Metallica Presents the Orion Music + More Festival
Metallica has announced the Orion Music + More Festival, a two-day event full of music, entertainment and culture named in part as a tribute to bass legend Cliff Burton. (“Orion” was the instrumental hit penned by Burton featured on the group’s Master of Puppets album.) The band itself will be headlining each night’s festivities with performances of their classic albums...
Boulder Creek Introduces JB and RB Series Electric Basses
Boulder Creek launched two new lines of electric basses at NAMM this year with the JB and RD series. The two models are aimed at jazz and rock styles, respectively. This new line of solid body basses is a first for Boulder Creek, who is known for their acoustic basses. Available in 4-string, 5-string and fretless configurations, the JB series...
Hipshot Products Unveils FreeRange Xtender for Upright Bass
Hardware manufacturer Hipshot unveiled an interesting product aimed at double bassists called the FreeRange Xtender at NAMM this year. The new gadget allows you to quickly change the tuning of an upright bass string at the switch of a lever, and lets you drop down as far as a low A. Using several together can be handing for changing the...
Or Lubianiker: Interactive Bass Licks Video Lesson
Or Lubianiker (aka “Rule of Thump”) is on to something cool in the world of bass lessons. He’s posted his first experiment with interactive bass lessons on YouTube in which he plays simple licks in E minor and you choose how to mix and match them to create your own licks. Or provides links to each little lick and breaks...
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”.