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Les Claypool looks back on his disastrous Metallica audition
By Janelle Borg Published
Following the death of the sorely missed Cliff Burton, James Hetfield and co. auditioned the bassist of the then-emerging band Primus

Paul McCartney, Fleetwood Mac and ZZ Top basses top the biggest four-string sales at historic Jim Irsay auction
By Phil Weller Published
The late billionaire’s sensational instrument collection has gone under the hammer, including some very notable basses

Chicago bassist Peter Cetera reflects on opening for Jimi Hendrix and why Paul McCartney changed everything
By Chris Jisi Published
The newly named Chicago were invited to open for The Experience on several dates during their 1969 US tour

Steve Di Giorgio sets the record straight on what it was like to sideman for Dave Mustaine and Megadeth
By Janelle Borg Published
The Testament bassist has looked back on his experience recording on Megadeth's 2022 release, The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!

The Specials’ Ghost Town bass fetches thousands at auction – having been bought for just £200
By Phil Weller Published
Horace Panter used the Fender Precision to record The Specials’ timeless two-tone hit, and also featured in his supergroup, General Public

How new Nine Inch Nails bassist Stu Brooks went from pop royalty to one of rock’s most sonically adventurous gigs
By Nick Wells Published
Brooks had previously collaborated with musical giants like Lady Gaga, 50 Cent, Danny Elfman and Iggy Pop

Melissa Auf der Maur reveals the biggest lesson she learned from Billy Corgan and The Smashing Pumpkins
By Janelle Borg Published
Auf der Maur joined the Pumpkins in October 1999 following a five-year stint with Hole

How Gail Ann Dorsey honed her bass craft with David Bowie and Lenny Kravitz
By Chris Jisi, Nick Wells Published
Bowie’s long-time bassist salutes her mentor and unpacks her approach to the bass chair with Lenny Kravitz

Meshell Ndegeocello favors restraint over fretboard theatrics; but Marcus Miller (and Jaco) get a pass
By Bill Leigh Published
Meshell Ndegeocello discusses what set Jaco Pastorius apart from the pack, what she looks for in a bassist, and the crucial lesson her jazz musician father taught her

“I’m a better bass player when I use my fingers”: Nikki Sixx names his biggest weakness as a rock bassist
By Bill Leigh Published
The lifeblood of infamous hair-metal band Mötely Crüe, Nikki Sixx has been polarizing bassists since he first took to the stage nearly 50 years ago

“I deserved a songwriting credit. They sold millions and I only got $200!” Flea’s bittersweet hip-hop recording experience
By Nick Wells Published
In 1989, as the Red Hot Chili Peppers enjoyed their first big hit, Flea was hopping around MTV in the video for Young MC’s Bust A Move

The origins of Ernie Ball Music Man – and how it all started with a bass
By Phil Weller Published
The StingRay was worked on by Sterling Ball, Leo Fender and others, initially under the Music Man brand name

The bass Bootsy Collins used to record a James Brown anthem has been listed on eBay
By Nick Wells Published
The Fender Jazz Bass bought at auction for $40,000, has now been listed on eBay for almost twice as much. But you’ll have to bid an extra $299 if you want the original strings

How bassist Andy Fraser electrified a Free classic with his less-is-more brand of fiery blues-rock
By Nick Wells Published
When Andy Fraser joined Free in 1968, he arrived as a teenage guitarist, but his melodic bass style became essential to the band’s success

Bought from grunge icons and stolen before Soundgarden reunited – the story of Ben Shepherd’s 1972 Fender Jazz Bass
By Brian Fox Published
Shepherd was robbed of all his music gear in 2008 just as he was about to mix his first solo album

The bass used to record The Special’s gloomy political anthem, Ghost Town, is headed to auction
By Phil Weller Published
The Fender Precision was also used in Horace Panter’s supergroup with members of The Clash and Dexy’s Midnight Runners

The late Michael Rhodes provided an unshakable foundation for Buddy Guy’s 2013 salute to his home town
By Chris Jisi Published
Rhodes played his ’57 Fender P-Bass for the Meet Me in Chicago session at Nashville’s famed Blackbird studios

Thundercat on getting his start with hardcore punk legends Suicidal Tendencies
By Janelle Borg Published
Thundercat may best be known as a funk and R&B-oriented bassist – yet, he got his start in thrash metal and hardcore punk

Bass phenom Kinga Głyk recalls the moment her rendition of an Eric Clapton classic went viral – and made her career
By Janelle Borg Published
Głyk also touches on how social media can be used as a democratizing tool for musicians to access the industry

From sleeping in tents to Woodstock, rock ’n’ roll's ‘Forrest Gump’ Leo Lyons shares the story of Ten Years After
By Henry Yates Published
The Ten Years After bassist survived Hamburg’s Star-Club, sparked the blues boom, achieved immortality at Woodstock – and is still going strong at 82. “Music,” he says, “it’s a drug…”