Amptweaker Introduces the Pressurizer Compressor Pedal
Amptweaker unveiled the Pressurizer compressor at the Winter NAMM Show this year. Suitable for bass or guitar, the stompbox compressor aims to retain the attack of your instrument while adding sustain. “Sustain without compression… a common suggestion Amptweaker receives that means ‘don’t mess with my attack,’” the company says. “The PressuRizer™ compressor accomplishes this in several unique ways, and includes...
Bass of the Week: LowDown Bass Guitars Special Custom Series 4F Fretless
Wandering around the halls at the NAMM Show is great for finding unique instruments. While browsing Hall E this year I saw this killer four-string fretless built by Tim Seisser of LowDown Bass Guitars. With all the interesting body work and the stunning fingerboard, I had to find out more. “This bass started as an effort to use some really...
Bryan Ladd Band: Endorphin, Live at Bass Bash 2017
One of my favorite performances from NAMM this year was at the Bass Bash. Bryan Ladd led his band through throwback grooves and modern melodies alike. Here’s a cool clip of “Endorphin”. The jam is a killer, plus Ladd takes a slippery, filtered solo at the 5:50 mark.
Trace Elliot Announces the Transit B Bass Guitar Preamp Pedal
Along with the launch of their micro ELF bass amp at the NAMM Show this year, Trace Elliot returned with the Transit B Bass Guitar Preamp Pedal. The versatile preamp offers a host of controls with a pre-shape to dial in the classic Trace Elliot EQ curve, a dual-band compressor, a drive section, and a 5-band semi-parametric EQ. The compressor...
Schecter Introduces Stiletto Stage Basses
Schecter introduced the Stiletto Stage four- and five-string models at the Winter NAMM Show. The basses are designed to be a stripped-down, performance-ready bass at an affordable price point. Available in white and black gloss finishes, the neck-through basses are built with a mahogany body, a carbon-fiber reinforced maple neck, and ebony fretboard. The frets are marked with mother of...
Marcus Miller: How To Improvise a Solo
After getting the ability to groove under their fingers, many bassists struggle to learn how to take a solo. Luckily one of the greatest bassists ever is here to give you some tips. Marcus Miller sat down to make this video lesson for the Montreux Jazz Academy, which is affiliated with the annual jazz festival. From drawing to inspiration to...
Trevor Dunn Anchors New John Zorn Album
Composer John Zorn has released the sixth album with his 21st-century ensemble Simulacrum, called The Garden of Earthly Delights. The powerhouse band is comprised of bassist Trevor Dunn, keyboardist John Medeski, drummer Kenny Grohowski, guitarist Matt Hollenberg, and vocalist Sara Serpa. The exploratory album celebrates the 500th anniversary of the death of renowned painter Hieronymus Bosch. “A visionary of unparalleled...
Steve Lawson: Vertigo
Steve Lawson’s recent album Referendum is filled with powerful music inspired by the political events in the UK last year. Each song is a stream of consciousness as the bassist reflects on Brexit, starting with the track “Vertigo.” “This is entirely live and improvised,” Lawson wrote. “Looped and layered exactly as you see it. Some pretty heavy Kaoss Pad abuse...
Forever Funk: An Interview with Lige Curry
George Clinton has been spreading the gospel of funk around the world with Parliament Funkadelic for nearly 50 years, and bassist Lige Curry has been the group’s anchor for nearly four of those decades. Born in Flint, Michigan and raised in the Cleveland, Ohio area, Curry first caught the attention of the P-Funk crew along with his cousin, guitarist Michael...
Erik Arkö: The 12 Types of Metal Bass Players
Our friend Erik Arkö knows his metal, and that means he knows his metal bass players. He decided to have a little fun by making a parody video of the “12 types of metal bass players”, plus a follow-up to finish the ones he missed. “Being one myself, I hope that this is considered somewhat funny,” he writes. “Hope that...
DOD Introduces Rubberneck Analog Delay Pedal
DOD has announced the Rubberneck Analog Delay, a stompbox that features four bucket brigade chips that allow it to provide over one second of delay. It has a tap tempo footswitch and knobs for modulation, gain, and tone, but the pedal gets its name from its unique Rubberneck feature that lets users pitch shift from one time setting to another...
Ashdown Engineering Announce the B-Social Lite Desktop Bass Amp
One of the biggest hits of NAMM 2015 was the B-Social desktop bass amp. This year Ashdown expanded the range with the B-Social Lite, which they describe as the best aspects of the original in a smaller package. “It makes the amp more affordable,” says Ashdown’s Lee Alexander. “It doesn’t have wireless feature for the instrument, but you still have...