NAMM 2023: Fender Audio unveils the RIFF – a portable Bluetooth speaker and practice amp with a maple wood touch control panel By Matt Parker published 13 April 23 The stylish new hybrid speaker and amp aims to corner the music listening market among guitar players
Thundercat: “People are telling me to turn down, and I’m like, No! I’m trying to burn down the stage!” By Nick Wells published 12 April 23 The 6-string superhero on his gigantic bass tone, and how he nearly set fire to the Sydney Opera House
NAMM 2023: Rapier introduces the 44 – a four-pickup ‘what if?’ experiment in vintage British guitar design By Matt Parker published 12 April 23 The reprised UK brand started with new versions of old guitars – now it’s pushing the envelope with a four-humbucker electric guitar and a Saffire bass design
NAMM 2023: Electro-Harmonix makes Josh Scott’s dream a reality with the release of his Lizard Queen Octave Fuzz pedal design By Michael Astley-Brown published 12 April 23 Based on the JHS Pedals mastermind’s vintage EHX effects pedal that never existed, the new octave fuzz is available in big-box and Nano formats
10 reggae records that every bass fan should know By Nick Wells published 12 April 23 The 10 best reggae albums from Jamaica’s main bass men. From Sly and Robbie to Bob Marley and the Wailers
NAMM 2023: Gamma launches affordable, all-bases-covered collection of streamlined stompboxes By Matt Owen published 11 April 23 The six-strong pedal lineup spans drive, reverb and modulation effects, with the easy-to-use units starting from $69
NAMM 2023: Martin unveils cutaway, Fishman-equipped StreetMaster model and its first-ever downsized Jr acoustic basses By Jackson Maxwell, Matt Parker published 11 April 23 The acoustic giant unveils a raft of “slightly smaller” guitars and basses
John Regan, Frehley's Comet, Peter Frampton bassist, dies at 71 By Jackson Maxwell published 10 April 23 The veteran bassist also recorded with the Rolling Stones, and played on David Bowie and Mick Jagger's phenomenally successful 1985 cover of Dancing in the Street
The Lowlist: Def Leppard's Hysteria, the album that changed melodic rock By Mike Brooks published 9 April 23 Real bass, sampled bass: how Hysteria redefined a genre's production standards.
“I had been warned I might be shot immediately but I decided to do it anyway": The unstoppable Charlie Haden By Jim Roberts published 8 April 23 One from the archive: Bass Player’s July 1991 profile of legendary jazz bassist Charlie Hayden
Watch Donald “Duck” Dunn as Booker T and the MGs blow minds in Norway in 1967 By Tom Poak published 7 April 23 On 7 April 1967, the Stax/Volt Revue hit Europe. Norwegian TV caught them in action in Oslo. What’s Norwegian for “locked in”?
NAMM 2023: EarthQuaker Devices unveils the Aurelius tri-voice chorus – and promises it’s “not your run-of-the-mill chorus pedal” By Michael Astley-Brown published 7 April 23 The Akron builder’s new triple threat offers a Boss CE-1-inspired chorus, vibrato and rotary in one pedal
NAMM 2023: Aviate Audio promises entry to “a universe of unique sounds” with its open platform ecosystem pedal, the Multiverse Developer By Matt Owen published 6 April 23 Featuring a fully programmable control set, the Multiverse can host digital effects and pedalboards that have been created by casual users and Aviate-licensed developers
Old Blood Noise Endeavors stretches the boundaries of what a chorus pedal can do with the BL-82 Chorus Variable Clock Effector By Michael Astley-Brown published 6 April 23 Is it a chorus? A flanger? A modulated delay? OBNE explores uncharted modulation territory with its latest stompbox
NAMM 2023: Walrus Audio’s worst-kept secret, the Fundamental series, makes a surprise arrival in stores from today – and it really is affordable By Matt Parker published 6 April 23 The firm’s big budget pedal range leaked a few weeks back but it’s regained the front foot, announcing the immediate distribution of the series
Dunlop Cry Baby Bass Wah: the most recognizable effects pedal ever made? By Nick Wells published 5 April 23 Classics don’t come much more heavyweight than the Cry Baby wah-wah and the 105Q Bass edition is no exception
SolidGoldFX introduces the Beta-V – an attempt to pack the tone of a hefty Ampeg bass rig into a compact pedal By Matt Parker published 5 April 23 The Canadian pedal maker’s new bass preamp and overdrive promises “bone-shaking mojo-packed dirt”
Watch the trailer for Flea’s new podcast series By Nick Wells published 5 April 23 First guests on the show will include Rick Rubin, Patti Smith and Thundercat
Fender CEO Andy Mooney explains why Fender isn’t at this year’s NAMM – and what needs to change before it returns By Matt Owen published 4 April 23 The company's head honcho said he'll “never say never” about returning to the trade show, but it doesn't look likely any time soon
The Lowlist: Chic's C'est Chic was pure groove genius By Mike Brooks published 2 April 23 We doff our caps to the uplifting grooves and funkalicious basslines of Chic's second album
