Fender promised a tweed version of our top-rated Tone Master FRFR speaker last year – now, it's finally been announced
The Tone Master FR-12 released in 2023 to rave reviews – and at long last, it’s getting a tweed makeover
Latest
PMT, one of the UK's largest instrument retailers, has been placed into administration
The company’s stock and assets have been sold to online retail giant Gear4music for roughly $3.26 million
Fender launches signature guitar and bass for Khruangbin's Mark Speer and Laura Lee
Limited-edition models promise to deliver Khruangbin’s celebrated genre-blending tones – with DiMarzio pickups complementing the classic designs and specs
Kelly Garni on how a drunken fight with Randy Rhoads spelled the end of his Quiet Riot career
Rhoads became an integral part of Ozzy Osbourne's sound and legacy, but his earlier stint with Quiet Riot – the band he co-founded with Garni – was marked by tension
Glen Matlock opens up about Sid Vicious replacing him in the Sex Pistols to become one of punk's most iconic figures
Vicious’ bad-boy image may have underpinned the band’s legacy, but Matlock insists he’s no shrinking violet either
Watch Indian band Girish and the Chronicles deliver a searing hard rock take on an Adele classic on America's Got Talent
With sixteen years and a solid repertoire under their belt, the hard-hitting band have also shared stages with Guns N' Roses and TesseracT
Dave Murray says Iron Maiden stuck out from the pack because because they have a bassist as the lead songwriter
The guitarist has opened up on Harris’ songwriting lead and why he’s happy taking a back seat in one of the biggest metal bands in the world
Bassists
How Trevor Bolder anchored this 12/8 rocker from David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane
Replacing longtime Bowie collaborator Tony Visconti in the Spiders From Mars, Bolder found himself writing basslines on the spot, a challenge he relished. On Drive-In Saturday, he hit the jackpot
Eva Gardner on returning to the Mars Volta, bass as a family business and rocking with Cher and Pink
Eva Gardner has played with Cher, Moby, Pink, Veruca Salt... the list goes on. Here she reveals how it all started with a bass from Andy Johns, how it's going with the Mars Volta – and what comes next
How Larry Graham's hand-picked replacement supercharged this 1973 hit for Sly & The Family Stone
On Graham’s recommendation, Rustee Allen arrived at the Record Plant in California to overdub his iconic If You Want Me to Stay bassline
Glen Matlock opens up about Sid Vicious replacing him in the Sex Pistols to become one of punk's most iconic figures
Vicious’ bad-boy image may have underpinned the band’s legacy, but Matlock insists he’s no shrinking violet either
Was Paul McCartney singing while he recorded this bass track? There are audible cues in the final mix
Legendary session bassist and member of the Fab Faux Will Lee takes a closer look at Abbey Road classic Oh! Darling, and unpacks Macca's genius approach to reimagining a doo-wop bassline
How Tommy Shannon stumbled onto the foundation for one of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s biggest radio hits
What started with a rehearsal room groove ended up an SRV classic. We dissect the anatomy of bassline that walks the line (you might even call it a Tightrope) between blues, rock and funk
Eva Gardner recalls her audition with one of the world's biggest pop stars
Gardner – who has also toured with Veruca Salt, Moby, and Cher – points out the differences between playing with alternative outfits and a global pop star
Bass Gear
“Esoteric boutique vibe, superb ergonomics and a powerful, unique preamp”: Tobias Growler IV review
The cult-classic Growler bass makes a long-overdue return to the bass market
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
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
Laney and Nathan East team up for a versatile signature bass head that ends a 40-year wait for the session legend
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
Tobias instruments were trailblazers in the bass world. Now they’re back as part of the Gibson family
Luthier Michael Tobias’ ergonomic and tonally versatile bass guitars were lauded in the late ’70s, and now Gibson has spearheaded their return
“We’ve only changed the strings one time”: Travis Barker reveals the bass he uses on everything he records
The Blink-182 drummer and producer has made a revelation about a go-to bass that has proved perfect for almost every record he's produced
Seymour Duncan pushes the boundaries of its PowerStage series with dedicated bass unit
The latest PowerStage offers an onboard preamp and built-in overdrive in a bid to cover all bases for bassists
Jack Bruce’s Gibson EB-1 is going up for a one-time-only public display
Bruce’s iconic EB-1 will go on display for four weeks at the Gibson Garage in London as part of the Gibson Garage Fest later this month
Reviews
“As a compact amp modeler/cab simulator/Capture device, this is perhaps the best option out there, screen or no screen”: Neural DSP Nano Cortex review
The follow-up to the game-changing Quad Cortex is here at last, and with its ultra-powerful Nano Cortex, Neural DSP has set its sights on challenging IK Multimedia and Kemper to offer the ultimate all-in-one rig solution
“Esoteric boutique vibe, superb ergonomics and a powerful, unique preamp”: Tobias Growler IV review
The cult-classic Growler bass makes a long-overdue return to the bass market
“My initial reaction was to marvel at just how creative an effect it is”: DigiTech MonoNeon Whammy review
Designed in collaboration with bassist Dywane Thomas Jr, aka MonoNeon, this tone-bending pedal delivers signature sounds in the Whammy format
“Playing the Bass VI is a really strange experience”: Squier Limited Edition Classic Vibe Bass VI review
Part bass, part guitar, we get to grips with the Classic Vibe version of Fender’s very own dichotomy of tone
“Gene Simmons used a Grabber for a reason – because they play like nothing else on earth”: Epiphone Grabber Bass review
With its classic looks and budget-friendly price tag, is the revived Grabber still as iconic?
“In terms of sheer value for money, it’s hard to beat”: Sterling by Music Man Joe Dart Artist Series Bass review
On paper, the Sterling Joe Dart model looks like a remarkable reproduction of Music Man’s pro-standard version. Could this be as good as it gets for a $399 bass?
“Thrill-seekers wishing to add ear-melting fuzz to their bass will be in tonal nirvana”: Goliath FX Hornburg Fuzz review
With drive tones verging on the mythical, is this the ultimate bass fuzz?
Fender Vintera II ’60s Precision Bass review
Vintage looks? Timeless P-Bass tones? We size up the latest incarnation of Fender’s flagship 4-string
“You’d be hard-pushed to find a bass sound that you couldn’t gig with almost immediately”: Boss Katana-500 Bass Head review
This newly developed, feature-packed bass head features an Amp Feel switch and ‘Cabinet Resonance’ calibration technology to get the best from your cab – but is it a game-changer for bassists?