Tim Commerford’s new Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay is a love letter to the pawnshop bass that crafted the first Rage record
Passive and active editions have been launched, but both come optimized with some clever, player-adjustable additions
Latest
Radiohead's Colin Greenwood on who he considers the best rhythm guitarist he's ever played with
The Radiohead bassist also reflects on what makes Thom Yorke's guitar playing different from Jonny Greenwood's
This bonkers new strap secures your guitar to your belt and lets you flip it 360 degrees
MusiCare Pro sought to create a strap that could alleviate common playing pains, but ended up creating something with additional performative benefits
Why are D'Addario strings color-coded? CEO Jim D'Addario reveals the story behind the innovation
In the early '90s, buying guitar strings meant excessive packaging – until D'Addario had a light bulb moment that changed the game
Paul McCartney’s long-lost Höfner returns to the stage for the first time in 50 years
Macca’s original Höfner violin bass had been missing for half a century, but recently marked its return to the stage in style
Neural DSP co-founders reflect on the negative response to their Nano Cortex video campaign – which went viral for all the wrong reasons
Co-founders Francisco Cresp and Doug Castro shed light on Neural DSP's off-kilter promotional videos that stirred up the guitar community
A Norman’s Rare Guitars documentary is launching on Netflix – and some huge names are set to feature
The film will tell the tale of the legendary vintage and rare guitar store, with the help of some big-name guitar players
Bassists
Jack Bruce on his chance meeting with Motown hit-maker James Jamerson
Speaking in 2001, the late Cream bassist recalled his encounter with Jamerson at the Record Plant in L.A.
Just when we thought he’d settled into his routine as a bass superhero, Victor Wooten pulls out another surprise: a 25 cent hair tie?
Victor Wooten reveals the “secret” technique that makes his bass solos “pop with screaming harmonics”
Duran Duran’s John Taylor breaks down the group’s landmark album and his Rio-inspired signature bass
John Taylor and Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood are among the guests on a new podcast series from fanned-fret originators, Dingwall Guitars
When Ron Asheton switched from guitar to bass, Iggy and the Stooges recorded their most influential record
How a chance meeting between Iggy Pop and David Bowie put the Stooges back on their feet
Gene Simmons says Kiss was one of the first bands to take downtuning into the mainstream
Dropped and downtunings became a defining characteristic of many ’90s guitar bands, but Simmons explains how and why downtuning became an integral part of Kiss' live act
Cheap Trick’s Tom Petersson shares his 12 tips that every bass player should know
Cheap Trick’s 12-string bass legend on the joys of multiple amps, and why bass players should never use effects
Pantera’s Rex Brown rejoins Spector’s artist ranks – less than a year after dropping his first Epiphone signature
Brown relied on his Spector basses for the band’s final three albums, and took his stash on the road after Pantera reformed in 2022
Bass Gear
Tim Commerford’s new Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay is a love letter to the pawnshop bass that crafted the first Rage record
Passive and active editions have been launched, but both come optimized with some clever, player-adjustable additions
Shergold’s new Telstar bass repackages one of the firm’s best electric designs of recent years into a low-end format
It’s joined by another new low-end launch from the acclaimed UK luthier, the Libertine
“Gene Simmons used a Grabber for a reason – because they play like nothing else on earth”: Epiphone Grabber Bass review
With its classic looks and budget-friendly price tag, is the revived Grabber still as iconic?
Learn bass for less with beginner basses from Squier, Yamaha and Music Man hitting the low-end on price for Black Friday
With great discounted options from the likes of Squier, Yamaha and Sterling by Music Man, now's the time to start your bass guitar journey
A maple cap fingerboard in 1965? Here’s why this vintage Jazz Bass is a true Fender unicorn
Could it be that this mid-'60s Jazz Bass is rare simply because people couldn't read Fender's small print? Well Strung Guitars owner David Davidson floats a theory and picks up the tale…
Brubaker merges headless guitar hype with modern modular designs for the NBS Series
Bartolini, Dark Glass, John East, Aguilar, and Nordstrand preamp modules are available, and each can be swapped out in less than 60 seconds
Best budget bass amps 2024: brilliant bass tone without a hefty price
Keep your low-end punchy and your bank balance healthy with our pick of the best budget bass amps from Fender, Orange, Ampeg and beyond!
“In terms of sheer value for money, it’s hard to beat”: Sterling by Music Man Joe Dart Artist Series Bass review
On paper, the Sterling Joe Dart model looks like a remarkable reproduction of Music Man’s pro-standard version. Could this be as good as it gets for a $399 bass?
Epiphone has brought back its quirky cult classic 1970s Grabber bass beloved by Gene Simmons, Krist Novoselic and Mike Dirnt
The double-cut four-string was a hit back in the 1970s, and finally makes a triumphant return in the form of a more affordable Inspired by Gibson Epiphone reissue
Reviews
“Playing the Bass VI is a really strange experience”: Squier Limited Edition Classic Vibe Bass VI review
Part bass, part guitar, we get to grips with the Classic Vibe version of Fender’s very own dichotomy of tone
“Gene Simmons used a Grabber for a reason – because they play like nothing else on earth”: Epiphone Grabber Bass review
With its classic looks and budget-friendly price tag, is the revived Grabber still as iconic?
“In terms of sheer value for money, it’s hard to beat”: Sterling by Music Man Joe Dart Artist Series Bass review
On paper, the Sterling Joe Dart model looks like a remarkable reproduction of Music Man’s pro-standard version. Could this be as good as it gets for a $399 bass?
“Thrill-seekers wishing to add ear-melting fuzz to their bass will be in tonal nirvana”: Goliath FX Hornburg Fuzz review
With drive tones verging on the mythical, is this the ultimate bass fuzz?
“As a compact amp modeler/cab simulator/Capture device, this is perhaps the best option out there, screen or no screen”: Neural DSP Nano Cortex review
The follow-up to the game-changing Quad Cortex is here at last, and with its ultra-powerful Nano Cortex, Neural DSP has set its sights on challenging IK Multimedia and Kemper to offer the ultimate all-in-one rig solution
Fender Vintera II ’60s Precision Bass review
Vintage looks? Timeless P-Bass tones? We size up the latest incarnation of Fender’s flagship 4-string
“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?
“If you can handle the fanned frets, this is a bass you’ll cherish for decades”: Dingwall John Taylor Signature review
After playing a custom Dingwall live with Duran Duran, John Taylor has launched his production model, loaded with a new bridge design, a Rupert Neve Design preamp to die for and a monster tonal range
