Latest Updates

How Cro-Mags’ Harley Flanagan went from buying a Jaco Pastorius bass on the street to fronting one of hardcore’s most influential bands
By Andrew Daly published
The Cro-Mags founder on the reason he plays Fenders despite loving Rickenbackers, learning from Lemmy and the new documentary about his struggle for survival

Dave Allen, former Gang of Four bassist and post-punk heavyweight, dies aged 69
By Matt Owen published
Allen’s work on Gang of Four’s first two albums would inspire generations and influence the likes of Nirvana, REM, and Flea, who has paid tribute to the late bass icon

20 metal bassists who took heavy bass playing in new directions
By Nick Wells published
Featuring metal’s leading low-enders – from old-school thrash to modern metal

Legendary sideman Lee Sklar reveals the studio secrets behind his incredible career
By Nick Wells published
The legendary bassist looks back at five decades of studio work on hit songs by James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Phil Collins, and many more

John Myung on how the return of Mike Portnoy has changed the band – and his bass playing
By Nick Wells published
Parasomnia is Dream Theater's first new album with drummer Mike Portnoy for 16 years

21 slap bass legends who made thumpin’ and pluckin’ their own
By Nick Wells published
From the godfather of thumpin’ and pluckin’ to Victor Wooten’s game-changing slap technique, we bring you the players that you must know if you want to call yourself a true bass aficionado

How Nicole Row went from a wild ride in Panic! at the Disco to laying down the low-end in Incubus – and rerecording their biggest album
By Nick Wells published
The former Panic! At The Disco bassist on the challenges she faced when replacing Ben Kenney in the alt-rock institution – and why she’s finally come around to using a pick…

Bax Music, one of Europe’s largest musical instrument retailers, files for bankruptcy and ceases operations
By Janelle Borg published
The Dutch retailer currently employs over 300 people across six brick-and-mortar stores and its online division

The bassists of James Brown reveal what life was really like playing alongside the Godfather of Soul
By Jim Roberts published
Fred Thomas, Ray Brundidge and Bootsy Collins dig into what it meant to play with Soul Band No. 1

Sterling by Music Man completes its trilogy of Joe Dart signature models with a trio of made-to-order basses that cost less than $500
By Matt Owen published
The Vulfpeck funk maestro has unveiled two all-new models that slash more than $2k off the price of his Ernie Ball Music Man basses – and revived the OG Sterling Dart I that proved such a hit last year

20 funk bass legends who took low-end groove to new heights
By Nick Wells published
A rundown of the best funk bass players of all time, featuring the trailblazers, the early innovators, and the monster groovers around today

“There’s an art to simplicity, and Jason Newsted brought that art”: The bassists of Metallica
By Nick Wells published
From Ron McGovney to Robert Trujillo, we trace the evolution of Metallica’s low-end sound

On July 3, 1973, David Bowie retired Ziggy Stardust – that same day, Steve Jones stole his equipment
By Janelle Borg published
Turns out the Sex Pistols guitarist had a lucrative “side hustle” as a gear thief...

“If Leo Fender could come back today I think he would approve”: 10 6-string bassists you need to know
By Nick Wells published
From John Myung to Felix Pastorius to Thundercat, we follow their historic quest for the ultimate extended-range axe

Having graced hits by OutKast, TLC, and Usher, LaMarquis Jefferson has carved a niche in a scene long dominated by synthetic low-end
By Bill Leigh published
LaMarquis Jefferson reveals what it takes to set the pace in today’s studio scene

Mick Rogers recalls Kiss supporting Manfred Mann's Earth Band in their early days
By Janelle Borg published
Kiss opened for Manfred Mann's Earth Band back in 1974, hot on the heels of their self-titled debut album

Laney and Nathan East team up for a versatile signature bass head that ends a 40-year wait for the session legend
By Phil Weller published
East, one of the most celebrated bass players in history, knows a thing or two about tone – and he’s put practicality at the forefront of his new signature model

One of the UK’s biggest music retailers takes website offline and shuts store for “maintenance”, fueling closure speculation
By Janelle Borg published
GAK, which opened in 1992 and has become a community staple in Brighton, was acquired in 2021 with the aim of expanding the business and its online presence

TC Electronic upgrades its beloved looper with the Ditto 2 – but can it keep up in an increasingly competitive market?
By Phil Weller published
The Ditto was lauded for its simplicity, and now it’s back with more features than ever – and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to operate