Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 815

Hoyer Guitars has released a reissue of their classic Hoyer Eagle Prestige Bass, featuring many of the same characteristics of the original 1970’s model including a neck-through-body construction, Eagle-typical headstock, Eagle-shaped inlays, and a burr walnut top. The bass has a 33.5” scale, with an ebony fingerboard and 20 medium jumbo frets. The bass’s pickups are Hoyer custom HHB-106 humbuckers....

Long before he joined the ranks of Mars Volta, Juan Alderete was the metalhead bassist in Racer X, with guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert. This song, Scarified, is proof of Alderete’s own virtuosity. Check out the solo licks and the unison tapping. It’ll melt your face.

A new biography on former Beatles bassist Paul McCartney, penned by Howard Sounes, has just been released by Da Capo Press. Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney offers an extremely detailed look at the bassist’s life, from childhood to fame with the Fab Four, post-Beatles career and up through modern day. The 656-page book includes more than 200 interviews...

Jazz bassist Boris Kozlov has released a new solo bass CD, Double Standard, featuring a mix of originals and jazz standards. The entire album is made of single-take, solo bass tracks with the exception of “RGB/Self Portrait in 3 Colors,” which has the bassist layering arco tracks on the Charles Mingus ballad. That track is especially poignant since the entire...

Though the rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures is on break while the band members return to their main gigs, bassist John Paul Jones says the trio will be regrouping soon for their second album. In an interview with BBC 6 Music, the former Led Zeppelin member explained that the process shouldn’t take long. “Some stuff we’ve worked on, but we’re...

The members of Slipknot are reaching out to the community for the return of items that were stolen from bassist Paul Gray’s grave. Taken from the gravesite were statues of a gargoyle and a Buddah that had been placed there by friends and family. In a statement on their website, Slipknot simply states they want the items returned. “We ask...

Alfred has released a new instructional though maybe unconventional book, entitled The Couch Potato Bass Workout. Intended for all levels and styles, the book is based on the idea that sometimes we end up practicing while “vegging out on the couch” sometimes, so why not make it productive? The workout includes exercises to develop speed, strength, and accuracy by teaching...

Sheptone is stepping into the world of electric bass pickups, beginning with a new line of P-Bass pickups. The new models are made for Fender Precision basses and similar models, and are made to vintage specifications, utilizing alnico 5 magnets and #42 plain enamel wire while measuring out to 10.3k. All the pickups are made in the U.S. at Sheptone’s...

The first batch of dates for the 2011 summer camps at Wooten Woods have been announced, which will mark the Bass/Nature camp’s 12th season. Victor Wooten, who happens to be an avid naturalist in addition to world famous bassist, runs the camps with a who’s who list of bass legends. This year includes three distinct camps: the Bass/Nature camp, Music/Nature...

Here is the tango master Pablo Aslan at work on the tune “Ventarron.” This performance comes from the 2009 Buenos Aires International Tango Festival.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Mike Mills revealed new details about R.E.M.’s upcoming album, Collapse Into Now. The bassist explains the new project sounds reminiscent of the group’s 1992 release, Automatic for the People. ”The songs go from one type into another really easily and it all seems to fit as a piece,” he says. “It makes sense...

Guns N’ Roses bassist Tommy Stinson is thanking his fans for contributing to his recent auction, which helped to raise money for the Timkatec schools in Haiti. To show his appreciation, Stinson is giving away a free MP3 and video of a new song, which he recorded in the restaurant of the Conrad Hotel in Brussels, Belgium. ”Thanks to you,...