Buzz
Fender Unveils Limited Edition Parallel Universe ’51 Telecaster PJ Bass
Fender presented a retrospective line of instruments this year with the American Original Series, but they also imagined some axes from another dimension that blurred timelines. The Parallel Universe lineup was revealed to include several guitars and one bass: the ’51 Telecaster PJ Bass.
Scott Varney: Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Scott Varney sent us his latest video, featuring his unique bass cover of the Tears for Fears song, “Everybody Wants to Rule The World.” “I’ve been working on trying to really put my sound into the covers I do live at shows and this one fit so well and has such a fun groove I had to make a video,”...
Ozzy Osbourne Reveals North American Tour Dates With Blasko on Bass
Ever since Ozzy Osbourne announced he will stop touring after a massive farewell tour, we’ve been waiting for the North American dates. Now the first set has been revealed. Ozzy, who will be joined by longtime bassist Rob “Blasko” Nicholson, will first hit two festivals in Florida in April before heading out at the end of August. The trek will...
Tensor Updates Classic Series Basses for 2018
Tensor Basses is updating their Classic series of basses for 2018. Described as a “complete ground up redesign,” the new basses offer a deeper cutaway for access to the top frets, Nordstrand J-series pickups, and a new finish. It also updates the company’s main bass feature, the Force Balance System, which replaces the need for a truss rod. “As an...
Evan Marien x Dana Hawkins: Flashes (Live at Mondriaan Jazz)
I’m really digging the live videos Evan Marien and Dana Hawkins have been sharing from their Mondriaan Jazz performance. In this clip, the duo performs “Flashes,” which appeared on their Collections EP. Evan has made the full show available via Bandcamp.
EBS Reveals ReTracer Delay Workstation Pedal
EBS is celebrating 30 years in the business this year. While they have tried and true products, that doesn’t mean they aren’t innovating. This year at the NAMM Show they previewed the ReTracer Delay, a compact pedal that utilizes new hardware and software from the company. The ReTracer offers twelve distinct engines to produce different effects. “Benefit from useful features...
Finding the Groove Vs. Letting the Groove Find You
Q: When making music, i.e. improvising, making a song, creating a groove, etc., I find myself sometimes approaching it from what I hear while fiddling around, and at other times approaching it more cerebral, as in “let’s create a groove that has a flat nine in it.” I like to call these the bottom up (let the sounds guide me)...
Zander Zon: Can’t Help Falling In Love
Zander Zon put together this video and arrangement in celebration of Valentine’s Day. “Taking it back to the 1960s with this one! It’s my first Elvis tune and I thought it was a good one to do for Valentine’s Day,” he shared. “Want to play this song for your special someone? Or want to try to use this song to...
Chris Hillman’s First Solo Albums Reissued As “The Asylum Years”
Chris Hillman’s first two solo albums have been reissued on a new CD called The Asylum Years. The country-rock pioneer started his solo career with 1976’s Slippin’ Away, with Clear Sailin’ following the next year. Though Hillman laid down the low end for the iconic bands The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, he only played bass on two tracks...
Spector Introduces the Bantam 4 Short-Scale Bass
Spector was showing off several new models at the 2018 Winter NAMM Show including the new Bantam 4, a short-scale bass with a chambered alder body. The combo of features helps to keep the bass’s weight down to just seven pounds. The basses are built with a carved NS-style body topped with quilted maple in black cherry or black stain...
Wojtek Pilichowski & Adrian Maruszczyk: Java Bass Talk
Bassists Wojtek Pilichowski and Adrian Maruszczyk got together to record this bass duo, and it is absolutely fantastic. I especially love the unison lines and those solos.
Frank Zappa’s Complete The Roxy Performances Now Available
Attention Frank Zappa fans: the complete Roxy performances are now available in a seven-CD box set. Recorded in December 1973, Zappa’s concerts at the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood are considered a high-water mark of his career with his band The Mothers in top shape. The lineup for The Mothers at the time included keyboardist George Duke, bassist Tom Fowler, trombonist...