Love Lines

WELCOME

Bass isn’t just an instrument. It’s a philosophy, a code and a way of life

BEST BASSISTS REVEAL ED!

You voted for the Bassist Of 2020... and the results are in

Rest In Peace

Dave Markee, the bassist with a large number

Boxing Clever

New PJB cab incoming

STANLEY CLARKE SIGNATURE PREAMP INBOUND

EBS launches an acoustic pre in collaboration with the jazz icon

In 1968, Cream say goodbye... for now, anyway

I WAS THERE!

MIKE JEFFRIES, VENOM PRISON

GIVE US SOME BASS ADVICE?

NEIL BATEY, THE JONESES

WHAT WAS YOUR WAY INTO BASS?

ALEXANDRE LAPOINTE

WHAT’S THE SECRET OF GOOD BASS PLAYING?

Jason Newsted

Photo: Getty Images Jason Newsted was born in

METALLICA

Metallica (1991)

METALLICA

...And Justice For All (1988)

METALLICA

Reload (1997)

VOIVOD

Voivod (2003)

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM

Doomsday For The Deceiver (1986)

EFFECTS LOOPS EXPLORED

Thrown for a loop? Find your way out here

WAYS TO LEAD YOUR BAND

Lead from the front... and thrill your audience

ARPEGGIO AND INTERVALLIC COMBINATIONS

Welcome! When the subject of improvisation comes up,

FLOWER POWER

The Dead Daisies is a supergroup with a stellar line-up, in which the great  Glenn Hughes brings a career’s worth of songwriting, singing and playing bass to the table. “I’ve fallen in love with bass again,” says our hero, looking back at his days with Deep Purple, Trapeze, Black Country Communion, and more

HELP US, RHONDA

Current Jeff Beck and former Prince bassist Rhonda Smith is a force of nature, even faced with a pandemic. Listen up as she reports from the front line of the low end

JOHN MYUNG DREAM THEATER

The acclaimed prog-metal bassist shares essential tips that will help you become a better player

GROOVE MASTER

“I don’t care if you can solo. Make people groove,” says the great Etienne Mbappé. Alison Richter digs into the philosophy behind the bass-lines

GEAR of the YEAR 2020

So, how was 2020 for you? Despite a mutant virus, presidential upheaval, and the end of all our gigs, we’ve had plenty of new bass guitars, amps, and effects to enjoy. Mike Brooks brings us the best of the best, divided into helpful categories. Did your favorite bass-related product make the cut?

BEST FRETTED BASS $650-$2000

WINNER Nordstrand Acinonyx www.nordstrandaudio. com A wide array

BEST FRETTED BASS LESS THAN $650

WINNER Sterling By Music Man SUB Ray 4HH

BEST FRETTED BASS $2000-$3000

WINNER Fender American Ultra Precision www.fender.com The Ultra

BEST FRETTED BASS OVER $3000

WINNER 

BEST FRETLESS BASS

WINNER Ibanez Gary Willis GWB205 -TQF-5 www.ibanez.com/usa The

BEST ACOUSTIC BASS

WINNER Martin BC-16E www.martinguitar.com This acoustic bass delivers

BEST AMP HEAD

WINNER Blackstar Unity U700 Elite www.korgusa.com Blackstar’s latest

BEST FX PEDAL

WINNER Aguilar DB925 www.aguilaramp.com We loved the DB925—its tonal

BEST COMBO

WINNER Peavey MAX300 www.peavey.com The MAX300 is everything you

BEST CABINET

WINNER Bergantino NXT212 www.bergantino.com This Neo cabinet will save

Reviews

Welcome to our expert road-tests of state-ofthe-art basses, amps and effects

CORTEX

Napoleon Deluxe 4 and 5

SIRE

Version 2 Marcus Miller U5 Short Scale

BLACKSTAR

Unity Elite U700H Amp and U410C Cab

Bass Lessons

Making you a better bass player in every issue, our state-of-the-art team of educators will guide you every step of the way. Say hello to them here!

BP Notation Legend

The following is a guide to the notation symbols and terminology used in Bass Player magazine

MAJOR ARPEGGIOS

Hey there, bass players! This lesson is going

CHROMATIC NOTES EXPLORED

Welcome back! If you remember from previous columns,

EXPLORE MINOR PENTATONICS

If you’re not familiar with the formula for the natural minor scale, say “tone, semitone, tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone” as you play

DOUBLE-THUMBED TRIPLETS EXPLORED

Welcome back to my long-running column on advanced

INSIDE YOUR AMP: PART 2

Dan signs off with another dig inside your amp. Learn more about the big noises here!