Buzz
Nothing but Bass: Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” All Bass Arrangement
Hold onto your hats. Bruno Masquio took Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” and arranged it for nothing but bass. Pretty sweet bass too.
Rudy Sarzo Leaves Blue Oyster Cult
Rock legend Rudy Sarzo has left the ranks of Blue Oyster Cult, he revealed in an upcoming interview with Ultimate Classic Rock. The bassist, whose resume includes work with Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot, and Whitesnake, said his departure was on good terms. “Due to my scheduling with other projects that I’m doing, it became a little bit hard for me...
Fender Introduces CB-100CE Acoustic Bass Guitar
Fender has upped their acoustic bass game this summer with the CB-100CE. The dreadnought cutaway bass sports a spruce top with scalloped X bracing and mother-of-pearl acrylic rosette. The mahogany neck’s profile is styled after that of a Jazz Bass and has a dual-action truss rod for proper adjustments. Its bridge is rosewood and has compensated saddle. For further flexibility,...
Climbing Out of that Rut: A Guide for Musicians
Q: I’ve been feeling like I’m stuck in a rut lately. Do you have any advice for how to climb out of this thing?? A: To start, I want to say that ruts can be a good thing, because they’re usually followed by a breakthrough. The trick is that you have to push your way through and never let it...
Charnett Moffett: Star Spangled Banner
Bassist Charnett Moffett takes his upright bass and channels some Hendrix in this all-bass rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner”. Happy fourth!
Asia Releases “XXX”
Eighties supergroup Asia is celebrating their 30th anniversary with a new album entitled XXX. Featuring members of Yes, ELP, King Crimson, UK and The Buggles, the band’s current lineup includes bassist/vocalist John Wetton, guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Carl Palmer, and keyboardist Geoff Downes. The new release is being hailed as their best since their breakthrough self-titled album. “We’re very pleased...
Reader Spotlight: Kurt Skrivseth
Meet bassist/multi-instrumentalist Kurt Skrivseth, a musician hailing from Montana. Kurt’s story is a great one, including having performed with both Slash and Snoop Dogg. His gear list is pretty GAS-inducing too. But most impressive is Kurt’s story of overcoming injury to pursue his dream of music and playing bass. Kurt turned this into an asset – one he refers to...
Fender Custom Shop Unveils Limited Edition Relic La Cabronita “Boracho” Bass
Fender’s Custom Shop has unveiled their 2012 Limited Edition Models, including the Limited Edition Relic La Cabronita “Boracho” Bass. Bringing together elements of the Porazzo and its sister Boracha, the Boracho sports a reversed Jazzmaster body with added mass. Couple that with a custom T.V. Jones Thunderblade pickup and you get what Fender says is a “very unique and LOUD...
Huw Foster: Solo Bass Cover of Stevie Wonder’s “As”
Until today, I’ve never seen a video by bassist Huw Foster. Now I’ve seen a ton. I enjoyed them all, but this one stood out. Huw plays an improvised intro and outro, with the tune starting around the 0:38 mark. He’s even incorporated a riff from the Live at Last version.
In Memoriam: Tomáš ?elechovský
Tomáš ?elechovský, bassist for the Czech symphonic metal band Symphonity, has passed away after a hard fought battle with pancreatic cancer. Hailing from Brno, ?elechovský listed his musical influences as ranging from The Beatles and The Beach Boys to Frank Zappa and Tom Waits, though Led Zeppelin was always his favorite. The bassist joined Symphonity in 2004, while the band...
Moog Issues New MF-104M Analog Delay Pedal
Moog has introduced the MF-104M Analog Delay pedal, a reissue of their MF-104 pedal, originally introduced in 2000. The new version utilizes the same vintage “Bucket Brigade” delay chips as the original, giving up to 800ms of analog delay. In pushing the pedal further, the new MF-104M adds a 6-waveshape LFO to expand sonic capabilities. The pedal brings back Spillover...
Single Position Left Hand Dexterity Drills for Bassists
Although scales, arpeggios and repertory are necessary for any musician’s development, etudes and exercises such as the ones below should also be part of any instrumentalist’s diet. Such exercises allow us to focus on a single aspect of technique. Single task left hand drills are essential if we desire to have true dexterity in the left hand fingers. There are...