Acoustic Image Introduces Clarus SL and SL-R Amp Heads
Acoustic Image has announced it will be reintroducing the Clarus SL and Clarus SL-R single-channel amp heads as part of their 4plus Series. The compact units weigh in at just over 2 1/2 pounds while dishing out 600 watts of power into 4 ohms. A core update to the models is the inclusion of Acoustic Image’s FLEX-style four-channel EQ, with...
Darren Michaels Releases “Seasons”
Darren Michaels has released Seasons, a 10-song collection that delves into the bassist’s singer/songwriter style. The album, which is his first full-length solo project in seven years, showcases his lyrics and creative bass playing with thought-provoking lyrics, altered tunings, and a chordal approach to the the bass. Michaels utilized an arsenal of three basses to record the whole album, one...
Wampler Pedals Introduces Low Blow Bass Pedal
Wampler Pedals has released the Low Blow, an overdrive/distortion pedal designed specifically for bass. The Low Blow features two clipping modes – Smooth and Jagged – for dialing in your dirt as well as a 3-band EQ for further tonal tweaking. Additionally, the pedal has a Notch Filter switch to tighten up “common cabinet ‘woof’ without having to turn down.”...
Mike Watt with Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl, & Pat Smear: Big Train
I’ve been revisiting some of Mike Watt‘s music recently after listening to his incredible interview on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast, and this clip floored me. The punk legend toured in 1995 with a superstar band to back him up including Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and Foo Fighters members Dave Grohl and Pat Smear. Here’s the group on the Jon Stewart...
ESP Guitars Announces Two New Bunny Brunel Signature Basses
After launching the Bunny Brunel Signature Series at the Winter NAMM show, ESP Guitars took to the Summer NAMM show to expand the lineup with a pair of new models: the LTD BB-1005/QM/Black Aqua and the LTD BB-1005 QM/Burnt Orange. Both models are 5-string fretted basses, which fills a gap in the initial Brunel signature offering of a fretless fiver...
Morning Bound: An Interview with Panagiotis Andreou
It’s easy to get wrapped up into a specific genre, but there’s a whole world of music to discover and explore. No one knows that better than bassist Panagiotis Andreou. The Greek-born bassist is a student of all types of music, and that’s not just lip service. He’s been playing bass since he was sixteen and has studied loads of...
Alissia Benveniste: On The Go
Funk bass phenom Alissia Benveniste is back with a new song and music video, and if you’ve been following her, you know this is about to make your day. “On The Go” brings all of the bassist’s thick slap grooves to an upbeat track that will have you tapping your foot. “My vision for my music is to inspire people...
DigiTech Reissues DOD Meatbox Subharmonic Bass Synthesizer
Another legendary pedal is getting reissued as Digitech has announced the DOD Meatbox Subharmonic Bass Synthesizer is being put back on the market. The pedal, often championed by Juan Alderete, has been updated with several new features including true bypass, a TRS output, a 9-volt power supply input, and a blue indicator LED. The Meatbox is much more than just...
Guild Unveils Chris Hillman Byrd Bass and Starfire Bass II
Guild Guitars is introducing two new basses this summer with the Chris Hillman Signature Byrds Bass and the Starfire Bass II. The company revealed the instruments at the 2015 Summer NAMM Show in Nashville, Tennessee. Chris Hillman anchored the Byrds during the mid-1960’s and used a Guild Starfire to record the songs “Turn, Turn, Turn,” “Eight Miles High,” and “The...
Bass of the Week: Modified Rickenbacker 4001 Piccolo Sitar Bass
And now for something completely different. We recently featured a video by Indian music enthusiast and seven-string bassist Jason Everett. While a seven-string may be outlandish to some, he sent me some info on a special bass he modded to fill another role for his style. After being inspired by John McLaughlin’s guitar work with Shakti, Everett turned his Rickenbacker...
Kenny Barron and Dave Holland: Billie’s Bounce
Jazz greats Kenny Barron and Dave Holland make a great team. The duo, who released The Art of Conversation last year, utilize their deep understanding of each other’s playing to bring out the best of their own music. Here’s a great clip of Barron and Holland performing the standard jazz blues “Billie’s Bounce” live at the Jazz à la Villette...
Eden Announces The Glow Plug Pedal
Eden has expanded their pedal lineup with the Glow Plug, a pedal that contains a 12AX7 to add organic tube warmth to your bass sound. The pedal, which is specifically designed for bass, has adjustable warmth control to change the gain level of the tube. The Glow Plug also has variable crossover control to select the specific frequencies the tube...