Weekly Top Ten: The Best in Bass for the Week of February 3

Bass lessons and how-to’s, new gear still coming from NAMM, and some awesome bass-focused videos.

That’s what made up our weekly top 10 for February 3-9, 2013.

Thanks as always for reading, commenting and sharing. You’re the best!

Fender Introduces Four New American Vintage Basses

1. Fender Introduces Four New American Vintage Basses

Fender has expanded its American Vintage series with four new basses including the ’58 Precision Bass, the ’63 Precision Bass, the ’64 Jazz Bass, and the ’74 Jazz Bass. As with the rest of the line, the new basses are reimagined to bring new life to the original designs…

Expand Your Bass Fretboard Knowledge with the Pentatonic Scale

2. Expand Your Bass Fretboard Knowledge with the Pentatonic Scale

Here’s a great set exercise aimed at expanding your fretboard knowledge. For this lesson, we’re going to use the five positions of the A minor / C Major pentatonic scale. The pentatonic scale contains five notes, of course, and you can play this from different positions. Learning these patterns will significantly increase your fretboard knowledge…

Bass of the Week: ODD Guitars Hive 3D Printed Bass Guitar

3. Bass of the Week: ODD Guitars Hive 3D Printed Bass Guitar

As 3D printing becomes a more accessible means of creation, it seems that imagination is our only limit. ODD Guitars realized this and put the technology to use in instruments. “3D printing allows designs to be manufactured that could not be manufactured through traditional means,” the company writes on their website…

Butter Strings: A Guide to Finding the Best Bass Strings for You

4. Butter Strings: A Guide to Finding the Best Bass Strings for You

Damian Erskine tackles a reader’s question about strings, and smoother playing. The question (and answer) was bigger than that though…

Jaco Pastorius Band: Dolphin Dance

5. Jaco Pastorius Band: Dolphin Dance

Thank goodness for the web and for Charles Hoernemann, who shared today’s video with us. Charles said, “The genius of Jaco Pastorius. A very rare footage of a concert around 1985 on Belgian TV. Jaco’s solo starts at 7:10. Enjoy!” Enjoy indeed.

Setting Yourself Up For Success In The Practice Shed (Part 1)

6. Setting Yourself Up For Success In The Practice Shed (Part 1)

If you are really serious about improving your bass playing, at some point you are going to realize that you need to have a solid practice plan in place. Check out this first part of a two-parter guest column by bassist/educator Adam Nitti…

Zoom Announces MultiStomp MS-60B Bass Pedal at NAMM

7. Zoom Announces MultiStomp MS-60B Bass Pedal at NAMM

Zoom unveiled the MultiStomp MS-60B at NAMM this year. The stompbox features over fifty types of effects and six amp models in a standard-sized pedal. The MS-60B comes with 30 preset patches with room to create up to 50 original patches…

Nick Schendzielos: Mullet Clown Bass Gun Control

8. Nick Schendzielos: Mullet Clown Bass Gun Control

If you’re familiar with Nick Schendzielos, you may know that the following video is full of insane bass playing and quirky antics. This one is no exception. After a heartfelt (albeit completely fictionalized) tale of clown abuse, Schendzielos breaks into a strumming groove topped with an ear-catching, circus-inspired, overdriven melody…

Warwick Introduces LWA 1000 Lightweight Bass Amplifier

9. Warwick Introduces LWA 1000 Lightweight Bass Amplifier

Warwick has entered the lightweight amp market with the new LWA 1000, a six pound bass amp rated at 1,000 watts at 4 ohms. Featuring a Class A preamp and Class D power amp section, the LWA 1000 has two identical channels with individual mutes, 4-band EQs, built-in compressors, and gain controls…

Alex Bershadsky and Dennis Chambers: Freedom Jazz Dance

10. Alex Bershadsky and Dennis Chambers: Freedom Jazz Dance

Alex Bershadsky is working on a new album and sent us this track as a sneak peek of what’s to come. The bassist teamed up with drummer extraordinaire Dennis Chambers to make a duet of the famous Eddie Harris tune “Freedom Jazz Dance.” Tight!

Get daily bass updates.

Get the latest news, videos, lessons, and more in your inbox every morning.

Share your thoughts