Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 608

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...

I love checking out fledgling bass builders and self-starters, so when Alain Guiraud sent a note about his new bass, I got just as excited as he did. His friend and guitarist Bruno Régis created an axe that mixes and matches features from a handful of basses. Guiraud says it is his friend’s first order, and I have to say...

Laney Amplification has expanded their Nexus series of bass amps with the Nexus Studio Live, a hybrid tube bass amp designed for use on stage or in a session. The core of the amp includes a ECC83 tube in the preamp and a class D amps for a total output of 1,000 watts, but that’s just the beginning of this...

Here’s another great metal playthrough featuring bassist Mike Poggione and guitarist Tyler McDaniel of Serocs demonstrating the song “And When The Sky Was Opened.” The clip comes from the Blakhart Guitar booth at the 2015 Winter NAMM show. Poggione is rocking a 7-string bass and some wicked right hand technique to tear through the 7-minute song.

After introducing the EX-Bass two years ago, D’Angelico announced the solidbody EX-SD Bass at this year’s NAMM Show. The four-string bass features a chambered mahogany body topped with flame maple and a mahogany neck. Its rosewood fingerboard holds 21 frets and is adorned with mother of pearl block inlays as position markers. The EX-SD is loaded with a pair of...

Alessandro Corsi has taken things to a new level with his latest solo bass arrangement. The bassist covers Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” with an infectious amount of charisma.

Warwick introduced a new signature bass for Stuart Hamm during the NAMM Show this year. The new model is based on the company’s Streamer with extended contouring and a deeper cutaway for improved access to the higher register. The Stu Hamm Signature bass is built with an alder body and five-piece birdseye maple and rosewood neck. Its neck has illuminated...

Hadrien Feraud is one of my favorite players, and it’s always fascinating to watch him play. Our friend Charles Robitaille sent in this video of Feraud playing “Paradise Variations” with drummer Virgil Donati, and my jaw hit the floor. The clip features several variations on Donati’s “Paradise Lost” from his album In This Life. Feraud’s bass playing is matched with...

Stevie Wonder has had a legendary career, and for over 40 years he’s been backed by the one and only Nate Watts. Here’s a great video of two fantastic bass lines with “I Wish” and “Isn’t She Lovely.” The clip comes from a live 2009 performance in London. Even after playing these songs for four decades, you can tell Watts...

Ibanez has announced they will reissue the famed 2609B, also known as the Black Eagle bass. Admitting they are not apt to reissue many instruments, the company says the limited edition run marks the 40th anniversary of the classic model.

Danny McCulloch, who played bass for the second incarnation of The Animals, has passed away from cardiac heart failure. He was 69 years old. McCulloch was born in West London in 1945 and got his musical start in his teens. His first band was The Avro Boys, who went on to become Tony Craven & The Casuals in the late...