Groovy news: Flea unveils line of bass guitars

Red Hot Chili Peppers bass player Flea has released his own line of affordable basses. The musician says he felt called to do so because, "I wanted students to have an instrument that they could fall in love with, and I wanted them to be able to do it with the limited means that most of them have for acquiring one," says the release.

The two-tone model, named the Fleabass, is modeled with a solid maple neck, a rosewood fingerboard and a smooth satin finish. Each bass comes pre-set up with low action for easy playing for beginners. Each also comes with an instructional DVD with Flea, a gig bag featuring the Fleabass logo, input cable and adjustment tools.

The Fleabass retails at $499 and can be found at a variety of music stores, including Elderly Instruments.