Bass Player is the world's most comprehensive, trusted and insightful bass publication for passionate bassists and active musicians of all ages. Each issue delivers the latest tips and techniques that are guaranteed to make you a better player.
When I first found out that Jason Momoa was a bass player as well as a star of cinema and TV, I assumed that for him, perhaps bass was merely a hobby: a way to pass the time on set. Believe me, I couldn’t have been more wrong. As I found out when I sat down with Jason at opposite ends of a recent Zoom call, the man is obsessed with our instrument to the point where it has become a cornerstone of his personal philosophy, just as it is for you and me. This was his first ever interview about his love of playing music, he told us, and it reveals a completely different side of his character. Despite his fearsome exterior (he didn’t play Conan, Aquaman, and Khal…
Yamaha has announced the extremely limited-edition Peter Hook Signature BB bass. Hooky, best known as the bassist and founding member of Joy Division and New Order, has played BB basses for decades, starting with the 600 model and graduating to the 1200S. The new signature bass combines elements of the latter model, of which he owns seven, with aspects of the BB734A which he currently plays on tour with Peter Hook & The Light “It’s such a compliment to be recognized for what you’ve done,” says the great man, a frequent cover star in this magazine over the years. “To have it come full circle and culminate with my own signature bass, made to my specs and to satisfy my playing, is such an honor, and I’m very happy with…
Warwick have announced eight new basses for its RockBass Alien Deluxe Hybrid Thinline Series, with fretless and lefty options available. The four-strings come with a 32” scale, while the fives have the standard 34”; the body depth is a mere 3.25”; and the two-octave fingerboards are wenge, on mahogany necks. Spruce tops married with walnut backs and sides bring the tones, while Shadow NanoMag and piezo pickups deliver them up. www.w -distribution.de…
No. 2: Rush, ‘Digital Man’ (released 1982) When Geddy Lee’s Rush hit what was arguably their creative peak in the late 70s and early 80s, they simply could not be stopped. Okay, ‘Digital Man’ may have a theme which has aged a little in the modern era, but Lee’s twisty, rock-solid bass-line gave the song an edge which the years have not diminished. Lee alternated between a J-Bass and his trusty Rickenbacker 4001 on the Signalsalbum, and his mastery of the instrument is at its finest during these unparalleled six minutes.…
Vintage have added a four-string electro-acoustic bass to its Statesboro’ series of guitars, designed like the other models in the series by guitarist and blues historian Paul Brett. Promoting a ‘bluesman on a budget’ theme, the bass comes with a satin matt Whisky Sour finish, an all-mahogany construction and gold-plated die-cast machine heads. The neck is also mahogany and has 20 frets, while Vintage’s three-band preamp, phase switch, tuner display, and low battery indicator make the bass a user-friendly item. Ernie Ball has recently announced a new range of Ball Family Reserve models, among them two basses—a Stingray 5 Special in Kinetic Blue, and the equivalent four-string in Natural Okoume. For the recent birthday of the late Jaco Pastorius, bassist Alex Lofoco has released an instructional book of lessons called…
The three-band rotary equalizer is said to emulate the response of classic Trace Elliot multi-band graphic EQ filters Like many of our colleagues in the bass community, we were very taken with Trace Elliot’s highly portable ELF head when it appeared a couple of years back, so we’re keen to get our hands on the longstanding amp-makers’ new combos from the same range. Again designed to be lower back-friendly—the press release specifically states “an ultralight, ultra-portable package that players can carry in one hand,” which your chiropractor will appreciate—the range currently runs to two models. We’re told that the ELF 1x8 combo measures 12” by 10.2” by 13.3” and weighs only 17 pounds, while the 1x10 combo measures 13.3” by 12” by 14”, and comes in at 18 pounds. Bassists…
