Out of the Black: An Interview with Royal Blood’s Mike Kerr
Sometimes great things come in small packages. That’s true in the case of Royal Blood, a British rock duo that gets a gargantuan sound that rivals four or five-piece bands. One of the key ingredients to that sound is the massive bass tone delivered by Mike Kerr. Kerr started Royal Blood with drummer Ben Thatcher in early 2012 after discovering...
Ibanez Adds New Color Finishes to SR Premium Series Basses
Ibanez stepped up its SR series in 2011 with the SR Premium, which took the company’s flagship model and gave it upgraded features. The series has traditionally kept in the vein of boutique basses with only natural finishes, but Ibanez has announced that the SR Premium 1400E and 1405E will be getting new color options of Deep Ocean Flat and...
Monty Alexander, John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton: Mojo
Today is John Clayton’s birthday, and we’re celebrating with one of the bassist’s grooves. Here’s the jazz guru laying it down with Monty Alexander and Jeff Hamilton on the tune “Mojo.” Clayton’s joy for music is infectious. Make sure to check out his solo at the 3:22 mark. Happy birthday, Mr. Clayton!
In Memoriam: Billy Rath
Billy Rath, bassist for classic punk band Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, has passed away after a long illness. He was 66. Rath joined the New York-based Heartbreakers in 1976, replacing original bassist Richard Hell. He was featured on the band’s only studio album, L.A.M.F, which caught the attention of the Sex Pistols. The band went on tour with the...
Xotic Announces 6-String XJ-1T Bass
Xotic has expanded their XJ-1T series with a 6-string bass, which the company describes as having the feel and tone of a traditional jazz-type bass with the addition of two more strings. The 34″ scale bass is fitted with a pair of the company’s single coil pickups and Hum Reduction Inductor circuit that eliminates the hum associated with jazz-style pickups....
Bass of the Week: M-Tone Guitars Boki
M-Tone Guitars made their first bass earlier this year, and by the looks of it, they got it right the first time. The M-Tone Boki is a custom bass that was hand-built in Portland, Oregon with a “super light” one-piece swamp ash body finished in a gorgeous floral paint job. Its motif is carried over to its steel pickguard, too....
Janek Gwizdala Announces Ultimate Play Alongs App
Practicing will be taken to a whole new level with Ultimate Play Alongs, a new app that will be available for iOS and Android devices. The app, created by bassist Janek Gwizdala and drummer Louie Palmer, is built around a play-along experience with the back catalog of some of the world’s greatest musicians including Mike Stern, Nathan East, John Patitucci,...
Ibanez Introduces Peter Iwers PIB3 5-String Bass
In Flames bassist Peter Iwers has teamed up with Ibanez to release a third signature bass called the PIB3. Featuring a new blood red finish, the company says the new five-string model’s secret weapon is the EQB-IIID 3-band EQ. The mid control is set up to boost at one frequency while cutting at a different frequency to optimize mid-frequency control....
The Wood Brothers Announce Fall Tour Dates
After spending the summer on the festival circuit, The Wood Brothers have announced their own tour that will stretch from September through October. The Americana folk group will kick off their trek at the WorkPlay Theatre in Birmingham, Alabama and spend the two-month outing focusing on the Southeast and Midwest United States. The Wood Brothers is based on the duo...
ADA Amps Introduces Definition Preamp
ADA Amps has unveiled the Definition Preamp, a discrete transistor preamplifier housed in a stompbox format. The pedal is designed to get the most out of instruments with passive magnetic pickups. ADA says the Definition’s high impedance and low capacitance allow for passive pickups to “produce their full dynamic and frequency capabilities without introducing compression, noise or distortion.” The Definition...
Dominic “Forest” Lapointe: Beyond Creation’s “Elusive Reverence” Bass Playthrough
Technical Death Metal band Beyond Creation is getting ready to release their sophomore album, Earthborn Evolution, and bassist Dominic “Forest” Lapointe has dished up a bass playthrough of the first track from the album, “Elusive Reverence.” The left-handed, six-string fretless player tears through the track with deceptive ease. Rather than lay on root notes or double the guitar, Lapointe lays...
Phish Reveal Fall Tour Dates
Phish is continuing their tour in support of their latest release, Fuego, which dropped in June. Their fall tour dates will take them to the West Coast starting in Eugene, Oregon at the Matthew Knight Arena. The outing will also include dates in Washington, Nevada, and California with 3-night residencies at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and the MGM Grand...