Archive for 2011 - Page 2

Bluegrass legend Jody Rainwater has passed away at the age of 92. Born Charles Edward Johnson, the bassist was an early and influential member of the Foggy Mountain Boys, headed by Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt. Scruggs and Flatt formed the Foggy Mountain Boys in 1949 and originally turned to Rainwater to be their booking agent. When founding bassist Cedric...

Q: Having read previous columns, I noticed that you’ve lived all over the US. I was wondering if you’d found that developing a music career was any more beneficial in one place than another. I live in Edinburgh, Scotland, and get the impression from a lot of musicians and friends that Glasgow, Scotland or London, England would be a better...

Gear! Readers can’t get enough, and neither can we. Here’s a big dose of the most read gear stories of 2011 on No Treble. 1. Fender Modern Player Series Bass Guitars Fender unveiled their Modern Player Series in October, with three new basses: the Modern Player versions of the company’s Telecaster, Jaguar and Jazz basses. These entry-level instruments offer modern...

Here’s a little piece of bass history for you. At the Live Under the Sky Jazz Festival in 1983, the Crusaders were joined by bass legends Stanley Clarke and Larry Graham for an exciting version of “Put It Where You Want It.” After some showmanship between the two bassists, Clarke waves Crusaders bassist Brad Bobo to the front and the...

DR Strings has released Dragon-Skin Strings, their new line of clear coated bass and guitar strings. This line is said to have “less unwanted overtones, more volume, and greater articulation” than uncoated strings. The Dragon-Skin bass strings feature the company’s proprietary K3 coating applied to nickel plated steel wrap wire and are available in standard gauges in 4 and 5-string...

Meet Mark McHone, a bassist from Jacksonville, Florida who has traveled the country to play music and teaches kids who are the victims of budget cuts in music programs in school. Mark is our player in the spotlight for December 27, 2011. Bio: I started playing bass at 13 years of age. I am now 27. I have toured all...

No Treble readers must be busy practicing, because our lessons section is one of our most visited sections. The top 10, most viewed lessons in 2011 include many newcomers, as well as several from our archives. Here are the top 10 most popular bass lessons on No Treble in 2011. 1. Practical Theory: Practice Tips for Scales (Part 1) Practicing...

When my Facebook friend Doofybass Kris shared this, I couldn’t wait to share it here. Not only does this 1964 clip of Duke Ellington and his orchestra include a rare glimpse at famed jazz composer Billy Strayhorn, the performance features bassist Ernie Shepard in what Duke calls a “very special operatic version” of “Take the A Train.” The song starts...

Mr. Big, anchored by bassist Billy Sheehan has announced they’ll be releasing Live from the Living Room in February, 2012. The album is a unique one for the band, who decided to do an acoustic album featuring ten of Mr. Big’s songs. Mr. Big’s original line-up of Sheehan, vocalist Eric Martin, guitarist Paul Gilbert and drummer Pat Torpey reunited in...

Our Player Spotlight feature is one of our favorites here at No Treble HQ. Each week, we get to feature a bassist from our community in a big way. Here are our top 10 most popular bassists in the spotlight for 2011, based on readership. Want a shot at making the top 10 list for 2012? Be sure to submit...

Aguilar will be introducing a new ultra-lightweight amp to the Tone Hammer series in 2012, with the all new 350 model. Weighing in at only three pounds, the 350-watt head follows suit in the series by utilizing the company’s Tone Hammer preamp, originally found in the Tone Hammer D.I./preamp pedal. Controls on the Tone Hammer 350 include drive, bass, treble...

Here’s an awesome clip of 9-string bassist ChaotH (aka Frédérick Filiatrault) playing the song “Words” from his band UneXpecT’s album Fables of the Sleepless Empire. ChaotH, who admits that his hair is the source of his bass playing power, takes full advantage of his extended range instrument with some beautiful chordal playing reminiscent of some Tony Levin’s Chapman Stick work...