Table of contents for April 2020 in Bass Player

Thirty years is a long time, fellow friends of the low end—but I remember the first time I appeared on the cover of Bass Player like it was yesterday. The times may have changed, and the technology we use has changed with them, but the reason we do what we do is still the same—which is a reason to celebrate, if you ask me. When Joel asked me to be the Guest Editor of this special 30th anniversary issue of BP, my first thought was ‘Wow... what an honor!’, the second was ‘Damn, has it really been 30 years?’ and my third was ‘What the heck am I going to put in the magazine?’ Well, I’m not going to miss out on the chance to pay my respects to the…

Hello bassists! In this issue, I’ll be discussing the required skill set of the function or cover band bassist. This is a common component of what we call a ‘portfolio career’ in music—which simply means taking on many different types of music-related work—and there is a real art to doing it well. Playing functions every weekend was my entry into working as a professional musician post-education, and it really helped to refine my musicianship on many levels. So, here are my top tips and suggestions for the performing or aspiring function players out there: BUILD YOUR REPERTOIRE Whether you’re a core member of a function band, or you like to dep with other bands as one-offs, it is imperative that you build a solid repertoire of material that you can…

As the world of bass guitar has evolved, we’ve watched Billy Sheehan ascend to its very zenith — playing without overplaying, touring relentlessly while staying healthier than a bassist half his age, maintaining an unwavering creative output and still being a man that you’d love to sit down and have a beer with. That’s a rare combination in our experience; after a 50-year career of playing bass, something usually gets lost, be it health, playing skillm, or just personality. But not Sheehan, whose debut appearance on the cover in 1990 we’re celebrating by appointing him as Guest Editor... Billy, it’s been 30 years since you appeared on the cover of the Premiere Issue of Bass Player magazine. Would you say you’re playing bass differently now to the way you were…

Fender American Ultra Jazz  Price | $2,009 Made In | USA Body | Alder or ash Neck | Maple Fretboard | Maple Pickups | Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazz Controls | Master Volume, Pan Pot (Pickup Selector), Treble Boost/Cut, Midrange Boost/Cut, Bass Boost/Cut, Passive Tone, Active/Passive Mini Toggle Hardware | HiMass bridge, Fender ‘F’ Light-Weight Vintage-Paddle Keys Case | Fender moulded case Fender American Ultra Precision  Price | $2,009 Made In | USA Body | Alder or ash Neck | Maple Fretboard | Rosewood Pickups | Ultra Noiseless Vintage Jazz Bass and Ultra Noiseless Vintage Precision Bass Controls | Master Volume, Pan Pot (Pickup Selector), Treble Boost/Cut, Midrange Boost/Cut, Bass Boost/Cut, Passive Tone, Active/Passive Mini Toggle Hardware | HiMass bridge, Fender “F” Light-Weight Vintage-Paddle Keys Case | Fender moulded case…

Combos, by their very nature, are a compromise. Attempting to solve size and portability issues, providing enough power in tandem with cabinet size and dimensions, and adding as many useful features into the space available is a huge challenge. Here we look at Ashdown’s new Studio 8 and 15 models, two of five new models. What do these combos possess that will entice us to part with our cash? Build Quality Both units are constructed from lightweight poplar ply lumber, furnished in a black Tolex covering with chrome corner fittings for protection, plus cloth grilles and thick leather carry handles on the top for transportation. The Studio 8 is a sealed unit with a custom-designed eight-inch speaker, while the Studio 15 sports a Neodymium 15-inch speaker and tweeter combination with…

Price | $399 Made in | China Features | Mic preamp gain x 2, speaker output, headphone output, monitor mix, bass, middle, treble, instrument input volume, Two Notes drive stage level, instrument output volume, signal peak LEDs, Two Notes cab selector switch, ¼” jack instrument input, ¼” jack Re-amp output, ¼” jack headphone output, USB-C input/output, ADAT digital in input, ¼” jack left/right line outputs, phantom power switch x 2, mic/line XLR/jack inputs x 2 Dimensions | 229mm (W) x 164mm (D) x 67mm (H) / 9” (W) x 6.45” (D) x 2.63” (H) Power | 12V DC (adapter supplied) Weight | 1.7 kg (3.74 lbs) WHAT WE THINK Plus | Simple, intuitive and well laid out; hardware and software are both easy to use Minus | Some might find…

