Rodenberg Amplification Introduces Commander Distortion Pedal
Germany’s Rodenberg Custom Amplification has expanded their lineup of effects with the Commander distortion pedal. Apt for bass and guitar, the pedal is described as the logical development following the company’s GAS Overdrive series. “While the GAS-808 is designed for overdrive sounds, the Commander’s home is distortion,” Rodenberg writes on their website. “But you can also dial down to overdrive...
Motörhead: Overkill, Live 2015
We may have lost Lemmy, but his music will live on. The remaining members of Motörhead are gearing up to release a live album called Clean Your Clock, featuring one of the band’s final performances together at the Zenith in Munich, Germany. This concert, which took place just over a month before Lemmy’s passing, is a testament to the bassist’s...
Radial Engineering Announces Headlight Pro Direct Box
Radial Engineering has introduced the Headlight Pro, a direct box designed for use with multiple instruments on stage. The device has a standard 1/4” input for bass, guitar, mandolin, or fiddle and multiple, switch-able outputs for PA sends. A mute switch allows you to disconnect your bass, connect to your next instrument, and select a new output. “When you are...
Sonic Nuance Electronics Introduces the TDI Mk2
Sonic Nuance has introduced the TDI Mk2, a direct box that combines tuner and DI functions. The new pedal retains the signal path from the Mk1 version but has a more accurate and stable tuning section, the company says. At the heart of the TDI is a passive Jensen JT-DBE transformer. The chromatic tuner is phantom powered and fully operational...
Custom Shop: Roks Instruments
Earlier this year we featured the Roks Instruments Futura bass as a bass of the week. It garnered so much interest that we decided to get the inside scoop on the company with luthier Axel Roks. Based in the Netherlands, Roks describes his basses as “tools for musicians created in the twilight zone between craftsmanship and artistry.” One look at...
Original Misfits Reunite for First Time in 33 Years
Legendary horror-punk band The Misfits will be reuniting for the first time in 33 years. After years of disagreements and lawsuits, original members Jerry Only and Glenn Danzig patched things up and will perform along with Doyle Wolfgang Frankenstein at Riot Fest in September. “We were never not friends,” Only told Rolling Stone. “We were just adversaries. Larry Bird might...
In Memoriam: Jane Little
Double bassist Jane Little, who was the longest tenured orchestra member in the world, passed away on May 14th doing what she loved: playing bass. In a bittersweet twist of fate, the 87-year-old collapsed during an encore performance with the Atlanta Symphony during the song, “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” Little served in the orchestra for over seven decades....
Bass of the Week: Fede Caceres Luthier El Cabure
This week we’re taking a look at a bass called El Cabure by Argentinian luthier Fede Caceres. The curvaceous four-stringer features some interesting wood choices, especially with its flamed eucalyptus top. Its body is made of cancharana, which is a wood native to South America, while the neck is a laminate of cancharana and flamed maple. The ebony fingerboard is...
Fender Introduces Pro In-Ear Monitors
Fender has introduced their first line of Pro In-Ear Monitors. The new in-ears are designed and hand-assembled in Nashville, Tennessee and come in five models: the DXA1, the FXA2, the FXA5, the FXA6 and the FXA7. “All models except the DXA1 boast 3D-printed digital hybrid technology housings, custom designed drivers and select models in the series feature a patented Hybrid-Dynamic...
Noggin Rockers Practice Amp Now Available
Bassists looking for a quiet practice session have a new option with Noggin Rockers. The new “stethoscope-style” amplifier requires no power to get you jamming. The device, which work with guitar or bass, attaches to the surface of your instrument to deliver the vibrations to your ears via tubing and a pair of soft gel ear buds. Volume and tone...
EarthQuaker Devices Releases Avalanche Run Pedal
EarthQuaker Devices has introduced the Avalanche Run, a stereo delay and reverb pedal built on their new high-powered DSP platform. The model is based on requests for the company to make a stereo and tap tempo version of their Dispatch Master. “While it is a delay and reverb just like the Dispatch Master, the style of delay and reverb is...
Sinasoid Introduces Signature Slate Coil Instrument Cable
Audio cable company Sinasoid has announced that their OEM Sinasoid Signature Slate instrument cable will now be available in a coil version. The Sinasoid Signature Slate Coil is a 35-foot cable coiled into a seven to fifteen foot extender in a semigloss vintage cream jacket. The cable, which is made in the USA, features Double Reussen shielding and a stranded...