Gear Watch: Warwick RockBass Alien
Warwick has announced a budget version of their existing acoustic bass, the Alien. The new RockBass Alien models are available as Standard or Deluxe, 4- or 5-string, with or without frets. The Standard version features a spruce top and laminated agathis wood for its back and sides. The laminated woods increase the instrument’s stability and strengthen it for performance. The...
Stanley Clarke helps present basses for charity
Stanley Clarke was a special guest at the Grammy Museum during a ceremony that introduced five new upright basses, which will be auctioned for charity. The basses, which were designed by artists from the Walt Disney Animation Studio, feature a New Orleans theme, an Enchanted Princess, Dumbo’s Pink Elephants, a Cheshire Cat grin, and a Genie. They will be auctioned...
Gear Watch: White Horse BP35
The instrument and gear makers at Gear4music.com have debuted a new bass amp in their White Horse line. The BP35 Bass Guitar Amp shares the same sound and controls as the larger White Horse amps, but in a more compact version featuring a 10” speaker. Bright and boost switches in conjunction with a 3 band EQ give you the ability...
Railroad Earth recruits Andrew Altman
Early last month, we reported on bassist Johnny Grubb’s departure from the popular jam band Railroad Earth. The band has recently filled the vacant bass position with Andrew Altman, formerly of the Codetalkers. RRE posted a message on their site saying, “He initially made an impression on the band when The Codetalkers opened for Railroad Earth in North Carolina a...
Gear Watch: Keith McMillen K-Bow for Bass
Keith McMillen Instruments has just released a video featuring their revolutionary product, the K-Bow, on a bass. The K-Bow is a specialized bow that utilizes Bluetooth technology to transmit data to its own comprehensive suite of software on your computer. The software then manipulates different effects, tones, loops, and more to give you a fluid and inspiring way to create...
David Ellefson rejoins Megadeth
After an 8 year break, David Ellefson will finally be returning to the legendary multi-platinum group, Megadeth. This comes just in time for the upcoming tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of the iconic album Rust in Peace, which begins March 1 in Spokane, WA. The tour will include the band playing Rust in Peace in its entirety, as well as...
Melissa Auf Der Maur announces new album, releases video
The strong-willed Melissa Auf Der Maur has confirmed that she will be releasing a new 12-song solo album due out on March 23rd. The new album, entitled Out of Our Minds, promises to be an ambitious piece of conceptual art that will also include a film by Tony Stone that was debuted at Sundance. Trailers and info on the film...
Phil Lesh celebrates 70 with charity show
Former Grateful Dead and current Furthur bassist Phil Lesh will be celebrating his 70th birthday with a giant concert, being billed as “Furthur and Friends.” The concert will take place on Friday, March 12th, although Lesh’s actual birthday is the 15th, at San Francisco’s Bill Graham Auditorium. The event will also be a special benefit for the Unbroken Chain Foundation....
Gear Watch: Ibanez SRT Basses
Ibanez has built upon their already successful Soundgear line of basses with the new SRT models, featuring neck-thru construction to give longer sustain, brighter sound, and easier access to those higher frets than the traditional bolt-on necks. EMG 40DC pickups allow players to reproduce nearly any sound, from clean highs to dirty lows. The SRT models also include 3D-contoured ergonomics,...
Gear Watch: New Markbass gear for 2010
Markbass has announced a huge new line of amplification products for 2010, along with great new accessories to boot. All of the goods will be manufactured in Italy and available around the world starting in this Spring. Amps Markbass has added to their MoMark modular bass amp system that they introduced last year. The MoMark series was created to let...
Nathan Watts receives International Bassist Award
A lot can be said about someone who has won an award that has only been given out twice, especially when the other winner was Jaco Pastorius. Nathan Watts, who has played in Stevie Wonder’s rhythm section for the last 36 years and has served as Stevie’s musical director for the last twelve, was awarded the International Bassist Award at...
Charles Mingus Festival to take place in NYC
The Manhattan School of Music and Let My Children Hear Music: The Charles Mingus Institute have come together again to announce the 2nd annual Charles Mingus Festival, to be held February 13 and 14 in NYC. Produced by Sue Mingus and Justin Dicioccio, the festival will include films, clinics, the hugely successful Charles Mingus High School Competition, and performances by...