Yamaha Acquires Line 6
Line 6, makers of digital amplifiers and effects, is slated to be acquired by Yamaha Corporation, according to a press release issued by Yamaha. The deal will result in a 100% acquisition. Established in 1996, Line 6 specializes in guitar and bass modeling processors, including their POD line, as well as PA equipment and wireless systems. The agreement states that...
Musicvox Announces Limited Edition 12-String MI-5 Bass
Musicvox has introduced a new limited edition 12-string version of their MI-5 bass. The Limited Edition 2014 MI-5 bass features four triple courses for a familiar tuning with more strings. It’s built with neck-through construction with a mahogany body and maple neck topped with a rosewood fingerboard. The body and headstock are triple bound while the neck is reinforced with...
AC Guitars Unveils Über Graft Spec Bass Series
AC Guitars has added a new line of basses with the introduction of the Über Graft Spec Series. The new basses build upon the company’s Graft Series of handmade basses, which are made in batch to keep them in an accessible price range. This line offers five body shapes: Finn, Recurve, Harlot, Gallas, and J-Type. Über Graft basses will be...
Norm Stockton: “O Come All Ye Faithful” Solo Bass Arrangement
Norm Stockton has a knack for making unbelievably great solo bass arrangements of songs. This year he’s put his talent into the classic Christmas carol “O Come All Ye Faithful.” “I hope you enjoy the music as much as I enjoyed performing it for you,” Stockton shares. “May the joy and hope of the season flood into your life today...
Mumpbeak Releases Debut Featuring Tony Levin, Bill Laswell, Lorenzo Feliciati and Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz
When keyboardist Ray Powell set out to fill out his project band Mumpbeak, he went straight to the top of prog rock royalty. Mumpbeak’s features drummer Pat Mastelotto and a host of talented bassists: Bill Laswell, Tony Levin, Lorenzo Feliciati, and Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz. Described as “art by committee,” the project takes on shades of King Crimson, Yes and Gentle...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2014 Inductees Announced
Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has officially announced the 2014 inductees. The artists that will be joining the Hall next year include Nirvana, KISS, Peter Gabriel, Hall and Oates, Cat Stevens, and Linda Ronstadt. The E Street Band will be given the Award for Musical Excellence. Among the artists are bassists Krist Novoselic (Nirvana), Gene Simmons (KISS), and...
Bobby Vega: “Silent Night” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
Grab your egg nog and have a seat by the fire, because Bobby Vega is about to put you in the Christmas mood. Vega plays two beautiful solo bass versions of the carols “Silent Night” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” on his Ribbecke bass and his 1966 Fender Jazz, affectionately named “Gumby.”
Bass of the Week: Spear Guitars Flextool
Can’t decide between a P, J, or MM bass? Spear has you covered with the Flextool, a bass that’s loaded with all three pickup types. The Flextool is built with an alder body, Canadian Hard Maple neck and Indian Rosewood fingerboard. Its pickups and hardware are all Spear’s own brand. The pickups include a single coil in the neck position,...
Alberto Rigoni and Enrico Buttol: Jingle Bells
We’re kicking off the holiday season as we do every year: bass style. Bassist Alberto Rigoni and beatboxer Enrico Buttol help us do just that with this lighthearted version of “Jingle Bells.” Happy holidays!
Mooer Introduces Noise Killer Micro Pedal
Mooer has introduced the Noise Killer, a noise gate fitted into a micro pedal configuration. The Noise Killer eliminates noise and feedback in signal chains. It has a simplistic control layout with a single rotary knob to set the threshold and a two-position switch to toggle between a hard or soft knee. The threshold can be set from -70dB to...
Lianne La Havas: Bass/Voice Duet of Little Dragon’s “Twice”
There’s something beautiful about stripping a song down to just bass and voice, especially when that voice comes from Lianne La Havas. In this gorgeous rendition of Little Dragon’s “Twice,” bassist Chris Dagger lays down the song’s hypnotic bass line and harmonics.
JHS Pedals Announces Moonshine Overdrive Pedal
Kansas City’s JHS Pedals has unveiled the Moonshine Overdrive. Designed for bass and guitar, the stompbox is described as a “massively tweaked version of the most famous overdrive ever created.” The Moonshine has standard Volume, Drive, and Tone controls that are augmented with a “Proof” toggle switch. When switched down, the Proof toggle pus the pedal into a higher gain...