Buzz
Acoustic Image Introduces Clarus SL and SL-R Amp Heads
Acoustic Image has announced it will be reintroducing the Clarus SL and Clarus SL-R single-channel amp heads as part of their 4plus Series. The compact units weigh in at just over 2 1/2 pounds while dishing out 600 watts of power into 4 ohms. A core update to the models is the inclusion of Acoustic Image’s FLEX-style four-channel EQ, with...
Ripe: Talk To The Moon
I stumbled upon the Boston-based band Ripe recently, and I was glad I did. I’ll admit, at first I was impressed with vocalist Robbie Wulfsohn. But after giving them a listen, I quickly became a fan of bassist Mauricio Morales. Here’s the band performing their tune “Talk To The Moon” live at the Berklee Internet Radio Network. The tune features...
Darren Michaels Releases “Seasons”
Darren Michaels has released Seasons, a 10-song collection that delves into the bassist’s singer/songwriter style. The album, which is his first full-length solo project in seven years, showcases his lyrics and creative bass playing with thought-provoking lyrics, altered tunings, and a chordal approach to the the bass. Michaels utilized an arsenal of three basses to record the whole album, one...
Wampler Pedals Introduces Low Blow Bass Pedal
Wampler Pedals has released the Low Blow, an overdrive/distortion pedal designed specifically for bass. The Low Blow features two clipping modes – Smooth and Jagged – for dialing in your dirt as well as a 3-band EQ for further tonal tweaking. Additionally, the pedal has a Notch Filter switch to tighten up “common cabinet ‘woof’ without having to turn down.”...
Mike Watt with Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl, & Pat Smear: Big Train
I’ve been revisiting some of Mike Watt‘s music recently after listening to his incredible interview on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast, and this clip floored me. The punk legend toured in 1995 with a superstar band to back him up including Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and Foo Fighters members Dave Grohl and Pat Smear. Here’s the group on the Jon Stewart...
ESP Guitars Announces Two New Bunny Brunel Signature Basses
After launching the Bunny Brunel Signature Series at the Winter NAMM show, ESP Guitars took to the Summer NAMM show to expand the lineup with a pair of new models: the LTD BB-1005/QM/Black Aqua and the LTD BB-1005 QM/Burnt Orange. Both models are 5-string fretted basses, which fills a gap in the initial Brunel signature offering of a fretless fiver...
Damian Coccio: What the Storm Brought
Damian Coccio shared his latest video with us of a tune he wrote for solo loop bass, “What the Storm Brought”. He also shared the specifics in how his setup: “Using the Ditto X2 Looper and Strymon Timeline Delay. Using the volume knob on the Ditto X2 Looper for fading during the performance. Tuning is DGDGD. The bass is a...
Sly & the Family Stone 1968 Fillmore East Performance Released for First Time
Legendary funk/soul/R&B/rock band Sly & the Family Stone was energetic and on the rise in 1968, with two albums — Dance to the Music and Life — already behind them. Live At The Fillmore East October 4th & 5th, 1968, captures the sound of a great band with an incomparable electric bassist — Larry Graham, who went on to create...
Morning Bound: An Interview with Panagiotis Andreou
It’s easy to get wrapped up into a specific genre, but there’s a whole world of music to discover and explore. No one knows that better than bassist Panagiotis Andreou. The Greek-born bassist is a student of all types of music, and that’s not just lip service. He’s been playing bass since he was sixteen and has studied loads of...
Alissia Benveniste: On The Go
Funk bass phenom Alissia Benveniste is back with a new song and music video, and if you’ve been following her, you know this is about to make your day. “On The Go” brings all of the bassist’s thick slap grooves to an upbeat track that will have you tapping your foot. “My vision for my music is to inspire people...
Sublime With Rome Releases Second Album
The sound of reggae/rock band Sublime remains alive via its bassist, Eric Wilson, through the band Sublime With Rome. Wilson is the only Sublime member currently in the group, which has released its second album, Sirens. The album is being billed as a return to the band’s roots, with a rawer sound like that of the original band. See if...
DigiTech Reissues DOD Meatbox Subharmonic Bass Synthesizer
Another legendary pedal is getting reissued as Digitech has announced the DOD Meatbox Subharmonic Bass Synthesizer is being put back on the market. The pedal, often championed by Juan Alderete, has been updated with several new features including true bypass, a TRS output, a 9-volt power supply input, and a blue indicator LED. The Meatbox is much more than just...