Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 82

In part 4 of our interview with Tony Levin, he reveals how Steve Gadd changed his career and explains how he chose musicians for his new solo album.

Basstardos may have a tongue-in-cheek name, but it’s an assembly of three of the most virtuosic bassists of our time, with Munir Hossn, Hadrien Feraud, and Michael Pipoquinha. Here's the band’s performance for The Black Room Sessions.

YYNOT is about to hit the road for a fall tour, but they’ve also announced the third annual Bubba Bash for 2025. The fundraiser celebrates late Rush drummer Neil Peart, with proceeds going to benefit Cedars-Sinai Hospital in his name.

Warm Audio has launched the Pedal76, which they describe as a faithful recreation of a legendary compressor in pedal form. The new unit is an all-analog, transformer-balanced FET compressor designed for guitar, bass, and more.

Moody Blues legend John Lodge has announced a new set of tour dates for his “Days of Future Passed” tour, in which he will play the band’s 1967 album of the same name in its entirety. The bassist, singer, and songwriter made sure to incorporate his former bandmates in the shows, even the late Graeme Edge.

Rob van den Broek shared his latest creation with us and it’s an absolute beast. The Brooks Double Duane Bird, aka the DDB, is a double neck Thunderbird-style bass that features a traditional 34-inch scale four-string neck below a 30.5-inch scale twelve-string neck.

Umphrey’s McGee will take flight next year with the newly announced Cruising Altitude 2025 Tour. The band, anchored by Ryan Stasik, will kick things off on January 16th.

Anaconda Bass Guitars has introduced a new model called the Medusa MD5E-Elite bass. The headless design aims to be highly versatile and ergonomic.

Aguilar Amplification has announced a new limited-edition pedal for a good cause. The Aguilar Breast Cancer Awareness AG Preamp/DI Pedal has been launched during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to benefit research on the disease.

Darkglass Electronics is best known for its gritty, overdriven tones. However, it’s “come clean” with the new Luminal Booster Ultra, a bass-specific pedal that combines the tone of its Harmonic Booster with parallel compressions, a 6-band EQ, a gain reduction meter, and IR capabilities.

In Part 3 of our interview with Tony Levin, he reflects on one of Ned Steinberger’s first fretless basses as well as discusses whether he'll do a solo prog rock record in the future.

Originally introduced in 1973, the Gibson Grabber was a staple of the decade thanks to its use by KISS bassist Gene Simmons. It would find a new life in the ’90s as players like Krist Novoselic and Mike Dirnt put it to use. Now it’s reborn in a new version from Epiphone.