Archive for May 2012 - Page 2

Copilot FX has a new octave pedal designed specifically for bass. The Cubic is a versatile pedal with a switch for two different voices – one with pure octave and the other with mixed octave, while the switch on the front of the pedal toggles between providing one or two octaves down. In addition to Volume and Blend controls, the...

As you may recall, I reviewed Symphony Pro late last year and hailed it as a good start and the best we have available to us for notating music on the iPad. I believe that Notion may have just raised the bar. I found that the actual act of notation on Notion was far more intuitive and a bit quicker...

Oh man. This is some great music, and some sweet grooves. The reunited Return to Forever, with Stanley Clarke, Lenny White, Chick Corea and Al Di Meola, performed at Montreux in July 2008. The concert was released a year later on the DVD. This performance of “The Sorceress” from that show has it all, including a great bass face by...

When it is bass, we think everything deserves to be in the top 10. But we have to choose from a lot of stories, columns and videos. So we let you decide. Here are the top 10 most read, most watched features on No Treble for the week of May 20-26, 2012. Enjoy, and as always, thanks for reading! 1....

We’d heard rumors about this, and now a report has come out via USA Today confirming what we’ve been hearing: a film about Jaco Pastorius has been in development, and it is being financed by Metallica’s Robert Trujillo. Trujillo, you may remember, has another tie to Jaco, having purchased Jaco’s Bass of Doom a year ago, years after it had...

Dean Markley has expanded their Helix series strings with a signature set for Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx. Used by the man himself, the Nikki Sixx Helix HD SS Bass Strings are made of a special stainless steel alloy that the company says has an “inherent bright and cutting timbre.” Following the line, the new set of strings is constructed...

I hope you’re enjoying your Sunday. Here’s something from bassist/vocalist Amy LaVere and her trio to make it even better.

Today, we celebrate the birthday of one of the greats: Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. NHØP, as we all like to call him, started out on piano but thankfully picked up the bass at age 14. He went on to have a major impact on the instrument, expanding on the work of another bass innovator, Scott LaFaro. From the 1960’s until his...

Amp guru Dave Hunter has released a new book dedicated to classic amps, offering up a history of the author’s picks for the 60 greatest guitar and bass amps in history. Amped: The Illustrated History of the World’s Greatest Amplifiers tells the stories of the 1937 Rickenbacher M11 all the way through the latest Matchless amp, and offers plenty in...

Since its announcement, the Black Sabbath reunion has had nothing but difficulty after difficulty. Plans for a world tour and new album were put on hold after lead guitarist Tony Iommi was diagnosed with Lymphoma, while drummer Bill Ward recently declared his contract unsignable. There’s been no official statement on Ward’s departure, but bassist Geezer Butler weighed in on the...

Bass whiz Simon Fitzpatrick has done it again with a jaw-dropping version of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”. This clip comes from a May 22nd performance with the Carl Palmer Band at Stag Theatre in Sevenoaks, Kent. The bassist even covers the guitar solo with one handed tapping while keeping the bass line going, eventually wrapping up the big jam...

V-Moda has expanded their Ear Armor series with their new Faders VIP line of tuned metal earplugs. Available in four sizes, the new earplugs reduce noise levels by 12dB across the spectrum. The fittings are made of medical grade BLISS 3.0 hybrid-silicone to fit any ear extra small, small, medium, and large sizes. Each set comes with a detachable cord...