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Founded in San Francisco in 1988, Bass Player is the world’s most comprehensive, trusted and insightful name in bass. https://www.guitarworld.com/bass-player

20/02/2024

The South African bassist helped create one of the most distinctive tones and techniques of the era, but maintains the decision was a very happy accident

19/02/2024

Housing Burton’s signature “old-school ripped speaker” tone, as heard on For Whom the Bell Tolls, the reissue is enhanced with modern features including switchless activation and a glow-in-the-dark treadle

18/02/2024

From Tedeschi Trucks to Knower to Saturday Night Live, how Tim Lefebvre became the bass player everyone wants to work with.

From Tedeschi Trucks to Knower to Saturday Night Live, how Tim Lefebvre became the bass player everyone wants to work with

18/02/2024

Louis Johnson used a Music Man StingRay (which he helped design), and strung it with new D’Addario roundwounds .

Johnson used a Music Man StingRay (which he helped design), and strung it with new D’Addario roundwounds

18/02/2024

We take a look back at another seminal moment for Paul McCartney and the fab four.

Abbey Road was at No.1 this week in 1969. We take a look back at a seminal moment for McCartney and the fab four

17/02/2024

The Red Hot Chili Pepper was also asked to name his dream supergroup. Safe to say he picked himself on bass

17/02/2024

Despite his legendary status with Fender, Mike Dirnt’s most memorable bassline was recorded on a mid-70s Gibson.

Despite his legendary status with Fender, Mike Dirnt’s most memorable bassline was recorded on a mid-70s Gibson

16/02/2024

Paul McCartney has been reunited with “the most important bass guitar in history”, which vanished after the Beatles split up – and was unearthed in an English attic

16/02/2024

The modeler’s first major – and free – firmware update issues 12 enhancements and a host of fixes as it continues to sharpen its elbows in the competitive modeller market

16/02/2024

Stuart Hamm walks you through the highlights of his fifth solo album, including a bass arrangement of a John Paul Jones classic

15/02/2024

Pantera bassist Rex Brown on his precision-engineered picking technique, and why he’s not into “bouncing around with Pro Tools”

14/02/2024

Use what you’re born with, or stick with a pick? We take a close look at the tones and techniques associated with playing guitar and bass with fingers and pick

13/02/2024

On this day in 1970, Black Sabbath released their self-titled debut in the UK, fittingly on Friday the 13th.

The Black Sabbath legend digs deep into his record collection to pay dues to his biggest inspirations

13/02/2024

Happy birthday to Peter Hook of Joy Division and New Order!

The Joy Division and New Order co-founder looks back through his back catalog and reflects on the tragedy and triumph of New Order, and the recording of a true survival record

12/02/2024

The band will play Morning View in its entirety across 10 dates in August and September, and will do so with the support of a new bass player

12/02/2024

Nearly four years after its release, the band are finally hitting the road in support of 2020’s Power Up album, with a new bassist lined up to replace Cliff Williams

12/02/2024

On this day in 1981 Rush released Moving Pictures, which remains their highest-selling album in the United States. By this time, Geddy Lee had started working a Fender Jazz Bass into his sound.

The Ricky 4001 is both loved and hated by bass players: for the Rush legend it’s still a classic

12/02/2024

Remembering American singer Al Jarreau (12 March 1940 - 12 February 2017). Watch Nathan East's melodic 16-bar bass solo from Jarreau's iconic 1985 concert video Live in London...

Recorded live at Wembley Arena, Nathan East’s melodic 16-bar solo was played on a Yamaha BB3000 5-string

12/02/2024

Happy Birthday Michael McDonald. With The Doobie Brothers he had the 1979 US No.1 single What A Fool Believes. Minute By Minute was the follow-up single. Tiran Porter played the “cowboy-movie-theme-meets shuffle-feel” on a B.C. Rich Mockingbird.

Tiran Porter played the “cowboy-movie-theme-meets shuffle-feel” on a B.C. Rich Mockingbird with twin DiMarzio P-style pickups

11/02/2024

Peter Gabriel called it the “super wonder nappy sound.”

Peter Gabriel called it the “super wonder nappy sound”

11/02/2024

Richard Bona may have the chops to pull off superhuman solos, but his strengths as a sideman lay in keeping things simple...

Richard Bona may have the chops to pull off superhuman solos, but his strengths as a sideman lay in keeping things simple

11/02/2024

On this day in 1972 Led Zeppelin scored their third US Top 20 hit single with Black Dog.

Despite Jimmy Page’s masterful guitar playing, Black Dog was written by Led Zeppelin's bass hero John Paul Jones

10/02/2024

Back in 2012, the legendary Yes bassist revisited five classic albums – and his final pick might surprise you...

