Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 553

As the instrument that expresses your musical ideas, it’s important to choose a bass that fits you and your music. But with so many options available, what do you look for? Active or passive electronics? Maple or rosewood fingerboard? How many strings? Which brand? The choices can be daunting, and finding a worthy instrument can take some time. That’s why...

When you play bass for more than one prominent metal band, you’re bound to make friends with some of the best heavy musicians out there. That’s precisely the case for bassist Jeff Hughell, who has recruited his friends to guest on his first full length solo album, Chaos Labyrinth. Hughell, who lays down the low end for death metal outfits...

As a former bassist of both King Crimson and Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Greg Lake has plenty stories to tell. So many, in fact, that it’s been hindering the release of his long-awaited autobiography, Lucky Man, which derives its title from a song Lake wrote for ELP’s debut album. “I’ve been writing it for some years now,” he told Sean...

One of rock’s longest standing feuds appears to be over after Paul McCartney told Rolling Stone that he’s over having hard feelings toward John Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono. The two figures, who often fought over songwriting credits, recently made up with Macca even referring to Ono as a “badass.” “I thought, ‘If John loved her, there’s got to be something....

The news of Lou Reed’s passing this weekend led me to revisit some of his music, including the legendary musician’s smash hit “Walk on the Wild Side.” Here’s an awesome clip taken from The One Show – an interview with the man that created one of the most famous bass lines in rock history: Herbie Flowers.

L.A.’s Perri Ink Guitars has unveiled it’s first custom bass guitar, the Rocky IV. The U.S.-made bass is crafted with a contoured solid alder body and a one-piece maple neck that’s fitted with black block inlays. For more visual flair, the body is embellished with 12K gold leafing by the artist “Sonny Boy.” The Rocky IV is fitted with a...

We have some sad news to report today, as John McVie has been diagnosed with cancer. The 67-year-old bassist, who founded the iconic rock band in 1967 with drummer Mick Fleetwood, just finished a European tour with the group on October 25th. Fleetwood Mac has announced they are canceling their upcoming Australian tour scheduled for November and December. “John McVie,...

Fodera is honoring one of their friends with a bass they’re calling the Victor Wooten Fretless; A Tribute to Joe Compito. The bass is a nearly identical replica of the five-string fretless bass that the late Joe Compito built for Victor Wooten, who famously used it on the Grammy-winning Flecktones album Flight of the Cosmic Hippo. “Those of you that...

Armin Metz is back with another great solo bass song called “Lu.” He grooves hard with a fat bass line, singable melody, and some gorgeous chord work. Bravo!

U2’s Adam Clayton has revealed that the iconic alternative rockers will have a new album out in early 2014. The bassist announced the news on the Irish radio station 98 FM during the Dermot and Dave Show. “We hope to have it finished very, very soon. And it will be out sometime early next year,” Clayton said. “But it’s a...

IK Multimedia has introduced the iRig BlueBoard, a wireless MIDI pedalboard for use with iOS and Mac devices. Using Bluetooth 4.0, the pedalboard transmits MIDI messages to control parameters in apps and software such as stompboxes in AmpliTube and Garageband. The iRig BlueBoard has four backlit footswitches with two optional external device inputs that allow for use of expression pedals...

Magnus Sjöquist is a U-Bass master. Our Facebook friend John Stam sent this video of Sjöquist kicking out a groove in tribute to the Victor Wooten arrangement of “Amazing Grace.”