Buzz
PRS Guitars Adds Grainger Basses To Core Line
About a decade after introducing their Private Stock model, Paul Reed Smith Guitars and bassist Gary Grainger have teamed up again to introduce the Grainger 4 and Grainger 5 basses to the company’s Core production line. The new models are modified slightly from their predecessors to add more universal appeal to players. Made in PRS’s Maryland factory, the basses are...
Flu Season Fumbles and Avoiding Lost Gigs
As we get over the start of a new year and the holidays seem like a distant memory, we enter a new season with the worst surprise of them all… the flu. With the weather, the “warriors” who insist on coming into the office, travel, and the nights off to hang out with friends at the bar, we’re unusually exposed...
Vulfpeck: Outro
They’re back. One of my favorite bands over the last year, Vulfpeck, has a fresh set of tunes out and a new EP they “snuck in last week”, according to Jack Stratton. Bassist Joe Dart is a monster, and Vulpeck has more than their fair share of monsters on every instrument. Check out Joe’s fills on this tune! Dang. The...
Bass of the Week: Carvin SB4000
In 2009, Carvin teamed up with Sekou Bunch to create the SB4000, a bass the company says was designed with “vintage vibe.” The U.S.-made bass is a 4-string, though a 5-string SB5000 is available with many of the same specs. Standard features on the SB4000 include an alder body, eastern hard rock maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard, though they only...
Dean Unveils John Entwistle Hybrid 5-String Bass
Dean unveiled several new basses at NAMM this year including a 5-string version of the John Entwistle Hybrid bass. Sharing many of the features of the 4-string Hybrid, The Ox’s new signature model sports bolt-on construction with an alder body and a maple “C”-shaped neck. Other features include a pair of EMG HZ Humbucker pickups, a dual purpose die-cast bridge,...
Alfons Åberg Fusion: Swedish TV Theme Song Cover
This is cool. Dirty Loops, anchored by bassist Henrik Linder, is already inspiring other bands to take on tunes and make them their own. Here’s Alfons Åberg Fusion, a trio featuring bassist Oskar Alex, keyboardist/vocalist Andreas Eklundh Pejler and drummer Oscar Lundström, performing their arrangement of a Swedish kid’s TV show theme song. Tight!
ESP Unveils LTD Elite Basses
ESP has introduced a new line in their products called the LTD Elite series, which splits the difference price and quality between ESP’s high-end instruments and their more affordable LTD line. The new line is built in Japan and are based on the company’s most popular ESP models, including two basses: the J-4 and J-5. Four and five-string models perspectively,...
Basses and Skill: Stick to One or Diversify?
Q: Is there any benefit in mastering two (or more) types of basses? I have a 5-string fretted that is my primary instrument, and that’s the one I take out of the “shed.” After finding a great deal on a fretless 4-string at a pawnshop, my thought was this bass would be perfect for playing jazz, and I started studying...
Johan Hansén-Larson: Joy Spring
Sometimes some really great musical moments can come out of just jamming along to a backing track. Here’s Johan Hansén-Larson having some fun with an Aebersold recording of the classic Clifford Brown tune “Joy Spring.”
Orange Amplification Announces DIVO VT1000 Valve Tester
Orange Amplification has released the DIVO VT1000 Valve Tester, an automatic tube tester that performs a host of diagnostics on both preamp and power amp tubes. The unit has one octal and two nine pin valve sockets to fit different types of tubes. Once inserted, the user presses the start button and the tests are run. The Orange DIVO VT1000...
Olivier Babaz Releases “Midnight Cafeine”
Bassist Olivier Babaz has released his first trio album entitled Midnight Cafeine. Featuring pianist Sylvain Ransy and drummer Mark Nelson, the 10-track effort includes lots of creative interplay between the musicians. Babaz, who composed all the songs on Midnight Cafeine, utilizes both upright and electric basses throughout the album to create unique textures in the soundscape. “[My] electric bass playing...
Ampeg Introduces PF-800 Bass Amp
Ampeg has expanded their Portaflex Series with the PF-800. At 800-watts the bass head is the strongest in the line while only weighing 11.8 pounds. Similar to the rest of the line, its compact design allows it to be stowed inside the Portaflex PF flip-top cabinets. Features on the new amp include classic hi/lo boosts, a 3-band EQ with a...