While this forgotten, oddball instrument was designed with multidextrous guitarists in mind, it never quite took off—making it a rare, vintage treasure.
At Fanny’s House of Music, you never know what strange or fascinating relics you might find. Guitorgan? Been there, sold that. A Hawaiian tremoloa fretless zither? We’ve had two.
Recently, the oddest of odd ducks strolled through Fanny’s front door. It looks like a Harmony Wedge lap steel that was thrown in the dryer to shrink a little bit. It has two flatwound bass strings, in reverse order from where you’d expect—the higher string is on the left side if you’re looking at the instrument’s face. Each string has its own fretting surface, bent at a 135-degree angle away from each other, and the frets are labeled with note names. A raised, thin strip of wood separates the strings from each other on the fretboard.
Oh, wait a moment. Did we say “fretboard?” We should have said “footboard.” Allow us to introduce you to the 1970s Mike Miller Foot Bass. That’s right—you play this adorable critter with your feet. The strings are tuned a fifth apart from each other. By setting the instrument on the ground and rocking your foot back and forth over the neck, you get a standard country root-fifth bass line—completely hands-free. Are you a guitar player? All you need is one of these puppies and a drum machine and, poof! You’re a whole band!
Along the “footboard” are markers for note names.
Thank goodness for the internet, which gave me access to the original promotional materials for the Foot Bass. Emblazoned with the all-caps header, “BE YOUR OWN BASS MAN,” its pamphlet extols the virtues of the Foot Bass. Describing it as “practically maintenance free,” it guarantees you’ll “amaze friends and audiences,” and “make extra MONEY.”
A brief meander through the United States Patent and Trademark website revealed the patent, whose filer was equally concerned with finances. “A currently popular form of entertainment is provided by an artist who both sings and accompanies himself on a guitar,” it reads, as if this hasn’t been a popular form of entertainment for a very long time. “The performance of such an artist may be enhanced by adding a bass accompaniment.... However, such an additional bass accompaniment ordinarily requires an extra artist for playing the bass and therefore represents an additional expense.” Sorry, bass players. Clearly, you all do nothing but cost us guitar players money.
“That’s right—you play this adorable critter with your feet.”
Be prepared to dig through your closet when you embark on your Foot Bass journey. If you start with your trusty Doc Martens, you’re in for a disappointing experience. Deep treads make for messy notes and poor contact with the strings. And while barefoot playing allows for more nimble, adventurous basslines, the lack of a rigid surface prevents the “simple and convenient” operation promised by the patent. What you need, as one Fanny’s employee described, are “church shoes”—something with a low profile and a flat sole.
This Mike Miller Foot Bass is from the 1970s, and has a patent for its design.
Even with the right footwear, playing the Foot Bass takes some getting used to. There’s a bit of foam under the pickup cover that mutes the strings when you’re not playing them, but you can still make a remarkable amount of clatter with this thing. It’s a subtle motion that works best, and it certainly takes practice to master it. Add in multiple chords or—be still, my heart—walking up from one chord to the next? Give yourself a couple weeks in the woodshed before you schedule your next show.
If you’re looking for something to watch tonight, there’s a documentary you can find on YouTube called Let Me Be Your Band. It covers the history of one-person bands, starting with blues pioneer Jesse “Lone Cat” Fuller and continuing up to the early 2000s with the careers of Hasil Adkins and Bob Log III, among others. It’s a touching portrayal of ingenuity and spunk, and an ode to owning your weirdness. Not a single person in Let Me Be Your Band had a Foot Bass, though. It’s high time the Foot Bass was celebrated for its cleverness and played by an enterprising solo act. It’s a bit like Cinderella’s glass slipper here at Fanny’s. We can’t wait to see who tries it on for a perfect fit.
The giveaways keep going! Enter Stompboxtober Day 25 for your chance to win today’s pedal from SoloDallas!
