Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 702

Toto has announced their first full North American tour in almost a decade as part of a worldwide trek in celebration of the band’s 35th anniversary. Kicking off July 26th in Belleville, Ontario, the veteran rockers will skip across Canada and the United States before wrapping up on September 14th in Chandler, Arizona. The band’s current lineup includes Steve “Luke”...

Pigtronix has introduced the Gatekeeper, a new noise gate pedal that utilizes J-FET circuitry to eliminate unwanted sounds from your signal path. The pedal is built for simplicity with a Threshold knob and a Release knob to dial in the gate’s settings. Pigtronix states the threshold control offers a wide range combined with superior headroom to offer smooth transient response,...

My friend Dos was the first person to introduce me to the music of Esperanza Spalding, and this was the first tune that made me realize her genius. Taken from her 2008 release, Esperanza, “Precious” is a gorgeous groove that is a perfect blend of jazz and R&B. The bass line is infectious – and fun to play – and...

Headway Music Audio has expanded their range of acoustic preamps with the EDB-2 and EDM-1, a pair of preamps that will replace the company’s flagship EDB-1 EQ Direct Blend Preamp. Both of the new preamps are designed for acoustic instruments, including upright bass and acoustic bass guitar, and are housed in a metal chassis with belt clips, rubber feet, and...

Payson has introduced a new Medium Light gauge set to their fanned nickel steel bass strings. As with the rest of the series, the Payson Fanned Nickel Steel Medium Light Bass Strings are designed specifically for Dingwall basses, or any other boutique builders using fanned multi-scale lengths from 34 to 37 inches. The set’s gauges are .130T, .100T, .078T, .058,...

This week, we’re checking out the Calypso from Odyssey Basses, a bass that’s handmade in Greece by luthier Iannis Ioannides. The slick design comes in 4-, 5-, and 6-string configurations with options for lefties, as well. The Calypso comes standard with a lightweight swamp ash body, an American maple neck, and an Indian Rosewood fingerboard, though several upgrade options are...

Trampled Under Foot is making a big splash with their first major label release, Badlands, a thirteen track collection of soulful and gritty blues tunes that groove like no other. The sibling power trio is fronted by singer/bassist Danielle Schnebelen, who pours her soul out in heartfelt lyrics and low notes. “All I really want to do is inspire goodness...

There’s so much to like about this video, it’s hard to figure out where to begin. Bart Soeters made this video to showcase the diverse sounds of the bass. Accompanied by Joris Holtackers on drums and keys, Soeters uses 19 (!) basses throughout the jam to show the wide variety of tones and feels that each bass achieves. If you...

Thundercat, aka bassist Stephen Bruner, has returned with his second full-length album, Apocalypse. Continuing Bruner’s unique hip hop meets jazz meets indie rock style, the effort centers on the cycle of life and all its ups and downs. The topic has been heavy on the bassist’s mind since the passing of his close friend and fellow musician, Austin Peralta, who...

Bassist Alain Caron was honored at the Montreal International Jazz Festival this past week with the prestigious Oscar Peterson Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes a “Canadian musician who has made outstanding contributions to jazz in his country.” The occasion marked the first time a musician won the award twice, as he first won the award as a member of UZEB...

Overwater’s Scott Devine Signature series has a new model with the announcement of the SDS Lite. Modeled after Devine’s fretless bass, the Lite version is a slightly lighter weight instrument that the company says has a “smoother, more neutral voicing.” The SDS Lite keeps with Devine’s shorter 33? scale preference and is available in 4 or 5-string versions. Its 3-piece...

Bass Orchestra, aka Ran Mussman, is back again with an all bass tribute to the Queens of the Stone Age. Mussman rocks through “Turnin’ on the Screw,” “No One Knows,” and “Little Sister,” using only his bass guitar.