Back in 2012, the legendary Yes bassist revisited five classic albums – and his final pick might surprise you

10/02/2024

John Wick himself discusses his recently revived alt-rock trio, Dogstar, and recalls taking bass lessons from Flea.

John Wick himself discusses his recently revived alt-rock trio, Dogstar, and recalls taking bass lessons from Flea in a new interview with Fender

10/02/2024

Remembering Cliff Burton (February 10 1962 - September 27 1986), on his Birthday. Gone but not forgotten!

We celebrate Burton's career, and dig into his tones and talents with the help of Metallica’s incumbent bassist, Robert Trujillo

09/02/2024

The pedal maker promises that the Zonk's tonal character remains the same, although it has added a passive control dial, and made it a far more pedalboard-friendly unit overall

09/02/2024

The neoclassical-infused track is lifted from Martin's fourth solo LP, and is the first to feature his own-made and tap-centric FM guitars and basses on the same album

09/02/2024

Dave Edwards on the merits of his late ‘70s “old-school Fender copy”, and the Peter Gabriel bassline he wished he’d written

Dave Edwards on the merits of his late ‘70s “old-school Fender copy”, picks Vs fingers, the bassline he wishes he’d written and more

08/02/2024

Happy Birthday to Stuart Hamm! We caught up with the multiple award-winning bassist for a chat about five recordings that he regards as memorable, significant, or just very cool...

The unique solo and session star looks back on a fistful of career-defining recordings, from the fast to the frenzied

06/02/2024

Check out some of the Custom Shop candy available from Spector’s top US luthiers

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Videos

Pedalpocalypse: Fabrizio Grossi

Italian-American bass player and producer Fabrizio Grossi talks us through the pedals he couldn't live without.

Heroes all. (All pics copyright Getty or Future plc)

New Order’s Blue Monday is 40 years old today. Peter Hook’s bassline had an unusual source for a dance music classic…

Live At Leeds, considered by many to be the greatest live album of all time, was recorded on 14 February 1970, at the Refectory of the University of Leeds, where The Who performed to an audience of 2000. John Entwistle played his Fender “Frankenstein” Precision Bass through two Hiwatt CP103 amps and four Hiwatt SE4122 or SE4123 4×12 speaker cabinets, with an additional 4×12 stage left for foldback.

The 8-Bit Guitar: would you want one or is it only suitable for Steve from Minecraft? Watch the full build video on Bass Player.

When we put our heads together a while back and decided which bassists should receive BP’s coveted Lifetime Achievement Award this year, we came up with a long, long list of names. Even though we’ve been giving these awards out since 2000, the occasional year out for publishing or pandemic reasons aside, there is still a huge number of bass players who deserve this recognition. In the end, though, we narrowed it down to three bona fide legends of our instrument, and added a new award category while we were at it — the ‘Rising Star’ award, given to a bass player who may not have many decades as a professional behind them just yet, but who is pushing our community forward anyway. We want to commend and celebrate bassists with vision, young or old, and to acknowledge the fact that great bass didn’t only take place in the distant past. Please join us in congratulating all four of our cover stars Marcus Miller, Gail Ann Dorsey, John Taylor and Charles Berthoud for their incredible talent, hard work and creativity. In this issue we also hang out with Tal Wilkenfeld and Freekbass, we look at Queen’s bass history before John Deacon (yes, you read that right) and we road-test a range of stunning bass gear. Get your issue at https://bit.ly/3oE12US.

Full details to follow, but here's a sneak preview of our new issue, out shortly... 😎

KillJoy Stephens plays 'Stress'

Check out 'Stress' by KillJoy Stephens, a wild combination of time signatures and close chordal harmony movement. Composed for a university portfolio, the song is inspired by the likes of Thundercat and Jacob Collier. The bass used is an SBC signature SH1B Falcon. Music arranged and performed by KillJoy Stephen, mixed and mastered by Will Troman, filmed by Josh Craddock and Zobia Ahmed.

Shez Raja in full flow!

If you're in London on 3 January and looking for some astounding bass playing, don't miss Shez Raja at the legendary Ronnie Scott's.

Don't click for sound

Don't click for sound – there isn't any. But here are some ways you can help the musicians and businesses you love in the meantime. https://www.loudersound.com/news/16-ways-to-support-the-musicians-record-stores-venues-and-music-shops-you-love

Bass warlock Tony Choy in full flow

The amazing Tony Choy. Fingerstyle chops to die for, chunky tone with plenty of crunch.

Fender American Original Series Basses

Fender's recently released American Original Series rejects the norm in search of something better. These “best-of-the-decade” versions of our most iconic instruments are updated to be even more playable for the modern musician.