Latest articles by Nick Wells
“There’s not much swagger in that band.” For Glenn Hughes, joining Deep Purple wasn’t the clear-cut choice that you’d think
The ‘Voice of Rock' looks back on his decision to quit Trapeze in 1973, and why Ritchie Blackmore was “a bit eccentric”
“A lot of Sugar Hill records were clichéd bass riffs that DJs would spin in the clubs”: How a bassline by art-rockers Liquid Liquid became one of the biggest hip-hop anthems of all time
In 1983 Doug Wimbish was asked to recreate a bassline that was tearing up NYC clubs. Transformed into White Lines (Don’t Do It) it became an enormous worldwide hit – but the original creators never received a dime…
“Whenever we’d drop that bass riff, places would become unhinged”: Listen to Tim Commerford’s isolated bassline on Killing In The Name by Rage Against The Machine
The beginning of RATM best-known song is a sinister D plus octave of D#
John Lennon: “Willie Weeks was supposed to do it, but he was doing a George Harrison session”: In August 1980 John Lennon could have called just about any bass player on Earth. He went with Tony Levin
The King Crimson bassist recalls the making of Double Fantasy and why he laughed at The Beatle’s first ever words to him
Need more control over your tone? This new preamp from Aguilar was made to “push your bass sound to the limits”
The latest addition to Aguilar's pedal range is an all-analog preamp unit with a built-in boost
“So that harmonic, I'm kind of ripping The Firm's Radioactive”: How Jeff Ament discovered a slide harmonic on Pearl Jam’s Even Flow
“I remember accidentally hitting harmonics and sliding on it, so I just started experimenting”
“I remember thinking, ‘What would Paul McCartney do?’” How Justin Smolian channeled his inner Beatle with Dirty Honey
Dirty Honey's Justin Smolian opens up on touring with Guns N' Roses, and why Paul McCartney is still a bass playing genius
Randall Wyn Fullmer of Wyn Guitars has died, aged 73
The bass builder who collaborated with Abraham Laboriel and starred in the 2004 documentary, Restrung, has passed away
“I wrote Black Dog on a train. There was a Muddy Waters song with a riff that never ended...” How John Paul Jones wrote Led Zeppelin's Black Dog
Despite Jimmy Page’s masterful guitar playing, Black Dog was written by Led Zeppelin's bass hero John Paul Jones
“It was one of the few tunes that the band didn’t try to play live, but it’s definitive Jaco”: Discovering Jaco Pastorius and the making of Havona
Inside Jaco’s Weather Report audition and the recording of Heavy Weather's standout track
Session bass legend Mo Foster dies aged 78
The much-loved British bassist backed Jeff Beck, recorded with Phil Collins, and worked on two James Bond soundtracks
“On the fretted bass we call it the slap stopper!” What is a finger ramp and why should you use one?
Bass guru Gary Willis explains the origins of his signature ramp
“I don’t think George was too pleased with what I did with the bassline; I mean, I had to sell it to him!” Did Paul McCartney overplay on this Beatles’ Abbey Road hit?
Listen to the isolated bassline on one of the most covered songs in the Beatles catalogue
When Bootsy Collins met Larry Graham: “He handed me his bass, and I said, ‘Don't even try it. You play the bass, and I'll just watch’”
Why did funk legend Bootsy Collins refuse to jam with the godfather of slap bass?
Watch the world’s ‘leading solo bassist’ play four different bass guitars at the same time
Michael Manring: “I’d travel with four basses and I started getting asked: ‘Why don’t you play all of them at once?’”
Listen to Geddy Lee’s isolated bassline on Freewill. The Rush song Alex Lifeson said was their “most ambitious”
Geddy Lee: “One moment it’s heavy riffing and then you utilise the rhythm section verses the guitar”
Nate Watts picks his top 5 Stevie Wonder basslines
Stevie’s long-serving bassist names his 5 favorite bass grooves, and the James Jamerson line that helped get him the gig
“My custom 9-string bass is just as playable as any 4-string Fender!” ChaotH on the unorthodox world of the extended-range bass
Watch the Vvon Dogma I bassist put his fretboard fitness to the test on this custom-made 9-string bass guitar
Tommy Cogbill’s 1966 Fender P-Bass, reportedly used to record with Elvis, is going up for auction with an estimate of $100,000
The sunburst Fender Precision – which was photographed with Elvis at American Sound Studio – also helped shape hits for the likes of Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin
Guy Pratt: “I always thought that the second I walked out the studio, the producer would be on the phone to Pino Palladino”
The session stalwart discusses his career as a sideman, gigging with Pink Floyd, and chatting to Noel Gallagher and Suzi Quatro for his music podcast, The Rockonteurs
"Imagine Cream with Bill Frisell on guitar and Charlie Haden on bass": Charlie Haden's guide to his best work, from jazz to blues and beyond
In 1996, the legendary jazz bassist gave us a guide on where to start with his enormous and tremendous body of work
Snarky Puppy's Michael League: “I’m a 4-string guy. I just play better when I have less to work with”
The Snarky Puppy bassist on his bass collection – and where he stands on the 4-string vs 5-string debate
"You can’t talk about distorted bass without mentioning Ace of Spades": Listen to Lemmy’s isolated bass on Motörhead’s born-to-lose anthem
"His tone was so huge!" The secrets behind Lemmy's distorted bass tone
