Brian Fox

Articles by: Brian Fox

Ben Kenney of Incubus performs as part of the Honda Civic Tour at Comfort Dental Amphitheatre on August 30, 2012 in Engelwood, Colorado.

“What you think is guitar is actually me strumming chords on the bass”: When Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger brought a blockbuster new song idea to rehearsal, bassist Ben Kenney came up with the perfect bassline

By Brian Fox published

Ben Kenney's bassline underwent several changes, but he says there’s one section of the band’s 2006 hit that no guitarist can replicate

Bonnie Raitt and James "Hutch" Hutchinson

“I was doing overdubs, and by that point we had Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders and players standing around, all drinking beer with Hank”: From Hank Williams Jr. to B.B. King and Bonnie Raitt, Hutch Hutchinson has led a diverse career in the low-end

By Brian Fox published

Bonnie Raitt’s longtime bass sideman can do it all – and he even played on the Toy Story soundtrack

Stephen Stills plays a Fender Precision belonging to left-handed Steve Miller Band bassist Gerald Johnson

“I’d cover the strings in cheeseburger grease, barbecue sauce – even blood. I didn’t want the bass to sound like a friggin’ guitar!” Crosby, Stills & Nash’s 1969 debut took bassist Stephen Stills on an unlikely tone journey

By Brian Fox published

Nicknamed Captain Manyhands, Stephen Stills ranks among pop music’s finest unsung bass talents

Them Crooked Vultures perform during day 1 of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2010 held at The Empire Polo Club on April 16, 2010 in Indio, California.

“If you heard the first demo of that song you wouldn’t believe it!” How Led Zeppelin’s legendary multi-instrumentalist took flight with Them Crooked Vultures

By Nick Wells, Brian Fox published

Back in 2010 John Paul Jones, Dave Grohl and Josh Homme joined forces in a bid to redefine heavy rock

Roger Glover and Steve Morse of Deep Purple perform on stage as part of the Sunflower Jam Charity at Royal Albert Hall on July 8, 2011 in London, United Kingdom

“I get more volume and power when I play with a pick. I’d never be able to play Highway Star with my fingers”: Roger Glover’s isolated bassline on Deep Purple’s Highway Star is a masterclass in high-velocity picking

By Brian Fox published

Highway Star presents the best route to the heart of Deep Purple’s riff-driven righteousness

Bassist Chris Squire performing with English progressive rock group Yes, 1984.

“When I first visited the Rickenbacker factory, I thought I was going to get a hero's welcome. But they were like, ‘Come take a look at our repair room’”: Why Chris Squire’s relationship with Rickenbacker got off to a rocky start

By Nick Wells published

Chris Squire's Rickenbacker underwent several changes over the years, the most radical coming when he rewired the single-output bass with stereo outputs

Squarepusher performs a one off show on stage at Rescue Rooms on March 29, 2013 in Nottingham, England.

“I instinctively dislike ‘try hard’ musicians. I pretty much learned my bass rudiments from Led Zeppelin II”: Why Squarepusher is an artist in a vast left-field league of his own

By Brian Fox published

You may or may not know Squarepusher (aka Tom Jenkinson), but chances are he doesn’t care to know you

Singer Robert Plant and John Paul Jones (playing a triple-necked guitar) of the rock band "Led Zeppelin" perform onstage at Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California.

“I’d be there with bass pedals, a triple-neck guitar and keyboards, and Robert Plant would ask, ‘Can you sing, as well?’” How John Paul Jones became Led Zeppelin’s ultimate wingman

By Nick Wells published

Armed with years of experience as a session bassist and arranger – having worked with the Yardbirds, Jeff Beck and the Rolling Stones – John Paul Jones could do it all

Adam Clayton and Bono of U2 perform during "The Joshua Tree Tour 2017" at MetLife Stadium on June 29, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“Bono always wanted me to play that part with a pick, but I get a different reaction from playing bass with my fingers. There’s nothing quite like that contact of pulling the wires”: Adam Clayton on the U2 sound

By Brian Fox published

Whether he’s playing steady eighth-notes or a rocking counter melody, U2’s Adam Clayton seems to have the perfect tone for every song

Nate Mendel of Foo Fighters performs on stage during day one of Radio 1's Big Weekend at Carlisle Airport on May 14, 2011 in Carlisle, England.

“I've always played with a pick, but up until the fifth Foo Fighters record, I never played downstrokes”: How Nate Mendel changed the way he played bass to “support Dave’s songs as best as possible”

By Brian Fox published

From the Bass Player Archive: An interview with Foo Fighters bassist Nate Mendel

Singer Axl Rose (L) and bassist Tommy Stinson of Guns N' Roses perform at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino during the opening night of the band's second residency, "Guns N' Roses - An Evening of Destruction. No Trickery!" on May 21, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada

“I had the same punk-rock attack that Duff had. I wouldn’t be afraid to say I stole some of his stuff”: How Tommy Stinson survived the making of Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy

By Brian Fox published

Tommy Stinson replaced Duff McKagan in 1998, but being the bassist in Guns N’ Roses takes work – a lot of it

British singer-songwriter Elvis Costello with his backing band The Attractions, UK, 1980. From left to right, keyboard player Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas, Costello and drummer Pete Thomas.

“You don’t just play the root notes – there’s always harmony there to make a bassline more interesting”: How Bruce Thomas transformed Elvis Costello’s (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea

By Brian Fox published

Bruce Thomas on the heyday of the Attractions and their most auspicious debut, (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea

Billy Joel poses for a portrait with his band in circa 1977. (L-R) Liberty DeVito, Doug Stegmeyer, Billy Joel, Richie Cannata.

“Doug really knew his way around that bass. Billy built the band around him”: How Paul Simon's advice and Doug Stegmeyer’s swinging bassline transformed Billy Joel’s Only The Good Die Young

By Brian Fox published

Doug Stegmeyer was a student of the Beatles and Motown – and his bassline on Only The Good Die Young is a masterclass

John Entwistle of The Who on stage, performing their album 'Quadrophenia', Ahoy, Rotterdam, 11th May 1997. He plays a Status Graphite Buzzard Bass guitar.

“I think a bass solo can be as exciting as a guitar solo – if not more”: Listen to John Entwistle’s live bass solo on The Who’s 5:15

By Nick Wells published

John Entwistle proves why bass solos aren't always a bad idea

Geddy Lee of Rush performs part of the bands' Time Machine Tour at Sleep Train Pavilion on June 26, 2011 in Concord, California.

“You bassists who think your bass isn’t loud enough, you’re right! I always want my bass louder in the mix”: How Geddy Lee found his sound with Rush

By Brian Fox published

Geddy Lee used distortion to “knit together” his live sound with Canada’s pioneering power trio

Cory Glover,and Muzz Skillings of Living Colour Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, October 8, 1989.

“I still have the strings I used on that session in a Ziploc bag”: How Muzz Skillings took the rock world by storm on Cult of Personality

By Brian Fox published

Muzz Skillings kept things fresh on this heavy, riff-based smash from Living Colour's debut album

Warwick StarBass

Review round-up: semi-hollow and hollowbody basses

By Brian Fox published

We check out the D’Angelico EX-Bass, Ibanez ASB180 and AGB205 Warwick RockBass Star Bass 4- & 5-strings

Fender 60th Anniversary Precision Bass

Fender 60th Anniversary Precision Bass review

By Brian Fox published

A hybrid of P-Bass designs from throughout the years make this one of Fender's best

Ampeg V-4B

Ampeg V-4B review

By Brian Fox published

Testing the iconic bass amp reissue, along with its SVT-112AV and SVT-212AV cabinets