In Memoriam: John Koko
Bassist John Koko has passed away at the age of 51, due to complications from a lifelong heart condition. He was a member of The Makaha Sons and had been a fixture of performing and promoting Hawaiian music. Koko started his musical career at just 12 years old when he joined Na Leo O Nanakuli. Later, the Hawaiian native started...
G&L Introduces Tribute Series M-2000 and M-2500 Basses
Late last year, G&L upgraded their flagship bass line with the M-2000 and M-2500 basses. Now the company has announced Tribute Series versions of the instruments, which offer the models at lower price points. Both the 4- and 5-string basses come in two different configurations of either a honeyburst over swamp ash body with a rosewood fingerboard or gloss black...
Casey Abrams Releases Self-Titled Debut
Bassist/vocalist Casey Abrams has released his self-titled debut on Concord Records. Abrams caught national attention on the tenth season of American Idol after performing some rousing renditions of pop tunes while accompanying himself on bass. Through that experience, he hooked up with fellow bassist and Idol judge Randy Jackson, who produced the album. The album is laden with upright bass...
Eastwood Introduces 34? Scale Airline Map Bass
Eastwood Guitars has had a busy summer. Rounding out their new retro releases is a 34? scale version of their Airline Map bass. A tribute to the 1962 National Newport Guitar, the new full-scale bass comes in Seafoam Green and is equipped with D’Addario Chrome flats. Similar to their 30? scale version, the bass features a tone chambered mahogany body,...
Documentary on The Who’s “Quadrophenia” Coming to Theaters
A new film documenting The Who’s iconic Rock Opera Quadrophenia will be showing at select movie theaters across the U.S. for one night on July 24th. The Who: Quadrophenia – Can You See the Real Me? takes its name from the 1973 album’s second track, “The Real Me,” which of course features some top-notch playing by bassist John Entwistle. Loaded...
Steve Uccello Releases Fire Times, with Steve Lawson
Steve Uccello‘s latest release is Fire Times, an album on which he shares low end duties with UK solo bassist Steve Lawson. The group, dubbed Clarified Birds, is rounded out by drummer Mike Shannon and multi-instrumentalist and singer Dayan Kai. Fire Times came about after Uccello started thinking of arranging for a single tune he wrote. “I had this piece...
Reunion Blues Introduces Aero Series Bass Guitar Case
Reunion Blues has introduced the Aero Series, including the AERO-2B Bass Guitar Case. The new line takes a cue from their RB Continental line, the Aero-2B features the company’s shock-absorbing Flexoskeleton system, reinforced EVA impact panels, and a strong interior neck-brace support system while offering a lighter, slimmer design. Lined with quilted red velvet, the case has a “Zero G”...
Eastwood Adds Hurricane Bass to Lineup
Eastwood continues their bass lineup expansion with the addition of the Hurricane Bass. The Hurricane joins the recently announced Stormbird, offering a new 4-stringer based on the 1965 Magnatone Hurricane and bringing together elements of P and Tele basses. The Hurricane’s body is basswood, finished in a classic Sunburst matched with a maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. Building upon the...
Bass of the Week: Surine Basses Regency 8-String “Rainbow”
Surine Basses decided to go all out on their Regency model with this “Rainbow” 8-string bass. The hollow-body bass has a stunning 32-strip laminate top and matching headstock with a variety of exotic woods. Equally impressive is the 7-piece thru neck made of rock maple and purple heart, which is topped by an ebony fingerboard. And if that’s not enough,...
Custom Shop: Brubaker Guitars
For Kevin Brubaker, an aesthetic mod led to a lifetime of luthiery. Coupling his need to tweak his bass with his background in woodworking, he soon started building his own basses. Since his start nearly 30 years ago, Brubaker has created over a thousand custom instruments. Brubaker Guitars often feature distinctive book-matched tops with exotic woods and extraordinary finishes that...
3Leaf Audio Unveils Wonderlove Envelope Filter
3Leaf Audio has refreshed their product line with the introduction of the Wonderlove Envelope Filter, which takes place of the company’s flagship GR2. The new stompbox benefits from four years of tweaking the original design and offers the same basic filter sound of its predecessor while making it “deeper and juicier.” Powered by a 9V DC adapter, the Wonderlove has...
Lick Library Releases “Learn To Play Rock Basslines” DVD
Lick Library is now shipping a new instructional DVD by Phil Williams entitled Learn to Play Rock Basslines. Aimed at beginner to intermediate players, the video guides you through 20 rock songs ranging from Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” to Muse’s “Hysteria.” “It’s 20 of the classic rock basslines that I consider to be landmarks in bass playing,” Williams explains. “A...