Welcome to the first instalment of a new series of columns in which I tackle some of the more outlandish elements of the slap bass technique. Although a basic level of proficiency is all that is typically required in any professional situation where the technique might be required, there are nevertheless many additional elements that can be added to the basics. These more advanced elements of the technique will not be to everyone’s tastes, but they can certainly be a lot of fun. In writing this series, I’m going to be assuming that you have the fundamentals of the technique in place: basic slaps and pops, hammer-ons, pull-offs, ghost notes and so on. If not, it would be a great idea to work through my colleagues Steve Lawson and Phil…

NO TREBLE KEVIN JOHNSON What does the new decade hold for bass? We’re still reeling from the musical wonderland known as the NAMM Show. This month was packed with more gear news than you could shake a stick at, but also provided plenty of great performances, too. One of the top videos on No Treble was taken from the ‘Bass To Bass’ event held by Marcus Miller the night before the show doors opened. The event was the bass hang for the evening, with everyone from Victor Wooten to wunderkind Gabriel Severn on hand. Miller invited many players to come up and play alongside him, and luckily a jam of ‘What’s Going On’ with him, Federico Malaman and Jason Leopold was caught on film. Each player took turns on the…

WHEN THE PREMIER ISSUE OF BASS PLAYER HIT THE SHELVES IN 1990, THE MUSICAL WORLD WAS ON THE CUSP OF HUGE CHANGES... CDs had replaced vinyl as the leading medium by which people bought their music—who could have predicted 30 years later that this would reverse itself? The megastars of the day were traversing the globe on 18-month world tours off the back of huge-selling albums, and the bass world was still coming to terms with the untimely death of Jaco Pastorius, only two years earlier. The 1980s had seen immense innovation and technological developments in the worlds of bass guitar design, amplification, and effects. So what would the next 30 years offer up? In rock music at least, fashions were changing rapidly, just as punk rock had cleared out…

It is nearly impossible to select a recording from the 1950s into the 1970s that doesn’t feature Carol Kaye. She was top call for producers and engineers, tracking albums, television scores, and movie soundtracks. A random sampling of her seemingly endless discography: Sam Cooke (her first studio session), Joe Cocker, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Glen Campbell, Simon & Garfunkel, Sonny & Cher, Mission: Impossible, M*A*S*H, Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, The Thomas Crown Affair, Airport, and of course the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. And on electric guitar: Frank Zappa’s Freak Out! Her classic lines were recorded using a Fender Precision bass, which she once described as, “Not a great instrument, but it got a certain sound that no other instruments got.” She perfected that sound by using flatwound strings,…

Signor Malaman’s phenomenal bass skills have always been celebrated in these pages, and it comes as no surprise to see a signature instrument from Mayones sporting his name. This bass takes the brand’s Jabba template and embellishes upon it, but does it justify its substantial pricetag? Let’s take a look... Build Quality One look at the Mala 5 reveals that this is based on a Jazz bass format, but of course, it has much to offer besides that basic design. With a great lower cutaway, contouring to the front and rear and a recessed, sculpted six-bolt neck joint, player comfort is paramount. There is a significant headstock bias but this is fixed once the Mala 5 is placed on a strap, and with a swamp ash body core and eye…

Price | $119 / $499.99 [MAP] Made In | China Power | 30 watts RMS / 300 watts RMS Impedance | 8 ohms Features | Studio 8: Volume, bass/middle/treble (+/- 15dB), line mix, speaker mute switch. Studio 15: Shape selector switch, passive/active selector switch, pre-gain, drive, bass, lo-mid, middle, hi-mid, treble, volume, speaker mute Speakers | 1 x 8” Ashdown speaker / 1 x 15” Ashdown speaker and tweeter Dimensions | Studio 8: 390mm (H) x 365mm (W) x 235mm (D) / 15.35” (H) x 14.37” (W) x 9.25” (D) Studio 15: 565mm (H) x 460mm (W) x 390mm (D) / 22.24 (H) x 18.11” (W) x 15.35” (D) Connections | Studio 8: ¼” jack input, 3.5mm auxiliary line input, 3.5mm headphone output Studio 15: ¼” jack input, ¼” jack…

Making you a better bass player elcome to our lesson section, in which Bass Player collates the wit and wisdom of the crème de la crème of the electric and upright bass world. We’re fortunate enough to have some serious talent on the team, from world-class music educators to experienced touring musicians, who between them have laid down the low notes in every studio, club, and arena in the civilized world. Note that we’ve divided the columns according to Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced level for easy reference. Whether you’re looking to improve your playing technique, expand your awareness of theory, set up your rig to sound like your particular bass hero, or simply get on a bus and tour, we provide the answers you need here. What are you waiting…

