Marcus Miller: “I try to play from my ears and not from my fingers” By Bass Player Staff published 27 January 22 As Miller receives his Lifetime Achievement Award from Bass Player, he talks about the role of producer and explains why a formal musical education can help your career
Rufus Philpot: “The first time I heard Level 42's The Chinese Way on the radio, I couldn’t believe someone could play bass that fast in a pop song” By Bass Player Staff published 21 January 22 Meet the LA bass maestro and Allan Holdsworth, Tony MacAlpine and Danny Carey collaborator for whom jazz, fusion and prog are all in a day’s work
Nordstrand Audio Starlifter review By Steve Lawson published 20 January 22 A studio-quality preamp and DI box with clarity, precision and a super-solid build
Sadowsky MetroLine VJ5 review By Kevin Sanders published 17 January 22 A MetroLine five-string to put the super into the Super-J format
Billy Sheehan looks back on 30 years of Mr. Big’s Lean Into It By Mike Brooks published 11 January 22 How the 1991 album defied the rise of grunge and changed the band’s lives with a number one hit for the ages
Death From Above 1979's Jesse Keeler: "When I first tried a Dan Armstrong bass, I was like, 'Wow, this neck is so small, and I’ve got all these extra frets. This is awesome!'" By Joel McIver published 7 January 22 The pioneering two-piece's riffer-in-chief on his love of a certain transparent bass, why he had to abandon his 1971 Rickenbacker 4001 and the making of new album Is 4 Lovers
Tim Commerford: "I’ve always shied away from having basses made for me, but with Music Man I’m really happy to say that this is a bass I’m part of" By Kevin Johnson, Joel McIver published 6 January 22 The Rage Against the Machine bassist breaks down his tricked-out Ernie Ball Music Man Artist Series StingRay
Fender Player Plus Jazz Bass review By Joel McIver published 5 January 22 A TikTok-friendly Jazz Bass for a new generation, complete with flexible switching options and effortless playability
Ruth Goller on her best bass albums By Bass Player Staff published 21 December 21 The contemporary jazz trailblazer reflects on her most significant releases and offers a cautionary tale for session bassists
Leonard “Hub” Hubbard, longtime bassist for the Roots, dies aged 62 By Sam Roche published 17 December 21 Hubbard's decline in health “happened quickly” after he was hospitalized earlier this week
Geezer Butler names 5 bass albums that shaped his style By Joel McIver, Amit Sharma published 16 December 21 The Black Sabbath legend digs deep into his record collection to pay dues to his biggest inspirations
Phil Chen, bassist and session pro with the likes of Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart and Brian May, dies aged 75 By Matt Parker published 15 December 21 The Jamaican bass player, who played with everyone from Donovan to Pete Townshend, passed away at home
Verdine White: “Apart from the drums, the bass is the instrument you need to play the longest to become truly funky” By Joel McIver published 14 December 21 In this classic interview from 2004, the Earth, Wind & Fire legend reveals the secret of funk and explains why he's never used a pick
Adi Meyerson on taking inspiration from avant garde artist Yayoi Kusama and processing synesthesia through bass By Bass Player Staff published 10 December 21 The upright bassist returns with a new compositional style inspired by visual arts and synesthesia, and explains her method for us
Aguilar SL112 Poseidon Green Special Edition review By Mike Brooks published 9 December 21 It's an inordinately handsome bass speaker cab, but does the Poseidon's sound and performance stack up?
Michael Kelly Pinnacle 5 review By Joe Daly published 7 December 21 This five-string bass has a fancy spec, a poplar burl top and a price we all can get on board with
Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Fly Rig V2 review By Joel McIver published 2 December 21 The new Bass Fly Rig variant of the venerable SansAmp is typically compact and portable and packed with features
Dave Pomeroy: “Banjo bass, string bass… I did one song with nine tracks of uke bass. There are a million different ways to play the bass” By Jamie Blaine published 1 December 21 Pomeroy has played on over 500 albums, collaborating with the likes of Sting and John Fogerty, and here he talks all things low end and how he ended up directing a bass orchestra
Guild Starfire I Bass review By Stuart Clayton published 1 December 21 An old-school short-scale that will give you the vintage vibe without the vintage bass prices
Nick Beggs on his best (and worst) bass albums By Bass Player Staff published 25 November 21 “With every royalty payment that comes in, I get down on my hands and knees and I praise the God of Kajagoogoo!”