Mark Hoppus explains why he switched to Kemper and Quad Cortex for blink-182’s mammoth arena shows By Michael Astley-Brown published 8 October 24 The blink-182 bassist conducted tone tests to make sure the modelers could match his previous tube rigs
Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker recount the wild story of Cream, rock's pioneering power trio By John McDermott published 7 October 24 Cream changed rock forever, but within less than three years, internal and external tensions pulled them apart. This is their story, as told from within
Super-producer Raphael Saadiq on why it's challenging to be the lead singer and play bass simultaneously By Janelle Borg published 7 October 24 Saadiq reveals that while he played on Tony! Toni! Toné! records, he felt like he could never sing while playing bass live due to rhythmic differences
Super-producer Andrew Watt reveals his secret to convincing music legends to collaborate By Janelle Borg published 7 October 24 From recruiting Paul McCartney and Elton John to play on the latest Rolling Stones album, to scoring a global hit with Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, Watt has quickly established himself as an artist matchmaker
Positive Grid’s new AI-equipped Edge might be the ultimate PA for busking guitarists By Matt Owen published 7 October 24 Positive Grid has turned its attention to musicians on the move with an app-compatible, amp modeling PA that can create AI guitar tones from user prompts
How Richard Bona found a rare Pastorius tune for his Brazilian-inspired solo album By Nick Wells published 6 October 24 Bass worshippers will need to listen between the layers to catch the bottom-end brilliance of Bona’s Jaco tribute
“Flea said I might get the gig”: Jane’s Addiction bassist Eric Avery recalls his 2003 audition for Metallica By Brian Fox published 5 October 24 After surviving Jane’s Addiction and touring with Alanis Morissette, Eric Avery was granted an audition with metal giants Metallica
Ozzy Osbourne’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction will feature performances from Wolfgang Van Halen and more By Matt Owen published 4 October 24 Robert Trujillo, Chad Smith and Steve Stevens will also take part in the ceremony, which will feature an induction speech from Jack Black
Geezer Butler names his favorite bassist of all time By Joel McIver published 4 October 24 His basslines with Black Sabbath are iconic, but Geezer Butler’s still a fan with his own four-string idols
Mark Hoppus combines Jaguar, Precision and Jazz Bass parts on his new Fender signature model By Michael Astley-Brown published 3 October 24 The blink-182 bassist’s latest signature arrives over two decades after his first Fender model, and follows bandmate Tom DeLonge’s recent Starcaster guitar
IK Multimedia takes aim at Nano Cortex with free TONEX upgrade – making the modeler more versatile than ever By Matt Owen published 3 October 24 An updated suite of effects, AmpliTube 5 X integration and a new-look version of the TONEX headline IK Multimedia's anniversary celebrations for its game-changing amp modeler
“I needed to get out of the way of it”: OG Incubus bassist Dirk Lance on how Drive taught him to stop overplaying By Michael Astley-Brown published 2 October 24 Alex Katunich’s busy slap and pop basslines fueled much of the band’s early output, but in a rare new interview, he explains how their biggest hit forced him to take a step back
Harley Benton is now shipping direct in the US for the first time via a new Reverb store By Matt Owen published 1 October 24 The champion of cheap gear is extending its influence overseas, and will be shipping directly to US players through a new virtual storefront
John Wetton has been the bass force behind a peak-period King Crimson lineup and two prog rock supergroups By Chris Jisi published 29 September 24 A veteran of one of King Crimson’s classic lineups, John Wetton’s amazing career took him through a host of British prog bands
“Thrill-seekers wishing to add ear-melting fuzz to their bass will be in tonal nirvana”: Goliath FX Hornburg Fuzz review By Nick Wells published 28 September 24 With drive tones verging on the mythical, is this the ultimate bass fuzz?
Kemper responds to the Neural DSP Nano Cortex with not one, but two new upgrades for its Profiler Player – but you'll have to pay By Matt Owen published 27 September 24 The compact rig replacement has been elevated to a whole new level with two impressive upgrades, which offer an effects explosion and popular Kemper functions – but they don't come cheap
How Glenn Hughes brought his low-end expertise into the spotlight with Joe Bonamassa and Black Country Communion By Brian Fox published 27 September 24 The ageless rock veteran with Deep Purple and Black Sabbath recorded his most bass-intensive disc alongside guitarist Joe Bonamassa
Epiphone has brought back its quirky cult classic 1970s Grabber bass beloved by Gene Simmons, Krist Novoselic and Mike Dirnt By Matt Owen published 26 September 24 The double-cut four-string was a hit back in the 1970s, and finally makes a triumphant return in the form of a more affordable Inspired by Gibson Epiphone reissue
Darryl Jones on his journey to The Rolling Stones – from Miles Davis to Sting, Herbie Hancock to Peter Gabriel, and Madonna By Chris Jisi published 26 September 24 The Rolling Stones bassist is a force of nature, with a stage and session career second to none
Warm Audio debuts its take on the revered vintage chorus beloved by John Frusciante By Matt Parker published 25 September 24 The vintage revivalist has offered an updated version of Boss’s legendary CE-1 unit, alongside a new pedal format 1176-style compressor
