Epifani Now Shipping Piccolo 999 Bass Amp
Amp builder Nick Epifani has beefed up his Piccolo bass amp series with the Piccolo 999. The 1,000-watt head utilizes Epifani’s UL series preamp including a new Vintage circuit that adds a tube-like tone to the overall output. The Class D amp and switch-mode power supply keep the amp down to just 4.5 pounds and small enough to fit in...
Phil Collins Taps Leland Sklar for New Tour
Phil Collins has revealed he is coming out of retirement to perform in a tour he’s calling “Not Dead Yet Live!” next summer. The title, which is a play on concerns about his health, is also the title of his new autobiography that comes out this month. Collins has once again tapped bass master Leland Sklar to handle the low...
Positive Grid Unveils the BIAS Distortion Pro Pedal
Positive Grid has expanded their BIAS amplifier processing technology into the BIAS Distortion Pro Pedal. The tone-matching distortion pedal works for guitar and bass by emulating the circuitry of any distortion. “With BIAS Distortion pedal, users can easily match their favorite distortion, overdrive, fuzz, and boost pedals’ tones,” the company writes. “BIAS Distortion integrates with BIAS Pedal’s Tone Match technology...
Donny McCaslin Releases Beyond Now, Featuring Tim Lefebvre
The team of Donny McCaslin, Mark Guiliana, Jason Lindner and Tim Lefebvre is a force to be reckoned with. Their musical prowess and ability to seamlessly morph grooves is so strong that David Bowie chose them to be the band for his final album, Blackstar. Now McCaslin and crew have released Beyond Now, an album dedicated to and inspired by...
Jason Scheff Leaves Chicago
After 31 years of playing in the band, Jason Scheff has left the ranks of Chicago. Scheff has been on a leave of absence since May due to family health reasons, but the departure seems permanent now as the band announced a new bassist. “Chicago would like to officially welcome bassist / vocalist Jeff Coffey to the band!” they wrote...
Fodera Unveils Victor Wooten Yin Yang Deluxe Series III Bass
Fodera has unveiled the Victor Wooten Yin Yang Deluxe Series III, a new take on the bass guru’s signature instrument. The bass, which is his third signature fretted Yin Yang, is designed to have a broader and unique range of tones with different woods and electronics. “Earlier this year Victor visited the shop to demo various possible tonewood combinations and...
J. Rockett Audio Designs Releases SOS Buffer Pedal
J. Rockett Audio Designs has added the SOS Buffer pedal to their Tour Series line. The simple pedal is made for use in conjunction with other pedals to save your tone. “Buffers balance out your impedance and get the loss of highs back on track, especially with multiple pedals and long cable runs,” the company writes. “The quality of guitar...
Roger Waters Announces Us + Them Tour
Roger Waters has announced the “Us + Them” tour for 2017, which is set to kick off in Kansas City on May 26th. The extensive North American Tour will cover much of the U.S. capped with a handful of Canadian dates next October. The former Pink Floyd bassist is keeping the musical content of the tour under wraps, but divulged...
Mesa Engineering Introduces the Subway D-800+ Bass Amp
A year after introducing their first Class D amplifier, Mesa Engineering has expanded the Subway series with the Subway D-800+ bass amp. The new amp expands on its predecessor with a more comprehensive preamp featuring extra EQ controls, a series effects loop, a tuner output, and a 1/4-inch mute footswitch jack. The 4-band EQ section now has semi-parametric, sweep-able Low-Mid...
Bass of the Week: Ploughman Guitars Semi-Hollow Bass
This week we’re checking out another beautiful instrument by Serbia’s Ploughman Guitars. Their take on a semi-hollow body bass is crafted with a one-piece Sipo body that topped with book-matched, hand-carved, Bosnian maple. Its five-piece maple and mahogany neck is topped with a wenge fingerboard adorned with mother of pearl block inlays. The hardware includes a solid brass LP-style bridge...
Spector Introduces Timbre Acoustic Bass Guitar
Spector Basses has announced their first ever acoustic bass line called the Timbre Series. Available in Black, Natural and Walnut Stain finishes, the bass is crafted with a solid sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides, a mahogany neck, and a rosewood fingerboard. “This is much stronger than solid lumber would be and helps to allow the top to vibrate...
Julie Slick: Adrian Belew Power Trio “B3” Bass Playthrough
Thank God for Julie Slick. While wading through countless awful political posts in my Facebook feed, I saw this incredible clip of her ripping it up on the Adrian Belew Power Trio song “B3”, and it saved my day. The track comes from the 2009 ABPT album e, which features Slick and her brother Eric on drums. It’s a short...