James Jamerson Bass Up For Auction
A bass guitar owned and played by Motown legend James Jamerson will be up for auction later this month. It’s not his infamously stolen Funk Machine, but it is a 1961 Fender Precision that he owned from 1962 until 1967 or 1968. It was then that the instrument was bestowed by the bass legend to fellow Detroit bassist Billy Hayes....
Matthews Effects Announces The Alchemist
Matthews Effects has released the Alchemist, a pedal that allows you to split a mono signal or to sum a stereo signal to mono. It does so by utilizing a pair of independent buffers that also help to restore high-end frequency loss from pedalboards and cables. The Alchemist has two inputs and two outputs. Using just one set of each...
Bootsy Collins Shares Health Update
Last week, we reported on funk legend Bootsy Collins being forced to cancel his upcoming tour dates due to a medical emergency. Collins has now had surgery to remove a tumor that was in his ear and took to Facebook to update his fans. “Ahh, Funkateers! We made it out of surgery by the Grace of the “One,'” he wrote....
Earthquaker Devices Launches the Erupter Fuzz Pedal
Earthquaker Devices has announced the Erupter, a classic fuzz with big sounds distilled into a single knob. Designed by Jamie Stillman, the stompbox is described as having “a big low end, but not too mushy, and a biting top end without being too harsh.” “In developing the Erupter, Stillman ‘[used] every trick [he] ever learned’ to craft a fuzz Device...
Sky Trails: An Interview with Mai Agan
Mai Agan is a bassist with an incredible story. Like every good story, it comes from tons of hard work and a little good timing. Born in Estonia, Agan started her musical career as a child, picking up the bass as a teenager. She studied music in Estonia before moving to Stockholm, Sweden to continue her education. It was there...
Phil Jones Bass Hosts Second Solo Bass Competition
Calling all solo bass players! Phil Jones Bass, La Bella Strings, MTD Basses, and Tsunami Cables are teaming up for a solo bass competition to be held June 3rd in Brooklyn, New York. The day-long event will also include a Bass Expo showing off all the best gear from the sponsors. “In the previous competition, we had multiple competitors from...
TC Electronic Introduces the HyperGravity Mini Compressor and Mimiq Mini Doubler Pedals
In addition to revamping their PolyTune pedal this year, TC Electronic has unveiled two new mini effects: the HyperGravity Mini Compressor and the Mimiq Mini Doubler. Each of the new units are compact versions of existing models with tweaks. TC calls the HyperGravity Mini Compressor the world’s smallest multi-band compressor. It features their MD3 algorithm with three controls: Sustain, Attack,...
Primus and Clutch Team Up for Summer Tour
In what may be one of the best things to happen all year, Primus and Clutch are teaming up for a summer tour that will span the entire United States. The trek starts July 18th in Charlotte, North Carolina and will tackle the Northeast and Midwest before ending on the West Coast at the Greek Amphitheater in Berkeley, California. Clutch,...
Fender Expands In-Ear Monitors Lineup
Fender has expanded their line of in-ear monitors with the CXA1 and FXA9 Pro models. On opposite sides of the price spectrum, each set is built for live performance, recording, and listening. The CXA1 features a custom 8.5 millimeter titanium micro driver in a low-profile, slimline-style package for comfort. They are also compatible with iOS and Android devices with an...
Bass of the Week: Helios Guitars Capsicum Acoustic Bass
This week we’re checking out a gorgeous instrument made by Helios Guitars called the Capsicum acoustic bass. Made by hand in Italy, the bass features a stunning body crafted from mahogany for the back, Italian walnut for the sides, and white spruce for the top. As beautiful as it looks, each part of the bass was designed with function in...
Ayal Tsubery Trio: Blackbird
Bassist Ayal Tsubery sent in this killer cover of the famous Beatles tune, “Blackbird”. The trio decided to create their own arrangement by mixing up some of their favorite cover versions of it. “The arrangement is sort of a hybrid between the Jaco solo version that I love so much, utilizing chords in the upper register of the bass, and...
Iron Ether Updates the Polytope Quad-Voice Detuner
Iron Ether’s Polytope Detuner/Chorus/Vibrato pedal has gotten an update for 2017. The new version of the flexible pedal has an expression jack input for detune amount or chorus/vibrato depth while the filter is now switchable between high-pass and low-pass. Further, its smaller detuning range is even smaller now, which the company says makes it easier to dial in subtle, musical...