Buzz
Arkham Sound Announces The Bullet Tube Bass Pre-Amplifier
Portland, Maine’s Arkham Sound has introduced the Bullet, a tube bass pre-amplifier housed in a surplus 30 caliber ammo box. The company says the new preamp is designed to survive the rigors to the road “as if Ampeg were given a military contract to arm Motown.” It is fitted with a 12AX7 preamp tube and a Mosfet bufered lo-Z output...
Bass Players To Know: Tony Garnier
I’m a firm believer in keeping good company. Entrepreneurs need a solid team, Presidents need a strong cabinet, and songwriters need a great band. After Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize, I figured it was time to revisit his catalog, do a bit of listening, and gain some insight on the players that bring his music to life. Certainly,...
Nico Cabrera and Valentina Solera: Toda Una Vida
Nico Cabrera shared this video with us of his cover of “Toda una Vida” with vocalist Valentina Solera. “It is a typical bolero played with bass & voice,” Nico shared. Enjoy.
Adrian Oropeza Joins After The Burial
After announcing Lerichard Foral’s departure earlier this year, After The Burial have announced their new full-time bassist. Adrian Oropeza has been working with the band as a touring member but is now officially in the ranks. “If you’ve seen us in the past year, you may have noticed a new guy holding down the low end on stage,” the band...
Markbass Introduces Standard 121 HR Bass Cabinet
Italian bass amp manufacturer Markbass has unveiled their latest bass cabinet with the Standard 121 HR. Featuring a 1×12″ configuration, the rear tuned ported cab has a sound the company calls “warm, focused, and natural.” The cab is rated at 400 watts and has a wedge design to allow for use as a floor monitor as well as sitting in...
Bass Transcription: Mick Taylor’s Bass Line on The Rolling Stones’ “Tumbling Dice”
Every bassist has been in situations where they have had to hold down a one-chord or repeating bass line ostinato for long periods of time or an entire song. It can be challenging to approach these mind-numbing repetitive songs and keep it interesting while not overplaying. Many Rolling Stones’ songs feature verse sections, such as this, that consist of only...
Nathan East: 101 Eastbound, Live at NAMM 2015
We’re celebrating Nathan East’s birthday today with a killer performance of “101 Eastbound” taken from last year’s NAMM show. East chords on his bass while vocalizing the melody before playing the lead lines. His gorgeous playing is also supported by Melvin Lee Davis, who lays down the bass from the back of the band. Happy birthday, Mr. East!
In Memoriam: Greg Lake
More sad news to report today: bass and prog-rock legend Greg Lake has died after a long bout with cancer. The King Crimson and ELP founder was 69 years old. Lake was born in the town of Poole in England in 1947 and picked up the guitar at 12. During their school years, he became friends with Robert Fripp, who...
Radial Engineering Announces the 4-Play Direct Box
Radial Engineering has announced the 4-Play Direct Box. Aimed at multi-instrumentalists, the DI works well for bass, acoustic guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and more. It has a 1/4-inch input for your instrument with four selectable XLR outputs. You can switch instruments by hitting the mute footswitch, plugging in the right instrument, and then using the second footswitch to toggle to the...
OnkartGromt Unveils Grombass V2 Overdrive Pedal
Norway’s OnkartGromt has released the Grombass V2, an overdrive/distortion pedal made for bass. The innovative pedal has an analog circuit with a microcontroller inside that controls the gain stages. The microcontroller is Arduino compatible with open code that can be modified by the user via USB cable. The Grombass V2 has three distortion modes: Germanium, LED, and Silicon. “Germanium diodes...
Applying Three-Finger Right Hand Bass Technique
Q: I love your three-fingered right hand technique. Do you have any examples of how to apply it into songs I already know? A: This week I decided to answer the question with a video. Check out the PDF to follow along with Weather Report’s “River People” and Tower of Power’s “Oakland Stroke”.
Von Thord: Nya Mäster
Bass and cello duo Von Thord have returned with a set of new videos, including this performance of the song “Nya Mäster”. Bassist David Werthén sets up a beautiful groove for John Bergion’s melancholy melody before things get heated up with unison and octave lines. Their technical prowess and innate musicality make this a video you’ll want to watch more...