Fuzzrocious Unveils Baxstabber and Blast Furnace Pedals
Fuzzrocious Pedals unveiled two new creations at the 2017 NAMM show with the Baxstabber and Blast Furnace pedals. Both pedals, which are made in New Jersey, will be shipping later this year. We caught up with Fuzzrocious’s Ryan and Shannon Ratajaski at the show to get the scoop. “The Baxstabber is a tone shaper and an EQ,” Shannon explained. “It’s...
Metallica Announces North American WorldWired Tour Dates
Fresh off of their performance at the Grammys, Metallica has announced a North American leg of their “WorldWired” tour. The trek, which kicks off May 10th in Baltimore, will be in support of their latest album, Hardwired… To Self-Destruct. It will be the band’s first full-scale North American tour since 2009. After the Baltimore, Maryland performance, Metallica will zig-zag across...
Warwick Unveils Rockbass Corvette Basic 8 Bass
Warwick expanded their Rockbass Corvette series with an eight-string version of the Corvette Basic. The eight strings are set in four courses tuned E-A-D-G against a wenge fretted fingerboard. Its built with an alder body and three-piece maple neck with ekanga veneer stripes. The body is fitted with a pair of active MEC jazz pickups matched to a 2-band EQ....
In Memoriam: Doug Lunn
More tough news for the bass community today: Doug Lunn has passed away after a long bout with pancreatic cancer. Lunn was a fretless aficionado, having ordered his first fretless Precision from Fender in 1974. He studied music in college and became a hired gun in the ’80s, working with many progressive artists as well as international pop stars. He...
ESP Introduces AP Basses to LTD Line
ESP Guitars added the AP-4 and AP-5 basses to their LTD Series at this year’s Winter NAMM Show. The four and five-string models are traditionally-based designs with ESP’s own twist. Both models are built with an alder body, bolt-on maple neck, and an ebony fretboard. They are fitted with a set of EMG pickups in a P/J configuration with volume,...
Linus Klausenitzer: Obscura’s “Ten Sepiroth” Bass Playthrough
Monster bassist Linus Klausenitzer is back with another insane playthrough from Obscura’s recent album, . This time he tackles “Ten Sepiroth” which balances between finger-busting riffs and awesome fretless fills. Luckily, the video focuses on his hands a lot to show his impressive technique. Be sure to check out the 3:16 mark for Klausenitzer’s melodic bass solo. If you want...
Gerald Veasley’s Bass Boot Camp Returns for 2017
Gerald Veasley’s Bass Boot Camp is returning for 2017, and it’s promising to be another great event. The three-day camp will take place March 17th through the 19th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a great lineup of instructors. This year participants will learn from Bryan Beller, Mike Pope, Adam Nitti, Justin Raines, Freekbass, Rob Smith, Anthony Wellington, and of course, Veasley....
Ashdown Introduces Stuart Zender Funk Face Twin Dynamic Filter Pedal
Ashdown Engineering has teamed up with bassist Stuart Zender to introduce the SZ Funk Face Twin Dynamic Filter Pedal. The pedal is designed for simplicity in getting a funky sound that Zender, who was the original bassist for Jamiroquai, is known for. Its filter section has a Sensitivity knob to control the effect’s response, while an Output knob controls the...
In Memoriam: Trish Doan
Trish Doan, who was a longtime bass player for the metal band Kittie, has passed away of undisclosed causes. She was 31 years old. Kittie announced the news on their Facebook page. “It is with immeasurable sadness that we share news of the passing of our sister and best friend Trish Doan,” the post stated. “Finding the right words is...
Bass of the Week: Roberto Franceschini Double Bass
This week we’re checking out a cool double bass made by Italian luthier Roberto Franceschini. The instrument features a slimmed down body that makes it more portable while retaining the acoustic sound of a double bass. “Various luthiers around the world have been trying for years to find solutions for building less bulky double basses without giving up any bit...
Al Jarreau with Marcus Miller: Tenderness Studio Session
The world lost another music icon this weekend with the passing of jazz vocalist Al Jarreau. His distinct voice and style were adored by many, and his dedication to his art inspired, even more, musicians. Bass legend Marcus Miller shared this video of Jarreau’s 1994 “Tenderness” live in the studio session on Facebook in memory of the singer. “I can’t...
Nordstrand Pickups Introduces the 2b+ Preamp
Nordstrand Pickups has introduced the 2b+, a 2-band boost only preamp they say offers flexibility and simplicity with lots of tone-shaping potential. “Offering more boost than our standard 2-band preamp the 2B+ can really beef up your lows and polish your highs,” Nordstrand writes. “There’s a dip switch for shifting the treble EQ point, and the adjustable gain trim pot...