Bass of the Week: Epiphone Allen Woody Rumblekat
Allen Woody wasn’t just a phenomenal bass player, he was an avid collector of vintage basses. The bassist – who laid down the low end for The Allman Brothers and Gov’t Mule – owned over 450 basses before his untimely passing in 2000. Before he passed away, he worked with Epiphone on what would become a signature bass called the...
Morning Bound: I Did Fine
Ever since Morning Bound released the video for their first self-titled single, I’ve been craving more. Now the trio, consisting of vocalist Tammy Scheffer, bassist Panagiotis Andreou and drummer Ronen Itzik, has just posted a new video for the second single from their EP called “I Did Fine.” Their beautiful use of dynamics and textures make this track as much...
ZZ Top Cancels Tour Dates After Dusty Hill Injury
It’s been a rough year for Dusty Hill. Last month, the ZZ Top bassist was sidelined for surgery to remove kidney stones. Now the band has announced that the rest of their co-headlining tour dates with Jeff Beck have been canceled after Hill fell and injured his hip. Live Nation officials stated he fell inside the band’s tour bus, adding...
Rodrigo y Gabriela with Robert Trujillo: Metallica Medley
Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo recently sat in with Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela to create a memorable encore at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. After some solo riffing, Trujillo kicks into the bridge of “Orion” to begin a four-song medley from the legendary metal band’s repertoire. The trio tackles “Orion,” “For Whom The Bell Tolls,” “The Frayed Ends...
Paul Lairat Unveils Travel Bass
French luthier Paul Lairat has unveiled his latest creation called the Travel Bass. The bass features a headless design with a trimmed back body shape. Combined with its reduced 32-inch scale, the bass is ideal for taking on the road. Lairat handcrafts the model in 4-, 5-, or 6-string builds with two versions: a mahogany body with a maple top...
Fender Introduces Classic Player Rascal Bass
Back in 2013, Fender Master Builder Jason Smith created the retro styled Rascal Bass to display at the NAMM Show. “I wanted to build a short-scale bass that was reminiscent of some of the Kay and Danelectro basses,” Smith stated. This week Fender announced that the Rascal Bass would be put into full production as part of their Classic Player...
Led Zeppelin: How Many More Times, Live 1969
John Paul Jones doesn’t get the credit he deserves. His organic lines and fat tone are what tied Led Zeppelin together. Case in point, here’s a great clip of the band live on Danish TV in 1969 playing through “How Many More Times.” Though the cameraman focuses on Plant and Page, it’s Jones and Bonham who are laying down some...
Mono Cases Slims Down with Bass Sleeve Gig Bag
“Being a musician requires traveling with a lot of gear, but sometimes we want to downsize and travel lighter,” says Mono Cases CEO Daniel Kushner. And that’s the idea behind the company’s latest offering called the Bass Sleeve. The minimalist design gig bag is a slimmed down version of the Mono’s Vertigo Hybird case and is built around the same...
Louis Armstrong, Featuring Arvell Shaw: How High The Moon
Here’s a fantastic video of Louis Armstrong handing the spotlight over to bassist Arvell Shaw for a bass feature on “How High the Moon,” from a 1963 performance in Sydney, Australia. Shaw pulls out all the stops during the nearly 7-minute romp. “Show business,” he says, just before breaking out his bow to play all the way up into the...
Focusrite Introduces Scarlett Solo USB Recording Interface
For bassists looking to record, Focusrite has just announced the Scarlett Solo, a USB interface with dual inputs and outputs. The device is a continuation of the Scarlett series and retains the recording capabilities in a smaller package. The Scarlett Solo has a mic pre and high headroom instrument input for flexibility. Other features include direct latency-free monitoring, 24-bit audio...
In Memoriam: Tim “Rawbiz” Williams
Tim “Rawbiz” Williams, who played with artists from Toni Braxton to Suicidal Tendencies, has passed away. Suicidal Tendencies announced the new on their Facebook page. “It’s with complete sadness that we have to announce the passing of bassists Tim “Rawbiz” Williams,” the band wrote. “Tim played bass for Suicidal Tendencies for almost four years until recently. Tim was a monster...
Nik West: Forbidden Fruit, Live
Nik West lays it down in this live performance of her song “Forbidden Fruit.” Drawing from R&B and funk, West leads the band on bass and vocals complete with a tasty solo at the three-minute mark.