Sadowsky Introduces Satin Series Bass Guitars
Sadowsky has unveiled the Satin Series, a lineup that brings their chambered, NYC-made basses to nearly half the cost of a built-to-order custom instrument. The instruments include their 21 fret Vintage Style J Bass and 24 fret Modern Bass models built in batch with limited options. “We’re committed to serving the working musician, so we found a way to thin...
Sean Malone: Cynic’s “Veil of Maya” Bass Playthrough
Sean Malone caught everyone’s attention on Cynic’s debut album Focus in 1993. The prog-metal album’s distinct sound came in part to the bassist’s furious fretless work. Malone’s time with Cynic didn’t last much longer after the album’s release, though he rejoined the band when they started back up in 2008. In 2014, he put out this instrumental play-through of the...
Tye Zamora Battling Cancer
Tough news to report today: Former Alien Ant Farm bassist Tye Zamora is battling Stage 1 Seminoma Cancer. Zamora, who left the band in 2014, was diagnosed last month. The news came via a GoFundMe campaign. “Last week Tye went into the hospital for what we were hoping was just a standard mass removal,” his wife Ramona shared. “Rogue cells...
Bass of the Week: Duesenberg Guitars Fullerton Bass
This week we’re checking out a sultry hollowbody called the Duesenberg Fullerton Bass. Built after they introduced the Eagles Signature Bass, the company calls the bass a “dynamic brother to the Fullerton Series.” Its body features a laminated spruce top with flamed maple top and sides with cream binding to add a touch of elegance to its smoky finish. The...
Phil Jones Bass Introduces Session 77 Bass Combo
Phil Jones had a handful of new bass goodies at the NAMM Show this year including the Session 77 combo. The 100-watt bass amp, which is PJB’s most affordable offering to date, features a pair of seven-inch drivers tweeter and a three-inch tweeter. The combo’s controls begin with a three-way switch at the input that toggles between a mute, high...
Fender Unveils American Elite Series Basses
Fender’s new bass offerings at the NAMM Show this year revolved around their new American Elite series of instruments. The lineup includes each of the company’s main models with the American Elite Precision Bass, Jazz Bass, Jazz Bass, and Dimension Bass. Common features for the series are Fender’s fourth generation Noiseless pickups, compound neck shapes, new cases, and new finishes....
Bartolini Unveils B-Axis Pickups
Bartolini unveiled the b-axis series of bass pickups at the 2016 Winter NAMM Show. Based on the company’s original HI-A design from the ’70s, the b-axis pickups feature a fully encapsulated Alnico V exposed pole piece design that fits as a replacement set for J-style basses. “The main design principle was to provide a highly asymmetric magnetic field in order...
TC Electronic Introduces Ditto X4 Looper
TC Electronic’s Ditto series of loopers got a little bigger at the NAMM Show this year. The Ditto X4 Looper builds on the simplicity of the original Ditto by adding two loop tracks, two loop modes, seven loop effects, loop decay, MIDI sync, loop import/export, and stereo inputs and outputs. The list of options and effects offer the option to...
Consider The Source Release Free Album, Announce Spring Tour
Sci-Fi Middle Eastern Fusion band Consider the Source is celebrating their 10th anniversary in style this year. The band, who have just returned from a two-week trek of India, are releasing a free compilation album spanning their career. Past is Prologue: 2005-2015 includes tracks from each of their studio albums as well as a bonus from their early years. The...
Ashdown Unveils Rootmaster EVO Series
Ashdown took to the Winter NAMM show this year to introduce the Rootmaster EVO Range. Building on the Rootmaster series, the EVO range has been streamlined with improved features and a reduction in weight. The Rootmaster preamp now has active and passive inputs to get optimal levels for your bass. Other common features in the line include a 5-band EQ,...
Mo’ Blow: Ricky The Lobster
Tobias Fleischer shared his latest video on our Videos Forum, and it’s a great groove. He lays down some serious low end with his band Mo’ Blow on the track “Ricky The Lobster”. Fleischer’s slap line, which he plays on flatwounds, has everything it needs while having a certain subtlety to keep it in a support role. The song comes...
D’Addario Adapts NYXL Strings For Bass
D’Addario has adapted their NYXL strings to their line of bass products. The new NYXL Bass sets feature the company’s NY Steel core and reformulated nickel-plated wrap wire, which they say offer a more powerful low end, accentuated harmonics, and focused punch. The NY Steel core also adds to the string’s durability and stability, while a new core-to-wrap ratio give...