Bass of the Week: SimpleBass e4 Fretless Bass
After 20 years of playing a fretless Jazz Bass, Italian bassist Roberto Musso decided it was time to spice things up. That’s when he designed the SimpleBass e4, a 4-string fretless model with an extended fingerboard and a sleek body shape. The result is a lightweight, balanced bass. “Having some more fret space would have been a real help in...
Marcus Miller Selling Personal Basses For UNESCO Project
Just when you thought Marcus Miller couldn’t get any cooler, he tops himself. The legendary bassist was named a UNESCO Artist for Peace last month, and is now selling off several of his personal basses to help fund a special project with the organization. “Several years ago I decided against using my primary bass on tour,” Miller explained on his...
Bergantino Introduces CN Series Bass Cabinets
High-end bass cabinet manufacturer Bergantino Audio Systems has announced their new CN Series of bass cabs, consisting of 1×12? and 2×12? configurations. The line marks the company’s return to lightweight designs as the cabs feature woofers with neodymium magnets. Other common features include a high intelligibility tweeter, a custom phase-coherent crossover, a tweeter control, and a frequency response of 40Hz...
Charnett Moffett Releases “The Bridge: Solo Bass Works”
Charnett Moffett is reflecting on his instrument and his career on his latest release entitled The Bridge: Solo Bass Works. The record captures the veteran jazz musician alone with his bass in a creative burst that focuses on his past repertoire as well as eight original compositions. “I wanted to express who I am, carry on the tradition of the...
Ibanez Adds 6-String to Grooveline Bass Series
Ibanez has extended their Grooveline series with the introduction of the G106, a six-string version of the ergonomically-minded model. Made in Ibanez’s Japanese factory, the bass is designed for optimized balance in sitting and standing positions. The G106’s body features an alder center and ash for the top and back, all in a natural finish. Its 5-piece neck is built...
Epiphone Announces Limited Edition TV Pelham Blue Bass Collection, Including EB-3
Epiphone is paying tribute to the old school with a limited edition of six of their models in TV Pelham Blue, a color finish that was first introduced in the ’60s. The color was offered as a custom option in its heyday and as such is rare to find on vintage instruments. The lineup includes the Ltd. Ed. TV Pelham...
Dunlop Goes Lower with New Heavy Core Bass Strings
Dunlop’s bass strings lineup is going even lower with the introduction of their Heavy Core Bass Strings. Designed with thicker core wires, the new sets were created to give a standard feel and tonal definition at drop tunings. The Heavy Core lineup comes in three flavors: Heavy for Drop D and D-standard tuning, Heavier for Drop C and C-standard tuning,...
Seymour Duncan Introduces SPB-4 Steve Harris Signature Pickup
Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris has a new signature P-Bass pickup from Seymour Duncan called the SPB-4 Steve Harris Model. The new split single coil is the production version of the custom shop pickups Harris has been using for the last 10 years. The SPB-4 utilizes Alnico 5 rod magnets and a vintage-hot coil wind to produce what the company describes...
Killswitch Engage Releases “Disarm the Descent”
Metal outfit Killswitch Engage are back with their sixth studio album, Disarm the Descent, via Roadrunner Records. This is the band’s first album in four years and it marks the return of original vocalist Jesse Leach, who last recorded with the band on 2002’s Alive or Just Breathing. Bassist Mike D’Antonio says having Leach back is rejuvenating. “We had already...
Bass of the Week: BassLab STD
BassLab isn’t your ordinary bass manufacturer and they certainly don’t make your average bass. Developed by a musician and a physicist, the company uses a tuneable composite material instead of wood. “We use carbon for stiffness, but add other [elements] to the mix for tone,” they shared. “It’s called ‘tuneable’, because we can also alter the tone.” BassLab’s flagship instrument...
Marco Panascia and Johan Hansén-Larson: “Lady Bird” Bass Duet
It’s great when two of your favorite bassists get to jam together. It’s even better when they get to record it. Here’s a video of electric bass whiz Johan Hansén-Larson playing a duet with New York jazz heavyweight Marco Panascia on the standard “Lady Bird”. After their respective face-melting solos, the duo trade fours then twos, all while keeping a...
Robert Hurst Releases “Bob a Palindrome”
Veteran jazz bassist Robert Hurst has released Bob: A Palindrome on Bebob records. Hurst’s sixth album as a leader has been a long time in the making with original songs written as far back as 1985. It was recorded in October of 2001, but between his time playing as a member of the Tonight Show Band, touring with Diana Krall...