Archive for November 2011 - Page 8

Today’s play-along is Grant Smith’s cover of Stevie Wonder’s “For Once In My Life,” a tune that features a masterfully crafted bass line from the imagination of the late, great James Jamerson. Smith, who plays it on a Kens Smith 6-string, picked the song as his first in a series of videos for its complexity and beauty. “It is a...

Bassist Edgar Meyer, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, fiddler Stuart Duncan and mandolinist Chris Thile have come together to release The Goat Rodeo Sessions, an 11-track collection of songs which the group describes as “genre proof.” With styles ranging from classical to bluegrass, the album is definitely an interesting mix, sure to please fans of acoustic music. Though the title refers to...

Ashdown Engineering has unveiled a limited edition of their Little Bastard amp head called the LB-550. The new amp couples their Little Bastard tube preamp section with the 550-watt digital power section from their new MiBass head, resulting in tube tone in a lightweight head weighing in at 6.2kg (approximately 13.6 puonds). The preamp uses ECC83 and ECC82 tubes and...

Many students have trouble mastering vibrato technically and understanding its usage musically. There are numerous debates regarding vibrato usage in musical contexts, so today we will focus on a simpler matter: how to achieve technical mastery of this skill. From an instrumental point of view, our goal is to have complete control over the width and speed of our vibrato,...

After suffering a major stroke on Friday November 4th, bass legend Chuck Rainey is expected to have a full recovery, according to his wife Susan. “Thank U Dear Friends for all the prayers and healing Light,” Mrs. Rainey posted on Facebook. “Chuck had a stroke Friday night but the prognosis is good for a full recovery. Please keep him in...

Editor’s note: we’re featuring a different bass play-along every day this week. If you have one you’d like to submit (by you or someone else), send it to [email protected]. Charlotte Robinson, aka CharGuitarGirl, is a 21 year old bassist from Swindon, England who really digs The Subways, thanks to their “Kickin’ bass riffs”. In today’s bass play-along, Charlotte nails the...

Last week, No Treble readers really dug Davie504‘s FleaBass Funk video which took the top slot overall, and Magnus Sjoquist‘s big sounding uBass video made the top 10 as well. Our interview with extreme metal bassist Alex Webster was a happy addition for many of our readers, who responded with their clicks and positive comments about putting extreme metal in...

Bass videos for the win! Here are the most popular bass videos of the week. Which one is your favorite? 1. Davie504: Simple FleaBass Funk Bassist “Davie504” gets funky with his modified FleaBass, and offers some instruction along the way. Enjoy the tune, or play along with the tabs. 2. Happy Halloween, Bass-Style: The Munsters Theme Song In honor of...

Gibson has added a new Explorer Bass model for their USA line. The solid mahogany bass takes its body shape from the original Explorer guitar, first introduced in 1958, and comes in a Silverburst finish. The Gibson Explorer Bass has a full 34″ scale and features a glued-in, quarter-sawn maple neck with a Preciosa fingerboard. The Explorer’s electronics are a...

Bassist Simon Fitzpatrick shared his latest solo bass video with us, featuring a live performance of Emerson Lake & Palmer’s “Take a Pebble”. Wait for the 1:30 mark, when Simon really gets going with some excellent tap bass. Then things get really crazy with Simon picking up a bow! Have a video to share? Send it to [email protected].

CruzTOOLS has announced their new Groovetech Truss Rod Drivers, designed specifically for vintage-style truss rod nuts on basses and guitars. As the company explains, early Fender instruments and subsequent modern reproductions use a “cross screw” nut, which has two slots in a cross pattern. Though the innovation was popular in years past, they often cause problems as they’re made of...

For all you gear junkies and GAS sufferers, here’s the latest and greatest gear and gear features for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy! 1. Bass of the Week: Spalt Instruments vViper This week we look at the Spalt Instruments vViper, a custom built bass with a unique pickup design that pivots. The idea for the “wiper” arm pickup is the brainchild...