MEGADETH‘s Dave Ellefson is expanding his arsenal of signature bass models with the addition of the new David Ellefson Signature Kelly Bird Bass. The four-string bass features a basswood body with Ellefson‘s signature red pinstripe finish, bolt-on bound maple neck with 21 jumbo frets and block inlays, EMG pickups, two volume controls and three-band active EQ, Jackson high-mass four-string HM-4 bridge, and Jackson die-cast tuners. Available in Red Burst with Black Center-Stripe.
The new David Ellefson Signature Kelly Bird Bass was unveiled at this year’s NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants) show, a massive music-products convention that is taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. A short video message from Ellefson announced the launch can be seen below.
Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson posted the video below from the band’s tour stop in Sioux City, Iowa, where he got a brand-new five-string Kelly Bird bass from Jackson Guitars, with whom he has a signature line of instruments. Watch him give it the official Ellefson bass test – playing the line from “Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?” of course.
Megadeth‘s U.S. tour winds down tomorrow night with their performance at Rocklahoma 2012 (where they’ll be joined by Rob Zombie, Theory of a Deadman, Black Stone Cherry and Trivium, along with many, many other bands.
MEGADETH will perform its 1992 album, “Countdown To Extinction”, in its entirety on September 14 at Estadio Cubierto Malvinas in Buenos Aires, Argentina and on September 16 at Orfeo in Cordoba, Argentina.
As previously reported, MEGADETH will also perform all of “Countdown To Extinction” on September 7 at Teatro Caupolican in Santiago, Chile; on September 19 at the Pepsi Center in Mexico City, Mexico; and on September 21 at the Arena VFG in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Speaking to the Artisan News, Ellefson stated about the LP, “‘Countdown’ was really one of my favorite records of the whole MEGADETH catalog… for a number of reasons. Musically, I think it brought together the best of thrash, the melodic part, writing big, hooky riffs. And that record really launched us into the mainstream, which opened up a lot of other opportunites and things for us to do. But more importantly, I think, than all of that, is it was a really cool time when the four of us were really, probably, our most connected together as a band.”
MEGADETH‘s fifth LP, “Countdown To Extinction” was released on July 14, 1992 through Capitol Records. The band’s best-selling full-length CD to date, it was certified double-platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) for U.S. shipments in excess of two million copies. The album also produced the band’s most successful hit singles, “Symphony Of Destruction”, “Sweating Bullets”, “Skin O’ My Teeth” and “Foreclosure Of A Dream”.
Zoom and Samson Technologies tapped MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello to conduct interviews with various hard rock and heavy metal musicians backstage at the fourth annual Revolver Golden Gods awards, which was held on April 11 at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles, California. Featured artists include members of KISS, ALICE COOPER, HELLYEAH, TWISTED SISTER, THE CULT and BUCKCHERRY. You can now watch the footage below.
For the first time ever, Revolver Golden Gods was broadcast live in its entirety on Xbox LIVE, as well as on the Xbox and Revolver Facebook pages.
Hosting duties for the Golden Gods awards show were handled by FOZZY frontman and WWE pro-wrestling legend Chris Jericho, who returned for the third consecutive year. The nominees in 11 different categories, plus the recipient of this year’s prestigious “Golden God Award,” were revealed on February 15 at a press conference held at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
The Golden God Award, given to one special honoree a year who embodies the spirit of hard rock and metal, went to KISS demon Gene Simmons, whose band will release their highly anticipated 20th studio album, “Monster”, this summer. (Previous honorees include hard-rock and metal legends Alice Cooper, Rob Halford of JUDAS PRIEST and Dave Mustaine of MEGADETH.)
Adding to the celebration, The 2012 Revolver Golden Gods awards show featured one-of-a-kind special performances and collaborations that honored both the past, present and future of heavy music. The night’s hard-rocking musical performances included sets by MARILYN MANSON (in his first U.S. performance in nearly three years); iconic Grammy-winning guitarist Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and THE CONSPIRATORS; EVANESCENCE; SIXX: A.M. featuring Nikki Sixx of MÖTLEY CRÜE, James Michael, acclaimed rock producer and songwriter, and DJ Ashba of GUNS N’ ROSES (in their first performance in almost four years); and 2011 “Best New Band” Golden Gods Award winner BLACK VEIL BRIDES, who performed their only U.S. show of 2012 so far.
Revolver Golden Gods winners:
* Best Guitarists: Jinxx and Jake Pitts (BLACK VEIL BRIDES)
* Best Drummer: Jeremy Spencer (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH)
* Paul Gray Best Bassist: Nikki Sixx (MÖTLEY CRÜE, SIXX: A.M.)
* Riff Lord: Slash
* Comeback Of The Year: SLIPKNOT
* Best International Band: X JAPAN
* Best Live Band: AVENGED SEVENFOLD
* Best Vocalist: Amy Lee (EVANESCENCE)
* Most Metal Athlete: CM Punk (WWE wrestling)
* Most Dedicated Fans: AVENGED SEVENFOLD
* Album Of The Year: KORN’s “The Path Of Totality”
* Golden God: Gene Simmons (KISS)
* Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award: RUSH
