How an off-the-cuff studio experiment unlocked one of Mastodon’s biggest bass sounds
Troy Sanders discovered an unexpected source of low-end fury thanks to a Marshall guitar head and 4x12 cabinet
Latest
How Troy Sanders landed one of metal’s greatest bassists for a guest spot on Mastodon’s new album
Marrow Deep features an unexpected low-end hero – and according to Troy Sanders, it's the album’s defining bass performance
L7 bassist Jennifer Finch reveals aggressive brain cancer diagnosis ahead of band's farewell tour
The band, together with Finch’s family and friends, have set up a crowdfunding campaign to help cover her urgent medical expenses
How Flea accidentally wrote one of his funkiest basslines
What began as absent-minded noodling became an enduring Red Hot Chili Peppers classic
How a psychedelic-fueled studio session set Ron Blair on the path to becoming a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Ron Blair played bass on the band’s first four albums before quitting and rejoining 20 years later
How Dimebag Darrell pushed Pantera bassist Rex Brown to his limit
Rex Brown looks back on the sonic arms race inside Pantera – and the Ampeg rig that tipped the balance in his favor
How Ronnie Wood began his path to rock royalty with a stolen Fender bass
Long before he was a Rolling Stone, Ronnie Wood played bass guitar on a ragged 12-bar blues with Jeff Beck
How Victor Wooten created one of the most groundbreaking bass albums ever recorded – and won over Anthony Jackson
Victor Wooten looks back on his debut release, which attained cult status through word-of-mouth and bootlegging way before it was ever on sale
Robert Plant bassist Viktor Krauss on the genius of the legendary frontman – and the inspiration he gets from his sister Alison
Few bassists can match the pedigree of Viktor Krauss, thanks to his session work with the likes of Lyle Lovett, Bill Frisell, Robert Plant, James Taylor and just about everyone else
Bassists
How an off-the-cuff studio experiment unlocked one of Mastodon’s biggest bass sounds
Troy Sanders discovered an unexpected source of low-end fury thanks to a Marshall guitar head and 4x12 cabinet
How Troy Sanders landed one of metal’s greatest bassists for a guest spot on Mastodon’s new album
Marrow Deep features an unexpected low-end hero – and according to Troy Sanders, it's the album’s defining bass performance
L7 bassist Jennifer Finch reveals aggressive brain cancer diagnosis ahead of band's farewell tour
The band, together with Finch’s family and friends, have set up a crowdfunding campaign to help cover her urgent medical expenses
How Flea accidentally wrote one of his funkiest basslines
What began as absent-minded noodling became an enduring Red Hot Chili Peppers classic
How a psychedelic-fueled studio session set Ron Blair on the path to becoming a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Ron Blair played bass on the band’s first four albums before quitting and rejoining 20 years later
How Dimebag Darrell pushed Pantera bassist Rex Brown to his limit
Rex Brown looks back on the sonic arms race inside Pantera – and the Ampeg rig that tipped the balance in his favor
How Ronnie Wood began his path to rock royalty with a stolen Fender bass
Long before he was a Rolling Stone, Ronnie Wood played bass guitar on a ragged 12-bar blues with Jeff Beck
How Victor Wooten created one of the most groundbreaking bass albums ever recorded – and won over Anthony Jackson
Victor Wooten looks back on his debut release, which attained cult status through word-of-mouth and bootlegging way before it was ever on sale
Robert Plant bassist Viktor Krauss on the genius of the legendary frontman – and the inspiration he gets from his sister Alison
Few bassists can match the pedigree of Viktor Krauss, thanks to his session work with the likes of Lyle Lovett, Bill Frisell, Robert Plant, James Taylor and just about everyone else
Bass Gear
Ernie Ball and Fender top this month's low-end releases with signature models celebrating two of the bass world’s most influential voices
John Myung’s new artist model kicks off another stacked month of bass releases, alongside an eye-catching Squier, a semi-acoustic Rickenbacker, and a raft of player-friendly upgrades
Fender honors legendary Motown bass great with recreation of James Jamerson’s workhorse bass
Jamerson’s beloved Precision Bass has been recreated in all its vintage, warm-voiced glory
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
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?
