Buzz
In Memoriam: Dave Riley
Bassist Dave Riley has passed away from throat and lung cancer. He was 59 years old. Riley first played with Static while also working as a sound engineer for bands like Parliament. In the ’80s, he joined Steve Albini’s punk rock band, Big Black.
Kiesel Guitars Adds to Multiscale Vader Bass Series
Kiesel Guitars has expanded its Vader bass lineup with five and six-string models of their multi-scale version of the bass. The new headless basses, dubbed the VBM5 and VBM6, come with lots of options.
Scary Goldings: Plant Bass Diet
Scary Pockets just shared a new video for their Scary Goldings project with organist Larry Goldings, in support of their new record, “The Ego Trap.” In this clip, Sam Wilkes handles the bass part. This one grooves!
Best of 2019: The Top 10 Reader Favorite Bass Pedals & Effects
Throughout 2019, we covered nearly 100 new bass pedals and effects stories. This list makes up the top 10 reader favorites for the year.
Berklee Bass Department: 2019 Holiday Jam
This is a tradition we love! This year, it almost didn’t happen, but Steve Bailey came through with a video for us to share, with Ron Carter, Justin Chancellor, Leland Sklar, John Patitucci, Victor Wooten, Janek Gwizdala, and Freddie Washington.
On-Stage Announces GS8730 Wall-Mounted Guitar/Bass Hangers
On-Stage has announced a new series of wall-mounted guitar hangers. The GS8730 Series, which will debut at the 2020 Winter NAMM Show, has an EVA foam-padded yolk and a locking mechanism that engages when a bass is hung in it.
Best of 2019: The Top 10 “Ask Damian Erskine” Columns
Damian Erskine’s popular “Ask” column ran for over 10 years. On December 4th, Damian announced he was taking a break. He still logged nearly a year’s worth of columns in 2019, covering theory, gigging, gear, and more. Here are the top 10 reader favorites.
Theo Katzman: Like A Woman Scorned
Theo Katzman is gearing up to release his next album, “Modern Johnny Sings: Songs in the Age of Vibe.” He’s just released another track, “Like A Woman Scorned,” featuring his Vulfpeck bandmate Joe Dart on bass.
George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic Extend Farewell Tour Dates
George Clinton is holding off on his retirement, opting instead to extend his farewell tour with Parliament Funkadelic into 2020. The band has had many fantastic bassists, but the current and longest-standing player is the mighty Lige Curry.
Bass of the Week: Sawtooth Rudy Sarzo Signature Acoustic-Electric Bass
Rudy Sarzo has played in a variety of situations, from Quiet Riot to Ozzy Osbourne to The Guess Who to Michael Angelo Batio. This week we’re checking out his signature acoustic bass guitar from Sawtooth.
Best of 2019: Top 10 Reader Favorite Bass Amps
We covered a ton of bass gear news this year, including plenty of amps. Here is the list of top 10 reader favorites for 2019.
Simon Phillips: Phantom Voyage
Here’s another great clip from Simon Phillips’ Little Big Beat Studios sessions, featuring Ernest Tibbs, Greg Howe, and Otmaro Ruiz. “Phantom Voyage” is one chill tune from the drummer’s “Protocol 4” project.