Top 10: All the Best New Bass Gear, Victor Wooten and the Roots, the Top Bass Videos and Columns of the Week
Last week, No Treble readers enjoyed the latest gear coverage, especially Epifani’s AL Series aluminum combos and cabinets and Ashdown’s new ABM-1000 and ABM-2000 amps. Our bass of the week, the Rob Allen MB-2 bass, was another hit feature.
In the video category, Victor Wooten and the Roots rip it up in the (too short) video from the Jimmy Fallon show, and we went back in the time machine to 1974 to watch Paul Jackson do his thing with Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters. If you missed them, they’re definitely worth a view. If you saw them the first time, they’re worth watching again.
No Treble columnists Donovan “Dr. D” Stokes, Damian Erskine and Ryan Madora all turned in columns that generated a lot of feedback and readership. So glad to know these columns make a difference. Dr. D shared his thoughts on making your next trip into the studio a successful one. Damian answered a reader’s question about the “Zero Fret” (with lots of terrific commentary added by readers), and Ryan posted her recommendations for improving your practice routine.
Here are the top 10 most read articles on No Treble for the week of February 26 – March 3, 2012.
1. Zero Fret: What’s the Point?
Q: What’s the point of a “zero fret”? A: I haven’t noticed much of a difference having a zero fret vs. not having one. My Skjold basses all have zero frets in them, while my Zon’s do not. However, I believe that that the zero fret serves two functions: It gives an open string the…
2. Victor Wooten and The Roots: Live Jam
Wow, when we first reported the news that Victor Wooten would be joining The Roots on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show, we were really excited about that line up coming together. And these guys did not disappoint. Here’s a clip from the show, where Vic and company perform a variation of the tune…
3. Top 10 Cover Tune Videos Arranged for Bass – 2nd Edition
We love all-bass arrangements of cover tunes, and we love even more the fact that the bass is versatile enough to pull it off. We published our first list of the top 10 all-bass covers back in December, 2010. We’ve also featured a variation, with ten Jimi Hendrix-inspired bass videos. And of course, our Bass…
4. Epifani Introduces AL Series Aluminum Combos and Cabinets at NAMM
Epifani has announced the AL combo and speaker line, utilizing hybrid aluminum enclosures. The new models have a pure aluminum shell paired with wood front and rear baffles, with the combos containing the company’s Piccolo 600 amplifier and DIST speaker technology. DIST allows for the combos to run at 4 ohms on their own and…
5. Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters: Spank-A-Lee, Live with Paul Jackson (1974)
Of all the rhythm sections in the history of the world, the combo of bassist Paul Jackson and drummer Mike Clark has to rank near the top. Here’s the duo laying it down behind Herbie Hancock & the Headhunters in a performance of “Spank-A-Lee”. This was originally broadcast on the German television show Musikladen in…
6. Guiding Your Own Practice: A Checklist for Improving Your Practice Routine
Confession: I played bass for years without ever practicing. I didn’t know what to focus on and certainly didn’t have enough discipline for it… I just wanted to play. I played along with records, I fooled around and discovered certain licks, and I hung out with musical buddies who would give me tips now and…
7. Bass of the Week: Rob Allen MB-2
The Rob Allen MB-2 is a unique semi-hollow bass designed to combine the warmth of an upright with the punch of a solid body electric bass. Though it’s available in a fretted version, the MB-2 comes standard as fretless to keep with the organic feel. The bass is offered in three variations depending on the…
8. In the Studio: Part 1 – Preparation
Recently I’ve had the good fortune to take several trips into the recording studio, each situation was entirely different from the last. Each session, or group of sessions, highlighted in my mind different features necessary for an efficient, pleasant and successful session…
9. Percy Jones and BangTower Announce Plans for 2012 Tour
Progressive rock/fusion group BangTower is gearing up for a tour with the release of several new music videos over the coming weeks. Bassist Percy Jones anchors the trio, which also features guitarist Neil Citron and drummer Walter Garces for the coming tour. The video releases will include tracks from the band’s most recent release, Casting…
10. Ashdown Unveils ABM-1000 and ABM-2000 Amps at NAMM
Ashdown has expanded their ABM line of amps with introduction of the ABM-1000 and ABM-2000. The pair couples the company’s ABM Evo III preamp with Class D amplifiers to pump out 1000 and 2000 watts, respectively. Ashdown ABM-1000 bass amp head Both amps carry a unique EQ that combines rotary knobs with a pair of…
