Skip to content

Sol Philcox-Littlefield Rig Rundown Guitar Gear Tour

Search

Latest Stories

bass-bench

Will the Electric Bass Continue to Evolve?
Photo by Julien’s Auctions
Bass Bench

Will the Electric Bass Continue to Evolve?

Recent

Does It Really Matter If Pickups Are Handwound?
Courtesy of Delano Pickup Systems
Bass Bench

Does It Really Matter If Pickups Are Handwound?

Marleaux bass guitars
Bass Bench

Myths and Rumors on Scale Length

Our columnist debunks some of the many myths surrounding Leo Fender's P-bass design.

Auditory Illusions: Yanny or Laurel?
Bass Bench

Auditory Illusions: Yanny or Laurel?

You might recall that funny test in 2018, which invited (and divided) listeners to see which name they heard in a clip. Let's explore phantom frequencies.

guitar bridge
Bass Bench

Debunking String-Tension Myths

Esoterica Electrica columnist and luthier Jol Dantzig has been exploring string-tension myths in recent Premier Guitar articles. Here are some thoughts to add to the discourse.

ōPik
Bass Bench

A Closer Look at Optical Pickups

How light-sensitive pickups could replace your instrument's standard magnetic humbuckers—no routing required.

Tom Lieber Spellbinder bass
Pro-Advice

Let There Be Light in Your Tone

Traveling beyond the world of pickup magnets to an optical galaxy for musicians.

The Break Dance Behind the Bridge
Bass

The Break Dance Behind the Bridge

The zen of break angle mechanics and why tone relies more on the tail than the head.

Swiss Cheese and Vibrating Instruments
Bass

Swiss Cheese and Vibrating Instruments

Does artificially breaking in a guitar by “exciting” it really work—at least in the manner we hope it will? And what does that have to do with cheese?

Does a Solidbody Bass' Unplugged Tone Matter? Pt. 2
Bass

Does a Solidbody Bass' Unplugged Tone Matter? Pt. 2

More on why an electric 4-string’s acoustic sound might not predict its plugged-in performance.

Does a Solidbody Bass' Unplugged Tone Matter?
Bass Bench

Does a Solidbody Bass' Unplugged Tone Matter?

The old adage says not to judge a book by its cover—so why do we do it so much with instruments?

Does Fret Material Really Matter for a Bass?
Bass

Does Fret Material Really Matter for a Bass?

Conventional wisdom says that, as a string anchor point, the metal alloy must play a tonal factor. But it's more complicated than that....