This Kiss superfan just paid $12k to be Gene Simmons’ roadie for a day
The eye-wateringly expensive package has been billed as “Ultimate Gene Simmons Experience” – but is it worth the money?
Latest
Fender Japan celebrates the ’60s with the return of its Traditional Collection
The collection’s Class of 2025 offers the firm’s premium craftsmanship and a raft of nostalgic colorways
Brian Ray’s audition to join Paul McCartney’s band was a live performance – at the Super Bowl
The multi-instrumentalist didn't have long to prepare for one of the most public auditions in the history of rock and roll
Lemmy honored with a towering bronze statue unveiled in the Motörhead legend's hometown
The statue – which depicts Lemmy wielding his iconic Rickenbacker – contains some of his ashes, and arrives 50 years after the formation of Motörhead
32 years ago, Jeff Ament rented a ’61 Jazz Bass from Norman's Rare Guitars to record Pearl Jam’s Vs. – and now he’s been reunited with it
Ament recently reconnected with the vintage four-string more than three decades after using it to track Vs in the early 1990s – and he immediately played it on stage
Guitar Center continues its big-brand collaborative hot streak and takes Fender on a Moonlight Drive with a trio of limited-edition Player II models
Tonal and comfort upgrades have been included as part of the glow-up – which introduces a striking new colorway
One of the most iconic session players of all time has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Oasis and Phish were notably snubbed from the Class of 2025
Bassists
Carol Kaye on why it is not who you are but how and what you play that defines you as a musician
As one of L.A.’s top studio musicians during the ‘60s, Carol Kaye’s credits rival anyone's. In this classic 2009 interview, she talks influences, teaching, and how she feels about being a role model
Krist Novoselic achieved harmony through Kurt Cobain’s chaos – and was the making of this Nirvana classic
All great bands have players that fit together, and Nirvana was no exception
This Kiss superfan just paid $12k to be Gene Simmons’ roadie for a day
The eye-wateringly expensive package has been billed as “Ultimate Gene Simmons Experience” – but is it worth the money?
Lemmy honored with a towering bronze statue unveiled in the Motörhead legend's hometown
The statue – which depicts Lemmy wielding his iconic Rickenbacker – contains some of his ashes, and arrives 50 years after the formation of Motörhead
David Hood on Aretha, what Otis Redding taught him, and tales from Muscle Shoals' golden age
In this interview from the Bass Player archive, Hood reflects on his career as a ‘Swamper’, playing on hits by Paul Simon, the Staple Singers Aretha Franklin and more
Alice in Chains’ Mike Inez on Paul McCartney, why Cliff Burton ruled and what John Entwistle told him
Inez is a rock bass powerhouse, holding it down with AIC, Ozzy, Heart, guesting with Slash. Here he discusses a life in low-end and the evolution of his style
Billy Corgan asked Jenna Fournier to go back to bass, and she says the timing is perfect
The guitarist-vocalist’s band Niights, solo project Kid Tigrrr, and visual arts projects are one thing, but hitting the stage as part of Corgan’s Machines of God band as a four-stringer is another
32 years ago, Jeff Ament rented a ’61 Jazz Bass from Norman's Rare Guitars to record Pearl Jam’s Vs. – and now he’s been reunited with it
Ament recently reconnected with the vintage four-string more than three decades after using it to track Vs in the early 1990s – and he immediately played it on stage
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
“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
“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?
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?