Weekly Top 10: May 11 – 17, 2024
This week’s reader-favorite list is a gear-heavy one. But it also includes some other bass goodness, with Ellen Alaverdyan and friends tearing it up on a cover of Muse’s “Hysteria” for Kids Rock For Kids, Paul Thompson’s latest column, where he dives into J-pop music, a bonus top 10 list, and more.
1. Ernie Ball Music Man Unveils 2024 DarkRay Collection
Music Man has revamped the DarkRay for 2024 with two new finishes for both the four- and five-string models. The bass, crafted in partnership with Darkglass Electronics, will come in Dark Rainbow and Gold Bar colorways.
2. Bass of the Week: Valenti Basses T21-P4
Luthier Nino Valenti recently shared one of his builds in the No Treble Facebook group, and it got a lot of attention. Valenti’s T21-P4 is his take on the timeless P-bass style. It features a traditional full-sized P body with a rounder 1/2-inch body edge radius.
3. Wee Thunder Amps Introduces Blood Orange Tube-Driven Preamp Pedal
Canada’s Wee Thunder Amps has unveiled the Blood Orange, a preamp pedal featuring a 12AX7 tube and a three-band EQ. The circuit is based on a classic Orange bass amp.
4. Kids Rock For Kids (with Ellen Alaverdyan): Hysteria
Kids Rock For Kids produced this video with 11-year-old Ellen Alaverdyan, 13-year-old vocalist Vinya Chhabra, 14-year-old drummer Yoyoka Soma, 9-year-old guitarist Bay Melnick Virgolino, 14-year old guitarist/vocalist Charlotte Milstein, and 16-year-old vocalist Ella Milstein rocking out on Muse’s “Hysteria.”
5. Jason Momoa Auctioning Carl Thompson and Pachyderm Basses For Charity
Actor and bassist Jason Momoa has a knack for collecting incredible instruments. On his show On the Roam, he visited craftsmen of all sorts, including instrument makers. He’s now offering a selection of instruments from the show in an auction to raise money.
6. Study Me: The Greatest J-Pop Bass Line EVER
In this episode, I'm diving into my latest musical discovery - J-pop music - and one of its greatest bands, Zutomayo. I'll break down one of the most incredible bass lines I’ve heard recently from groove, to amazing fills, to the jaw-dropping bass solo 90 seconds in, on "Study Me."
7. Oteil Burbridge Announces Fall Tour, New Single
Oteil Burbridge just announced a fall tour with his solo band, Oteil & Friends, and dropped a new single, “Love and War,” live from the 2024 Dead Ahead Festival in Cancun, Mexico.
8. Broughton Audio Introduces the Fliptop Preamp Pedal
Broughton Audio has introduced the Fliptop, a pedal that combines the magic of the B15 amplifier with a more portable unit. The JFET preamp is modeled after the iconic amp, with gain staging and EQ sections that give the feel and response of a vintage tube amp.
9. Top 10: The Most Watched Bass Videos (April 2024)
This month’s roundup of the top 10 videos is an incredible mix of bass goodness.
10. Paul Bryan Explores Space with “Western Electric”
Grammy-winning bassist Paul Bryan has a wide musical palette that allows him to play in just about any situation. Now he’s expanded his palette even further with a new solo album called “Western Electric.”
Corey Brown is the founder of No Treble and serves in an advisory role. He’s also Head of Editorial at Muse Group. Learn more about Corey on his website and LinkedIn.
