Reunion Blues Introduces RBX Double Bass Guitar Gig Bag
Reunion Blues is doubling down on their RBX series with the introduction of the RBX Double Bass Guitar Gig Bag. Designed to carry two bass guitars, the new bag features the company’s RBX protection system that includes a multi-layer foam surround, a strategically placed impact panels, a multilayer foam neck cradle and end-pin rest. An interior padded wall separates the...
Jensen Adds Punch and Smooth to Bass-Series Speaker Line
Jensen has added two new types of bass speakers to their product lineup with the Jensen Punch Sound series and the Jensen Smooth Sound series. Each style of speaker comes in 8, 10, 12, and 15-inch diameters with wattages ranging between 150 and 350 watts. The company describes the Punch Sound series as focusing on dynamics with a fast response....
Bass of the Week: Matteo Rufini Precision IV Custom Vintage Series
A few months ago, Jordan Brown sent us some pictures of a bass he was having made. I knew even before it was finished that it was going to be a killer bass, and it looks like I was right. Brown, who is an active player in London, reached out to Italian luthier Matteo Rufini to build an instrument that...
MBS Effects Releases the Mr. Smith Delay Pedal
MBS Effects has introduced the Mr. Smith, a compact delay pedal that offers up to 1600 ms of delay that can be set via Tap Tempo or rotary knob. It has four types of subdivisions: quarter note, eighth note, triplets, and dual triplets. The Argentinian effects company designed the pedal to have an analog dry-through with selectable true bypass and...
Gheorghe Postoronca: Dreaming of You
Solo bassist Gheorghe Postoronca sent us this video for his latest song, “Dreaming of You.” Combining fingerstyle, slap and tapping, the song flows through several textures to give a full accompaniment to Postoronca’s catchy melody.
db Instrument Amp Releases 4E Dual Axis Expression Pedal
db Instrument Amp has announced the 4E Dual Axis Expression pedal, a pedal with four expression control mega-potentiometers to control up to four individual expression enabled effects at once. The pedal has a two axis design and moves up and down as well as left to right, allowing for simultaneously and independently adjusting separate effects on the fly. The 4E...
Joshua Young: Dominatus Fugue in C Minor
This is one of the most spectacular Bach-inspired pieces for bass guitar I’ve ever seen. Joshua Young wrote this extremely intricate and beautiful solo bass fugue in the style of the 18th century composer, complete with melody, counterpoint and bass line. If you weren’t looking, you’d think “Dominatus” was being performed by three different people. Young takes his craft seriously...
In Memoriam: John Gustafson
Bassist John Gustafson, who spent time in the Ian Gillan Band and Roxy Music, has passed away of undisclosed causes. He was 72. Gustafson was born in Liverpool and started his early career in the late ’50s and early ’60s. His first group was one of the UK’s first rock trios called The Big Three, which he joined in July...
Bass of the Week: Black Beard Guitars Fahrenheit 4:51 II
This week we check out a stunning bass by Italian company Black Beard Guitars called the Fahrenheit 4:51 II. Inspired by the Fender ’51 Precision bass, Black Beard calls this “the first electric bass… revisited.” Its pine body is finished in a roasted semi-gloss and adorned with a an aluminum pickguard that etched with floral patterns. The maple neck has...
Mumpbeak: Oak
Ever since Mumpbeak released their debut album, it has stayed in my listening rotation. The group’s dark, progressive and experimental sound is one that gets into your subconscious and stays there. Here’s a clip of the band’s core – featuring keyboardist Roy Powell, drummer Pat Mastelotto, and bassist Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz – performing the song “Oak.” Blumenkranz locks in with...
Neon Trees Reschedule Tour After Bassist’s Surgery
Just two weeks after announcing their “First Things First” tour, Neon Trees have decided to reschedule several dates due to Branden Campbell’s health. A statement on the band’s website says the bassist recently underwent open-heart surgery for a valve replacement and was advised to take it easy. “The intense touring schedule has been exhaustive and doctors have advised him to...
100 Bass Riffs: A Brief History of Groove on Bass and Drums
I love checking out these groove compilations, and the guys at Chicago Music Exchange hit it out of the park on this one. Bassist Marc Najjar teamed with drummer Nate Bauman to put together 100 of the most iconic bass riffs starting with 1955’s “Ain’t That A Shame” by Fats Domino and winding up the 2013 track “My God is...