Pino Palladino Joins John Mayer for North American Tour
John Mayer is gearing up for his new album, The Search for Everything, with a North American tour to take place from March 31st to April 22nd. The trek will showcase the songwriter in three settings starting with a full band, then moving to a solo acoustic set, and finishing with his trio. Mayer’s trio is rounded out by drummer...
Jean-Baptiste Salles: Radiohead’s “Exit Music” for Double Bass
I’m a sucker for a good Radiohead song, and even more so when there’s a great bass cover of it. Jean-Baptiste Salles brings a beautiful depth to the melancholy melody of “Exit Music” from the band’s iconic OK Computer album. “I accompanied myself with a Bass VI,” Salles says, adding that he included the piano in the video as a...
Train Releases “A Girl, a Bottle, a Boat”
Train has returned with their eighth studio album entitled A Girl, a Bottle, a Boat. The album includes the bass work of Hector Maldonado, who has anchored the band since 2009. A Girl, a Bottle, a Boat is available on , and as a digital download ( and ). Check out the band’s first single from the album, “Play That...
In Memoriam: John Wetton
Sad news to report today: prog rock legend John Wetton has died after a battle with colon cancer. He was 67 years old. Wetton was born in Willington, Derbyshire but grew up in Bournemouth, where he started his career on bass and vocals with bands like the Palmer-James Group, The Corvettes, Tetrad, Ginger Man, and Mogul Thrash. His big break...
Radiohead Announce 2017 Tour Dates
Radiohead has announced an extensive tour of the U.S. and Europe for 2017. Kicking off in Miami, Florida on March 30th, the trek will take them through the South and over to the West Coast to wrap up at Coachella. After a month off, the band will hit Europe for June and July. Anchored by bassist Colin Greenwood, the band...
Bass of the Week: Lawalin Guitars Chamele Bass
This week we’re checking out a bass that went viral on Facebook. If you didn’t see this video of the Lawalin Chamele yet, watch it, and you’ll understand why it was so popular: Besides the incredible light show, the Chamele is not your typical bass. It features a hollow fiberglass body that’s fitted with programmable LEDs as well as a...
Sadowsky Introduces Compact SBP-2 Preamp Pedal
Sadowsky Guitars has released a compact version of their preamp pedal called the SBP-2. The new outboard preamp has the same circuitry that the company fits into their basses but in a slimmed down design. “[The SBP-2 is] perfect for crammed pedalboards as well as vintage basses where onboard preamp installation would affect resale value,” Sadowsky writes. “It works with...
J Ferro Basses Introduces Kilian Duarte KD-5ES Bass
J Ferro Basses was showing their full lineup at the NAMM Show this year including the brand new Kilian Duarte KD-5ES bass. Based on their Escalon model, it features a mahogany body with a solid flame maple top, a five-piece maple and mahogany neck, and a maple fingerboard with black pearl inlays. Electronics include custom wound J Ferro pickups matched...
Thundercat Announces New Album, Releases Single
Bass monster Thundercat has announced his third studio album, entitled Drunk, will be released on February 24th. The release will have a host of guest artists including Wiz Khalifa, Pharrell, and Kendrick Lamar as well as Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. The latter two are featured on the track “Show You The Way”, which the bassist just released in advance...
Schecter Unveils CV Series Basses
Schecter announced the CV Series of basses at the Winter NAMM Show this year. Available in four and five-string versions, the model centers around its electronics with a new set of the company’s Diamond J-Bucker pickups. The pickups, which visually resemble guitar humbuckers, can be switched between series, split, and parallel operation. Instead of a typical blend knob, the pickups...
Miles Mosley Releases “Uprising”
Miles Mosley’s long awaited album, Uprising, is now available. The monster double bassist created the album with his band the West Coast Get Down during the intense month-long recording session that also yielded The Epic for saxophonist Kamasi Washington. Mosley utilizes his distinct bass playing to serve each song, either with a solid groove or other-worldly effects. Uprising has the...
Taylor Adds Bass Model to GS Mini Series
Taylor expanded their GS Mini series with a new compact bass model called the GS Mini-e Bass. The instrument has a small 23.5-inch scale, which the company explains is about 10 inches shorter than a standard bass guitar. Even with the reduced scale, the bass’s setup creates deep tones. “Part of the magic is the custom nylon-core strings (with phosphor...