Latest articles by Nick Wells
Joy Division and New Order hero Peter Hook looks back on his genre-defining legacy
As the respective legacies of Joy Division and New Order grow, year on year, Peter Hook continues to tread his individual path
Ever wondered how Lemmy got those terrifying bass tones with Motörhead? Grab your earplugs – we're going in
“I’ve let a few well-known bassists loose on Lemmy's rig, but no-one sounds close to him”: According to his bass tech, dialing in Lemmy's overdriven tone isn't easy
Why Chris Squire’s relationship with Rickenbacker got off to a shaky start
Chris Squire's Rickenbacker underwent several changes over the years, the most radical coming when he rewired the single-output bass with stereo outputs
Robert Trujillo reflects on the legacy of Jason Newsted and Cliff Burton
If you know your Metallica history, you’ll know that Robert Trujillo is the fourth player to fill the Metallica bass role
Nate Mendel on the time John Paul Jones arrived for his Foo Fighters cameo
Foo Fighters’ ambitious double-disc In Your Honour included guest performers Josh Homme, Norah Jones and Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones
Chi Cheng on his final Deftones album – which took almost three years to complete
According to the late Chi Cheng, Saturday Night Wrist was the first time he’d really locked in with the drums
Meet Vincen García, the Spanish bass virtuoso who joined Cory Wong with 48 hours’ notice
Vincen García shares his bass heroes and how he went about “bringing the artillery” with Cory Wong
Billy Sheehan explains his three-finger plucking technique
After almost 60 years of playing bass, Billy Sheehan is still learning – and still flooring listeners
“It’s not about playing whatever the lowest note available is”: Listen to John Paul Jones’ isolated bass on Led Zeppelin’s Ramble On
Recorded in 1969 when John Paul Jones was just 23, Ramble On stands apart from the rocked-out blues songs that dominate Led Zeppelin II
The Meters’ George Porter Jr on surviving Hurricane Katrina, the subtleties of New Orleans funk and his unusual slap style
According to George Porter Jr., his job as a bassist is to tie the groove and the rhythm together
Dug Pinnick on pushing hard rock’s boundaries with Kings X and a 12-string bass guitar
Dug Pinnick’s onstage presence with King’s X is made even more compelling by his unusual 12-string bass guitar
How Suzi Quatro cut her teeth on Motown hit-maker James Jamerson
Suzi Quatro’s soul and Motown-influenced rock bass playing made her a huge star throughout the 1970s and beyond
Phil Lynott’s 5 best basslines with Thin Lizzy and beyond
Six foot plus of leather and lust, Phil Lynott was the consummate rock bassist. These are his 5 best basslines
How Larry Graham invented slap bass
Few bassists can stake a claim to inventing slap bass more than Sly and the Family Stone’s Larry Graham
Why Lee Sklar hand-carved his 1962 Fender Jazz Bass
1971’s Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon featured some of Lee Sklar’s best work with James Taylor – and Lee Sklar's “total hippie bass”
The 20 greatest slap bass songs of all time
These masterful slap basslines chart the evolution of the quintessential bass technique, from Larry Graham to today's YouTube heroes
Geezer Butler names the Black Sabbath album that captured his favourite bass guitar tone
Geezer Butler’s pioneering bass tone with Black Sabbath helped set heavy metal’s mood before the term even existed
In June 1968, Jack Bruce came close to forming a band with Jimi Hendrix
Speaking in 2003, the late Cream bassist Jack Bruce recalled his first encounters with Jimi Hendrix
How Michael Manring’s relentless search for new sounds led to the creation of his signature Zon Hyperbass
Michael Manring – the solo bass man, session player and tutor on pushing the bass guitar to its limits
“Most bass players are boring… I’m not because I was a guitarist first”: Lemmy on his switch from guitar to bass
The Motörhead frontman switched to bass guitar while working as a roadie for Hawkwind
Exercises for bass: 5 ways to improve your bass guitar technique
Whether you're a beginner or a pro, these 5 finger exercises will help all areas of your bass playing – from fret work and picking to ear training and theory
“You’d be hard-pushed to find a bass sound that you couldn’t gig with almost immediately”: Boss Katana-500 Bass Head review
This newly developed, feature-packed bass head features an Amp Feel switch and ‘Cabinet Resonance’ calibration technology to get the best from your cab – but is it a game-changer for bassists?
The Clash's Paul Simonon reflects on that iconic London Calling moment
Paul Simonon smashed his Fender P-Bass during a concert at New York’s Palladium on September 20th, 1979
