Bass of the Week: Utrera Ellegance Single Cut Bass
Freddy Utrera is a Venezuelan luthier who has been producing some gorgeous basses, including his Ellegance singlecut. Available in 4-, 5- and 6-string versions, the bass is evidence of the luthier’s love of natural finishes and often ships that way, just to display the gorgeous cuts of wood he utilizes. The Ellegance comes in two flavors: standard and custom. The...
Carrying on the Mingus Dynasty: An Interview with Boris Kozlov
It’s not easy to fill the shoes of a legend, and Charles Mingus has some huge shoes to fill. The iconic jazz bassist and composer left behind a body of work so massive, so complex, and so uniquely his own that it takes an equally rare musician to convey its spirit. Mingus’ music lives on through the Mingus Big Band,...
Peerless Guitars Introduces Retromatic B1 and B2 Basses
Peerless Guitars has launched a pair of 4-string versions of their Retromatic guitar with the Retromatic B1 and B2 basses. Sporting a vintage vibe, the basses feature a chambered, semi-hollow body design finished in natural, teal green, honey sunburst, ivory, black, gold or candy apple red colors. The B1 is fitted with a single humbucker designed by Matt Gleeson of...
Simon Fitzpatrick: “Roundabout” Live Solo Bass Performance
Simon Fitzpatrick is a guy who constantly pushes himself to see what can be done on the bass. Here’s the latest example: an incredibly intricate solo bass version of the classic Yes track “Roundabout.” After putting it all together with just his bass and his hands, Fitzpatrick builds the piece with a looper to lay a superb solo overtop.
Paul McCartney and Wings’ Remastered Rockshow Concert Film Released
In 1975 and 1976, former Fab Four bassist Paul McCartney and his band Wings took the world by storm with the “Wings over the World” tour, a 66-date trek across Australia, Europe and North America. It was the largest tour the band would ever undertake, and it resulted in the triple live album Wings Over America. A concert film entitled...
Dante Pascuzzo: Inner Urge
Bassist Dante Pascuzzo arranged this cool version of Joe Henderson’s “Inner Urge,” which takes the jazz standard and adds a electronica break beat to it. Pascuzzo lays down some fat upright bass before chording and soloing with his 5-string electric. Dig it.
Ibanez Adds 7-String Bass to BTB Series
Adding to their extended range bass lineup, Ibanez has introduced the Limited Edition BTB7. The 7-string bass adds a high F-string to the company’s existing 6-string BTB configuration. The BTB7 features neck-through construction with a 7-piece maple, bubinga, and walnut neck sporting maple body wings topped with walnut. Its body shape follows the BTB style with deep cutaways and an...
SKB Cases Introduces New J/P Electric Bass Case
SKB is now offering the 1SKB-44PRO J/P Electric Bass case. Previously made exclusively for Fender, the case is built to fit Precision and Jazz style basses. The cases are vacuum formed of lightweight ABS plastic with molded in stacking ribs. Other features include fiberglass reinforced TSA locking trigger latches, a over-molded cushion grip handle, and a ridge EPS, plush lined...
Höfner Introduces Gold Label Series Violin Basses
Höfner has added a new and colorful lineup of basses to their Gold Label Series they say are “intended to appeal to a new generation of bass players who appreciate the qualities of the Höfner bass but would like it in anything except sunburst.” The Gold Label Violin Basses take their classic design and finish it in four new colors:...
Janek Gwizdala Launches Bass String Donation Campaign
There’s something beautiful about the bass playing community that you just don’t find in the rest of the music world. The sense of camaraderie and willingness to help others out is a hallmark of true bassists, and Janek Gwizdala has once again proven this point by launching We Need Strings, a site dedicated to getting bass strings into the hands...
Deimel Guitarworks Introduces Firestar Bass
German luthier Frank Deimel has mixed elements of several bass styles into his latest creation, the Deimel Guitarworks Firestar Bass. The long-scale bass features a figured hard rock maple neck that is fashioned after a P-Bass’s dimensions and topped with a Pau Ferro fretboard. The body is a single piece of yellow poplar. The bass is rigged with three Lollar...
Bass of the Week: Music Man Big Al
In 2009, Music Man introduced a bass version of their Albert Lee Signature guitar called the Big Al. Its angular body and unique pickups caught the community’s attention, and the next year the company announced a 5-string version. The Big Al and Big Al 5 are built with African mahogany bodies, maple necks, and maple or rosewood fingerboards with a...