Jared Smith: Archspire’s “Lucid Collective Somnambulation” Bass Playthrough
Technical death metal outfit Archspire recently filled out their lineup with the addition of bassist Jared Smith. The Vancouver-based group made the announcement on Facebook. “We are pleased to finally complete our lineup with the addition of Jared Smith on bass,” the band said in a statement. “He’s a monster musician with a killer writing style. We have already started...
Let Me Get By: An Interview with Tim Lefebvre
Tim Lefebvre has a knack for bringing his voice to any musical situation, and it’s a skill that has brought him tons of incredible opportunities. He’s played with the world’s top artists from Elvis Costello to Donald Fagen to Wayne Krantz and more. He’s played in the house band for Saturday Night Live and a host of TV and movie...
Darkglass Electronics Announces Microtubes B7K Ultra
Finland’s Darkglass Electronics will be kicking things into overdrive at NAMM this year with the new Microtubes B7K Ultra. Based on their B7K, the Ultra expands the pedal’s flexibility with a dedicated footswitch to engage the overdrive section, a Master volume knob, and switches for the mid control frequencies. “Whereas the Level Knob controls the output of the overdrive section...
MonoNeon Teams Up With Prince for New Single
Dywane “MonoNeon” Thomas, Jr. has been working with Prince for the past several months, and now the bassist has released a new song with His Royal Badness on keyboards and guitar. “Ruff Enuff” is a prime example of funk at its finest. “You may recognize Kirk A Johnson on drums, Mono Neon on bass and Adrian Crutchfield on sax and...
Bass of the Week: Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass
Fender set the standard with the Precision Bass in 1951, following it up the Jazz Bass in 1960. This week we’re taking a look at a bass that sleekly blends the two icons: the Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass. The blacked out bass features a slender basswood body fitted with a P/J pickup configuration. Contoured for comfort, the Aerodyne’s top has...
Fodera Unveils the Monarch-P Bass
Fodera is gearing up for the Winter NAMM show, where they will be presenting the new Monarch-P model. Based on their Monarch four-string bass, the Monarch-P is a Standard model that aims to couple a vintage split-coil sound with Fodera’s playability. The bass will be built with a classic tone-wood combination of an alder body, a maple neck, and an...
Bergantino Now Shipping HDN Bass Cabinet Series
Bergantino Audio Systems has announced the next evolution of their speaker cabinets with the HDN (High-Definition Neo) Series. Building on their HD (High Definition) Series, the HDN line was created as a lightweight version of the company’s flagship designs. “The Bergantino Audio Systems HDN (High Definition Neo) series lightweight speaker cabinets retain the great Bergantino Audio sound and give you...
Guns N’ Roses Announce Reunion Performance
After months of speculation, Guns N’ Roses have officially announced that the band will reunite in 2016. Singer Axl Rose, guitarist Slash, and bassist Duff McKagan are all confirmed in the lineup, which is set to headline the Coachella Music Festival on April 16th and 23rd at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. The rest of the band’s personnel...
Aguilar Amplification Announces Limited Edition SL 112 in Blue Bossa
Following last year’s Cabernet version, Aguilar Amplification has announced a limited edition version of their SL 112 cabinet. The 2016 version, which is limited to 250 units, will come in “Blue Bossa” and come with a numbered certificate of authenticity. The SL 112 weighs in at 25 pounds and features a neodymium driver and a phenolic tweeter with a custom-designed...
D&A Guitar Gear Unveil The Hydra Triple Guitar Stand
D&A Guitar Gear has expanded their line of stands with the Hydra, a triple guitar stand with six legs for maximum stability. It can withstand over 30 degrees of tilt without toppling. The Hydra folds down to half its size for storage and portability while foldable spacers help your bass rest on the stand. All contact points use T.P.E. plastic...
Alessandro Corsi and Francesco De Rubeis: Watt 69
Alessandro Corsi shared this killer drum and bass piece he played in the studio with drummer Francesco De Rubeis called “Watt 69,” and we’re glad he did. “It’s a bass solo taken from a tune I wrote 15 years ago for my jazz-funk-rock group, Capolinea,” he said. The high-energy track takes Corsi all over the fretboard with fingerstyle funk, slap...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2016 Announces Inductees
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced their 2016 inductees, but who actually gets in? The artists being honored this year include Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple, Steve Miller, and N.W.A., but several current musicians associated with the acts will be excluded. Deep Purple first three lineups will be represented and will be bringing two bassists into the hall,...