Custom Shop: Kinal Guitars
With a career spanning over 40 years, Vancouver-based Mike Kinal knows a thing or two about luthiery. Trained as a cabinetmaker, Mike got into building basses early in his musical career and has since made hundreds of instruments. His basses have evolved over the years from following the pattern of large manufacturers to creating his own unique style involving exotic...
Bass Orchestra: My Zombie Valentine
Bassist Ran Mussman, who goes by the moniker “Bass Orchestra”, paid tribute to the popular AMC television series “The Walking Dead” with this creative and hilarious video. “Have you ever wondered how AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ would act on Valentine’s day?” Mussman asks. “Zombies have feelings too, you know!” Except for the vocals, all the music in the clip is...
Reggie Washington Releases “Freedom”
Bassist Reggie Washington has released, Freedom, his second album, on Jammin’ colorS Records. The album fuses a ton of genres, including jazz, funk, rock, blues, classical and World music. Sometimes up front and sometimes in the background, Washington’s rich tone and undeniable grooves glue all of the different elements together to make it a cohesive and attention-grabbing album. And even...
Genz Benz Introduces Shuttle Max 12.2 Bass Amp
Genz Benz has expanded their Shuttle Max series of bass amps with the Shuttle Max 12.2 bass. The new amp features the company’s proprietary “3 Dimensional Power Management” circuitry (3DPM), which adds heft and girth to each note while increasing responsiveness and headroom. Weighing in at 6.75 pounds, the Shuttle Max 12.2 pumps out up to 1200 watts with a...
Lady & The Bass Release “Groovy”
Bassist Alberto Rigoni has teamed up once again with vocalist Irene Ermolli, to release Groovy, a new album out now and available as a free download. The duo, known as Lady & The Bass, channels electronica combined with innovative bass playing to create their own unique brand of pop. “I would say it’s pop, with electro, funky and experimental influences,...
Reverend Now Offering New Finishes on Decision and Justice Basses
Reverend has expanded their Decision and Justice bass lines with the addition of some new finish options. The “PJ” styled Decision (which was profiled as a Bass of the Week in January) now comes in Deep Sea Blue; a color that had been previously reserved for the company’s Rick Vito Signature model. The Reverend is still available in Party Red...
Dane Alderson: Bass Solo on “Liberty City”
Here’s an incredible video of bassist Dane Alderson taking a solo on Jaco Pastorius’ “Liberty City” during a gig at the Ellington Jazz Club in Perth, Australia. Alderson and drummer Andy Fisenden start off with simmer before building into a raucous finale with the band. The bassist says the performance is a bit of a tribute to Pastorius and Richard...
Duesenberg Introduces D-Bass Fretless Bass
German instrument builder Duesenberg has introduced a fretless version to their D-Bass line of basses. Available in Black and Coral finishes, the D-Bass Fretless carries the same specifications as its predecessors, with the exception of its fretless ebony fingerboard. The D-bass sports an alder body with a hard rock maple neck. Combining vintage-vibe with modern chic, the pickup is Duesenberg’s...
Jack Blades Releases Second Solo Album, “Rock N’ Roll Ride”
Night Ranger bassist and vocalist Jack Blades has released his second solo album, Rock N’ Roll Ride. With a music career spanning over three decades, the Blades says the new record is a continuation of his style. “Rock N’ Roll Ride is an extension of what my music has been for the last 30 years,” Blades explained. “It has been...
Taranaki Basses Introduces Acrobat 32 Bass
German boutique company Taranaki Basses recently unveiled their Acrobat 32, a medium scale bass featuring their own custom pickups. The passive pickups have individual coils for each string, resulting in 8 coils per humbucker. Taranaki describes it as “the most active sounding pickups ever.” Though the bass is open for customization, standard features include a khaya body, walnut top with...
Lorenzo Feliciati Releases “Frequent Flyer”
Described as “one of the best kept secrets on the European modern jazz scene,” Lorenzo Feliciati‘s influences cover a lot of ground, from jazz to prog-rock and funk. The bassist released his third solo album, Frequent Flyer. Feliciati’s band Naked Truth, which includes King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto, inspired Feliciati to explore Crimson’s music, and even cover the prog band’s...
Dingwall Adds Super P Standard 4 To Super P Series
Dingwall unveiled the 4-string version of their new Super P model at Musikmesse this year as a follow-up to the SP5 from NAMM. Sharing many of the same features, the Super P Standard 4 is built with a carbon fiber reinforced 5-piece maple neck and 2-3 piece alder body with a high gloss finish. Of course, the morado fingerboard is...