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Fender celebrates 75 years of the Precision Bass with three stunning anniversary models
We've got bling with the AmPro PJ Bass, OG mojo with the American Vintage II 1951 Precision Bass, and a super-glam Player II P Bass in Diamond Dust Sparkle...
Latest
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson on the drummers that tried to force a Rush reunion
The band was still in mourning when they started getting offers to replace Neil Peart
Suzi Quatro on the spirit that’s driven her, and the moment of fate that made her a bassist
She reflects on never having learned to play with a pick, using her late drummer’s kit to keep his vibe, her son’s influence as a bandmate, and the three quotes she’s given about retirement
Paul McCartney’s greatest post-Beatles bassline
After the Beatles, Paul McCartney wasn’t done writing killer basslines – as L.A. session and Wings guitarist Laurence Juber can attest
How Victor Wooten got his hands on his biggest hero’s bass guitar
Wooten idolized the bass hero, so knew he had to get involved when he started selling off his gear
How Andrew Gouche rose from playing church halls to become the guru of gospel bass with Prince
Gouche met Prince in 2011 while leading Chaka Khan’s band
The crazy method a thief used to steal 50 bass guitars – including one belonging to Guy Pratt
The session ace lost his beloved during a spree of thefts, and he’s still looking for it today
Bassists
Suzi Quatro on the spirit that’s driven her, and the moment of fate that made her a bassist
She reflects on never having learned to play with a pick, using her late drummer’s kit to keep his vibe, her son’s influence as a bandmate, and the three quotes she’s given about retirement
Paul McCartney’s greatest post-Beatles bassline
After the Beatles, Paul McCartney wasn’t done writing killer basslines – as L.A. session and Wings guitarist Laurence Juber can attest
How Victor Wooten got his hands on his biggest hero’s bass guitar
Wooten idolized the bass hero, so knew he had to get involved when he started selling off his gear
How Andrew Gouche rose from playing church halls to become the guru of gospel bass with Prince
Gouche met Prince in 2011 while leading Chaka Khan’s band
“Jaco said, ‘If you ever need a sub, call me!” When Chicago’s Peter Cetera met Jaco Pastorius
Peter Cetera tells the story of how he met Jaco – and got to know bass legends Willie Weeks, Carol Kaye and Duck Dunn
How Mike Dirnt honed his signature bass tone for Green Day’s Revolution Radio – and why it all starts with the wrist
Working with Fender, Dirnt built a bass rig that allowed him to ditch distortion pedals and harness his distinctive sound
Jason Newsted explains how addiction struggles led to his Metallica departure
The bassist says he was a “horrible addict” and needed to leave the band for his own sake
Bass Gear
Fender celebrates 75 years of the Precision Bass with three stunning anniversary models
We've got bling with the AmPro PJ Bass, OG mojo with the American Vintage II 1951 Precision Bass, and a super-glam Player II P Bass in Diamond Dust Sparkle...
The crazy method a thief used to steal 50 bass guitars – including one belonging to Guy Pratt
The session ace lost his beloved during a spree of thefts, and he’s still looking for it today
“A small yet mighty gig bag hero”: Mesa/Boogie launches powerhouse preamp/DI with all the tone-shaping capabilities of its high-end Subway line
A blockbuster sequel to the original, the Subway+ Bass DI‑Preamp II offers bassists everything they need in one compact housing that's 40 per cent smaller than its predecessor
How fretless bass master Steve DiGiorgio embraced frets on Testament’s 2016 metal masterstroke
For Brotherhood of the Snake, DiGiorgio wielded little more than a stock 1978 Rickenbacker 4001
Best budget bass amps 2026: brilliant bass tone without a hefty price tag
Deliver low-end punch without the high-end price tag: the best budget bass amps from Fender, Ampeg and more
The moment Wings’ former sound engineer had to tell Paul McCartney his priceless Höfner bass guitar had been stolen
The 500/1 violin bass was a cornerstone of the Beatles’ early successes, but went missing for 50 years after it was stolen in 1972
A storm is coming as Gibson unveils modernized Thunderbird bass
New take on the bass combines heritage with modern performance
Reviews
“It’s clearly had a lot of thought put into making it as flexible and useful as possible”: Laney Digbeth DB-EAST review
Over a long, distinguished career, Nathan East has never had a signature amp. Until now…
“Those cleaner tones are very characterful and usable, evoking classic tube-driven bass amps”: Ashdown Geezer Butler Pedal of Doom review
Geezer Butler helped invent heavy metal. Here’s a slab of heavy metal bearing his name.
“Boss has packed some serious muscle into a small box... For its price, it’s going to be very tough to beat”: Boss GX-1B review
Boss's GX range of multi-effects gets a bass-specific baby brother...
“It vacuum-packs superb tones and incredible utility into a compact space”: IK Multimedia ToneX One Bass Edition review
Honey, I shrunk the Ampeg! And the Gallien-Krueger, and the Sansamp, and...
“It absolutely nails the sounds of the ‘60s when palm muted and picked”: Gretsch Electromatic CVT Bass Double-cut review
It's a reboot of the lesser-spotted Gretsch Corvette – but it's only got four strings!
“It evokes a cool old Jazz Bass that's picked up some useful mods over its life”: Squier Classic Vibe Active ’70s Jazz Bass review
Is it a '70s-inspired Jazz Bass? Is it a modernised active bass? Yes to both...
“It might not be to all tastes, but its retro charm and sonic potential are compelling indeed”: Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster Bass review
Squier reissues an oddity from Fender's bass archives, complete with a Wide Range humbucker – is this its time?
