Now is the right time to become an American Federation of Musicians member. From ragtime to rap, from the early phonograph to today's digital recordings, the AFM has been there for its members. And now there are more benefits available to AFM members than ever before, including a multi-million dollar pension fund, excellent contract protection, instrument and travelers insurance, work referral programs and access to licensed booking agents to keep you working.
As an AFM member, you are part of a membership of more than 80,000 musicians. Experience has proven that collective activity on behalf of individuals with similar interests is the most effective way to achieve a goal. The AFM can negotiate agreements and administer contracts, procure valuable benefits and achieve legislative goals. A single musician has no such power.
The AFM has a proud history of managing change rather than being victimized by it. We find strength in adversity, and when the going gets tough, we get creative - all on your behalf.
Like the industry, the AFM is also changing and evolving, and its policies and programs will move in new directions dictated by its members. As a member, you will determine these directions through your interest and involvement. Your membership card will be your key to participation in governing your union, keeping it responsive to your needs and enabling it to serve you better. To become a member now, visit www.afm.org/join.
Traditional bass strings are made by wrapping one cover wire around the core to create the G string, two covers for the A and D strings, and three covers for the E string. With GHS Balanced Nickel bass strings two covers are wrapped around the core to create each of the strings. The result is equilibrium between tonality, tension, flexibility, and playability. Normal and short-scale Balanced Nickel bass strings are available in light and medium gauges for four and five-string basses.
BAE Audio’s PDI passive injection box utilizes a new transformer designed to lend any signal passed through it a pleasing warm analog richness and mix-ready sound for guitar, bass, keyboards, or just about any instrument. Priced economically at around $120, it features Neutrick connectors, including quarter-inch input and low-impedance XLR output on one side, with duo audio through outputs on the reverse side. A ground lift switch helps tame any ground loop issues. Hand-assembled in California with timeless circuit design, gold-plated PCB, 100% through-hole components, and rugged steel chassis, it holds up well to daily use in studio or on stage.
When Fender introduced the world’s first electric bass guitar in the early ’50s they couldn’t have foreseen the impact the Precision Bass would have on the world of music. It would help start a revolution in the sound of popular music. Bass guitar has provided the solid foundation on which much of modern music is built. This third edition of The Bass Book follows the evolution of bass guitar from its introduction to today with a full lowdown of the most important bass players and makers. Brands featured in the book include Alembic, Danelectro, Epiphone, Fender, Fodera, Gibson, Hofner, Ibanez, Lakland, Line 6, Music Man, Peavey, Rickenbacker, Sadowsky, Spector, Squier, Steinberger, Warwick, and Yamaha. There are exclusive interviews with bass guitar makers and players, including Paul McCartney, Jack Bruce, Stanley Clarke, John Entwistle, James Jamerson, and Jaco Pastorius. The book includes dozens of high quality photos of rarely seen basses plus reference section.
The Bass Book: A Complete Illustrated History of Bass Guitars, 3rd Edition, by Tony Bacon and Barry Moorhouse, Backbeat Books,
www.backbeatbooks.com.
What began in 1964 as a simple English rock band grew to become one of the most influential bands of the 20th century. This book contains authentic bass tab and notation transcriptions for some of The Who’s most popular songs: “Baba O’Riley,” “Bargain,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Boris the Spider,” “Eminence Front,” “Happy Jack,” “Love, Reign O’er Me,” “My Generation,” “Pinball Wizard,” “The Punk and the Godfather,” “The Real Me,” “Substitute,” “Summertime Blues,” “Who Are You,” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”
The Who Bass Tab Anthology, Alfred Music, www.alfred.com.
Taylor’s Mini Bass is a compact, lightweight, comfortable acoustic bass that provides natural sounding bass notes. Custom D’Addario nylon-core strings (with phosphor bronze wrap wire) plus a unique dual-prong bridge pin design yield great sound and a slinky feel. Condensed fret spacing make it a breeze to play, and an inspiring tool to have on hand for writing, recording demos, and jamming with friends. The bass comes equipped with an ES-B onboard pickup and preamp, featuring tone and volume controls and a built-in tuner, plus a hard bag featuring adjustable backpack straps for easy portability.
J Ferro basses are designed for bassists, by bassists. The Denair Line comes in four-, five-, and six-string instruments. Layering with spalted maple, ash, and mahogany, the bass’s beautiful solid spalted maple top, back, and neck make it a work of art. J Ferro Denair basses also include custom, hand-wound pickups.
The Kala 20 ½-inch short-scale U-Bass first hit the market in 2008. This Kala Exotic Mahogany model’s beautiful exotic mahogany top, back, and sides set it apart by virtue of the eye-catching grain patterns. Set-up in the US with round wound strings, UBASS-EM-FSRW offers familiarity to players accustomed to basses with metal strings. It provides a booming sound with treble more in line with a traditional electric or acoustic bass. The Kala Exotic Mahogany U-Bass comes fully equipped with a built-in tuner and Shadow pickup and EQ system. The retail price is $499.
Orange Amplification’s O Bass was originally created solely as a demonstrator piece for the 2014 Winter NAMM. Soon after the show, Orange was inundated with requests for the instrument. With its smooth lines, shapely aesthetics, and a distinct vintage sonic mojo the O Bass is destined to become a classic with bassists seeking an authentic retro sound. Available in three finishes (Teardrop Sunburst, Off-Black, and Orange) it is constructed from lightweight Okoumé with a bolt-on maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, and custom-wound split coil pickup. It comes with a second three-ply pickguard for customization, master volume and tone controls, top loading four-saddle bridge, and a padded Orange gig bag.
The Worship Bass Book is a fun, informal, practical resource for bassists playing in the worship environment. It covers a broad range of considerations to effectively function as a rhythm section for a team-oriented worship group, plus valuable instruction and helpful direction regarding bass techniques, musical concepts, and important relational considerations for any bass player, in or outside of the worship realm. Topics covered include musical phrasing, tools of the trade, fingerboard familiarity, musical styles, slap and tap techniques, bass and drum synergy, solo bass arranging, real-world groove lessons, and more.
The Worship Bass Book: Bass, Espresso, and the Art of Groove, by Norm Stockton, www.halleonard.com.
Kala’s five-string SUB series solid body U-Bass is a short-scale, travel friendly instrument. It is equipped with Kala’s unique polyurethane strings, a Shadow active pickup system with volume control and two-band EQ, custom Hipshot licensed tuners, and Graph Tech Black Tusq self-lubricating nut. The five-string SUB comes in Sunburst, Cherryburst, red, and black finishes, with an included gig bag.
