Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 767

Veillette has introduced a cutaway version of their acoustic bass, which itself is designed after their acoustic guitar line. Available in 4 or 5-string models, the Veillette Cutaway Acoustic Bass has a 34” scale, with a body that measures 17” wide and 5.5” deep. The instrument is described as “clear, big and strong-sounding.” Each Veillette is handmade in Woodstock, New...

The Gigantour is returning in 2012 for a fourth North American offering, and the first since Gigantour 3 in 2008. Organized by headliners Megadeth, this year’s lineup includes metal icons Motörhead, Lacuna Coil and Volbeat. The tour kicks off January 26th, 2012 in Camden, New Jersey, then snakes around the Northeast before heading to Canada and the Northern U.S. and...

Freekbass has released a new instructional video with a whopping 273 minutes of lessons. 50 Freekbass Licks You Must Know includes jam tracks, text commentary, tab and notation as well as power tab files. Aimed at intermediate students, the licks are designed to teach new techniques as well as build upon common ones. Freekbass also gives you tips on how...

This week we look at the Spalt Instruments vViper, a custom built bass with a unique pickup design that pivots. The idea for the “wiper” arm pickup is the brainchild of proprietor Michael Spalt, a luthier who started building after studying film, photography and painting in San Francisco. After consulting on it with Bill Bartolini, the end result allows infinite...

The evolution of heavy metal has presented a plethora of extreme subgenres: thrash metal, death metal, tech metal… the list goes on and on. But while the term extreme metal covers lots of territory, you can’t talk about extreme metal bass playing without talking about Alex Webster. As a founding member of the iconic band Cannibal Corpse, Webster has spent...

Roger Waters has announced North American tour dates for his production of “The Wall” for 2012. The 36-stop tour begins May 1st, 2012 in Houston, Texas and will include several outdoor stadium concerts at venues including Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Toronto’s Rogers Centre. Waters, who revived the show in 2010 and has performed it over 120 times since then, says...

Here’s a ripping bass performance by Brazilian bassist Joel Moncorvo. Moncorvo, who is a well rounded player with styles ranging from jazz to extreme metal, displays some awesome technique including a three-finger style and some incredible tapping.

Bruno Tauzin has released Indian Bass: 72 Ragas, an instructional ebook that delves into the Melakarta Ragas which are the Indian equivalent of scales and modes from traditional Western Harmony. The 47-page book includes a total of 72 Ragas in the key of C, written in both musical notation and tab. In addition to the Ragas, Indian Bass has an...

Fender has introduced a new instrument stand designed to end the bulkiness of traditional instrument stands. The compact stand was created to be as unobtrusive as possible by folding up in two steps and weighing just a little more than the average instrument cable. The stand’s slim design fits most basses and guitars, while rubber contact points provide a strong...

With a collaborative album with Lou Reed due out this week, bassist Robert Trujillo has revealed that the next full-fledged Metallica album is under way with producer Rick Rubin’s help. “We’ve been in the studio with Rick Rubin, working on a couple of things, and we’re going to be recording during the most of next year,” Trujillo told Gulf News....

Punk band NOFX will be ringing in the new year with a West Coast tour. Anchored by founder/bassist/vocalist Fat Mike, the group will kick things off with the New Year’s Heave! party in Las Vegas, Nevada before several two-day residencies throughout California, Arizona, Oregon and Washington. The tour comes in support of a recently released self-titled EP. Referred to as...

AC Guitars has introduced the ACG Tefano SS, a new short scale bass with a single-cut design. The new model has a 31.5” scale with features modified to suit to the smaller size. As with other models in the ACG line, the bass is handcrafted by Scottish luthier Alan Cringean with a variety of options including woods and electronics. The...