Bass of the Week: Ritter Instruments R8 Singlecut #1237
Jens Ritter’s basses have a style and finesse that makes them instantly recognizable. This week we’re checking out one of his R8 Singlecut models featuring a stark black and white contrast as its motif. The 5-string bass is built with a swamp ash body and maple top, all finished in white. Its three-piece maple neck is also finished in white,...
ESP Introduces Marco Mendoza Signature Bass
ESP has unveiled a new signature bass for Dead Daisies bassist Marco Mendoza. The Marco Mendoza LTD MM-4FM Bass is modeled after the ESP Vintage-4 with a set of EMG X-series P/J pickups. The bass is built with an alder body topped with flamed maple finished with a Dark See-Thru Green Sunburst. Mendoza opted for a five-piece neck and maple...
TC Electronic Now Shipping Bonafide Buffer
TC Electronic is now shipping the Bonafide Buffer. The unit, which is their first dedicated buffer pedal, is 100% analog and offers a 1M ohm input resistance and 1K output resistance. This, the company writes, allows for the instrument signal to flow “untroubled through the entire signal chain.” It also has an intelligent relay system that automatically switches to true...
Nienke Lohuis and Fortheloveofbass: Aiming
Fortheloveofbass, aka bassist Ivo Schot, has released the third bass and vocal collaboration in his video series. This time he teamed up with vocalist Nienke Lohuis to write and record the beautifully atmospheric “Aiming.” “Nienke Lohuis is best known for her own band inlakech. I’ve had the pleasure to study music with her together,” Schot wrote. “I’ve seen her develop...
Les Claypool and Sean Lennon Team Up for Album, Tour
Primus frontman and bass wizard Les Claypool has teamed up with Sean Lennon to form a new band called The Claypool Lennon Delirium, and they’re taking the show on the road. The duo has announced their album, Monolith of Phobos, will be released on June 3rd with a three month tour to follow. Claypool and Lennon first got together during...
KW Cabs Unveils The Super 8 Bass Cabinet
KW Cabs has introduced the Super 8 Bass Cabinet, featuring a pair of 8-inch Ciare ferrite drivers. The cab pumps out 600 watts with just a 18-inch by 18-inch footprint. Its design is built for omni-directional bass spread with a multi-dimensional ported configuration and a frequency filtered downward firing sub. The enclosure is built with a ¾-inch plywood body and...
Radial Engineering Adds Mix-Blender to Tonebone Series
Radial Engineering’s Tonebone family has a new member called the Mix-Blender. The dual function pedal allows for mixing two instruments or effects signals together and then blend in effects like a mixing console. It works for guitar, bass or keyboards, but Radial’s Senior Tech Team Associate Ryan Juchnowski says it’s especially helpful for bass players. “Typical guitar and bass effects...
Entheos: An Interview with Evan Brewer
After dropping their Primal EP last year, Entheos is returning with their full-length release The Infinite Nothing on April 1st. The band – comprised of singer Chaney Crabb, guitarist Malcolm Pugh, drummer Navene Koperweis and bass wizard Evan Brewer – have spent the year refining their sound in the studio and on the road. Brewer’s top notch bass work is...
In Memoriam: James Jamerson, Jr.
Very sad news to report today: James Jamerson, Jr. has passed away at the age of 58. A cause of death has not been announced, though he had been ill for some time. Jamerson followed in the footsteps of his father, the legendary Motown studio musician, as a bassist. In fact, much of his childhood was spent around Motown’s Studio...
3Leaf Audio Introduces Octabvre Mini Octave Pedal
3Leaf Audio has introduced the Octabvre Mini, a compact version of the octave pedal developed with Tedeschi Trucks Band bassist Timothy Lefebvre. The new pedal pares the controls down to Volume, Mix, and Tone knobs. “It starts with the popular Tim-tuning mod from the original and takes it further with a reworked tone knob that runs the gamut from classic...
Bass of the Week: Skjold Design Drakkar
Pete Skjold has been wowing bassists with his incredible instruments for nearly two decades. Last year he introduced a trio of new models based on his most popular body shapes, and this week we’re checking out the singlecut Drakkar bass. “The Drakkar is the modern version of the classic Whaleback,” Skjold explains on his website. “A focus on ergonomics took...
Larry Kimpel Teams with Combe-Luthier for Signature Bass
Bassist Larry Kimpel has teamed up with French luthier Mathieu Combe to create LK5 Signature Bass. Kimpel, a seasoned session and touring bassist, worked closely on the bass’s design. The LK5 is built with a French ash body, three-piece hard maple neck, and compound-radius maple fingerboard. The light maple and ash motif is accented by a walnut pickguard as well...