemia called Acute Erythroid Leukemia, according to a post on the Yes website. The bassist, who co-founded the influential prog-rock band, will be receiving treatment in his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona during the next few months. Squire’s treatment will force him to sit out of the band’s upcoming...
Bass of the Week: o3 Guitars Rhodium Purplehaze
This week we take a look at another eye-catching bass from o3 Custom Guitars called the Rhodium. The Spanish-made bass is also called the Purplehaze due to its gorgeous purple satin finish over its ash body. Its neck is a five-piece laminate comprised of flamed maple and wenge with a pau ferro toneblock. The bass is fitted with a pair...