Weekly Top 10: Bass on a Budget, New Gear, Top Bass Videos, Shell Voicings and More

Time for our weekly tradition of celebrating the best of the best from the world of bass. Here are the top 10 No Treble reader favorite stories, columns and videos for the week of April 16-22, 2016.

Thanks as always for reading, watching, commenting and sharing.

Bass on a Budget: 10 Basses Under $1,000 for 2016

1. Bass on a Budget: 10 Basses Under $1,000 for 2016

Tax season is finally over and it’s time to figure out how to spend that sweet refund from Uncle Sam. Of course, if you’re reading this site you’ve probably already decided on a bass. That’s why we put together this list of 10 new basses for 2016 under $1,000…

Sire Guitars Launches Marcus Miller M7 Series

2. Sire Guitars Launches Marcus Miller M7 Series

Sire Guitars has teamed up with Marcus Miller once again to introduce the Sire Marcus Miller M7 Series. The dual humbucker design, which has been in the works for some time, is now open for pre-order and will be shipping on April 30th…

Ernie Ball Music Man Previews Cutlass and Caprice Basses

3. Ernie Ball Music Man Previews Cutlass and Caprice Basses

Ernie Ball Music Man has unveiled their first fully passive basses with the Caprice and Cutlass models. The basses, which were debuted at the NAMM Show this year, feature brand new body styles that are influenced by old school design with modern playability…

Playing For Change: Higher Ground

4. Playing For Change: Higher Ground

This video has been making the rounds recently on Facebook, and I was mesmerized by it. I was surprised to learn it actually came out in 2011. Organized by Playing For Change, this performance of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” features musicians from nine locations around the world…

Svadah: Rainy Day Bass Groove

5. Svadah: Rainy Day Bass Groove

Norwegian bassist Svadah sent me this “Rainy Day Bass Groove” on what happened to be a perfectly rainy day. “Took my bass out in to film a bass groove I made a little while ago on a typical rainy day in Bergen,” he wrote on Facebook…

Introduction to “Shell Voicings” on Bass

6. Introduction to “Shell Voicings” on Bass

Playing chords on the upright doesn’t only add to our tonal palette, it also strengthens our knowledge. Some voicings, however, are more pleasant than others and can easily become “muddy”. As a result, many choose to play “Shell Voicings”. Dr. D breaks it down…

Simon Fitzpatrick: The Planets Suite – III. Mercury, the Winged Messenger (All Bass Arrangement)

7. Simon Fitzpatrick: The Planets Suite – III. Mercury, the Winged Messenger (All Bass Arrangement)

Simon Fitzpatrick has taken the third suite of Gustav Holst’s “The Planets Suite” and turned it into an all bass arrangement, using his Sei Bass Flamboyant 6 bass. Mind blown!

Jason Everett: Moksha: The Elimination of All Duality, Part One

8. Jason Everett: Moksha: The Elimination of All Duality, Part One

Bassist Jason Everett, aka Mister E, has unleashed part one of an epic 22-minute bass driven sonic story called “Moksha: The Elimination of All Duality”. This clip captures three movements of the world-jazz-fusion saga, which includes Everett’s slick 7-string fretless work and a diverse cast of musicians…

Form Factor Audio Launches Bi Bass Amplifier Series

9. Form Factor Audio Launches Bi Bass Amplifier Series

Form Factor Audio has announced the launch of the Bi 1000 and Bi 400 bass amps. Rated at 1000 and 400 watts respectively, the California-made Class D amps are packed with tons of connectivity and a 3-band EQ…

Bass of the Week: Alembic Series II “Leap of Faith”

10. Bass of the Week: Alembic Series II “Leap of Faith”

Alembic’s basses have been a big influence on custom builders, and it’s easy to see why. They started in 1969 as a live sound consulting operation. Founders Ron and Susan Wickersham then moved into instrument electronics, creating low impedance pickups and what would become first set of active electronics for a guitar…

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