The Schaffer Replica® - BASS-X
After introducing the Schaffer Replica Storm low end legends like Rudy Sarzo, Billy Sheehan, and Pino Paladino discovered it to be equally amazing on bass. Based upon their input we made a few minor changes to this beloved circuit to make it more conducive to higher amplitude and lower frequencies. To our loyal bassists who have waited so patiently, we proudly introduce The Schaffer Replica - BASS-X.
The long-running punk outfit’s bassist shows off his no-frills rumble regimen from this year’s arena tour.
This summer, a Bay Area punk-rock extravaganza rolled across the world. In support of the 30th and 20th anniversaries of their records Dookie and American Idiot, Green Day arranged the summer’s best stadium-rock tour, with support from Smashing Pumpkins and fellow Bay bashers Rancid.
PG’s Chris Kies met up with Rancid bassist Matt Freeman just before the tour’s stop at Nashville’s Geodis Park. In this Rundown, in addition to trotting out his breadwinner bass rig, Freeman tells Kies his bass origin story, including his early and enduring influences, and shares how he developed a unique playing style suited to his smaller hands. Later, tech Warren Lee takes over to give us the scoop on Freeman’s backstage rack. Tune in to get the details.
Brought to you by D’Addario.
Chamber Music
Freeman’s principal 4-strings are two Fender Precision basses, but after he experienced back issues last year, Fender set to work on this one, making it less taxing on Freeman’s body. The result is this sneakily chambered P bass, which is lighter to facilitate long-term rocking. Freeman strings it with Fender Nickel Plated Steel bass strings, with a gauge range of .105–.085–.065–.045.
High Mass
Fender R&D created this dense bridge with barrel saddles to offset the reduced weight of the body so it properly balanced on Matt's shoulder.
Bassman's Bassman
For the stadium shows, Freeman runs these two Fender Bassman 800 heads with matching 8x10 cabinets.
Tenderloin
Freeman’s signal goes wireless from his bass into one of the Avalon U5 Class A Active Instrument DI and Preamps—the other is a backup—then through the Way Huge Pork Loin Overdrive, set to give his Bassman a good push, and finally to the onstage amps.
Shop Rancid's Rig
Fender Bassman 800 Head
Fender Bassman 810 Neo 8x10" Bass Cabinet
Avalon U5 Class A Active Instrument DI and Preamp
Fender Precision Bass
Fender Nickel Plated Steel Bass Strings
Fender's American Ultra II series offers the ultimate blend of tradition and modernity, featuring advanced Ultra Noiseless and new Haymaker Humbucker pickups, stunning finishes, and a sleek Modern “D” neck shape.
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) today continues its industry-defining innovation, launching the next iteration of the coveted American Ultra series—Fender’s most advanced series of electric guitars - by taking that hyper-modern recipe and turning it up to 11 for American Ultra II.
At a time when projections indicate the electric guitar market is set to grow by USD 1.45 billion from 2024-2028, driven by increasing demand for music-related leisure activities¹, the introduction of the American Ultra II series exemplifies a steadfast commitment to innovation, with every detail reflecting a relentless pursuit of perfection. At Fender, innovation is an ongoing, dynamic process fueled by a deep passion for enhancing the playing experience. Long before the American Ultra series hit the market, discussions were already underway about future possibilities, sparked by spontaneous experiments and real-world feedback from the innovators who play these guitars.
The American Ultra II series is built in Fender’s iconic California factory where guitars are meticulously crafted using a blend of time-honored techniques and state-of-the-art CNC technology, ensuring every instrument embodies the perfect balance of tradition and modernity. Massive green punch presses and decades-old tools, some dating back to the 1950s, sit alongside advanced machinery that allows for precise shaping and flawless consistency.
“With the work and heart that went into creating the American Ultra II series, there's a lot of soul in these guitars,” said Justin Norvell, EVP of Product at FMIC. “We refer to it as the “sports car” of the Fender lineup, it’s designed to push boundaries and redefine what a Fender guitar can be, catering to both traditionalists and those exploring new, faster, and more intricate playing styles. This is a guitar that doesn’t fight you; instead, it gets out of the way, allowing you to focus purely on your performance, whether you’re playing soulful solos, fast riffs, or complex chord progressions.”
