Buzz

Late last year we reported that Gene Simmons was being sued for assault. Simmons allegedly choked a man for trying to film him, but a Los Angeles district attorney, citing that there was a lack of sufficient evidence, dropped the case against him. This may be good news for the KISS bassist, but unfortunately he is now in the midst...

Following the passing of Slipknot bassist Paul Gray, the band has created a tribute video commemorating their band mate. The video is mostly interview clips of Gray speaking about a wide range of topics including childhood, Des Moines and the band itself, giving fans a better glimpse into the bassist’s life.

Bassist Juan Alderete De La Peña holds down the low end on the new Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Quartet album, Sepulcros De Miel, released June 1. The effort also features ex-Red Hot Chili Pepper John Frusciante and Omar’s brother, Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez. The album is available for free or any amount you choose to donate. All proceeds from the donations go a fund...

Orange Amps has just announced the signing of Geddy Lee to their list of endorsing artists. Lee will be using Orange AD200 bass heads with OBC410 4×10″ bass cabinets on Rush’s upcoming Time Machine Tour, kicking off later this month. Lee and the band have been especially busy lately, announcing a documentary, a new album in the works, and the...

One of the ultimate struggles for a gigging double bassist is getting proper amplification without losing the sound of your instrument. Using a microphone is a great way to preserve your tone, and recently I got my hands on the DPA 4099B Clip Mic for bass to test it out. The Details The 4099 is not a new solution bassists....

Juan Nelson Mini Documentary

I stumbled upon this cool documentary style clip of Juan Nelson recently, where he discusses his early (and funny) musical years and his break from working with Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals. He even plays a little upright. Anyone know if this is part of a larger project?

Paul McCartney recently performed at the White House East Room, opening up with the same Höfner bass he used in 1964 with The Beatles. The ceremony was his acceptance of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. He is the third winner of the Gershwin Prize, and the first who is not American. With first lady Michelle Obama...

Tal Wilkenfeld has announced she will be featured on three upcoming albums. The Australian bass phenom has been busy working in the studio with Herbie Hancock, Macy Gray, and Lee Ritenour on their latest projects. Herbie Hancock’s The Imagine Project sees Wilkenfeld collaborating on the songs “A Change is Gonna Come” (featuring James Morrison), and “Don’t Give Up” (featuring John...

Q: Any tips on becoming a more melodic player? I think there are a bunch of guys like me: “Average Joe’s” playing in a cover band setting where the chord changes are basic and we hit a brick wall after our triad or major scale/pentonic patterns run out. A: If your playing opportunities don’t allow for much exploration of your...

This guy who goes by the alias of “Golfybass” seems to be only wearing a pair of boxers in the following video of him performing his song Moving Average on a piccolo-strung bass. I apologize for that, but I promise that the video will be worth it!

Bassist Matt Rubano, the former bassist of Taking Back Sunday, recently confirmed that he is working with Patrick Stump in the development of his new solo album. Stump is the frontman for Fall Out Boy. Rubano said on Friends Or Enemies Radio that “We’ve been talking about helping to put the band together to go on tour for his record.”...

Reader Spotlight: Gerald del Campo

Meet Gerald del Campo, our bass player in the spotlight for June 1, 2010. Bio: I was born in Argentina. I have been playing bass since I was 13 years old. I started with the classical guitar when I was 6 years old, but when I was introduced to rock music I had to make the switch. I wanted to...