Buzz
In Memoriam: Akihiro Yokoyama
Japanese bassist Akihiro Yokoyama of the veteran thrash metal band United has passed away at the age of 49. The cause of death was not declared, but a statement called his passing sudden. “It happened totally out of the blue and it is very hard for his family, UNITED and the staff to accept it, but we wanted to share...
Bass of the Week: Godin Shifter
Available in 4- and 5-string versions, the Godin Shifter bass is an interesting take on old school aesthetic. Its neck, headstock, and body will look familiar to many, but its pickup system is the real magic. The Shifter has three soapbar, passive single coil alnico pickups with extra large magnets. Each pickup can be selected individually or used in combination...
Profiles in Tone: Robert “Bubby” Lewis
If you’re going to play with some of the top hip hop and R&B names, you’ve got to know a thing about tone. That’s why we reached out to bass phenom Robert “Bubby” Lewis as part of our Profiles in Tone series. Born in Flint, Michigan, Lewis wanted to be a drummer until listening to Tom Kennedy on Dave Weckl’s...
Aaron Gibson: Silly Me
Any time I get an email from Aaron Gibson with a new video, I watch it right away. And every time I watch, I want to share with you all ASAP. In this new video, Aaron is performing his tune “Silly Me”. The tune will be the first track on his “demos” series he plans to release before his next...
Judith Owen Releases “Ebb & Flow” with Leland Sklar
Judith Owen’s latest album, , evokes the sounds of 1970’s singer-songwriter troubadours, so it’s just fitting that bass legend Leland Sklar, who played on James Taylor’s “You’ve Got a Friend,” Jackson Browne’s “The Pretender” and countless other hits, is providing the low end on the record. Owen, a jazz-rock singer and her band, which also includes superstar sidemen Russ Kunkel...
Monster Updates Bass Cable
Monster has updated their line of Rock, Bass, and Acoustic cables, which are designed with features to accent the specific instruments. The series has been upgraded with new 24K gold connectors that feature a collet strain relief to clamp down on the Duraflex jacket when screwed together. This reduces the strain from solder points locking the cable in place. Its...
Building Confidence: Thoughts for Bass Players
Q: I’m a 16 year old bassist from England, and I’ve been playing for around three years. Ive been told I am very good for my age but I struggle with my confidence sometimes. One day I want to be as good as yourself or people like Janek Gwizdala, Marcus Miller or Victor Victor Wooten, but I think I put...
Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner: Lotus and the Jondy
Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner is a phenomenal bassist with a singular voice. Here’s a video from the first episode of the online music series “Off Main St,” which features the bassist performing his song “Lotus and the Jondy.” The song is from his second album Apocalypse. If you dig this, make sure to check out the rest of the episode:
Bill Laurance Releases “Flint”, Featuring Michael League
Snarky Puppy lovers, a cool thing is about to happen for you — the group’s bassist, Michael League, has produced, arranged, played on, and even released the debut album of the band’s UK-based keyboardist Bill Laurance. The album, Flint, on League’s GroundUP label, is available in a CD/DVD combo set, which is not only filled with great music, but also...
Reader Spotlight: Alejandro Masafret
Meet Alejandro Masafret, a full-time musician and music educator from Spain. Alejandro keeps busy as an in-demand bassist, but his start was completely one of chance – and one he’s glad took place. Among the great stuff he shared was “I really love bass!” That of course is what we want to hear, and so it was an easy choice...
Learning to Transpose: A Lesson for Playing Bass Lines in Every Key
I’ve found many bass players have difficulty with transposing bass lines, so here’s a lesson that should help. Transposing on bass isn’t terribly difficult, since we can rely on shapes and patterns up and down the neck, to play a line in several keys. In the video below I demonstrate how to navigate the neck, playing the same pattern over...
Jesús Rico Pérez: Fretless Bass & EBow
Solo bassist Jesús Rico Pérez shared yet another incredible video with us. On this tune, Jesús starts with an Ebow, making his bass sound flute-like in this Michael Manring-inspired piece. Jesús has released his album, Scars – Solo Bass Guitar. Check it out on Bandcamp.