Bass Player

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.

What's the bass of your dreams? Tim Commerford has the answer...

Bass Player US

ALL JAZZED UP • Fender launches new Player Plus Precision and Jazz basses

King’s X frontman announces solo album.

Love Lines • A great bass-line in 83 words.

ASSUME NOTHING • Chloe Peacock challenges received bass wisdom…

PASSING NOTES • We say goodbye to three departed bass colleagues.

IN THE Groove METALLICA , ST. ANGER (ELEKTRA, 2003) • Each month, we celebrate a classic, bass-loaded album. Has it stood the test of time?

Tim Lefebvre

StarBass • We celebrate five great - and less great! - albums on which a notable bassist appears

I WAS THERE! • The great Victor Bailey headed to the great jam in the sky in 2016: We salute him

ONE-OFF SHOWS • Should you accept a onetime-only gig?

POLES APART • Don’t judge a pickup by its cover.

MASTER SLASH CHORDS

STILL RAGING • Rage Against The Machine bassist Tim Commerford has finally found his dream Music Man Stingray – and we get to play it first!

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

HAVING A BALL • Commerford on his Ernie Ball history

CLASSIC CUTS • Two Rage Against The Machine bass parts that you have to hear

WORK RATE • Two TC side projects to investigate

BEET THIS • Australian double bass player Helen Svoboda takes her musical inspirations from unexpected sources. We hear her plant-astic story

FARM HANDS • Jesse Keeler from Death From Above welcomes us into his rural hideaway, for a chat about his new album.

SIKTH SENSE • Sikth bassist James Leach plays bass parts so fast and complex they’ll make your head hurt. We ask how he does it...

BASS PHILS • Jazz, fusion, and prog are all in a day’s work for the flying fingers of Rufus Philpot . We meet the Los Angeles-based maestro

PACKED HOUSE • Sometime Brand X bassist and fusion master Percy Jones returns with a new album and band, PAKT. Read and learn...

LEGENDARY LOWS • Nick Wass explores the history of Sir Paul McCartney and his legendary Höfner 500/1 basses

HILL CLIMB • Brandon Hill of Unto Others recounts his journey towards bass righteousness

FLO STATE • Flo Moore is an up-and-coming jazz bass aficionado: Watch out for her

STILL ALIVE AND KICKIN’ • Billy Sheehan looks back three decades at his band Mr. Big’s defining statement, Lean Into It—and its unexpected hit song for the ages

Still Lean • Lean Into It, recalled track by track

GEAR Reviews • Welcome to our expert road-tests of state-of-the-art bass gear

FENDER Player Plus Jazz • A new J for a new generation, you say? The Editor warms up his thumb

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

SADOWSKY MetroLine VJ5 • Self-confessed Sadowsky fanboy Kev Sanders investigates this MetroLine model

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

ORANGE Glenn Hughes Purple Crush 50 • An Orange combo, but in purple? That’s ‘deep purple’ to you. Mike Brooks gets to grips with Glenneth’s signature combo

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

NORDSTRAND AUDIO Starlifter • A pedal format preamp and DI? Lord of the loops Steve Lawson investigates

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

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...