Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 661

There’s something very satisfying about the combination of bass and kalimba. Olivier Babaz plays both simultaneously (not to mention a foot shaker) in this chilled out rendition of the Jaco Pastorius tune “Teen Town.” Talk about coordination!

Nathan Vonnahme has released Teüna, a chromatic tuner app for iPhone, iPad and iPad Touch. The app draws on historical aesthetic for its design. “I started looking at these pocket watches from the 17th century, and I realized, these were the iPhone of their day,” Vonnahme explains. “This was the object that every gentleman and many ladies would whip out...

This week we check out the Ronin Prætorian, a bass built with the environment in mind. Central to the instrument is its “Salvaged Old Growth Redwood” (or S.O.G.R.) body, which the company reclaims from old barns, wineries, and agricultural buildings. Each piece is selected for a tight quarter-sawn grain structure, which the company explains offers improved sound transfer and acoustic...

Who doesn’t love some gritty Rickenbacker tone? Here’s a great example from Clatter bassist/vocalist Amy Humphrey, who rocks it out on their song “Tree of Secrets.”

Justin Meldal-Johnsen will be hitting the road with Paramore during their upcoming holiday tour while bassist Jeremy Davis sits out to be with his family while his first child is born. “Maybe you’re wondering how the heck we’re gonna play shows without Jeremy slapping the funky funk out of his bass? Don’t worry… we took care of it,” the band...

The Pixies have announced that former A Perfect Circle bassist Paz Lenchantin will be joining them as the touring bassist for their upcoming worldwide tour. Lenchantin, who has also played with ZWAN and The Entrance Band, will begin her duties with the band at Toronto’s Massey Hall on January 15, 2014. “We are really looking forward to playing with her...

Dean Markley has announced the Signature Series bass strings, available in 4- and 5-string sets. The strings feature a nickel plated steel that’s slowly wound over a hex core. This provides complete contact between the wrap wire and core, which the company says results in a maximum transfer of tone and sustain. The wrap wire is electroplated with pure nickel...

Sean Martinez has a new EP called Omnipotent Dream coming out soon, and he’s been dropping some teasers from the upcoming release. Here’s an awesome video of Martinez playing along with the track “Interconnected,” which features some gorgeous tapping, ambient effects, and gnarly distortion for a spacey vibe.

Ben Allison has a new atmospheric album out, . Taking its name from David Bowie’s lyrics to “Space Oddity,” the bassist’s eleventh album as a leader brings together his lifelong love of space, technology and film. Allison used the record as a medium to explore musical textures that tie the three together. The result offers up a sci-fi vibe influenced...

EC Pedals has joined forces with bassist Michael Benson to released the FuzzDriver, a stompbox that combines the company’s Bass Overlord and Angry Ape Gated Fuzz effects into one. The effects can be activated separately or together to create new textures. The Fuzz side of the FuzzDriver has Level, Tone, Gain, and Growl controls. Its Growl knob controls the gate...

Metalin’ Guitars has a pair of funky new instrument stands made of solid aluminum. The respective Floor and Gooseneck models feature a sturdy tri-tilt balancing assembly that can be disassembled for storage or moving. Built to fit basses and guitars guitars, the stands have a lacquer safe padding to keep your instrument’s finish safe. They also come in custom finishes...

Any instrument named after the monomaniacal captain from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick needs to have a similar aggressive design, and the Prometeus Guitars Ahab delivers in spades. This week we check out a 6-string, multi-scale version of the bass that left me speechless. While the Ahab can be built with varying woods and materials, this particular bass sports a jaw-dropping...