LCD Soundsystem used a ‘one-of-a-kind’ vintage pedal to define their fuzz tones – and now it’s been recreated by EarthQuaker Devices
The Chelsea Low End Fuzz Driver is a close replica of James Murphy’s oddball vintage fuzz
Latest
The Les Paul Recording Studio opens in Hollywood – bringing the innovator’s revolutionary gear to a whole new generation of musicians
Aside from his work revolutionizing the electric guitar, Les Paul helped modernize recording methods, and this new studio honors his legacy with the gear he built
How Guitar Center plans to beat its online competitors and safeguard the future of its physical stores
Guitar Center CEO Gabe Dalporto has laid out the retailer’s plans to win the trust of prospective customers in the face of unprecedented online competition
Jimmy Page blasts new Artificial Intelligence proposals from UK Government
The Led Zeppelin legend says the technology is exploiting musicians and is “devoid of the struggles that define true artistry”
Tunerette honors the heyday of rock ‘n’ roll with a clip-on tuner that looks like a cigarette
Beat the smoking ban while emulating true rock star moves with this tricky tuner
How Nathan East managed to make his bass sound like a guitar on these Kenny Loggins hits
East discloses the nifty technique that bassists can use in lieu of adding actual guitars to a track
Statue of Motörhead legend Lemmy to be unveiled in his hometown this May
Lemmy's bronze tribute was sculpted by Andy Edwards – the artist behind the world-famous Beatles statue in Liverpool
Fender outlines the future of Squier after the launch of its new Standard Series – which is built in the same factory
The Standard Series further closed the gap between Fender and Squier – but would Fender ever put its name on the entire production line, from entry level to Custom Shop?
Bassists
John Paul Jones breaks down his Led Zeppelin bass approach – and what separated his and Jimmy Page's riffs
The all-time bass great discusses his telepathic relationship with John Bonham, early influences, and why Stairway to Heaven's gradual speed-up is part of its magic
Guy Pratt on the Jazz Bass he bought from John Entwistle and how he conjured a “massive octave-pedal freakout” with Madonna
In addition to his main gig with David Gilmour, Guy Pratt has played bass on some monster hits, including Madonna’s Like a Prayer and Michael Jackson’s Earth Song
L7’s Jennifer Finch on touring with Nirvana, gigging with Courtney Love and donating her Ghost bass to the Punk Rock Museum
The athletic low-end of Sub Pop’s only Los Angeles band signing, Finch reflects on how picking up an instrument sparks disruption, that iconic Reading Festival 1992 set and loaning Krist Novoselic her storied Ghost bass
How Nathan East managed to make his bass sound like a guitar on these Kenny Loggins hits
East discloses the nifty technique that bassists can use in lieu of adding actual guitars to a track
As a member of the Saturday Night Live house band, James Genus is the best-kept secret on bass
If you’re only as good as the company you keep, James Genus is bass royalty
Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris on staying loyal to Fender, and the Gibson that sounded “horrible”
In his quest for the perfect tone Steve Harris has tried virtually every make of bass there is, but always comes back to one
In an era dominated by look-at-me shred guitarists, Nikki Sixx showed that playing bass could be cool, too
Mötley Crüe's 1989 blockbuster, Dr. Feelgood, is a prime example of Sixx's gritty bass approach
Bass Gear
Jack Bruce’s Gibson EB-1 is going up for a one-time-only public display
Bruce’s iconic EB-1 will go on display for four weeks at the Gibson Garage in London as part of the Gibson Garage Fest later this month
Tim Commerford’s new Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay is a love letter to the pawnshop bass that crafted the first Rage record
Passive and active editions have been launched, but both come optimized with some clever, player-adjustable additions
Shergold’s new Telstar bass repackages one of the firm’s best electric designs of recent years into a low-end format
It’s joined by another new low-end launch from the acclaimed UK luthier, the Libertine
“Gene Simmons used a Grabber for a reason – because they play like nothing else on earth”: Epiphone Grabber Bass review
With its classic looks and budget-friendly price tag, is the revived Grabber still as iconic?
Learn bass for less with beginner basses from Squier, Yamaha and Music Man hitting the low-end on price for Black Friday
With great discounted options from the likes of Squier, Yamaha and Sterling by Music Man, now's the time to start your bass guitar journey
A maple cap fingerboard in 1965? Here’s why this vintage Jazz Bass is a true Fender unicorn
Could it be that this mid-'60s Jazz Bass is rare simply because people couldn't read Fender's small print? Well Strung Guitars owner David Davidson floats a theory and picks up the tale…
Brubaker merges headless guitar hype with modern modular designs for the NBS Series
Bartolini, Dark Glass, John East, Aguilar, and Nordstrand preamp modules are available, and each can be swapped out in less than 60 seconds
Reviews
“My initial reaction was to marvel at just how creative an effect it is”: DigiTech MonoNeon Whammy review
Designed in collaboration with bassist Dywane Thomas Jr, aka MonoNeon, this tone-bending pedal delivers signature sounds in the Whammy format
“Playing the Bass VI is a really strange experience”: Squier Limited Edition Classic Vibe Bass VI review
Part bass, part guitar, we get to grips with the Classic Vibe version of Fender’s very own dichotomy of tone
“Gene Simmons used a Grabber for a reason – because they play like nothing else on earth”: Epiphone Grabber Bass review
With its classic looks and budget-friendly price tag, is the revived Grabber still as iconic?
“In terms of sheer value for money, it’s hard to beat”: Sterling by Music Man Joe Dart Artist Series Bass review
On paper, the Sterling Joe Dart model looks like a remarkable reproduction of Music Man’s pro-standard version. Could this be as good as it gets for a $399 bass?
“Thrill-seekers wishing to add ear-melting fuzz to their bass will be in tonal nirvana”: Goliath FX Hornburg Fuzz review
With drive tones verging on the mythical, is this the ultimate bass fuzz?
“As a compact amp modeler/cab simulator/Capture device, this is perhaps the best option out there, screen or no screen”: Neural DSP Nano Cortex review
The follow-up to the game-changing Quad Cortex is here at last, and with its ultra-powerful Nano Cortex, Neural DSP has set its sights on challenging IK Multimedia and Kemper to offer the ultimate all-in-one rig solution
Fender Vintera II ’60s Precision Bass review
Vintage looks? Timeless P-Bass tones? We size up the latest incarnation of Fender’s flagship 4-string
“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?
“If you can handle the fanned frets, this is a bass you’ll cherish for decades”: Dingwall John Taylor Signature review
After playing a custom Dingwall live with Duran Duran, John Taylor has launched his production model, loaded with a new bridge design, a Rupert Neve Design preamp to die for and a monster tonal range