You can’t rush a painstaking artist like Iowa City's Chris Threlkeld-Wiegand. Known for years in prominent nationwide orchestral circles for his exquisitely crafted string basses selling for $40,000 ...

This isn’t a small encounter; a string bass is a big deal. It can be double the trouble, double the pleasure. Making them from scratch is a labor of heroic proportions. On an overcast Tuesday morning ...

All the electronics for the suitcase bass came from parts Ross Newell recycled from old smoke alarms. Turns out if you wire it backwards, the alarm component that makes the loud "beep" noise becomes a ...

While guitar players and singers might hog the limelight, we know as bassists that it would all fall apart if it weren’t for us, right? That’s why it’s crucial that we’re armed with one of the best ...

An upright or double bass provides the lowest tones in an orchestra, but also can play the rhythmic background to a jazz improvisation or the solid foundation of a bluegrass song. It can be played ...

ZZ Top’s Elwood Francis—that’s who. The ZZ Top bass player broke one out at the band’s show in Huntsville, Alabama earlier this week on November 5. The musician played the odd-looking instrument when ...