Featuring stunning finishes, modern body contours, a Modern “D” neck shape, and the most advanced Ultra Noiseless™ and new Haymaker™ Humbucker pickups, American Ultra II bridges the gap between Fender’s classic designs and high-performance instruments typically associated with Fender’s specialty brands such as Charvel, EVH or Jackson. The guitars’ unique neck profiles provide an effortless glide along the fretboard, making for an incredibly smooth and responsive feel that increases precision. The American Ultra II series is an ideal fit for players who love the iconic look and sound of a Fender guitar, but crave the speed and playability of a performance guitar adept for playing across genres, from neo-soul and jazz to metal and funk.
A welcome balance to the ultra-modern specs, the American Ultra II also embodies the hallmark qualities that make Fender guitars timeless including unparalleled versatility, modularity, and signature tone. Whether a player is chasing the crystalline clarity of classic Stratocaster® sounds, the bite of a Telecaster®, or the deep growl of a Jazz Bass®, the American Ultra II series is built to handle it all. In addition to the standard models, the series includes Ultra II Jazz Bass® V, a left-hand Stratocaster® model as well Ultra II Meteora® guitar and bass.
Top Highlights Include:
- Fender’s Fastest-Playing Necks: The quartersawn maple neck has a comfortable modern “D” shape and is topped with an ebony or maple fingerboard with Luminlay side dots and Ultra rolled edges
- Upgraded Noiseless™ Pickups: The Ultra II Noiseless™ pickups deliver classic Fender® single-coil sound – without the hum
- Ultra Comfort And Playability: A sculpted neck heel and sleek rear body contours offer next-level comfort and playability
American Ultra II Models & Pricing
- American Ultra II Stratocaster - $2,199.99-2,249.99
- American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS - $2,249.99
- American Ultra II Telecaster - $2,199.99
- American Ultra II Meteora - $2,249.99
- American Ultra II Precision Bass - $2,199.99
- American Ultra II Jazz Bass - $2,299.99
- American Ultra II Jazz Bass V - $2,399.99
- American Ultra II Meteora Bass - $2,299.99
American Ultra II Series | Fender
The revamped line features all-new, high-performance Meteora models, plus updates to the Strat, Tele, Jazz Bass, and more.
Today, Fender launches their Ultra II line, an update to their modern Ultra Series, released in 2019. The new line was previewed at a media event in New York’s Lower East Side last week, where attendees got their hands on demo models of the Ultra II Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazz Bass, and Meteora guitar and bass. Session and sideman guitarist Isaiah Sharkey and touring bassist and vocalist Annie Clements were on hand to give an impromptu performance on the new Stratocaster and Jazz Bass models.
If there’s one instrument that feels more representative of the forward-leaning line as a whole, it’s the Meteora. This high-end, high-performance take on the sleek, futuristic Meteora design is the only offset guitar in the Ultra II series, replacing the Jazzmaster, and features the company’s new Haymaker humbuckers. Fender Executive Vice President of Product Justin Norvell tells PG that when the team asked themselves, “What is an Ultra-level Jazzmaster?,” The Meteora was the answer.
The Ultra II Meteora also features the new Haymaker humbuckers.
Across the line, the Ultra II models feature aesthetic changes, including new body contours, smoother finishes on their anodized pickguards, updated tints and satin finishes on their compound-radius necks, and Luminlay side dots. The basses feature new preamps, and all Ultra II models also feature all-new noiseless pickups that Norvell says are “totally different from the Ultra I. We’re trying to get back to more of an alnico sound that feels more warm.”
The new Ultra II Meteora bass.
“For an 80-year-old company, we could just be doing reproductions,” Norvell says. “Leo didn’t: A 1954 Strat was different by ’57—it had a V neck, it was alder, it had a different burst, you get into 3-tone guards, you get into rosewood. It was always moving. That is what we keep doing.”
All Ultra II models, including this Tele, feature updated body contours.
The Ultra II Jazz Bass in demonstration.