Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 679

Australian company Misa is all about enabling live bands to play electronic music, and their new Tri-Bass is a great example of that. The Misa Tri-Bass is a MIDI controller built for use with synthesizers or computers while fundamentally feeling like a bass. It has two main parts: a touch sensitive neck with three “strings” and a touch screen on...

Turkish bassist Emin Köklü sent in this video of his recording session for his band ACT’s song “You Owe Us Blood,” and am I glad he did. The hard-hitting metal is underpinned by the bassist’s cutting tone, solid groove and wicked tapping and sweeping techniques. Make sure you check out the breakdown section starting at 2:39 for some cool melodic...

Hold on to your hats. Periphery’s Adam “Nolly” Getgood shared the details of his newest axe from G-Spot Basses called the Temptress, and the name fits the bill. The handmade six-string bass was built by luthier Steve Gammon out of Hollywood, Florida and recently got its debut at one of Periphery’s concerts. Based around a swamp ash body, the Temptress...

As a part of the CBS Orchestra, Will Lee’s bass playing is heard by millions of people every week on The Late Show with David Letterman. Millions more listen to him every day thanks to his prolific recording career that spans nearly 40 years and over 1,700 albums of nearly every genre. “What I’ve always loved about my career is...

Derrick Hodge is stepping out front with his debut album as a leader, entitled Live Today. The bassist, who has worked with artists ranging from Mulgrew Miller to Jill Scott, is probably best known for his genre melding work with pianist Robert Glasper. It’s this blend of jazz, hip hop, and R&B that shines through on the effort, which offers...

M.V. Pedulla Guitars has introduced the Rapture NPG, a take on their Rapture model that omits the pick guard to reveal more of the body’s figure. The new bass is described as a full featured version of their “modern vintage” model and comes in single soapbar, J/J, or P/J pickup configurations. A low mid boost/cut switch is also included to...

Sean Yseult’s new band Star & Dagger has released a music video for their new song “Freaktrain.” Described by LA Weekly as “the perfect blend of Black Sabbath and Valley of the Dolls,” the groove-heavy band is anchored by Yseult’s huge bass tone that fills out the bottom end while cutting through the mix at the same time.

Les Claypool’s Duo de Twang will be covering the West Coast and Midwest with newly announced tour dates throughout August and October. The acoustic group, consisting of Claypool and guitarist Marc “Mirv” Haggard, will kick things off August 16th at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, California and wrap up the first leg of the tour August 26th in...

Ampeg has reintroduce the V-4B, a 100-watt all-tube bass amp. Based on the company’s classic amp from the ’70s, the new head is described as offering the tone of an SVT while weighing half as much. The new V-4B’s preamp includes a pair of 12AX7 tubes while the driver has a 12AX7 and one 12AU7, and its power amp contains...

Motörhead was forced to cut the band’s set short at this year’s Wacken Open Air festival in Germany after frontman and bassist Lemmy Kilmister fell ill. The band got through six songs of their planned 75-minute show before Kilmister left the stage. Fans reported that the rock legend was looking pale on stage. “I’ve been ill recently,” Kilmister told the...

FM Cables has introduced the Speakon Series of cables for connecting between amps and speaker cabinets. Featuring heavy duty Neutrik connectors, the cables are built with transparent loudspeaker cable with flexible twin wire made in Germany and protected by a fire retardant sheath. The cables come in three types. The ‘Tour’ Standard has 6mm Squared cable, while the Standard series...

Though they only lasted a few years, Black Country Communion was a band that really got it right. The supergroup, fronted in part by bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, had all the right riffs and attitude to bring that classic and elusive perfect rock vibe to the stage. Here’s the group playing “Beggarman” from the DVD Live over Europe.