Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 700

Mike Lull mashed up his M-series body and T-bass pickups to create the JT4 and JT5, a bass with a modern yet familiar feel and “T-bass boom.” And while the body is a modern take on a classic style, Lull designed the pickups by trying to get the same sound of an original Thunderbird bass while creating his own T-Bass....

Bassist Fernando Molinari sent in this great video of his band No-Metric playing their tune “SOS.” Molinari kicks things off with a blistering slap riff to get the band in the groove. He also takes a beautiful solo after things cool off around the 3:30 mark.

Jason Newsted has checked in with a new update since announcing his “return” late last month. According to a new video from his studio, the former Metallica bassist has formed a new heavy metal band called Newsted. “I’m singing lead vocals and playing bass again,” he shared. “We’re busy working on our second batch of new songs that we’ll be...

Scott Ambush wows on this Spyro Gyra performance of “Deep End,” taken from the 2003 North Sea Jazz Festival. His whole solo is killer, but the note at 3:53 really just makes it for me.

After being nominated for two Grammy awards earlier this month, Muse has announced further tour dates for the remainder of 2012 and a good portion of 2013. The band released The 2nd Law in October and has concerts lined up across the globe through July of next year in support of the album. Newly announced shows include a third night...

Marcus Miller has posted an update on Facebook for the first time since his tour bus crash in Switzerland two weeks ago. His manager Bibi Green had been keeping everyone updated, but the post was the bassist’s own reassurance of his safety. “I’m seriously humbled by the outpouring of love, concern, positive energy and prayers we’ve received since the accident...

Here’s another gorgeous video from my favorite Argentinian duo, Willy González and Micaela Vita. Recorded April 20, 2011 at La Oreja Negra in Buenos Aires, the duo tackle “Romance de Barrio” with incredible sensitivity and passion. González is playing an acoustic 6-string made by luthier Paul Batan.

Here’s a sweet video of bassist Pete Griffin playing along with the track “Cornelius Drives a Truck.” The song comes from the debut album of Griffin’s band, Gryphon Labs. Griffin, who was a member of Zappa Plays Zappa and recently sat in with Dethklok, utilizes lots of cool techniques while keeping it musical. For the gear heads, the bass is...

The Gus Guitars G3 is an awesome bass with futuristic aesthetic. First introduced as a 4-string model in 1996, the G3 follows the company’s G1 guitar and is constructed using a special carbon fiber over cedar technique for the body with chrome plated aluminum tube for the horns. While the features are extraordinary, they’re far from arbitrary. Gus Guitars proprietor...

Mastodon is one of my favorite bands to see live, mostly due to bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders’ incredible, raw energy and beastly tone. Here’s a great clip of the group on Later… with Jools Holland, performing “Black Tongue” from The Hunter.

Demeter Amplification has introduced VTBP-201-800D and HBP-1-800D, a pair of powered preamplifiers that take the company’s existing HBP-1 and VTBP-201 bass preamps and match them with 800 Watt Class D amplifiers. The units feature Jensen transformers to completely isolate the pre and power amp sections, which they say allow for noiseless operation. The preamp can also still be used on...

Spector has reintroduced the NS-5 to their USA Neck-Thru Series of basses. First made between 1987 and 1990 during the company’s Kramer era, the new NS-5 retains the same features while offering current Spector build options. Its neck is a 3-piece laminate of Rock Maple fitted with AAAA figured maple body wings or optional exotic top wings (Buckeye Burl shown)....