Freekbass

The funk master talks us through five career high points.

ASHDOWN RM-800-EVO ll

What a lightweight! Kev Sanders tests the new head from Ashdown

DUVOISIN Standard 5

Mike Brooks gives this Swiss-style five a road test…

I WAS THERE!

A historic moment in bass world – recalled by those who were there to see it

BAREFACED - One10T Cabinet

A new Barefaced cab? Kev Sanders feels the quality

KRIST NOVOSELIC

It’s 30 years since the release of Nirvana’s era-defining album, Nevermind, and high time that we revisited this 2011 chat with the great bassist turned political activist, Krist Novoselic, a musician who witnessed a truly chaotic period in music history

BASS PLAYER AWARDS 2021

After a year off thanks to the pesky virus, BP’s annual Lifetime Achievement Awards return—and this time we add a new category. Raise your glass to this year’s winners, Marcus Miller, Gail Ann Dorsey, John Taylor and Charles Berthoud.

RUSH TO READ

Rush’s Geddy Lee will release an “epic” memoir in 2022

STAYING POWER

Tal Wilkenfeld’s recent album Love Remains features a five-string in tenor tuning with a capo. Ellen O’Reilly finds out why…

TONEWOODS EXPLAINED

Do woods really determine tones?

Dusty Hill 1949-2021 – Top Man

When ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill left us on July 27, he left a legacy like few others. Jamie Blaine pays tribute, and we revisit words of wisdom from Hill himself

The Omnific – Wizards of Oz

The Australian trio The Omnific make music like no other band—with two bassists, a drummer, and a whole lot of genius. We meet Matt Fack and Toby Peterson-Stewart

TRIUMPHANT

Jamie Lee Cussigh of Triumph Of Death on learning to trust her instincts about bass

PLAY SAFE

Anna Achimowicz is a bassist, physiotherapist and health professional. We ask her how to do what we do without injury

TAYLOR MADE

A new book on Duran Duran’s Rio album highlights the role of bassist John Taylor, a hero in our community. Author Annie Zaleski digs deep into the pleasure groove

RAISING HELL

Who wouldn’t cherish a signature bass as luscious as this one? Dan Firth of Cradle Of Filth talks through his new acquisition...

IN THE Groove

GIOVANNI BOTTESINI, DOUBLE BASS CONCERTOS (DYNAMIC, 1997)

LONDON BASS DISPLAY

Clash bassist Paul Simonon’s smashed Fender is now on permanent view

I WAS THERE!

A historic moment in bass world—recalled by those who were there to see it

HIP SHOT

Canadian stalwarts The Tragically Hip return with an album of nostalgic songs: Bassist Gord Sinclair explains why

Benny Rietveld – Smooth Operator

Carlos Santana’s long-time bassist Benny Rietveld reflects on a career at the front line of expression

BASS CENTRE Ashbory

Time for something a little different, suggests our Editor...

MARCUS MILLER

In every issue, we bring you a noteworthy interview from the bass vaults, from far-off times when gigs were plentiful and a virus meant no more than a day in bed. This month: Marcus Miller, interviewed in 2012

FOUR of the BEST

It’s 50 years this year since Led Zeppelin released their immense fourth album, cementing their position in music history and inspiring the playing of a million guitar-shop visitors. The band’s Quiet One, bassist John Paul Jones, was on astounding form throughout Half a century since that high point, we revisit his bass parts and ask how it was that JPJ became the leading rock bassist of his generation...

INSPIRED NOTES

Bassist and songwriter Lena Morris on the catalyst that sent her into the low frequencies

MXR Effects

Spice up your bass tones, says Mike Brooks

PICKING LARGE INTERVALS

Welcome! To finish off our exploration of pick playing, we’re going to look at a couple of things related to playing bigger intervals. As we’ve noted before, every technique takes on a whole new level of difficulty when we start to move it across the strings, but it can get even harder when we want to be able to control how long each note lasts.

NEW ROSE

With his new album, Two Roses, Israeli upright bassist Avishai Cohen achieves a career high. We meet the master

PUTT IT THERE

We meet the veteran jazz bassist— and occasional James Bond adversary —Putter Smith.

TURNER PORTRAIT

The Atlanta-based rock quintet Blackberry Smoke return with a new album, You Hear Georgia. Bassist Richard Turner explains the thinking behind the big tones