Archive for August 2013

Damian Erskine’s Ask Damian column is our longest running column on No Treble. For over four years – and I believe a total of 216 columns so far – Damian’s column has also been one of the most popular, thanks to the unique way he breaks things down. Damian is looking for more questions to answer. So if you have...

August saw a decent amount of new bass gear released, but only 10 make the list of reader’s favorites here. Thanks as always for reading, commenting and sharing! 1. Misa Introduces Tri-Bass MIDI Controller Australian company Misa is all about enabling live bands to play electronic music, and their new Tri-Bass is a great example of that. The Misa Tri-Bass...

In 2005, Herbie Hancock took the stage at Tokyo Jazz with a special Headhunters line up that featured Marcus Miller on bass. The band also included Terri Lyne Carrington on drums, Roy Hargrove on trumpet, Munyungo Jackson on percussion, Lionel Loueke on guitar and vocals and Wah Wah Watson on guitar. Here they are performing the tune “Actual Proof”. Marcus...

Believe it or not, I’m a huge fan of the blues. This particular genre caught my attention at a young age and it has taken years (and, I expect, will require many more) to appreciate some of its subtleties. If you’ve had an opportunity to check out my series on blues bass playing, then this column acts as a quintessential...

Yes, you read that right: Country/Fusion slap bass. Brazilian bassist Fernando Molinari posted this play-along of the song “Taffontry 20mg” from his album Identidade, which is kind of like a honky tonk song on speed. More of the fusion part of the equation comes out at 1:55 when Molinari plays some blazing tapping lines in unison with the guitar. I’m...

Here’s another reason why the bass community is the best: bassists in the United Kingdom are donating to a good cause as part of the BC Bass Relay. Started in mid-January by James Ryan, a member of the online forum BassChat, the relay includes a single Stagg BC300 Fusion bass being used as a “baton” for gigs to raise money...

The Lipe Guitars Lupara bass is handmade in California by veteran luthier Mike Lipe. Based on his guitar models, the Lupara comes in 4- and 5-string versions with a choice of P/J, J/J, and humbucker pickup configurations. The bass comes standard with an alder body that’s contoured for comfort. Several choices for exotic tops are available including mango, quilted maple,...

Peter Hook is a man who marches to the beat of his own drum, and that beat will lead him on a world tour this year as he and his band The Light present New Order’s Movement and Power, Corruption, & Lies in their entirety. The group will dig deep to play all the singles and B-sides in order as...

Bassist Henrique Corrêa sent us this video of him laying down a sweet groove. What more needs to be said?

Chris Friedrich, bassist for post-rock outfit Caspian, has passed away. The band made the announcement on their website. “We write to you today with heavy hearts and indescribable sadness to tell you that our bass player, Chris Friedrich, died unexpectedly Sunday afternoon,” they wrote. “We have lost a close friend, a true brother, and a presence that can never be...

The Fender Custom Shop has unveiled the Sean Hurley Signature 1961 Precision Bass, available in Three-color Sunburst, Olympic White and Charcoal Frost. The model replicates the renowned session bassist’s own vintage Precision bass down to the piece of foam he stuffed under the strings in front of the bridge to deaden the strings. That led the company to create a...

Q: What is the reality of how guys like you earn a living? I don’t mean to imply that you are “rolling in it,” but how do bassists who focus on freelance work actually make ends meet? A: Great question! Although I’ve talked about the various ways to make things happen in a career or in a scene, I don’t...