Access Backstage Pass
How jazz bassist Richard Davis helped shape Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks
Released in 1968, Astral Weeks initially went unnoticed before eventually attaining near-mythical status among folk-rock fans
Latest
How Geezer Butler's P-Bass survived a Black Sabbath hater's attack
Butler’s iconic tone – sculpted by blasting his bass through a blown guitar cabinet – was made possible thanks to a beat-up 1968 Fender Precision Bass
The call that ended Flea’s days as a pick-playing punk and set him on the path to worldwide fame with the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Flea went on to have major success with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who released their self-titled debut album later that year
Höfner has been bought out after filing for bankruptcy
GEWA Music, of which Thomann is a shareholder, has bought the historic instrument maker beloved by Paul McCartney
Lee Sklar shares his secrets for finding the perfect groove in the studio
Sklar has played on over 2,500 albums – not bad for someone who claims, “I never had any intention of becoming a studio player”
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
6 Comments
Bassists
How jazz bassist Richard Davis helped shape Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks
Released in 1968, Astral Weeks initially went unnoticed before eventually attaining near-mythical status among folk-rock fans
How Geezer Butler's P-Bass survived a Black Sabbath hater's attack
Butler’s iconic tone – sculpted by blasting his bass through a blown guitar cabinet – was made possible thanks to a beat-up 1968 Fender Precision Bass
The call that ended Flea’s days as a pick-playing punk and set him on the path to worldwide fame with the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Flea went on to have major success with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who released their self-titled debut album later that year
Lee Sklar shares his secrets for finding the perfect groove in the studio
Sklar has played on over 2,500 albums – not bad for someone who claims, “I never had any intention of becoming a studio player”
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
6 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
7 Comments
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?
