Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 604

There’s a new name in the world of double bass we think you’ll be hearing a lot: Katie Thiroux. A student of John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton, Thiroux has an essence on the double bass that recalls the bluesy, soulful, straight-ahead style of Ray Brown while expressing her own voice. Here’s a great clip from the Berklee College of Music...

Continuing on last year’s Detroit Muscle Series, G&L Guitars has unveiled the R/T Collection, including an LB-100 model. The new instruments pay homage to classic muscle cars with four historic Mopar colors: Sublime Green, Go Mango, Plum Crazy, and Panther Pink. Each of the colors, which were honed for the instruments by Mitch Lanzini of Lanzini Body Works, is available...

Here’s a great clip of bassist Ben Wolfe swinging hard with Harry Connick, Jr. on the jazz standard “Fly Me to the Moon” from a 1989 appearance on Night Music. Connick and Wolfe keep things light by drawing out the melody and playing off of each other. The duo start with just bass and vocals before Connick sits at the...

Q-Tuner has expanded their line of neodymium pickups with the Q2.0 J-bass model. Designed for use with roundwound strings, the new pickup utilizes the company’s humbucker sidewinder technology fit into a standard J-style pickup size. The pickups uses a neodymium blade for passive, noiseless operation. Q-Tuner describes their output as dynamic and exceptionally clean, with a frequency range of 10Hz...

This week we check out the Healy Guitars Healer Bass. Based in Easthampton, Massachusetts, the company is headed by luthier Trevor Healy, who spent years honing his craft under the legendary Roger Sadowsky, Joe Zon, and others. The Healer is a take on a classic bass and features a curvy, offset mahogany body. Its set-neck is also made of mahogany...

Zon’s booth at NAMM this year was highlighted by the release of the Billy Gould Signature BG4 Bass. The instrument has several unique features, including a tulip wood boy, a black satin finish, and a Hipshot D-tuner, but its electronics push the envelope. The BG4 is fitted with a pair of Bartolini pickups which seemingly only have a single volume...

Ibanez has introduced the BTB Volo to their conceptual Bass Workshop Series. The Volo is a fresh take on the company’s BTB model that is aimed at players looking to explore the higher registers. The five-string bass features a shorter 33-inch scale and comes factory tuned from E to C.

Aguilar introduced the Super Double Pickups at NAMM this year. The pickups feature dual rows of Alnico 5 pole pieces that the company says dishes out a “thick yet articulate tone” as well as hum-canceling performance. The pickups come in versions for four, five, and six-string basses. Aguilar builds them in their New York City factory with 42-gauge Formvar wire....

Chip Shearin is one of the most well rounded musicians in the world. He’s a top tier bassist who has worked with artists including Donald Byrd, Marion Meadows, Aretha Franklin, Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Ceelo, and many more. He produces commercial music for advertisements, television shows, and even composes film music. Millions have heard his playing in one form or...

I’ve been checking out a lot of reggae lately, but one album always sticks with me: Steel Pulse’s Tribute to the Martyrs. My friend John gave it to me years ago and I still play it regularly, thanks in large part to the heavy bass grooves emitted by Ronald “Stepper” McQueen. As the title suggests, the album focuses on political...

Ibanez is taking a page out of the old school with their new Talman Bass Series, consisting of the TMB300 and TMB100. The basses, which feature a retro aesthetic, share many of the same features with the 300 having an edge in features. Both models are built with a mahogany body, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard. The TMB300’s fingerboard is...

Bass legend Francis “Rocco” Prestia shared this video on his Facebook page the other day, and I can only imagine that thousands of people around the world started moving in their seats. This clip of “Soul With a Capital S” is taken from the band’s 40th Anniversary at the Fillmore West. Most bass players dream of being able to play...