Archive for March 2014

After two years of tweaking, MTD has released the Norm Stockton Artist Edition Bass. The bass is based on the company’s Saratoga model while combining features of Stockton’s previous MTD basses, including a more rounded arm contour and a strap button position that’s moved up like a 535. Key to the instrument’s design is its electronics, which are set up...

Many bassists will know Phil Palombi as a jazz bass guru and Scott Lafaro aficionado, but he’s got a funky electric side too. Here’s a video of his spacey jam trio (718) performing “El Sombrero” during their CD release party at the Blue Note in New York City. The group also includes keyboardist Matthew Fries and drummer Eric Halvorson. Their...

Every week in bass land is great, but this week was exceptionally great. Lessons, videos, bass players and gear. What more could you ask for? Here are the top 10 most read stories and most watched videos on No Treble for the week of March 23-29, 2014. Thanks for reading, watching, commenting and sharing. 1. Edmond Gilmore: “Double Presto” from...

Höfner has announced that their line of 500/1 Violin “Beatle Basses” are getting new names to more accurately represent their time. The construction and fittings will remain unchanged. “Due to the sequence that re-issue models were released in, more than 10 years ago, the [Paul] McCartney spec bass became the Vintage ’62 Re-issue despite the fact that his bass was...

Our Facebook friend Keith Devereux wrote to us saying, “How about some videos of Roger Glover? A very much overlooked but very talented Bass player.” It reminded me of one of my favorite Deep Purple tunes, “Pictures of Home,” which first appeared on their iconic Machine Head album. Here’s Glover with Deep Purple performing the song at in Montreux in...

English bass amplification company Barefaced Audio has announced their new Generation 3 series of cabinets including revamps of their flagship Big Baby II and Big Twin II cabinets. Both models have been updated with new drivers, hardware and construction. “The key is our new custom 12XN550 speaker driver, which has taken over two years to develop,” says designer Alex Claber....

No Treble reader Daniel Toledo shared this video with us, of a great tune he wrote and recorded earlier this month. The tune “Mikkakan” was recorded at the studios at Berklee in Valencia, Spain. So perfect for a Saturday afternoon.

I was a pretty picky eater when I was a kid. Okay, a very picky eater. Oh yeah, and I still am. Wednesday nights typically revolved around my father making pasta and having to put up with my self-imposed dietary restrictions: I was an anti-tomatite. Dad tried as hard as possible, time and time again, to convince me that not...

Snarky Puppy’s live DVD/CD offers a musical diversity like no other. Here’s the band performing “Gone Under” with Shayna Steele. Steele wrote the tune and Snarky Puppy bandleader and bassist Michael League produced and arranged it.

Asia’s 14th studio album, , is a pure expression of the progressive rock band, according to lead vocalist and bassist John Wetton (formerly of King Crimson). “It conveys the spectrum of emotion and color from real life agonies to ecstatic fantasy of escapism. Great songs, fabulous performance. Gravitas is ASIA by ASIA. At last.” Asia is best known for its...

This week we check out the Globe Bass from the bass builders at Fibernare. The Hungarian company was created by brothers Attila, Csaba, and Arpad Benedek who didn’t have access to the guitars they wanted when they were younger and Hungary was behind the iron curtain. The brothers decided to build their own, and continually working to improve their own...

Following your dreams isn’t always an easy path, but it’s an honest and rewarding one. It’s also one that Carey Nordstrand has followed to create his bass business. After finding his passion for bass, Carey took opportunities to get into the business and expand his knowledge. His bass company, Nordstrand Guitars, has grown from a one-man shop to a group...