When you see as many pedalboards as I do, you’ve seen this tuner countless times. I was starting to wonder why I was the only person that didn’t have one! Plus, there must be something magical about it for every guitar/bass player I know to drop $100 on this pedal.

There isn’t anything magical – aside from the fact that it’s well built, tunes perfectly every single time, and you can count on this pedal to last. Both of my guitarists in my band use this pedal. They’ve had their for years and put them through everything. Tours, spilling beer on them, etc. Everything short of setting them on fire. And they still work perfectly. You can also use this pedal to power up to 8 others (cool feature if you need it).

Pluck a note, and it picks up the signal instantly and tells you flat/sharp. That speed is totally necessary when you have to tune on the fly (like between, or during songs!). Step on the pedal, your signal to the amp mutes, tune, step on it again. That’s it. It doesn’t get anymore simple. Plus, you don’t get the noise issues that my Planet Waves tuner gives me. I would recommend this tuner over a Planet Waves any day. Go get one!

Click Here To See It Now At Musician’s Friend!

Click Here To See It Now At Zzounds!

A friend of mine bought this pedal for me as a gift. Yeah, he’s a rad friend. $85 seems like a lot to pay for a tuner though. And at the time I was using a rack tuner. But lugging around rack gear along with the rest of my bass rig was getting old. So I made the switch and started using this pedal.

The first thing i noticed – this pedal is heavy! And in a good way. It feels like a solid brick of steel. Which is comforting when I think of all the abuse it takes in the back of my band’s trailer. There aren’t any flimsy buttons or knobs to break, and the actual foot pedal is solid as well. The LED is easy to read on a dark stage. But bring it out in the sunlight and you have a problem. A big one, I can’t even see what note it’s displaying.

Here’s the big bummer… when you step on the pedal to engage the tuner, it hums. My Ampeg rig has never hummed so loud in my years of using it. It’s so bad that a few sound guys have complained about the humming coming through the PA system. If you can deal with that, then this pedal is a decent deal. The solution to your humming problem is to use a separate power adapter (but I run it on a pedal board through the built-in power supply daisy chain). Your gear should be easy to use, not a hassle. So this tuner lost some stars for that reason. Overall, it gets the job done though. I mean, it’s not like I’ve bought a new tuner to replace this one.

Click Here To See It Now At Musician’s Friend!


Click Here To See It Now At Zzounds!

A few years ago, my band won a competition and played the Vans Warped Tour on the Ernie Ball Stage. Awesome experience, one of the best times of my life. We got on stage that morning to set up, and this Markbass baby was sitting on top of an 8×10 cabinet. The sound guy told me I could plug up my head (an Ampeg), but I wanted to fiddle with the SD800 first.

Oh My God (yeah, like OMG). I felt like a high school girl at the prom – and my knees were weak. Since that day I have dreamed about owning one of these bass heads. What’s so great about it? Just listen to it. Go hear one now. It will change your thinking. 750 watts of bass glory at 4 ohms. Rackmount, tons of headroom, Neutrik Speakon jacks… all the goodies.

Know what else? Only 7.5 pounds! That’s hugely important if you tour at all. My Ampeg head kills my back after a few nights of lifting it onto the 8×10 cab. The big picture here is YOU NEED THIS AMP. As soon as you hear it, you’ll fall in love.

Click Here To See It Now At Musician’s Friend!

I played on this head for about a year. This was back when I was probably about 15 years old, and at the time I just needed an amp. Any amp. Well Gallien-Krueger came through for my back then. 300 watts was plenty loud enough, and I plugged into a Peavey 15″ cab which sounded alright.

So, let’s get real – is this amp great for every bass player? No. It’s a starter amp really. Need something to get you into the world of separate head/cab bass amps? This can be a good introduction. GK really isn’t my sound, and Ampeg has become my new favorite. But try this one out if you need a low-budget bass head.

One problem that lead to my replacing this amp was the fuse. There is a single fuse that blows every couple weeks, and it’s a huge PIA (pain in the arse). You’re at a show, rocking out, then all of a sudden you’re not. And unless you have a spare on ya, you’re done for the night.

But like I said, if you need something low-budget to start playing shows, go for it. It will get the job done, but look to upgrade in the near future.

Click Here To See It Now At Musician’s Friend!

Alder body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard… but how does it sound? How does it feel? Most bass guitars sound the same on paper (or your computer screen), but they tend to show their true colors when you actually pick them up and play them.

Well this bass doesn’t disappoint. It sounds like a Fender and it feels like one, too. But if you’re not a Fender guy, look elsewhere… You’re either in the club or you’re not.

