Top 5 Beginner Bass Guitars
By Dan Cross, About.com
 
Buying a bass guitar for a novice can be tricky... there are a ton of cheap beginner basses out there, but many of them feature cheap hardware, and shoddy workmanship. The trick is to find a bass guitar that is both easy to learn on, yet also easy on the pocketbook. The following basses, all of which hover in the couple hundred dollar range, are some of the best valued bass guitars on the market.
 

1. ESP B50

This funky looking bass features a basswood body (a relatively soft wood), with maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard. For a couple hundred dollars, this dependable bass should be considered a bargain. If you like this look of this ESP bass, then you should consider this one for a beginner instrument.
 
2. Yamaha RBX374
Yamaha have earned a reputation for being a company able to produce quality instruments with low price tags. The RBX374, with it's fully alder body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, and P-style pickup, is no exception. Although not the cheapest bass on this list, this model offers quite good value for the price.
 

3. Squier Standard Jazz

This is Fender's low priced version of the classic Fender Jazz bass. The pickups and electronics are inferior, and there are lots of other reasons why this Squier model isn't of the same caliber as the original, yet for the price tag, this instrument will still provide that Fender Jazz sound, without busting your budget.
 

4. Epiphone Accu Bass

This is a classic looking P bass, made by Epiphone, featuring a maple/alder body, and a split humbucking pickup. The Accu Bass is a very solid, durable instrument, so if you think you might be putting your bass through a lot physically, this might be the one for you.

 

5. Ibanez GSR200

This low-cost Ibanez bass guitar has an individual look and feel. The body is made from Athagis wood, the neck from maple, and the fingerboard from rosewood. The GSR200 features a rather thin neck, which many people might find easier to learn on. As is usually the case with low cost instruments, the electronics aren't top notch, but for the money, the GSR200 is a good bet.

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Modern Guitars Magazine - News Archive
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Steve Vai to Release Live Concert Film from Sound Theories Tour
Guitarist Steve Vai has announced the release of a live concert film (DVD, Blu-ray) and live CD on September 29, 2009. Titled Where The Wild Things Are, the material was recorded before a sold-out audience at the State Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2007 during Vai's Sound Theories world tour. With 20 million units sold worldwide to-date, Where The Wild Things Are represents his 21st solo project over a 30-year career. The two-hour and forty minute set contains both several new tracks and re-orchestrated pieces from his rich catalog and was filmed at the State Theatre because of the venue's lush acoustics and attractive interior. Vai's Sound Theories Tour supported the release of the Sound Theories Vol. I & II CDs featuring Vai and the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra. Volume I presents Vai performing with the orchestra, while Volume II consists of the orchestra playing tunes written by Vai. The orchestral nature of Sound Theories accounts for the presence of two violinists in the touring band's lineup, Alex De Pue and Ann Marie Calhoun, both of whom double on keyboards. The other band members were Jeremy Colson (drums and percussion), Bryan Beller (bass), Dave Weiner (guitar and sitar), and Zack Wiesinger (lap steel). More »

CD Review: "Heavy Days" by Mambo Sons
Heavy Days, the newest CD from Mambo Sons, is a two-disc collection of songs steeped in the classic blues-rock tradition, but with the Sons’ own flair. They wield a veritable Mambo stew of influences, including early '70s Stones, Mott the Hoople, Free, Cream and countless others. Heavy Days features the kind of music that used to get a lot of airplay and harkens back to the days of the classic double-LP a la Exile on Main Street. The bottom line: This is a collection of great songs that deserves to be heard. Mambo Sons are Tom Guerra on guitars and vocals, Scott Lawson on bass and vocals, and Joe “The Cat” Lemieux on drums and vocals, with very special guest Matt Zeiner providing Hammond, piano, clavinet, and Wurlitzer on several tracks. More »

Gibson Guitar Announces Les Paul Commemorative Events
Gibson Guitar will celebrate the life and contributions of guitar and audio recording innovator Les Paul during the month of September, 2009, with events connected to the anniversary of Paul's 1953 #1 Billboard Pop Single, "Vaya Con Dios," and the release anniversary of his 2005 album, American Made: World Played. Event details have not yet been announced. Gibson also plans to produce limited edition versions of the Les Paul Studio and Les Paul Standard electric guitars in honor of Les Paul, which could be available to consumers as early as November, 2009. "It is simply impossible to conceive what music would be like today if Les Paul had not lived," says Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. "During the month of September Gibson will celebrate Les Paul through various promotions and events insuring his legacy lives on. The Les Paul Studio and Les Paul Standard guitar remains the best selling guitar of all time and in honor of Les we will give fans the opportunity to purchase very special limited versions while enjoying numerous features and anecdotes about Les on the Gibson website..." More »

Saiichi Sugiyama Talks about the Gibson SG in "The SG Sound"
Four instruments sit at the head table in the pantheon of solidbody electric guitars that defined and continue to define the sound of rock 'n' roll and related genres: the Fender Stratocaster; the Fender Telecaster; the Gibson Les Paul; and the Gibson SG. Saiichi Sugiyama, in his Modern Guitars column, Vintage, chronicles his relationship with the Gibson SG: "The SG Sound." Says Sugiyama: "Someone told me that Carlos Santana played "Samba Pa Ti" on his early '60s SG Special. The harmonics on my SG sounded, to my ears, not dissimilar despite the obvious P-90 colouring of that tone. Eric Clapton said, when we were doing the research for the Christie's 2004 catalogue, that the March 1968 "Crossroads" on Wheels of Fire was played on his cherry-red 335 - but, to be honest, I am not convinced. To my ears, it sounds like a mahogany guitar – his Firebird or more likely the painted SG known as The Fool."

Taylor Guitars Responds to 'United Breaks Guitars'
United Airlines may have reason to sing the blues, but if they are, it's unlikely they're playing Taylor guitars. Singer, songwriter and guitarist Dave Carroll's viral YouTube video "United Breaks Guitars" (close to two million views as of this writing), tells the story of his guitar's mishandling by United Airline employees and the indifference with which his claim for compensation from United was met. A well-produced and engaging musical rant, the tale's told with humor while giving voice to a scenario often recounted in the guitar community. Though in 2003 the American Federation of Musicians and the Transportation Security Administration produced an agreement whereby guitars would be considered carry-on luggage, there are restrictions on the size of the case and situations in which airline baggage handlers still come into contact with instruments destined for the cargo hold or passenger compartment. Carroll's unfortunate experience occurred in 2008 when he and his band, Sons of Maxwell, flew from Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada) to Omaha, Nebraska, via United Airlines. More »

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