Latest articles by Nick Wells
Dug Pinnick on pushing hard rock’s boundaries with Kings X and a 12-string bass guitar
Dug Pinnick’s onstage presence with King’s X is made even more compelling by his unusual 12-string bass guitar
How Suzi Quatro cut her teeth on Motown hit-maker James Jamerson
Suzi Quatro’s soul and Motown-influenced rock bass playing made her a huge star throughout the 1970s and beyond
Phil Lynott’s 5 best basslines with Thin Lizzy and beyond
Six foot plus of leather and lust, Phil Lynott was the consummate rock bassist. These are his 5 best basslines
How Larry Graham invented slap bass
Few bassists can stake a claim to inventing slap bass more than Sly and the Family Stone’s Larry Graham
Why Lee Sklar hand-carved his 1962 Fender Jazz Bass
1971’s Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon featured some of Lee Sklar’s best work with James Taylor – and Lee Sklar's “total hippie bass”
The 20 greatest slap bass songs of all time
These masterful slap basslines chart the evolution of the quintessential bass technique, from Larry Graham to today's YouTube heroes
Geezer Butler names the Black Sabbath album that captured his favourite bass guitar tone
Geezer Butler’s pioneering bass tone with Black Sabbath helped set heavy metal’s mood before the term even existed
In June 1968, Jack Bruce came close to forming a band with Jimi Hendrix
Speaking in 2003, the late Cream bassist Jack Bruce recalled his first encounters with Jimi Hendrix
How Michael Manring’s relentless search for new sounds led to the creation of his signature Zon Hyperbass
Michael Manring – the solo bass man, session player and tutor on pushing the bass guitar to its limits
“Most bass players are boring… I’m not because I was a guitarist first”: Lemmy on his switch from guitar to bass
The Motörhead frontman switched to bass guitar while working as a roadie for Hawkwind
Exercises for bass: 5 ways to improve your bass guitar technique
Whether you're a beginner or a pro, these 5 finger exercises will help all areas of your bass playing – from fret work and picking to ear training and theory
“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?
The Clash's Paul Simonon reflects on that iconic London Calling moment
Paul Simonon smashed his Fender P-Bass during a concert at New York’s Palladium on September 20th, 1979
How Colin Greenwood came up with his deceptive stop-start bassline on Radiohead’s Airbag
Colin Greenwood’s bassline drives the opener of Radiohead’s OK Computer, even though it contains more rests than licks
Session legend Nathan East reflects on the business of bass
Nathan East looks back at some of his biggest tracks, and why he’d love to have a career like Pat Metheny or Marcus Miller
“I grow the nails on my right hand as long as I can”: Steve Harris on Iron Maiden’s Wrathchild
Every would-be metalhead should learn from the best: Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris
Listen to Geddy Lee’s “flamenco” strumming technique on Rush’s Snakes & Arrows
Geddy Lee’s signature sounds abound on Snakes and Arrows, but was there a new twist in his bass playing?
Verdine White picks his top 5 Earth, Wind & Fire basslines
Earth, Wind and Fire’s pocket-perfect bassist names his best basslines
“It was always magical playing bass with Tony Iommi. To me, he's the greatest guitarist ever”: Geezer Butler’s 10 best basslines with Black Sabbath
When it comes to influential metal bands, few can hold a candle to Black Sabbath. These are Geezer Butler’s 10 heaviest rock riffs
How to play bass guitar for beginners: start playing today
From basic finger techniques to slap bass, here’s what you need to get started on your bass guitar journey
“He already had his signature tone and touch, and a few of his signature licks, too”: A year before he was discovered, Jaco Pastorius laid down this classic R&B bassline on Little Beaver’s 1974 hit, I Can Dig It Baby
Recorded a year before he was discovered by Blood Sweat and Tears drummer Bobby Colomby, I Can Dig It Baby finds Jaco Pastorius in his prime
“I’d be there with bass pedals, a triple-neck guitar and keyboards, and Robert Plant would ask, ‘Can you sing, as well?’” How John Paul Jones became Led Zeppelin’s ultimate wingman
Armed with years of experience as a session bassist and arranger – having worked with the Yardbirds, Jeff Beck and the Rolling Stones – John Paul Jones could do it all
“I totally respected Jaco's bass playing, but that 16th-note triplet funk thing – it just wasn't in his repertoire”: Weather Report drummer Chester Thompson on why Jaco Pastorius struggled to swing
In 1975, Jaco Pastorius replaced Alphonso Johnson in Weather Report, but for drummer Chester Thompson, playing with Jaco was “like oil and water”
“I gravitate more towards Victor Wooten than the straight-up shredding of Billy Sheehan, but I’ve ripped pages from both books”: Jacob Umansky unpacks the origins of his cutting-edge slap technique
How the Intervals and JIA bassist powered up his slap technique – with the help of Victor Wooten and Billy Sheehan
