This Week in Bass: Historic Auctions, New Gear, and Fresh Grooves
It’s been quite the week in the bass world. Our most-read story was on the Jim Irsay Collection auction from Christie’s, which included three historic basses: Dusty Hill‘s sheepskin-covered Dean, John McVie‘s fretless Alembic, and Paul McCartney‘s Yamaha BB-1200. Macca’s axe was acquired by the late Indianapolis Colts CEO in 2021 for $496,100 to become the most expensive bass ever sold at auction.
Next up, we shared the news of the Upton Bass Chicago model, which they call a tribute to the Kay M-1. Upton designed the bass with the original Kay rib molds to carry on the spirit of the American double bass manufacturer. They did, however, add modern updates like a higher overstand, a modern bass bar design, and poplar plywood made in-house.
Sire’s flagship Marcus Miller models have been treated to an upgrade for 2026 with the New Gen models. The V3, V7, V7 Vintage, and P7 models have been refined with new electronics, new neck and body profiles, lightweight tuners, and more. They’ve also been reworked to improve the weight consistency across the series.
Other stories include a look at Sadowsky’s 2026 limited edition Vintage P/J basses, a stunning hybrid Chestnut 8-string by May Custom Basses, a three-note warmup from Ryan Madora, and more. Of course, the grooves were flowing with bass lines by Seye Adelekan, Thundercat, Nathan East, and Keanu Reeves.
1. Paul McCartney’s Record-Setting Yamaha BB-1200 Leads Auction With Basses by Dusty Hill and John McVie
2. Upton Bass Launches Chicago Double Bass Inspired by the Kay M-1
3. Sire Unveils New Gen Marcus Miller Basses With Lighter Hardware and Reworked Electronics
4. Sadowsky Reveals 2026 Limited Edition Vintage P/J Bass in MetroLine & Masterbuilt Series
5. Gorillaz Make Their SNL Debut with a Two-Song Set: “Clint Eastwood” and “The Moon Cave,” Featuring Bassist Seye Adelekan
6. Three-Note Sequence Bass Exercise to Sync Your Fretting and Plucking Hands
7. Watch Keanu Reeves Hold Down the Groove in Dogstar’s New “All In Now” Video
8. This Hybrid Chestnut 8-String Bass by May Custom Basses Is Stunning
9. Thundercat Conjures a Cosmic Groove on “ThunderWave” with WILLOW
10. Watch: Nathan East Brings Upright Bass to Clapton’s “Black Magic Woman”
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