Welcome! For the last couple of months we’ve been looking at how interval patterns can help us explore the range of notes available to us in any key. Starting on the root of the major scale and then of the minor scale, we’ve looked at a number of ways of building riffs and lines playing the notes in a different order, while still keeping a focus on the root so we know what we’re coming back to. The job of the bassist, more often than not, requires us to play the bottom note of the chord on beat one. This can either be the root, or in the case of slash chords, whatever note is to the right of the slash—for example, C/E is a C Major chord but with…

Well, hello there! As we come to the end of another bass-packed issue, let’s sign off with part four of my column—stepping through the most popular pedal types on a pedalboard, what they are and some tips on how to use them. My previous columns have covered types of compression, drives and equalization, so this month let’s take a look at modulations, or in common parlance, chorus, flange and phase. WHAT’S MODULATION, THEN? Well, generally speaking, in electronics, it means using one signal to manipulate another. The group of analog effects that we are looking at today all use some method of modulating your instrument signal to create some exciting effects. GIVE US SOME EXAMPLES AND STOP MESSING ABOUT. All right then. The three we’re looking at today are the…

NEW ALBUM Ida Nielsen, 02022020 (2020) Our chum Ida applies her world-class songwriting to this atmospheric LP, a world away from the usual slap-frenzy that is a bass solo album. OLD ALBUM Brain Drill, Quantum Catastrophe (2010) Sometime columnist in these pages Ivan Munguia enthralled us all with this amazing display of dexterity. REALLY OLD ALBUM Bullitt (soundtrack, 1969) Carol Kaye and Max Bennett share credits on this evocative piece of musical history, a rich source for samplers in subsequent decades.…

Luthier Parizad Hatcher could have worked on a secret military base making rockets, missile,s or heaven knows what else, given her degrees in particle physics and mathematics. Fortunately, she decided to put her talents to better use by becoming one of the most creative luthiers on the planet. Having immigrated to the US from Iran at the age of 18, Hatcher has infused her skills and knowledge as a carpenter and lifelong musician to create basses that resonate with her artistic integrity. “I think it’s important to remember that while it may look like a piece of art, the bass is actually a tool for the artist to create art with,” she says. “If my artistry as a builder can inspire musicians with their art of making music then I…

Whether tearing up stages with the B-52s, guesting with David Lee Roth and Des’Ree, or touring with a host of household names, Tracy Ann Wormworth is an absolute phenomenon. Her first steps in the biz were with the new wave band the Waitresses back in the early 80s, and she has since worked with artists as diverse as Sting, Wayne Shorter, Cyndi Lauper, and jazz legend Regina Carter in the live arena. Wormworth’s fusion-friendly technique and cross-genre abilities also made her perfect for the bass slot in the Rosie O’Donnell Show’s house band, backing enormous stars like Liza Minnelli and Little Richard. She comes from talented stock: Her grandfather was James Wormworth II, the famed jazz drummer; Tracy’s dad, Jimmy, was also a noted drummer, as is her brother James;…

Price | $4,230 [List], $3,200 [Street] Made In | Poland Color | Three-tone cherry sunburst, satin finish Body | Swamp ash core with eye poplar top Neck Joint | Bolt-on, six-bolt attachment Nut Width | 43mm Fingerboard | Pau ferro Frets | 24 Pickups | Aguilar DCB humbucking pickups x 2 Electronics | Mayones M-BP3 three-band EQ active preamp Controls | Volume (push/pull for active/ passive mode), pickup pan, middle (push/ pull for 400/800 Hz operation), stacked bass/treble, vintage tone control Hardware | Chrome hardware, Mayones Big Foot bridge, Hipshot HB6C Ultralite machine heads Weight | 8.6 lbs Case/gig bag included | Mayones hybrid bag/case Left-hand option available | No WHAT WE THINK Plus | Weight, tones, well-designed controls Minus | Extensive competition at this price Overall | So good…

Welcome back, folks! In this month's issue, we are continuing to look at open-string double-stops, enhanced with an array of percussive dead notes. Example 1 familiarizes us with a II-V-I chord progression in the key of D major. As you transcend through the measures, you’ll be able to identify with a number of key attributes. For example, using this key center allows us to deliver all of the bass notes of the chord progression with nothing more than open strings. Obviously, this is massively beneficial as it frees up the fretting hand to add supplementary harmonic support. Example 1 “YOU MAY FIND THAT USING THE THUMB AND INDEX FINGER OF YOUR PLUCKING HAND IS A MORE EFFICIENT APPROACH THAN THE USUAL TWO-FINGER PLUCK” In this first exercise, our chosen chord…