As far as P-basses go, this is a great starter. Real Fender brand (no Squire, here!) and real Fender tones. The neck feels solid and natural in your hands. It stays in tune well and it will last you many years if you treat it right. I had a precision just like this for years and it was working great when I traded up a few months back. Get one, play it, love it.

Click Here To See It At Musician’s Friend!


Click Here To See It Now At Zzounds!

When I’m picking out bass strings, Ernie Ball is the only name I trust. I’ve tried other brands, and I’ ve been let down countless times. If my bass doesn’t have Balls, it doesn’t have nothin! Out of the wide selection Ernie Ball offers, the Regular Slinkys fit the bill for me.

If you’ve heard bands like Blink182 or NOFX and thought “why doesn’t my bass sound like that,” then string your bass with Ernie Balls. They make the difference every time. These strings provide that trebly, punchy tone that rock bass players are famous for.

But don’t worry… you’ll not miss out on any low end. Nothing hits the lows better than a fresh set of Ernie Ball Slinkys. Here’s my final word on these strings: get em, don’t look back.

Click Here To See It Now At Musician’s Friend!

I’m picky about my gear – all the way down to my cables. The way I see it, there are two types of people when it comes to instrument cables. There’s the guys that use whatever junk cable they can get their hands on. And then there’s the guys that buy $100 cables because “it’s the best of the best.” Well there is another way. Monster’s S-100 cables are top notch, for a modest price, and come with a full guarantee. That’s what you can expect from a company like Monster – the best.

These cables come with a guarantee. But I’ll admit that I’ve never used it. This cable is a hoss. As long as you keep it rolled up right, it will last forever. I’ve been using the same one for the last year. I only replaced my old one because someone stole it!

Here’s my final word: if you need a pro quality cable, but can’t imagine shelling out big bucks for a piece of wire, get the S-100. It’s the best investment you’ll ever make.

Click Here To See It Now At Musician’s Friend!


Click Here To See It Now At Zzounds!

Ampeg means quality gear in the bass world. It’s the sound you recognize and the name you can trust. With that in mind, there’s no question why every pro bass player seems to stand in front of an 810 cabinet. Simply put – an Ampeg 810 is the standard by which every other cab is measured.

But what makes this cab stand out? It’s a massive wall of sound. It pounds out thunderous lows with a dense tone. If you need to shake the walls of any club, you can count on this cab to do the job. I’ve been playing on one since I was 16. I saved for months while working at a grocery store, and the day I bought my first 810 was the single greatest day of my bass career.

If you need the real deal, regardless of size and weight, get this cab. You can always find roadies to help you lug it around. Trust me… it’s more than worth the trouble and the cost.

Click Here To See It At Musician’s Friend!


Click Here To See It Now At Zzounds!

I’ve been through a lot of basses over the years. Most of them were Fenders, and most of them were P-basses. But when I picked up this fretless Fender jazz bass at the local music store, my heart stopped. Just try one sometime. Pick a note and slide your fingers up the fretboard. It’s like butter. And it puts out the sexiest, jazziest tone you’ll ever hear.

If you need something to stand out in the studio, get a fretless. If you want other players to be impressed by your live show, get a fretless. Bass players can get lost when playing on one of these babies. It’s like being in another world.

Mexican or American, it doesn’t really matter. A fretless bass is still a treat. So go try one today and join the club. You’ll never forget to renew your membership!

Click Here To See It At Musician’s Friend!


Click Here To See It Now At Zzounds!

The Ampeg SVT450H is a rare gem in the bass amp world. It combines classic Ampeg looks, tone, and feel into one modestly priced rig. While many players from the old school still hang on to the “tube or nothing” mentality, I have to admit to using this amp on a regular basis.

What you get is 450-watts of pure bliss. It’s the closest thing to real tube tone you will ever find in a solid-state amp! And if you don’t believe it, go play one yourself. You will be shocked to say the least. And if 450 watts isn’t enough for you, get your head checked out. Odds are you will never turn this baby up past 5.

Complaints? I’m stumped. I have spent hours playing on this amp and found nothing to whine about. The graphic EQ is perfect for finding just the right balance, and the XLR line out will make your sound guy smile. In case you were wondering, recording direct from the XLR output sounds superb. So why waste money on a direct box or some modeling amp?

Get the real Ampeg sound – live or in the studio – with this beast. You won’t regret your decision.

Click Here To See It At Musician’s Friend!


Click Here To See It Now At Zzounds!