Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt play Van Halen hits with ex-VH bassist Michael Anthony By Janelle Borg published 24 April 24 Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt’s side-project, The Coverups, also covered Kiss, Nirvana, and David Bowie this past weekend
IK Multimedia’s new TONEX pedal puts the firm’s modeling powers into a tiny format By Matt Owen published 24 April 24 The tiny unit works alongside IK Multimedia's AI Machine Modeling tech to offer “the world's most sought-after tones”
Peter Frampton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame By Phil Weller published 22 April 24 The iconic guitarist will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside the MC5, Dave Matthews Band, Cher, Foreigner, Mary J. Blige and more in October
Zoom looks to provide bassists with the most affordable all-in-one rig on the market with the upgraded $142 MS-60B By Phil Weller published 19 April 24 Featuring 11 preamps, 11 amp and cab combos, 75 effects, and signal-splitting options, the tiny pedal packs a lot into its humble chassis
“John Lennon said, ‘Girls don't play guitars’”: The Liverbirds on meeting The Beatles By Janelle Borg published 19 April 24 The trailblazing Liverpool group later wondered if Lennon’s jibes were intended to push them to make a success of the band
Fender Japan uses a quirky finishing technique for new Sandblast Hybrid II range By Matt Owen published 18 April 24 Limited-edition Stratocaster, Telecaster and Jazz Bass models have been unveiled, each of which are treated to a nifty sandblast finish
Boss brings updated AIRD tech to its retro-styled ME-90B By Matt Owen published 18 April 24 Following the overhauled ME-90, the upgraded all-in-one bass pedal uses the same tech found in the GT-1000 but in a $399 package
Boss has unveiled its first-ever Katana bass head – and it might be a game-changer By Matt Owen published 18 April 24 The firm's flagship Katana bass head is its most advanced bass amp to date, debuting Cabinet Resonance calibration for optimum tone with any cab
James Hetfield has had Lemmy's ashes tattooed onto his middle finger By Phil Weller published 17 April 24 Hetfield says the salute to the late Motörhead legend means “he is still able to fly the bird at the world” even after death
Fender revives divisive Antigua finish for limited-edition Squier ’70s Classic Vibe models By Matt Parker published 16 April 24 The once-derided Antigua Burst is back for a limited run and is now available for preorder in the US
Flea regrets his bass-smashing antics in Red Hot Chili Peppers’ earlier years By Phil Weller published 15 April 24 The energetic bassist took to social media to voice his regret of destroying his instruments in the ‘90s and ‘00s
The XO pedal splits the highs and lows of instrumental signals for unique tone exploring By Phil Weller published 15 April 24 The deceptively versatile pedal splits your high and low frequencies for some crazy effects stacking possibilities – and for bassists, it means “no guitar pedal is off limits anymore”
Ex-Smashing Pumpkins bassist Ginger Pooley will join Garbage on upcoming tour By Janelle Borg published 12 April 24 Garbage will be the latest A-list artist on Pooley’s resume, after stints with The Smashing Pumpkins and Gwen Stefani
George Murray almost missed the call to join David Bowie's band because he had a bus to catch By Matt Owen published 11 April 24 The D.A.M. Trio recorded and performed extensively with Bowie across the '70s, but the revered rhythm section could have looked very different had Murray caught his bus
“I wanted him to be very successful because he seemed pretty nervous”: Original Tool bassist Paul D’Amour recalls coaching Justin Chancellor to be his replacement – and giving him an in-depth lesson in his wild pedal protocol By Matt Owen published 8 April 24 Chancellor has lined up alongside Adam Jones and co since joining the band back in 1995, but received some hands-on tutoring from his predecessor before he got started
“Start building your dream bass”: Ernie Ball Music Man launches The Custom Design Experience – allowing players to customize every single spec of its StingRay Special bass By Phil Weller published 5 April 24 4 and 5-strings, changeable pickup configurations, neck profiles and 30 finish options. Could customizable electrics be next?
“Bro is a living breathing ‘Hell yeah’”: Bass player rips Cliff Burton’s iconic (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth solo while squatting 225lbs By Phil Weller published 3 April 24 Alexander Mercieca pulled off the daring display of Metallica bass prowess while squatting for 45 seconds straight – and it looked like he didn't even break a sweat
“Robert Fripp is one of our historical geniuses… I will be putting my best foot forward to respect this great music”: Steve Vai, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin and Danny Carey reveal full details of new King Crimson supergroup tour By Matt Owen published 2 April 24 The Fripp-approved band – which will revisit and reinterpret tracks from Crimson's Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair albums – will hit virtually every corner of the US and Canada this fall
“You were the glue that held the band together. You were the logic in the madness and the madness in our lives”: Ultravox bassist and Vienna co-writer Chris Cross dies at 71 By Matt Parker published 2 April 24 The bassist helped found the UK new-wave band and co-wrote their biggest hit
“Sir Paul has expressed his gratitude to Cathy and the family”: Paul McCartney hands six-figure reward to the family that found his iconic Höfner bass in their attic By Phil Weller published 29 March 24 Paul McCartney’s “favorite bass guitar” was returned to him over 50 years after its theft, with the Beatle offering a substantial thank-you fee as a reward for its return