Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 541

Years after the original was discontinued, Digitech is reintroducing the Bass Whammy pedal. The updated pitch-shifting pedal is optimized for bass guitar tones and retains its classic settings while introducing new true bypass and MIDI operation. Digitech says the Bass Whammy is ideal for 4-, 5-, or 6-string basses and has very accurate pitch detection and polyphonic note tracking. It...

Squier has teamed up with Eva Gardner to introduce a new signature Precision bass. Gardner was the original bassist for The Mars Volta and has continued to work with artists ranging from Veruca Salt to Pink. The Squier Eva Gardner Precision Bass is built with a basswood body finished in gloss black, a maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard sporting...

Meshell Ndegeocello has a new signature bass from Reverend Guitars, aptly named the Meshell Ndegecello Fellowship Bass. Based on the Reverend Thundergun, the bass features set neck construction with a raised center ridge and reverse headstock. The Fellowship bass is fitted with the company’s new P-Blade pickup, which they say extends low end and clarity. Its controls include a single...

Miles Mosley is the epitome of cool. Add drummer Tony Austin and it’s an unstoppable duo. Here’s a video of the master musicians doing their thing on the song “The Mighty HRP.”

I love Opeth, so when our friend Yuval Raz sent in this video of his bass cover of “To Bid You Farewell,” I knew it was going to be good. Raz covers the whole tune, which appeared on 1996’s Morningrise, including the bass line, melody, and harmony. Overall, the version has four channels of bass recorded on the bassist’s Ken...

DragonForce’s Fred Leclercq has a new bass from ESP’s LTD Signature Series. As opposed to his previous ESP signature, the ESP LTD Signature Series Fred Leclercq FL-204 features bolt-on construction with a maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, and a mahogany body finished in Snow White Satin with graphics. The bass has a 34″ scale and 24 XJ frets. Its neck has...

We first met luthier Pierre Erizias at the 2010 Summer NAMM Show in Nashville. I was so floored by his basses and his story that it led us to create our Custom Shop series of interviews with bass builders. Recently, he sent me a photo of one of his latest single cut basses, and I had to find out more....

There are plenty of musicians who call themselves multi-instrumentalists, but Chuks Okpu is the real deal. Steve Bailey, who has been working with Okpu at Berklee, sent us this video for the song “Chuk for Chick,” which is inspired by Chick Corea. Okpu lays down the drums, keys, double bass, and electric bass with an incredible groove and level of...

EMG Pickups has unveiled the GZR-P and GZR-PJ signature bass pickup sets for Black Sabbath 4-stringer Geezer Butler. Designed with Butler, the pickups are made to reproduce the bassist’s tone during his earlier years in the band. The vintage style sets offer old school vibe with a few modern touches. The P set is all solderless and uses Alnico 5...

Gallien-Krueger is kicking off a new series of videos with their artists, starting with Robert “Bubby” Lewis. The bassist shares how he got his start in music, his big break of working with Snoop Dogg, and his advice for musicians. Afterwards, Lewis improvises two beautifully melodic bass solos.

No, it’s not the famed Ozzy Osbourne song, but Gheorghe Postoronca’s “Crazy Train” is epic. The bassist combines a deep pocket with some extended techniques to make a catchy solo bass tune. “Crazy Train” will be featured on Postoronca’s upcoming second solo album.

Japanese guitar company Caparison has unveiled the 2014 C2 Series of instruments including the DEB-E Bass. Designed and produced in Japan, the bass is built with a solid mahogany body, a slim maple neck, and a 24-fret bound rosewood fingerboard. Its “Devil’s Tail” shaped headstock is also bound. The Caparison DEB-E is fitted with a pair of EMG humbuckers with...