How Eddie Van Halen led to Les Claypool picking up the bass – and how he nearly joined Kirk Hammett’s band
The Primus bassist and Metallica lead guitarist attended the same high school – and very nearly ended up in the same band
Latest
Spinal Tap play Big Bottom on Jimmy Kimmel with Tal Wilkenfeld and Thundercat
David St. Hubbins led a legion of bassists out onto the Jimmy Kimmel stage for a rendition of Spinal Tap’s 1984 track
The Boss PX-1 Plugout FX backlash has gone viral – but is it justified? We put the biggest criticisms to Boss
We leveled 5 of the internet’s most common issues with the divisive PX-1 to its maker. Now Boss has set the record straight
Sting's legal representatives claim Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland may have been “substantially overpaid” following lost royalties lawsuit
Summers and Copeland claim that Sting owes them “in excess of $2 million” for income made from the “digital exploitation” of the Police’s back catalog
Vulfpeck’s Joe Dart on the priceless bass advice he got from Flea as a teenager
Dart’s ultimate fan dream came true when he received a letter from Flea in the mail
The remarkable story of Paul McCartney’s Höfner 500/1 bass – which went missing for 50 years – to feature in new documentary
McCartney's 'Violin' bass was stolen in London in 1972 and was the subject of a global hunt before being returned to him in 2024
Brian Wampler of Wampler Pedals on why digital modeling could be Napster for traditional pedal makers
The man behind Wampler Pedals discusses the impact of digital modelers and amp profiling technology on the traditional pedal market – and addresses how tariffs are affecting his business
Bassists
How Yungblud bassist Silke Blansjaar got the gig of a lifetime – despite not playing bass
The Gibson Grabber-wielder was actually a drummer when she went from playing to a room of 100 to an arena of 6,000 overnight. She explains the golden rule of session work and why she likes to keep her rig old-fashioned
How Eddie Van Halen led to Les Claypool picking up the bass – and how he nearly joined Kirk Hammett’s band
The Primus bassist and Metallica lead guitarist attended the same high school – and very nearly ended up in the same band
Spinal Tap play Big Bottom on Jimmy Kimmel with Tal Wilkenfeld and Thundercat
David St. Hubbins led a legion of bassists out onto the Jimmy Kimmel stage for a rendition of Spinal Tap’s 1984 track
Adrian Younge reveals the inspiration behind his half-fretless Fender Custom Shop Jazz Bass
Having collaborated with the likes of Jay-Z, Wu-Tang Clan and Kendrick Lamar, Younge joined forces with Master Builder Vincent Van Trigt to recreate his favourite bass sound
Vulfpeck’s Joe Dart on the priceless bass advice he got from Flea as a teenager
Dart’s ultimate fan dream came true when he received a letter from Flea in the mail
Nikki Sixx recalls his decadent early days with Mötley Crüe
The legendary glam-metal bassist looks back on the crazy times he enjoyed with one of the most notorious bands ever
Elton John bassist Matt Bissonnette looks back on one of his best gigs – playing on the Friends soundtrack
Despite playing with bona fide stars, Bissonnette reveals that playing on the hit show was his most lucrative gig
Bass Gear
Adrian Younge’s new semi-fretless signature Fender is perhaps the craziest Jazz Bass the company's ever released
Based on Younge's personal Custom Shop build, the limited-edition Masterbuilt model nods to the past while departing radically from convention
Best basses for metal 2025: our selection of the best basses for heavy music across all budgets
From Rickenbacker to Ibanez and Schecter, our picks of the best metal basses will help you sound heavier than ever before
“I said to my tour manager, ‘I need 350 bucks,’ which he wasn’t happy about. That bass changed my career”: In 1981, Pino Palladino bought a fretless StingRay that altered the course of his musical life – now it’s been recreated as a signature model
In 1981, Pino Palladino bought a fretless StingRay that altered the course of his musical life – now it’s been recreated as a signature model
“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
Reviews
“There are many reasons to love the Anagram – it’s a pretty comprehensive set of sounds, aimed at bassists first”: Darkglass Anagram review
Darkglass turns its attention to providing you with a do-it-all solution for practice, studio and live use
“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?
