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How Gerald Johnson’s twisting bassline culminated in a full-on solo – a rarity for a 1973 rock track
Texas rock icon Steve Miller featured his left-handed bassist on the third of four singles from his now-classic album
Latest
How Henrik Linder went from struggling music student to overnight success with Dirty Loops
Dirty Loops started as a chops-heavy cover band before exploding on social media
4 Comments
Best octave pedals for bass 2026: Pitch-shift your playing with my pick of essential pedalboard additions
Looking for a new octave pedal to add to your bass rig, or are you entering the world for the first time? Here's are my top choices along with expert buying advice
Les Claypool’s bonkers one-string leads the biggest (and strangest) bass releases of the month
May saw the reissue of Fender's best-selling bass, a custom Rickenbacker for Geddy Lee, and a supersized version of the daddy of all fuzz
Best overdrive pedals for bass 2026: The ultimate in bass saturation at all price points
My pick of the top-rated overdrive pedals for bass players from the likes of EBS, Electro-Harmonix, Origin Effects, and more
Bill Laswell on Lemmy, Paul Simon, and his failed studio session with Jaco Pastorius
The visionary producer also had his say on Lemmy, Paul Simon, and his failed studio session with Jaco Pastorius
5 Comments
How Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood went from Sikth super-fan to playing in the band
Former bassist for Periphery, Getgood pinpoints the pickup selection and pick technique he’s been using onstage with Sikth
Bassists
How Gerald Johnson’s twisting bassline culminated in a full-on solo – a rarity for a 1973 rock track
Texas rock icon Steve Miller featured his left-handed bassist on the third of four singles from his now-classic album
How Henrik Linder went from struggling music student to overnight success with Dirty Loops
Dirty Loops started as a chops-heavy cover band before exploding on social media
4 Comments
Bill Laswell on Lemmy, Paul Simon, and his failed studio session with Jaco Pastorius
The visionary producer also had his say on Lemmy, Paul Simon, and his failed studio session with Jaco Pastorius
5 Comments
How Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood went from Sikth super-fan to playing in the band
Former bassist for Periphery, Getgood pinpoints the pickup selection and pick technique he’s been using onstage with Sikth
How John Paul Jones became Led Zeppelin’s ultimate wingman
Armed with years of experience as a session bassist and arranger – having worked with the Yardbirds, Jeff Beck and the Rolling Stones – John Paul Jones could do it all
4 Comments
Roger Glover’s path to bass greatness with Deep Purple
Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, Deep Purple formed the holy trinity of hard rock that would ultimately induce heavy metal
Suzi Quatro on the spirit that’s driven her, and the moment of fate that made her a bassist
She reflects on never having learned to play with a pick, using her late drummer’s kit to keep his vibe, her son’s influence as a bandmate, and the three quotes she’s given about retirement
Bass Gear
Les Claypool’s bonkers one-string leads the biggest (and strangest) bass releases of the month
May saw the reissue of Fender's best-selling bass, a custom Rickenbacker for Geddy Lee, and a supersized version of the daddy of all fuzz
Best overdrive pedals for bass 2026: The ultimate in bass saturation at all price points
My pick of the top-rated overdrive pedals for bass players from the likes of EBS, Electro-Harmonix, Origin Effects, and more
Fender celebrates 75 years of the Precision Bass with three stunning anniversary models
We've got bling with the AmPro PJ Bass, OG mojo with the American Vintage II 1951 Precision Bass, and a super-glam Player II P Bass in Diamond Dust Sparkle...
The crazy method a thief used to steal 50 bass guitars – including one belonging to Guy Pratt
The session ace lost his beloved during a spree of thefts, and he’s still looking for it today
“A small yet mighty gig bag hero”: Mesa/Boogie launches powerhouse preamp/DI with all the tone-shaping capabilities of its high-end Subway line
A blockbuster sequel to the original, the Subway+ Bass DI‑Preamp II offers bassists everything they need in one compact housing that's 40 per cent smaller than its predecessor
How fretless bass master Steve DiGiorgio embraced frets on Testament’s 2016 metal masterstroke
For Brotherhood of the Snake, DiGiorgio wielded little more than a stock 1978 Rickenbacker 4001
Best budget bass amps 2026: brilliant bass tone without a hefty price tag
Deliver low-end punch without the high-end price tag: the best budget bass amps from Fender, Ampeg and more
Reviews
“It’s clearly had a lot of thought put into making it as flexible and useful as possible”: Laney Digbeth DB-EAST review
Over a long, distinguished career, Nathan East has never had a signature amp. Until now…
“Those cleaner tones are very characterful and usable, evoking classic tube-driven bass amps”: Ashdown Geezer Butler Pedal of Doom review
Geezer Butler helped invent heavy metal. Here’s a slab of heavy metal bearing his name.
“Boss has packed some serious muscle into a small box... For its price, it’s going to be very tough to beat”: Boss GX-1B review
Boss's GX range of multi-effects gets a bass-specific baby brother...
“It vacuum-packs superb tones and incredible utility into a compact space”: IK Multimedia ToneX One Bass Edition review
Honey, I shrunk the Ampeg! And the Gallien-Krueger, and the Sansamp, and...
“It absolutely nails the sounds of the ‘60s when palm muted and picked”: Gretsch Electromatic CVT Bass Double-cut review
It's a reboot of the lesser-spotted Gretsch Corvette – but it's only got four strings!
“It evokes a cool old Jazz Bass that's picked up some useful mods over its life”: Squier Classic Vibe Active ’70s Jazz Bass review
Is it a '70s-inspired Jazz Bass? Is it a modernised active bass? Yes to both...
“It might not be to all tastes, but its retro charm and sonic potential are compelling indeed”: Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster Bass review
Squier reissues an oddity from Fender's bass archives, complete with a Wide Range humbucker – is this its time?
