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.
Where were you when John Entwistle passed away in 2002? I hope you had a bass in hand, because most of us owe Entwistle a favor. Ever stood quietly at the back while your band showed off? That was his MO half a century ago. Do you play fast, melodically, and loud? He was the king of all that. Did you record a pioneering, genre-shaping rock bass solo? Probably not—but Entwistle did. In this issue we salute the quiet legend, 50 years after The Who released the epoch-shaking Tommy album, with a look back at his life and work, from writer Chris Charlesworth. We strive to cover the whole bass world, so this month we’ve spent time with low-frequency stalwarts, ranging from veterans Yolanda Charles and Neil Murray, via stadium-fillers…
SLAY RIDE Everyone’s favorite thrash metallers Slayer are calling it a day, and to make this already significant event slightly surreal, Primus are slated to support them on some of the last dates of their world tour. If you know these bands, you’ll know that the combination makes about as much sense as mixing Guinness with chicken soup. Talking to comedian Bill Burr, Primus frontman and Greatest Living Bass Player™ Les Claypool said “[It’s] kind of a secret but maybe I can tell you now… it looks like we’re confirmed, we’re gonna play the very last run supporting Slayer’s very last tour…It’s starting at Madison Square Garden and ending at The Forum, that’s the rumour.” More to the point, it gives us an excuse to run this picture of Les…
Welcome back to Live Performance 101! This time around, I’m going to be exploring how we as bass players can be effective communicators on stage. This is often a skill that is taken for granted, as we communicate all of the time in everyday life and, therefore, we assume we’re pretty good at it. However, in a live performance context, we need a heightened awareness of our surroundings to be able to connect with the rest of the band as well as with the audience. This will in turn lead to a more engaging and cohesive performance overall. Firstly, let’s address connecting with an audience. It’s surprising how many performers put all of their attention into watching their fretboard or looking aimlessly at the floor. The former may suggest a…
Hello and welcome! Let’s consider shielding, the shiny metallic bling inside your guitar that provides just enough false confidence for you to plug in anywhere without fear of rebroadcasting local radio programmes. The protection which internal shielding promises to provide is a bit of a contradiction. Manufacturers showcasing their shielding practices via social media have, in recent years, contributed to some one-upmanship among builders. Unfortunately, the implementation of copper foil often appears to have its foundation in “monkey see, monkey do”, rather than actual engineering principles. To investigate the growing practice of over-shielding for this page, I consulted two engineers currently working in the music products industry (MI), Clyde Clark and Larry Pollack. Both have engineering backgrounds from outside MI. Larry is an electro-mechanical designer and has acted as a…
If you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself. For a lot of musicians turned luthiers, this is more of a mantra than a throwaway phrase. As a plucky 16-year-old bassist, Andreas Neubauer of Neubauer Guitars took this to heart, taking matters into his own hands—literally. “Back in 1980, I was in a band, and played a 1978 Precision,” recollects Neubauer. “I loved that bass, but I was looking for a different sound, so I bought a Gibson EB-2 semi-acoustic bass with completely worn-down frets. I brought it to a Viennese repairman, but he was doing a hack job, so I decided to do it myself. This was the very beginning of Neubauer Guitars. I gradually taught myself to become a luthier over the next six…
No Treble readers were on a gear high this month, with loads of new equipment hitting the market. The most talked-about piece was the freshly unveiled Ernie Ball Music Man Joe Dart Signature Bass, which was opened to pre-order on March 1. It’s something different from the company in order to suit the Vulfpeck bassist’s ‘less is more’ approach to his rig. Based on the Classic Sterling, the bass has an ash body in a natural finish and a beautiful flamed maple neck complete with a figured maple board. It’s simpler in looks as well as function, because the bass is fitted with a custom passive MM humbucker and just a single volume knob. That means no active preamp, usually a hallmark of Ernie Ball basses. Dart certainly doesn’t need…
