Opeth and Mastodon to Co-Headline Heritage Hunter Tour
Opeth and Mastodon will be teaming up to bring metal to the masses on a North American trek scheduled from April to May. Rooted by bassists Martín Méndez and Troy Sanders, the “Heritage Hunter” Tour kicks off April 4th in Portland, Maine and works its way between the U.S. and Canada until the closing show on May 12th at the...
Kala Introduces Five New U-Basses for 2012
Kala increased their U-Bass lineup with the addition of five new models of the 21″ scale basses. The new models include Sunburst, Gloss Black, Solid Spruce Top HH (Hutch Hutchinson Model), Spalted Maple, and Exotic Mahogany. The Sunburst, Gloss Black, and Solid Spruce Top HH basses all feature solid spruce tops with mahogany back and sides. The Hutch Hutchinson model...
Steve Vai with Billy Sheehan: “The Crying Machine”, Live
Billy Sheehan is usually known for blazing riffs and absolutely ripping solos, but the man knows how to really get down, too. Sheehan presented Steve Vai with the Les Paul Award at this year’s TEC Awards, and afterwords they jammed out the guitarist’s tune “The Crying Machine.” Sheehan lays down a funky groove that just won’t quit. As much of...
Schecter Introduces Dale Stewart Avenger Bass
Seether bassist Dale Stewart’s Signature Avenger Bass was released by Schecter this year at NAMM. Sporting a black finish, the bass features a contoured mahogany body, 3-piece maple neck, a rosewood fingerboard, and a reverse headstock. The bass has creme binding on the neck and headstock while the fingerboard is adorned with tribal bug inlays and a dragon inlay at...
Disturbed’s John Moyer Joins Adrenaline Mob
Disturbed bassist John Moyer will now be a full-time member of Adrenaline Mob, a metal group composed of ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, Symphony X vocalist Russell Allen and guitarist Mike Orlando. Moyer will be replacing Fozzy bassist Paul DiLeo, who had to bow out due to scheduling conflicts. “Mike Portnoy called me about auditioning for his new band, Adrenaline...
Bass of the Week: DeMars Guitars Long Trail Bass
DeMars Guitars’ Long Trail bass is no doubt an instrument for proud players of the low end. Inspired by Vermont’s hiking trail of the same name, the Long Trail is a a chambered solid-body instrument sporting the company’s patented bass clef soundhole, which the company calls “a stunning visual signature for forward-thinking bassists.” We call it righteous. The Long Trail...
The New Bass Buzz: an Exclusive Interview with Felix Pastorius
Late last month we broke the news that Felix Pastorius would be joining the Yellowjackets, to fill the shoes of cofounder Jimmy Haslip while he takes a hiatus. This came as a shock to many fans as the switch would end the veteran bassist’s 30-year tenure with the group. The last name is no coincidence: Felix is the son of...
Evan Brewer: Jimi Hendrix Bass Medley
Jimi Hendrix’s virtuosic playing inspired millions of musicians, not just guitarists. Evan Brewer sent us this great medley of Hendrix tunes arranged for solo bass with his own twist. Evan starts with a filter-laden “Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)” before kicking into a riff from “Hey Joe”, then into a nice tapping version of “Little Wing” and wrapping up with “Fire”.
Ernie Ball Introduces Cobalt Slinky Bass Strings
Ernie Ball has expanded their Slinky string line with the introduction of the all-new Cobalt Slinkys. As the name indicates, the new sets use cobalt, which has a high magnetism to provide a stronger relationship between an instrument’s strings and pickups. Ernie Ball says the design adds extended dynamic range, better harmonic response, increased low end, and cleaner highs. The...
Ibanez Introduces Revamped Sharlee D’Angelo Model at NAMM 2012
Ibanez rolled out a ton of new basses at NAMM this year, including an updated version of the SDB Sharlee D’Angelo signature bass with a white flat finish and cosmo black hardware. Inspired by the company’s Iceman model, the Arch Enemy bassist’s axe features neck-through construction, a Mono-Rail IV bridge, and comes factory-tuned to drop-C. The SDB2 is built with...
Michel Petrucciani, Featuring Anthony Jackson: Take the A Train
It seems like my Facebook friends always post cool videos of the Ellington tune “Take The A Train.” This time Kozue Kuriyama shared an awesome clip of pianist Michel Petrucciani’s arrangement, which gets its healthy low-end from 6-string bass legend Anthony Jackson. Jackson gives it his all during his solo, which starts at the 3:30 mark. Starting with some hypnotic...
BK3’s Original Members to Reunite at Jungle Jam 2012
BK3 will be reuniting with their original lineup of drummer Bill Kreutzmann, guitarist Scott Murawski and bassist Oteil Burbridge at the upcoming Jungle Jam Music Festival. The annual event will be held at the Doce lunas Resort in Jaco Beach Costa Rica on February 17th through the 19th, 2012. The trio hasn’t performed together in several years. “[Phish’s Mike Gordon]...