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.

WELCOME • This is the last print issue of BP. We’re not finished yet, though...

Bass Player

BASS PLAYER MAGAZINE MOVES FULLY ONLINE • BP’s print magazine is over, but we’re not done. See you online.

Boogie Down • Mesa/Boogie unveils the Subway D-350.

Che Bello • Anthrax bassist releases solo tunes.

PAUL RYDER • RIP to the Happy Mondays bassist.

GEAR ROUNDUP • There’s plenty of gear to get excited about. Check BP online for more!

IN THE Groove MILES DAVIS E.S.P. (COLUMBIA, 1965) • Let’s dig out a bass-heavy LP from the vault. This month: the Ron Carter-featuring E.S.P.

Josh Smith • The rock bassist du jour discusses his band Halestorm’s five albums to date...

I WAS THERE! • A historic moment in bass world – recalled by those who were there to see it

COMPRESSION: YES OR NO • Do you need a compressor when you play live shows?

YOU DESERVE THE BEST... • ...but what really makes one bass better than another?

STUDY LINE TRANSPOSITION

Goodbye Print, Hello Online • Thirty-two years and 427 issues since its launch, Bass Player is going online. We’ll miss the print magazine, but we’re excited about our future.

SECRET SAUCE • The great Guy Pratt takes Ellen O’Reilly on a tour of the incredible bass gear that his current world tour with Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets requires. Be warned, your mind may be blown...

DUB STORM • OM and Sleep bassist Al Cisneros gathers his solo singles into a collection, Sinai Dub Box, discusses the role of flow states and the universal groove, and reveals which bass is so heavy he needs pain relief to play it...

PASSING NOTES • Dylan Flynn nearly died in a car crash more than two decades ago. His injuries were so bad that he had to give up playing bass—so now he lends his bass out to professional bass players to raise money for charity. Lee Marlow tells his unique story.

COPING STRATEGIES • Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich of Aussie rockers Camp Cope had a tough start on bass, but persevered. Read and learn!

COUNTRY WAYS • Wilco bassist John Stirratt looks back at decades of struggle—and a trajectory that has made his band a modern alt-country institution.

KEY MOMENT • Be a musician, or take the safe route? Solo bassist Juna Serita weighs in on a tricky decision...

THE SOUND OF METAL • Soreption’s Rickard Persson nominates 10 bassists who are taking metal playing to the next level

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

MUSIC MAN DarkRay 5 • The DarkRay saga continues with the addition of a five-string model. Chris Gill goes low

CHARVEL Pro-Mod San Dimas PJ V • Charvel’s new five gets a new DiMarzio: Joel McIver gets nostalgic

TRICKFISH Bullhead Mini 500 and Mini 112 Cab • Think small, think cool: Can this agile amp match its competitors? Steve Lawson finds out

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

CONNECTIVITY EXPLORED

LEGATO PLAYING MADE EASY

MASTER MINOR 7TH FLAT 5 ARPEGGIOS

STU HAMM: CHORDS LESSON

DIGITECH XBW • A lean, green, fighting machine