Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 518

After introducing a prototype at NAMM last year, Warwick has launched the Sklar Bass I Signature bass. Made with legendary session bassist Leland Sklar, the hollowbody four-stringer is based on the Star Bass with modifications for Sklar’s liking including an arm support built into the body. The German master-built instrument is built with a carved body crafted from mahogany with...

Master luthier Gerald Marleaux unveiled a brand new model at the NAMM Show this year called the Tiuz. Named after the mythological German god, the bass is designed to be lightweight, customizable, and flexible. That flexibility is due in part to Marleaux’s new pickups and preamp. “The heart of the TIUZ lies in a brand new electronics package,” the Marleaux...

RJM Music Technology has introduced the Mastermind LT, a MIDI foot controller they describe as low coast yet very capable. It’s a more attainable version of their Mastermind GT for working musicians. “The trick was to reduce the cost substantially without compromising quality,” a press release states. “Building the Mastermind LT with a single LCD and a multi-color LED over...

Bruno Tauzin is back with another short and sweet bass video. This time he lays down a thick slap groove filled out with some nice double stops.

Besides celebrating the 30th anniversary of the SR this year, Ibanez also introduced a new semi-hollow body model called the SRH. The bass comes in four and five-string versions with the option of fretted or fretless fingerboards, all of which all built with a mahogany semi-hollow body and a spruce top. The body has a single f-hole with a special...

This week we’re taking a look at a beautiful model by the UK’s Anaconda Basses. This particular Anaconda Tribute J5E Elite was built for Joe Sam, a pro bass player from London, with a special twist. “He’s an avid Prince fan and wanted a bass which had certain design cues to pay tribute to the master,” builder Andrew Taylor-Cummings explains....

Eden Amplification has unveiled a special pair of models to their P-series cabinets. The Limited Edition P1515X and P1510X will be handmade in England and limited to 40 units of each. The P1515X features a pair of 15-inch XLT drivers plus an aluminum horn to dish out 800 watts of power. The horn has its own level control with a...

Ever since the Wood Brothers released their album Live at the Barn, I’ve been listening to them nonstop. One of my favorite songs on the album is “I Got Loaded,” which they also played in this awesome video. The trio, including double bassist Chris Wood, loaded themselves into a horse-drawn carriage and played the song through the French Quarter in...

AC Guitars has unveiled the latest in their bass lineup with the RetroB. The retro-styled bass is a departure from luthier Alan Cringean’s typical designs. “Over the years I have been asked to build copies and have alway turned down the work because it was not something I was interested in, there are more than enough J Basses out there...

Guitarist Steve Vai is known for his insane playing and fireworks on the instrument. Brad Russell decided to tackle Vai’s style by playing the guitar part to “The Attitude Song” on his four-string bass. From the pinch harmonics to the crazy whammy bar work, Russell brings the fire from the low end.

String manufacturer D’Addario has released their first ever pedal tuner. The compact tuner runs on a 32-bit chip, which the company says has four times the processing power of a standard headstock tuner. Its face has colored LED lights to indicate whether you’re sharp, flat, or in tune. It also features true-bypass switching, so the output is automatically cut when...

Thundercat’s latest album Drunk has been getting rave reviews and for good reason. The songs are hypnotic and the bass playing is on point. Here’s Thundercat performing the song “A Fan’s Mail (Tron Song II)”, live on The Current. The bassist slays on his 6-string hollow body for the song’s groove and his solo.