The Aristocrats' Bryan Beller recalls the moment he met Guthrie Govan and formed a new kind of supergroup
As per Aristocrats lore, the power trio formed right after an impromptu jam at NAMM 2011
Latest
Neural DSP’s Nano Cortex had one major drawback – but now it’s been addressed with a huge free firmware update
An expanded utilities list with 47 new effects and improved control over the signal chain headline the free update
Reverb has been acquired by two new investors – and will once again become an independently operated company
The online musical instrument marketplace, best known for its vintage and second-hand music gear, has been sold by Etsy, which had acquired the company in 2019
Weezer’s first show was opening for Keanu Reeves’ band Dogstar. Now the John Wick star is set to play a villain in the Buddy Holly hitmakers’ forthcoming mockumentary
The Matrix actor and whimsical alt-rock band have a storied history together, and now it's set for a blockbuster retelling
GAK has sold its stock and website to online retailer Gear4music for $3.2m – after weeks of speculation over its future
GAK, which stands for Guitar, Amp and Keyboard, has been closed since March 25, allegedly for maintenance, before confirmation that it has entered insolvency
Fender’s elevated Player II Modified line brings the firm’s most sought-after guitar upgrades to the masses
Speedy satin necks, upgraded pickups, expansive electronics and Floyd Rose tremolos headline the drop, which lifts the humble Player II line to new heights
Bootsy Collins is one of the all-time bass greats, but he started out on guitar. Here’s the sole reason why he switched
Before he became ‘the’ Bootsy Collins, William Collins was a young guitarist who desperately wanted to join his brother's band
Bassists
“There was that moment of, ‘My God! I’m recording with David Bowie!’” Bassist Tim Lefebvre on the making of David Bowie's Lazarus
The session for Bowie’s Blackstar album took place in early 2015 at the Magic Shop in New York
How Joni Mitchell formed an unlikely partnership with Jaco Pastorius
Although much of his fame stems from his time with Weather Report, Jaco’s recordings with Joni Mitchell yielded some of the finest bass playing of his career
Why Prince removed the bassline from When Doves Cry
From the beginning, Prince had an inkling that Purple Rain’s landmark single would be better without bass guitar
Bootsy Collins is one of the all-time bass greats, but he started out on guitar. Here’s the sole reason why he switched
Before he became ‘the’ Bootsy Collins, William Collins was a young guitarist who desperately wanted to join his brother's band
How Cro-Mags’ Harley Flanagan went from buying a Jaco Pastorius bass on the street to fronting one of hardcore’s most influential bands
The Cro-Mags founder on the reason he plays Fenders despite loving Rickenbackers, learning from Lemmy and the new documentary about his struggle for survival
Dave Allen, former Gang of Four bassist and post-punk heavyweight, dies aged 69
Allen’s work on Gang of Four’s first two albums would inspire generations and influence the likes of Nirvana, REM, and Flea, who has paid tribute to the late bass icon
20 metal bassists who took heavy bass playing in new directions
Featuring metal’s leading low-enders – from old-school thrash to modern metal
Bass Gear
“Esoteric boutique vibe, superb ergonomics and a powerful, unique preamp”: Tobias Growler IV review
The cult-classic Growler bass makes a long-overdue return to the bass market
Sterling by Music Man completes its trilogy of Joe Dart signature models with a trio of made-to-order basses that cost less than $500
The Vulfpeck funk maestro has unveiled two all-new models that slash more than $2k off the price of his Ernie Ball Music Man basses – and revived the OG Sterling Dart I that proved such a hit last year
Laney and Nathan East team up for a versatile signature bass head that ends a 40-year wait for the session legend
East, one of the most celebrated bass players in history, knows a thing or two about tone – and he’s put practicality at the forefront of his new signature model
Tobias instruments were trailblazers in the bass world. Now they’re back as part of the Gibson family
Luthier Michael Tobias’ ergonomic and tonally versatile bass guitars were lauded in the late ’70s, and now Gibson has spearheaded their return
“We’ve only changed the strings one time”: Travis Barker reveals the bass he uses on everything he records
The Blink-182 drummer and producer has made a revelation about a go-to bass that has proved perfect for almost every record he's produced
Seymour Duncan pushes the boundaries of its PowerStage series with dedicated bass unit
The latest PowerStage offers an onboard preamp and built-in overdrive in a bid to cover all bases for bassists
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
Reviews
“Esoteric boutique vibe, superb ergonomics and a powerful, unique preamp”: Tobias Growler IV review
The cult-classic Growler bass makes a long-overdue return to the bass market
“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?