Iron Maiden Announces Maiden England North American Tour
Iron Maiden will be taking North America by storm once again this summer with the Maiden England tour. The trek marks the third outing in the History of Iron Maiden tour series, and will closely mirror their original 1988 Maiden England concert video of the same name, by recreating the production and content. Vocalist Bruce Dickinson says the band enjoys...
Bass of the Week: Atlansia Solitaire
There’s been an on-going discussion about what constitutes a bass, and specifically how more than four strings is “breaking the rules.” Well, what if there’s only one string? Enter the Atlansia Solitaire. Based in Nagano, Atlansia is known for outlandish designs – so much so that their website has to specify that the instruments are “Made in Japan on Planet...
Custom Shop: Wilkins Guitars
Pat Wilkins of Wilkins Guitars is a man who can appreciate the Old School. After getting his start in amps in the ’70s, he soon switched to guitar building, where he eventually started his own brand. Most recently, Wilkins has turned to recreating vintage basses, right down to the smallest detail. Of course, his work also includes custom work and...
Spectrum Road, Featuring Jack Bruce, Announce Album and Summer Tour
While supergroups seem to be forming left and right these days, this one has got our attention. Spectrum Road is a band consisting of bass legend Jack Bruce, Living Colour’s Vernon Reid, drummer Cindy Blackman-Santana and keyboardist John Medeski of Medeski, Martin and Wood. The group originally played together in 2008 as the Tony Williams Lifetime Tribute band, and a...
Dean Releases Eric Bass Signature Hillsboro Bass in Metallic Gold
New for 2012, Dean is now offering Shinedown bassist Eric Bass’s Signature Hillsboro bass in Metallic Gold. Sharing the qualities of his black signature model, the bass features a swamp ash body, bolt-on maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard with pearl block inlays. The bass’s hardware includes an ABM bridge and Die Cast tuners, while the pickup is a Dean...
Between the Buried and Me’s Dan Briggs Announces Trioscapes Debut Album and Preview Track
Between the Buried and Me bassist Dan Briggs has announced that his new project, dubbed Trioscapes, will be making its album debut on May 8, 2012 with the release of Separate Realities. The group was formed last year after Briggs got in touch with tenor saxophonist Walter Fancourt and drummer Matt Lynch to work up a rendition of the Mahavishnu...
Cannibal Corpse Releases New Album, Announce Tour Dates
Cannibal Corpse has released their twelfth album, Torture, on Metal Blade Records. Anchored by Alex Webster on bass, the new album promises to keep pushing the limits. “Fans can expect more of what we’re known for – aggressive, moderately technical death metal with an emphasis placed on making memorable songs,” Webster said in our exclusive interview. “From a bass point...
Warwick Introduces Jack Bruce Artist Series Bass
Warwick is following up on the release of the Jack Bruce Survivor bass, with a new Artist Series edition. Made in Korea, the Jack Bruce Artist Series bass offers many similarities to its German-made counterpart, but at a fraction of the price. Reminiscent of Bruce’s bass from his Cream days, the new model features neck-through construction with a mahogany body,...
AC Guitars Introduces J-Type Models
Alan Cringean of AC Guitars has unveiled the J-Type series, a line of basses that gives a nod to classic bass design. “This range of basses offers a more traditional body shape but still has features that are typical of the ACG ethos,” the luthier explained. Available in 4- and 5-string versions, the J-Type is built to order and therefore...
FuzzHugger FX Releases Bass Bloom Fuzz Pedal
Fuzzhugger FX has released the Bass Bloom, a bass-oriented version of their Algal Bloom fuzz. The new adaptation accounts for bass lovers by adding more low-end response and a clean blend to retain their original tone. The Bass Bloom has five controls: Gain, Bloom, Starve, Fuzz Level, and Clean Level. The Bloom knob controls the amount of fuzz added, while...
Whirlwind Introduces OC Bass Optical Compressor Pedal
Whirlwind kicked off the year right by debuting the OC Bass Optical Compressor at NAMM. Voiced specifically for bass, the pedal switches between a compressor and a limiter and features three pre-programmable attack speeds: Fast, Slow, and Medium. Input and Output knobs control the level and gain to help you hone in on the amount of punch and sustain you...
Ben Harper, Stanley Clarke, and Stewart Copeland: So Fool For Love
Drummer Stewart Copeland has a great habit of putting together random jam sessions and recording them. (Check out this one with Les Claypool, Neil Peart, and Danny Carey). This time he posted a jam with bass legend Stanley Clarke and guitarist/vocalist Ben Harper playing the tune “So Fool for Love.” As if the bass/guitar unison groove isn’t cool enough, it...