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 a musician with as much life experience as Bootsy Collins talks to you about how best to serve a song, how best to play funk bass, and by implication how to approach music in the right way, you stay quiet and listen. In this month’s cover interview, the great bassist isn’t just talking about bass notes. He’s talking about life, how to live it, and how to be the best version of you that you can be. The man is unique. This issue is packed with interviews, each of which offers us as much advice about how to live our lives as how to perform our function as bass players. From P-Funk alumna Starr Cullars via jazz master Brian Bromberg to the mighty Gene Simmons, these artists know that…
NAMM didn’t happen this past January for obvious reasons, but just because we didn’t get to go to California, mingle with 150,000 people and play the coolest bass gear, that doesn’t mean that there’s no bass-related product announcements this year. On the contrary, a ton of amazing basses, amps and effects are incoming, just some of which are detailed below—and in alphabetical order, because why the heck not? The esteemed amp-builders Ashdown are launching a new Twelve-600 Custom Shop head with 600 watts RMS and a 12-band graphic EQ, plus a 300-watt Studio-210 combo, a CTM Tube-Pre rackmounted preamp and more. Bergantino have announced a NXV Series (NEO-XTreme Vintage) cab range that features brand-new Neo X-Treme Technology drivers, combining the benefits of neodymium and ceramic technology. Charvel are bringing two…
Martín Méndez, the long-time bassist with the Swedish prog band Opeth, has announced a new signature bass guitar with Sandberg. Based on the German company’s California model, the Martín Méndez Signature features an alder body in white or an ash body in black. Sandberg’s six-bolt-on hard-rock maple neck comes with a matching headstock and ebony fingerboard: a maple fingerboard with black block inlays is also available. Two Delano JMVC pickups, positioned closer to the bridge for extra edge, provide the big tones, modulated with volume, balance, and treble cut controls. The Martín Méndez Signature will be available as a 34”-scale four-string or 35”-scale five-string; price to be announced.…
Red Hot Chili Peppers ‘Give It Away’ (from Blood Sugar Sex Magik, 1991) Inspired by überbeard producer Rick Rubin, the Chilis recorded an astounding album in Blood Sugar Sex Magik, still their biggest hit. ‘Give It Away’ is a monster of a single, with a bass-line from Michael ‘Flea’ Balzary that more or less made up the whole song with its famous, liquid slide motif and some beautifully dexterous fills. There’s some chickengrease guitar and a thunderous drum pattern on top of the bass, but this song is Flea’s through and through.…
Physician and bassist Dr. Randall Kertz has partnered with Bassline Publishing for the re-release of his acclaimed book The Bassist’s Guide To Injury Management, Prevention And Better Health. Out of print for several years, the book is now available to purchase in physical form and contains detailed information on the common physical pitfalls encountered by bass players. These include Tendonitis, RSI, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tennis Elbow, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Trigger Finger, Arthritis, Lower Back Pain, and more. Detailed descriptions of the conditions are given, as is information on correctly identifying them. There are also recommendations for treatment paths. Interviews with well-known bassists such as Steve Bailey, Chuck Rainey, David Ellefson, Lemmy, Victor Wooten, Esperanza Spalding, and more are also included in the book. Joining this existing title is a brand-new…
“We used to have so many problems with airlines killing us on baggage” When the veteran metal trio Raven fly to gigs, pandemic permitting of course, bassist John Gallagher has a novel way of keeping his famous Flying V-shaped basses safe. “My basses all have bolt-on necks,” he tells BP, “because when we fly, I take the necks off and put them in a case. That isn’t shaped like a guitar, so it doesn’t get trashed by the morons at the airport. It’s worth it, for the sake of me spending 10 minutes taking it apart and another 10 minutes putting it together again.” He adds: “We used to have so many problems with airlines killing us on baggage. I remember taking three basses on tour in America in 2002:…
