5 basslines that made Paul Simon a superstar
From David Hood’s deep Southern grooves to Bakithi Kumalo’s groundbreaking fretless work, Paul Simon has always known the value of a great bassist
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Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill retires after nearly 60 years, names replacement
Hill will now spend meaningful time with his family as his struggles with “evil arthritis” worsen
How Gwen Stefani’s dad and a Yamaha employee discount set Tony Kanal on the road to bass stardom with No Doubt
Kanal later discovered a BB3000 in a Japanese music store and has been playing them ever since – with one crucial modification
Sass Jordan, Canadian rock singer and bassist who gave Taylor Hawkins his big break and toured with Van Halen, dies aged 63
Jordan also toured with AC/DC and Aerosmith during her prolific career
How a chance meeting with a Beatles lawyer set Stanley Clarke on the path to recording one of the greatest bass albums ever made
Nat Weiss, an entertainment lawyer who represented the Beatles, saw something beyond a great sideman when he encountered Stanley Clarke playing bass in a club
Ned Steinberger’s headless revolution looked like a world first – until Les Paul dropped a bombshell: he’d already built one
Having already transformed bass design with Stuart Spector, Ned Steinberger turned his attention to eliminating the headstock altogether – only to discover that Les Paul had beaten him to it
Bassists
Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill retires after nearly 60 years, names replacement
Hill will now spend meaningful time with his family as his struggles with “evil arthritis” worsen
How Gwen Stefani’s dad and a Yamaha employee discount set Tony Kanal on the road to bass stardom with No Doubt
Kanal later discovered a BB3000 in a Japanese music store and has been playing them ever since – with one crucial modification
Sass Jordan, Canadian rock singer and bassist who gave Taylor Hawkins his big break and toured with Van Halen, dies aged 63
Jordan also toured with AC/DC and Aerosmith during her prolific career
How a chance meeting with a Beatles lawyer set Stanley Clarke on the path to recording one of the greatest bass albums ever made
Nat Weiss, an entertainment lawyer who represented the Beatles, saw something beyond a great sideman when he encountered Stanley Clarke playing bass in a club
Bass Gear
Best bass amps for practice 2026: tried and tested desktop and combo amps for home use
Get the most out of your playing at home with one of these great bass practice amps
Ned Steinberger’s headless revolution looked like a world first – until Les Paul dropped a bombshell: he’d already built one
Having already transformed bass design with Stuart Spector, Ned Steinberger turned his attention to eliminating the headstock altogether – only to discover that Les Paul had beaten him to it
The hottest bass gear of the month, including the smallest signature bass money can buy
September’s bass arrivals are led by two 6-string artist models, while Ashdown shifts its focus from bass amps to bass guitars
Fender recreates session legend Lee Sklar's iconic P-Bass – used on records by James Taylor, Phil Collins and Jackson Browne
Sklar's Precision is the definition of road- and studio-worn – now Fender has captured the distinctive modifications he made to create a wholly unique bass
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…
Buying Guides
Best bass amps for practice 2026: tried and tested desktop and combo amps for home use
Get the most out of your playing at home with one of these great bass practice amps
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How a chance meeting with a Beatles lawyer set Stanley Clarke on the path to recording one of the greatest bass albums ever made
Nat Weiss, an entertainment lawyer who represented the Beatles, saw something beyond a great sideman when he encountered Stanley Clarke playing bass in a club
Ned Steinberger’s headless revolution looked like a world first – until Les Paul dropped a bombshell: he’d already built one
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