Brian May Announces Bass Guitar Model
Queen fans get ready: House Music has unveiled the Brian May Bass. The guitarist (we won’t hold that against him) gave the low-end treatment to his infamous 6-string called the Red Special, which he made with his father as a kid. Finished in Cherry Red, the “Fat Bottomed” bass is a medium 31.5” scale instrument, featuring a bound mahogany body...
Metallica Announces Special 30th Anniversary Concerts
Metallica has announced a string of shows to celebrate their 30th anniversary together. Anchored by bassist Robert Trujillo, the metal veterans will be playing December 5, 7, 9 and 10 at the Fillmore in San Francisco, with tickets only available to their fan club members. Official members will be treated to $6 tickets, or admission to all four shows for...
Chic: “Good Times” Live (1996)
A good bass line just never goes away, and Bernard Edwards’ iconic riff for Chic’s “Good Times” is a perfect example. Besides being under the fingers of players worldwide, the song has been sampled countless times.
Chris Chaney Joins Jane’s Addiction For Tour Dates
Chris Chaney will be joining Jane’s Addiction for their upcoming tour dates, spanning North America and Europe. The band will be trekking in support of their newly announced album The Great Escape Artist, due September 27, 2011. The bass role has been up in the air for Jane’s Addiction over the last year since Eric Avery’s departure. After a six-month...
Kala Introduces S-U-B U-Bass Series
Kala has unveiled their newest line of bass ukuleles dubbed the Subductive Series. The basses are solid body versions of their U-Basses, available at a lower price point than the company’s U.S.-made counterparts. The Subductive Series Solid Body U-Bass (aka the S-U-B) gets its name from the “phenomenon when one tectonic plate dives underneath another and creates a deep spot...
Lakland Introduces New Skyline Model Basses
Lakland has announced new Skyline versions of their 44-51 and 44-AJ models. The Skyline series is manufactured overseas, then shipped to Lakland’s Chicago shop for final inspection. The Skyline 44-51 is a vintage styled bass, featuring a USA made Neo Punch split single coil pickup. The slab ash body is finished in butterscotch and has vintage round neck profile with...
Stu Hamm Named Head of Bass Department at Musician’s Institute
Stu Hamm has taken on the role of Program Director for the Bass Department at the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, California. The bassist, who’s credentials include six solo albums and years of touring with guitar legends Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, will be in charge of the curriculum and explains his focus will be on “getting the gig”, over flashy...
Charnett Moffett: Enlightenment
Adept at both upright and electric bass, Charnett Moffett is a bassist to be reckoned with. Here, he showcases electric chops and improvisatory skills on his tune “Enlightenment,” for which he utilizes a piccolo bass. The song comes off as a meditation with its Middle-Eastern influences. Some might say “it’s too trebly,” but just wait for the 1:28 mark. (My...
Mastodon Releases “Black Tongue” From Upcoming Album
Mastodon has released a teaser track from their upcoming album, “The Hunter,” due in September. The song, “Black Tongue,” is available on iTunes in addition to being posted on YouTube. The new record will be the follow-up to 2009’s Crack the Skye, which wrapped up their elemental themed albums. Bassist Troy Sanders says the new album gives them room to...
Radial Engineering Announces Reamp JCR
Earlier this year, Radial Engineering bought John Cuniberti’s Reamp business including the rights to the manufacture the Reamp – a piece of studio equipment that allows you to take pre-recorded tracks and re-record them through your bass or guitar amp. As such, Radial has unveiled the Reamp JCR, a passive Reamper that employs the original circuit design by Cuniberti with...
Les Claypool Forms Supergroup with Neil Peart, Stewart Copeland and Danny Carey
Les Claypool has joined forces with Rush’s Neil Peart, the Police’s Stewart Copeland and Tool’s Danny Carey to form “Carey Claypool Copeland Peart” or “CCCP.” The supergroup is documented with a jam called “Count Drumula,” recently posted on Neil Peart’s website. The extent of the collaboration is unclear, as no other announcements about the group has been made. With three...
Empress Effects Introduces Compressor Pedal
Empress Effects has released a new analog compressor pedal, which brings the stompbox closer to studio gear status through the addition of more controls. Designed for both bass and guitar, the Empress Compressor also strays from 3-knob compressors by being “truly transparent.” The pedal’s controls include those found on a pro compressor: Attack, Release and Ratio, which is a switch...