Andrew Balkwill: Let Go
Here’s a fun video sent to us by bassist Dave Delgado, who rocks out his P-bass during this live session with pianist Andrew Balkwill on the tune “Let Go”. And Delgado grooves hard. He revealed to us that he used “muted plectrum grooves trying to imitate and old analogue synth with fast attack and short decay & release for extra...
Peter Hook Releases Joy Division Book
In a career that only spanned three years and produced two albums, the post-punk rock band Joy Division altered the direction of rock music. Their influence can be heard in the music of U2, The Cure, Interpol, and even the Red Hot Chili Peppers. A fair portion of their success is due to bassist Peter Hook, who details his life...
Fender Introduces Four New American Vintage Basses
Fender has expanded its American Vintage series with four new basses including the ’58 Precision Bass, the ’63 Precision Bass, the ’64 Jazz Bass, and the ’74 Jazz Bass. As with the rest of the line, the new basses are reimagined to bring new life to the original designs. Each bass was picked for significant milestones in the model’s lifespan....
Alice In Chains Announces Spring Tour Dates
Alice in Chains have announced a spring tour in support of their next yet-to-be-named album. The month-long trek will focus on the East Coast and Midwest starting in Miami Beach, Florida and ending up at Lincoln, Nebraska’s Pinewood Bowl Amphitheater. The group, anchored by bassist Mike Inez, is also confirmed for England’s Download Festival and Rock in Rio later this...
D’Angelico Introduces the EX-Bass
D’Angelico Guitars has been reborn for 2013. The brand, named for luthier John D’Angelico, has relaunched several instruments including the EX-Bass, which will be part of their Standard Series. With its single-cutaway, semi-hollow body, the 32.25? scale bass bears the company’s classic vibe and vintage feel. It also pays homage to D’Angelico’s New York roots with a machined aluminum truss...
Ampeg Introduces Limited Edition Heritage B-15N Bass Amp
Two years ago, Ampeg paid homage to one of their most popular vintage models with a limited run of the Heritage B-15, which they did again in 2012. This year the company has introduced the Heritage B-15N, a new model that delivers the sound of the B-15 in a new black finish. The new amp, which is designed and assembled...
PRS Guitars Adds Grainger Basses To Core Line
About a decade after introducing their Private Stock model, Paul Reed Smith Guitars and bassist Gary Grainger have teamed up again to introduce the Grainger 4 and Grainger 5 basses to the company’s Core production line. The new models are modified slightly from their predecessors to add more universal appeal to players. Made in PRS’s Maryland factory, the basses are...
Bass of the Week: Carvin SB4000
In 2009, Carvin teamed up with Sekou Bunch to create the SB4000, a bass the company says was designed with “vintage vibe.” The U.S.-made bass is a 4-string, though a 5-string SB5000 is available with many of the same specs. Standard features on the SB4000 include an alder body, eastern hard rock maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard, though they only...
Dean Unveils John Entwistle Hybrid 5-String Bass
Dean unveiled several new basses at NAMM this year including a 5-string version of the John Entwistle Hybrid bass. Sharing many of the features of the 4-string Hybrid, The Ox’s new signature model sports bolt-on construction with an alder body and a maple “C”-shaped neck. Other features include a pair of EMG HZ Humbucker pickups, a dual purpose die-cast bridge,...
ESP Unveils LTD Elite Basses
ESP has introduced a new line in their products called the LTD Elite series, which splits the difference price and quality between ESP’s high-end instruments and their more affordable LTD line. The new line is built in Japan and are based on the company’s most popular ESP models, including two basses: the J-4 and J-5. Four and five-string models perspectively,...
Johan Hansén-Larson: Joy Spring
Sometimes some really great musical moments can come out of just jamming along to a backing track. Here’s Johan Hansén-Larson having some fun with an Aebersold recording of the classic Clifford Brown tune “Joy Spring.”
Orange Amplification Announces DIVO VT1000 Valve Tester
Orange Amplification has released the DIVO VT1000 Valve Tester, an automatic tube tester that performs a host of diagnostics on both preamp and power amp tubes. The unit has one octal and two nine pin valve sockets to fit different types of tubes. Once inserted, the user presses the start button and the tests are run. The Orange DIVO VT1000...