In Memoriam: Sal Cuevas
More sad news to report today: latin bass legend Salvador “Sal” Cuevas has passed away. He was 61 years old. Cuevas was born and raised in New York City to Puerto Rican parents, as such identifying himself as a “Newyorican”. The city’s musical and cultural blend was a big influence on his musical start in middle school. “Being from New...
G&L Guitars Unveils Kiloton 5 Bass
After introducing the Kiloton bass late last year, G&L Guitars has now unveiled a five-string version of the model. The Kiloton 5 adds a low B-string while retaining features of the four-string. Its body comes in alder or swamp ash and is based on the company’s SB-2, which was designed by Leo Fender. The neck is built with hard rock...
Bootsy Collins Cancels Tour Dates
Funk bass legend Bootsy Collins has canceled all of his current tour dates after being diagnosed with a tumor behind his ear. The bassist will undergo surgery very soon with the doctor recommending canceling his performances. Collins announced the news on his Facebook page with a positive attitude. “Yep Funkateers! I found out last week that I had to get...
Epiphone Unveils Limited Edition 20th Anniversary Jack Casady Bass
Jack Casady and Epiphone are celebrating twenty years since the introduction of the bass legend’s signature bass. Launched in 1997, the bass will be offered this year in a special limited edition outfit defined by a flame maple veneer top and a Wine Red finish. It will also come with a custom gig bag, deluxe leather strap, and a certificate...
Bass of the Week: Stellart Guitars Nemesis
Bass builder Stephan Mongeon sent me some photos of his latest build and I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. The Stellart Guitars Nemesis is a six-string neck-through semi-hollow fretless bass. Judging by these pictures, it’s a work of art, too. Mongeon builds basses with his wife, Ella, in Quebec where they’ve been honing their craft for...
Gustaf Fjelstrom: Revenant
Bassist Gustaf Fjelstrom has a new album coming out called The Peripheral Arc: Volume 1. The 8-song instrumental release will feature the bass with an ambient, postrock, electronic twist. He’s just shared the first single from the album, called “Revenant,” which is built around a gritty Rickenbacker tone. The track also has some thick synth bass in the mix. For...
Ampeg Now Shipping Classic Preamp and Scrambler Overdrive Pedals
After introducing the pedals at the Winter NAMM Show this year, Ampeg is now shipping the Classic analog bass preamp and Scrambler bass overdrive. The all-analog stomp boxes are compact effects derived from the larger SCR-DI. The Classic offers up the company’s 3-band EQ complete with Ultra Lo and Ultra Hi shelving switches for dialing in your tone. A volume...
GHS Updates Short Scale Strings
GHS Strings has updated their short-scale bass strings to be a bit longer. The extra length, they say, is to accommodate for short-scale basses that have a tailpiece or are strung thru-body. “Traditionally, the winding length (ball end to taper/silk) of a short scale bass string has been 32 [inches],” the company writes. “However, this measurement did not work easily...
John Scofield with Gary Grainger: Time Marches On / The Nag
Here’s a crazy lineup: John Scofield on guitar, Gary Grainger on bass, Dennis Chambers on drums, and Jim Beard on keys. The quartet is on top of their game as they rip it up on the songs “Time Marches On” and “The Nag” in this clip. The first song is a slower jam with Grainger laying down a fat groove,...
In Memoriam: Cel Revuelta
Former Black Flag bassist Cel Revuelta has passed away after fighting brain cancer. The news was shared on a GoFundMe page that was set up to assist with his medical bills. “Today we lost a wonderful person, our hearts are broken Cel passed away this morning Wednesday, May 3rd, 2017,” Adriana Martinez shared. “He was surrounded by his immediate family....
In Memoriam: Kevin Garcia
Kevin Garcia, who laid down the low end for indie rock outfit Grandaddy, has passed away after suffering a stroke. He was 41 years old. The news was announced by the band on their Facebook page. “There are no accurate words to express what we need to,” the band wrote. “We are absolutely shattered to say that we lost our...
Steve Lawson and Andy Edwards: Over Time
Bassists and drummers always share a special bond, but Steve Lawson and Andy Edwards have an incredible musical camaraderie. The duo recently performed an entirely improvised set at Tower of Song in Birmingham and it’s astounding. Here’s an extended clip of “Over Time”, which will be available to Lawson’s Bandcamp subscribers. “Everything here is live – I’m playing bass and...