Gear Watch: Kustom KB Series Amplifiers
Kustom Amplification has introduced a brand new line of bass amps, called the KB series. The line consists of five combo amps, ranging from 10 to 200 watts, and a 200-watt head, which is available as rack-mountable or in a standalone wooden cabinet. Kustom describes the KB series as based on producing great tone, without “useless bells and whistles.” Each...
Korn’s Fieldy Puts Finishing Touches On His “Not-So-Heavy” Solo Album
Korn bassist Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu has announced that he is nearing completion on a new solo album, entitled Bassically, which he plans on releasing later this year. He says the music will be a sharp contrast to the heavy sound he is known for. In an interview with AOL’s Noisecreep, he said, “I’d say it’s like a jazz fusion funk...
10th Annual Summer Camp Music Festival to feature Victor Wooten and more
The Summer Camp music festival to be held in Chillicothe, Illinois promises to be another groovy, bass-filled weekend, with such acts as Victor Wooten, moe., Gov’t Mule, Railroad Earth, Steel Pulse, and many more. The festival, which is celebrating its 10th year running, is a green event which seeks to “reduce [its] carbon footprint, support local business and reduce, reuse,...
James LoMenzo keeps busy after Megadeth, with Hydrogyn
Metal head James LoMenzo has been keeping busy, despite having just left the ranks of metal legend Megadeth. LoMenzo will be recording on the new Hydrogyn album, sharing bass duties with Jake Wolf. The album is in the process of being recorded, and will be ready for release this summer, along with a tour by the band. LoMenzo’s resume also...
Gear Watch: Warwick Thumb SC Single Cutaway
Warwick has announced the Thumb SC single cutaway bass. The German made bass, which is their Thumb NT model mixed with a single cutaway design, is tailored towards jazz, funk, and R&B settings. The Thumb SC features a specially designed passive MEC soap-bar humbucker and active MEC 3-band electronics with 2 toggle switches for coil splitting. The body is US...
Bassist Billy Cox Featured on Experience Hendrix Tribute Tour
The Experience Hendrix Tour will be hitting the road in March featuring a who’s who of rock and blues artists, including bassist Billy Cox, who played with Hendrix in the Jimi Hendrix Experience and the Band of Gypsys. Other performers include Joe Satriani, Jonny Lang, Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Brad Whitford (of Aerosmith), Doyle Bramhall II, Ernie Isley, Living...
Pete Wentz speaks on Fall Out Boy’s status
Amid controversy on twitter and in the media that Fall Out Boy has broken up for good, bassist Pete Wentz says nothing is for certain, but the band has definitely not called it quits yet. “We need a sarcastic font for Twitter,” Wentz jested, “so you can type in that font, and people can be like, ‘Oh, he’s being sarcastic...
Gear Watch: MXR Bass Envelope Filter
Jim Dunlop has introduced a new Bass Envelope Filter pedal to their Bass Innovations line, the MXR Bass Envelope Filter. This box was designed for the classic analog envelope filter sounds with portability in mind. The pedal features five controls on the face: Dry, Effect, Decay, Q, and Sensitivity. Dry and Effect control your mix of dry and wet signals,...
Medeski Martin and Wood Tour Dates
Medeski Martin and Wood have kicked off their 10 day west coast tour, beginning in San Diego, California. The experimental jazz group, featuring Chris Wood on bass, will be trekking in support of their recently released box set, Radiolarians: The Evolutionary Set. The collection includes the Radiolarian albums I, II, and III, a 10 track disc of remixes, a live...
Gear Watch: Ansir Amico
Ansir Music has announced the release of their new Amico line of basses. The new bass, designed based on an idea by bassist Joey Green, is available in 4, 5, 6-string, and left-handed versions. Ansir basses are custom made using the bassist’s choice of woods and customized neck angles determined from the player’s measurements and preferences. Each bass is fitted...
Gear Watch: Warwick RockBass Alien
Warwick has announced a budget version of their existing acoustic bass, the Alien. The new RockBass Alien models are available as Standard or Deluxe, 4- or 5-string, with or without frets. The Standard version features a spruce top and laminated agathis wood for its back and sides. The laminated woods increase the instrument’s stability and strengthen it for performance. The...
Stanley Clarke helps present basses for charity
Stanley Clarke was a special guest at the Grammy Museum during a ceremony that introduced five new upright basses, which will be auctioned for charity. The basses, which were designed by artists from the Walt Disney Animation Studio, feature a New Orleans theme, an Enchanted Princess, Dumbo’s Pink Elephants, a Cheshire Cat grin, and a Genie. They will be auctioned...