Articles by: Joel McIver

Joel McIver

Joel McIver is the Editor of Bass Player magazine. A journalist with 25 years' experience in the music field, he's also the author of 35 books, a couple of bestsellers among them. He regularly appears on podcasts, radio and TV and occasionally teaches at BIMM.

Articles by: Joel McIver

Jesse F. Keeler of Death from Above 1979 performs onstage during the 2021 Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival on September 19 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Death From Above 1979's Jesse Keeler: "When I first tried a Dan Armstrong bass, I was like, 'Wow, this neck is so small, and I’ve got all these extra frets. This is awesome!'"

By Joel McIver published 7 January 22

The pioneering two-piece's riffer-in-chief on his love of a certain transparent bass, why he had to abandon his 1971 Rickenbacker 4001 and the making of new album Is 4 Lovers

Tim Commerford: "I’ve always shied away from having basses made for me, but with Music Man I’m really happy to say that this is a bass I’m part of"

By Kevin Johnson, Joel McIver published 6 January 22

The Rage Against the Machine bassist breaks down his tricked-out Ernie Ball Music Man Artist Series StingRay

Want to get Lemmy's bass tone? The new Bass Player reveals all

By Joel McIver published 5 January 22

Get ready for some serious overkill!

Fender Player Plus Jazz Bass review

By Joel McIver published 5 January 22

A TikTok-friendly Jazz Bass for a new generation, complete with flexible switching options and effortless playability

Geezer Butler names 5 bass albums that shaped his style

By Joel McIver, Amit Sharma published 16 December 21

The Black Sabbath legend digs deep into his record collection to pay dues to his biggest inspirations

Bass Player reveals 2021 Lifetime Achievement Awards

By Joel McIver published 10 December 21

Bass Player reveals Lifetime Achievement Awards, 2021

Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Fly Rig V2 review

By Joel McIver published 2 December 21

The new Bass Fly Rig variant of the venerable SansAmp is typically compact and portable and packed with features

Geezer Butler: "It was always magical playing with Tony. We never had to discuss anything – it just seemed to happen. To me, he’s the greatest guitarist ever"

By Joel McIver, Amit Sharma published 15 November 21

The bass legend looks back on his time with Tony Iommi and Black Sabbath, shares his highlights from new solo boxset Manipulations of the Mind, and reveals why he's turning to six- and seven-string basses for future material

Exclusive first review of Tim Commerford's new signature StingRay in the new issue of Bass Player

By Joel McIver published 10 November 21

We meet the legendary Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave musician... and road-test his new bass

Enfield Antoinette review

By Joel McIver published 8 November 21

This headless beauty from Enfield presents us with a future-forward vision of bass guitar design

Malcolm-Jamal Warner: "For me, bass and acting go hand in hand because of the discipline they share"

By Joel McIver published 26 October 21

The actor and poet reveals that bass isn’t just a hobby for him – it’s a way of life

James Jamerson or Carol Kaye: who played what? Uncovering the truth behind the Motown mystery

By Joel McIver published 14 October 21

Academic and bassist Brian F. Wright details his research into Motown's contested history

Geezer Butler heads up the new issue of Bass Player magazine

By Joel McIver published 11 October 21

The Black Sabbath icon is joined by Verdine White, Robert DeLeo, Nikki Sixx and more

Styx's Chuck Panozzo and Ricky Phillips share the low-end theories behind the AOR stalwarts' sound

By Joel McIver published 11 October 21

Panozzo and Phillips talk gear, the influence of Macca et al, and the ultimate mission behind new album Crash of the Crown

Trevor Bolder: “Bowie played you a song and you had one runthrough and that was it. Ziggy Stardust was recorded in a day“

By Joel McIver published 24 September 21

In this classic 2004 interview with the David Bowie bass legend, Bolder reflects on playing in the Spiders From Mars, Uriah Heep and the gear behind his sound

Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas PJ IV and JJ V review

By Joel McIver published 15 September 21

Hot-rodded, Fender-inspired, with a touch of retro flair, these high-performance basses have a timeless appeal

Bass Player's new issue pays tribute to Dusty Hill

By Joel McIver published 8 September 21

Bass Player's new issue pays tribute to Dusty Hill

Putter Smith: "At 15 I got real serious about it, and at 16 I realized that my life’s work was to be a jazz bass player"

By Joel McIver published 23 August 21

The veteran jazz bassist and occasional James Bond adversary on playing with Thelonious Monk, bass heroes and favorite recordings

Gretsch G5442BDC Electromatic Bass review

By Joel McIver published 11 August 21

Comfortably vintage and sonically authentic, this red retro bass delivers the goods

The 50 greatest guitar riffs of all time

By Amit Sharma, Jonny Scaramanga, Ellie Rogers, Grant Moon, Jonathan Horsley, Sian Llewellyn, Henry Yates, Matt Frost, Joel McIver published 10 August 21

From metal to rock, punk to grunge, these are the best guitar riffs ever recorded, as voted for by you

Prince's bass players over the years: in their own words

By E.E. Bradman, Simon Price, Lindsey Borders, Joel McIver published 10 August 21

Prince, a masterful bassist in his own right, employed a series of phenomenal bass players. Let's met the team...

Was it James Jamerson or Carol Kaye? The new issue of Bass Player sheds light on the decades-old controversy

By Joel McIver published 9 August 21

The new issue of Bass Player is out now, and brings you a stack of interviews, a ton of reviews and the world's best lessons

Alex Webster: “Cannibal Corpse is always a ‘song first’ kind of thing... a big, heavy rhythm machine“

By Joel McIver published 22 July 21

The bass genius behind the ferocious death-metal killing machine on technique, songwriting and recovering from injury

Carlos Santana’s long-time bassist Benny Rietveld reflects on a career at the front line of expression

By Joel McIver published 16 July 21

Rietveld on playing with Miles Davis and Carlos Santana, the pivotal points in his prolific bass-playing career and the gear choices he swears by

The story of Paul McCartney and Wings

By Joel McIver published 13 July 21

It’s been 50 years since Macca walked away from the biggest band ever formed. Here's how his post-Beatles career took flight