CruzTOOLS Releases Groovetech Jack and Pot Wrench
CruzTOOLS has unveiled their latest gadget, the GrooveTech Jack and Pot Wrench. Designed for bass, guitar, and just about every other piece of musical gear, the tool includes three thin wall sockets of the most common sizes: 1/2”, 7/16”, and 12mm. The sockets, arranged in a T-shape, deep enough for pot shafts, with the 1/2” being on the long end...
Larry Graham Announces First Dates of “Funk Around the World” Tour
After appearing on a couple dates of Prince’s “Welcome 2 America” tour, Larry Graham has announced a string of initial US concerts for his band, Graham Central Station. Though the calendar only includes six dates, the slap bass pioneer posted on his website, sharing the “Funk Around the World” Tour will soon include more shows, including stops at cities around...
Alligator Records Releases 40th Anniversary Collection
Alligator Records is celebrating its 40th anniversary by releasing a special 2-disc set showcasing the Chicago-based blues label’s past and present talents, ranging from Koko Taylor to Tinsley Ellis. The 38-track collection is a chockfull of great bass grooves and tones, including the songs “Daddy Pinocchio” by William Clarke, “You Can’t Judge a Book By The Cover” by Roy Buchanan,...
AweSome Musical Instruments Release Jazz Bass Hyper-Mod Control Plate
AweSome Musical Instruments has released a new switching control plate made to drop into a standard American Jazz Bass or its equivalent. The JCP-T2 Hyper-Mod Jazz Bass Control Plate utilizes AweSome’s Pickup Tone Multiplier to double the amount of pickup tones available via three switches. Two of the switches turn each of your 2-pickups on and off while in or...
Radiohead Release “King of Limbs” Direct to Fans
Radiohead’s newest album, King of Limbs, is now available for download, with physical copies to be released in retail stores on March 28. The release was announced less than a week ago, and in fact was released a day earlier than previously stated. Colin Greenwood’s bass and synth bass hold down the abstract collection of songs, which feature intense polyrhythms...
The Cars Reform While Preserving Bassist’s Memory
New Wave rockers The Cars have reformed to record new material for the first time since their split in 1988, though the group will be missing bassist/vocalist Benjamin Orr, who died of cancer in 2000. Co-founder Ric Ocasek told Rolling Stone that, “This is not a reunion – it’s more like a conjunction. I never thought I’d make another Cars...
Daisy Rock Introduces Rebel Rockit Bass
Daisy Rock has introduced the Rebel Rockit Bass, the newest model in the company’s line of full-scale instruments. The 34” scale bass features a lightweight sycamore body and a rock maple neck with 22 frets, designed to be more comfortable for girls with smaller hands. Seymour Duncan P+J passive pickups are included. In keeping with the manufacturer’s “girl rocker” demographic,...
Bernhard Lackner Releases Plucking Hand Workout For Electric Bass
Bassist Bernhard Lackner has released a new instructional book, Plucking Hand Workout For Electric Bass, featuring 200 exercises on 2-finger right hand technique. Written in both standard notation and tablature, the book focuses on developing your plucking hand in order to improve your overall technique, tone and musicianship. The exercises start at the beginning with quarter notes and work up...
Daring Audio Debuts with Bass Effects Pedal Line
Daring Audio made their debut at NAMM this year with the release of a new line of bass effects pedals, including the Particle Beam, Laser Cannon, Edge Activator, and Phat Beam. Built in California, the light energy-inspired pedals all feature true bypass and high headroom 18-volt circuits that run off of either a 9-volt batter or standard 9-volt adapter. The...
Wally Voss: Live Bass Solo (1980’s)
Joseph Garcia sent in this video of bassist Wally Voss, a shredding master who spent time in the ’80s touring with Yngwie Malmsteen. Here is a face-melting solo he played with the band Front Runner, before joining Malmsteen. “This is a must-see for fans of Cliff Burton and Billy Sheehan,” Garcia wrote, and we couldn’t agree more!
Cort Announces Gene Simmons Punisher-2 Bass
Cort added a second bass to their Gene Simmons series, the GS-Punisher-2. The bass, more traditionally shaped than the AXE model, was designed in part with the KISS bassist himself and features bolt-on construction. The black-painted Mahogany body is accented with a maple neck and a rosewood fretboard containing white pearl diamond inlays. All of the hardware is chrome, including...
Lemmy Documentary Released on DVD
After a long wait, the Lemmy documentary has been released on DVD. The nearly two-hour film, which took about four years to make, gives an unprecedented look into the life of rock icon and Motörhead bassist/frontman Lemmy Kilmister. Originally screened at last year’s South by Southwest festival, the documentary includes interviews with Metallica, Dave Grohl, Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, and more...