Bill Wyman Making Cameo Appearances During Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary Shows
After months of speculation, guitarist Keith Richards has confirmed that bassist Bill Wyman will be making a cameo during the Rolling Stones’ 50th Anniversary concerts. Wyman, who played with the iconic rock band from 1962 to 1993, will be at both the London and New Jersey concerts, though he previously stated he doesn’t fly anymore. While the 76-year old bassist...
Reed James Custom Pickups Introduces Vintage Modern ALNEO Soap Bar Bass Pickup
Reed James Custom Pickups has added a new pickup to their RJ NEO line. The Vintage Modern ALNEO Soap Bar bass pickup combines neodymium and Alnico components into a single pickup with one of the coils mimicking a vintage Jazz bass pickup while the other is a neodymium powered coil. Four conductor lead wires allow for switching from full humbucker...
Janek Gwizdala Releases “You’re a Musician. Now What?” eBook
Bassist Janek Gwizdala has released You’re a Musician. Now What?, a new instructional ebook aimed at teaching musicians modern day skill sets to make it in the music business. The book focuses on building and nurturing an online presence with tips on how to build a website, creating a mailing list, blogging, and much more. It also details time management,...
Sandberg Introduces Electra TT4 Bass Guitar
Sandberg has unveiled the latest in their Electra series of basses, the TT4. The new bass takes cues from classic designs with a pair of single coil pickups and a tobacco sunburst matte finish. Similar to the Electra VS4, the TT4 is built with a basswood body, a Canadian hard rock maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard. The bass has...
Bass of the Week: Malinoski Rodeo Bass
Peter Malinoski is a luthier with an artistic vision for his instruments and passion for uniqueness. With several college degrees in the arts, it’s no wonder his designs stand out. “[My instruments] are a step back and beyond the roots of electric guitars that represent what electric guitars could have been and still can be when mass production and mass...
MonoNeon: Sonic the Hedgehog “Green Hill Zone” Theme
Video game music has always held a special place in my heart. Looking back I realize that a lot of the themes from the games of my youth had really sweet bass lines, and I think MonoNeon realized that, too. Check out his play-along of the theme to the Green Hill Zone from the Sega Genesis classic Sonic the Hedgehog,...
The Deep MO: Civilized
Check out this video of The Deep MO performing their tune “Civilized” live on the BBC. The group is headed up by bassist/vocalist Yolanda Charles, who lays down some serious groove.
Gear Review: Tech 21 Bass Boost Fuzz Pedal
Tech 21 has a long history with bassists, and that history is growing even larger with the inclusion of bass-friendly versions of the Boost Series pedals. Offering an extra 21 dB of clean boost at your disposal, the line is characterized by analog circuitry that takes classic tones and attempts to improve them. The Bass Boost Fuzz takes aim at...
Jared Followill: Kings of Leon Writing New Material
It looks like Kings of Leon are ready to get back into gear after taking a break following a tour cancellation last year. In an interview with BBC 6 Music, bassist Jared Followill dropped the news that the group is in the process of making a new album. “We are in the writing process right now and it’s coming along...
Digitech Announces Hardwire V-10 Power Block
Digitech has introduced the Hardwire V-10 Power Block, a pedal power supply with 10 fully isolated outputs. Housed in an aircraft-grade aluminum chassis, the new power block features a shielded toroidal transformer to eliminate noise interference. The outputs have different voltages, with four 9-volt outputs, two pairs of 9/12-volt outputs that can be merged for higher current, and two outputs...
John Taylor Releases Autobiography
Duran Duran bassist John Taylor’s new autobiography In the Pleasure Groove: Love, Death, and Duran Duran is now available in the U.S. The 304-page book details Taylor’s life from his shy childhood to pop stardom with all the trials and tribulations in between. Born Nigel John Taylor, the bassist formed Duran Duran with friend Nick Rhodes in Birmingham during the...
Voodoo Lab Releases Pedal Power 4×4 Power Supply
Voodoo Lab has introduced the Pedal Power 4×4, a new power supply to offers eight independent, filtered and regulated output sections. The box takes gets its name from having four high-current capable outputs that handle modern DSP-based effects as well as four standard 100mA outputs. All of the outputs are compatible with 9-volt battery operated pedals while two of them...