Archive for 2011 - Page 106

The guys from Gruv Gear were showing off a few new products at their NAMM booth this year, including the new FretWraps and V-Cart Solo Lite. Designed with bass in mind, the Gruv Gear FretWraps are a string-muting accessory made to replace the hair ties that most bassists keep above the nut. Available in three sizes, FretWraps fit around up...

Roland has expanded their line of Cube Bass combo amps with three new models: the 120XL, 60XL, and 20XL. Delivering 120, 60, and 20 watts respectively, the amps are built for portability. The 120XL and 60XL have more in common than the 20XL, as they share dual custom-designed Air Flow Ports, eight COSM amp models, seven effects (including new Drive...

This is pretty wild… bassist Grzegorz Kosi?ski performs “Minuet in D minor BWV 990, Anh. 132” by Johann Sebastian Bach on two basses simultaneously. His basses are a 7-string Conklin Groove Tools (reverb, delay) and 6-string Spector Legend 6 Classic (bass). Grzegorz says, “Applause for Johann Sebastian Bach – the first composer in the history, who has written songs for...

Bassist Mick Quinn of the now defunct rock band Supergrass told the BBC that the group will probably be making a comeback in the future. “I’m still on good terms with the rest of them and I’m confident we would probably reform at some point,” he said in an interview. The British pop rock group, who parted ways in April...

Ruppert Musical Instruments has introduced the Basswitch IQ DI, a pedal that the company calls “the bass player’s Swiss knife”. Built in Germany, it serves as an A/B input switcher, a preamp, a clean booster, a parametric EQ, an FX loop switcher, and a D.I. box. The Basswitch has two inputs, which lead to channels A and B respectively. If...

Many bassists will, at some point, find it necessary to fly with their upright bass. Although a professional bassist should be able to play acceptably on any bass that is thrown at them, there are a number of reasons why we want to play our own instrument on the road. If you are doing anything other than the simplest of...

Here’s a groovin’ live version of “Run for Cover”, featuring Marcus Miller along with Hiram Bullock, along with Kenny Garrett, Poogie Bell, and Patches Stewart.

Here are the most read, most popular stories and features on No Treble for the week of January 9 – 15, 2011. 1. Top 10: The Best Bass Videos (December 2010) This week, we’re taking a look back at the top 10 most popular bass videos from December, 2010, based on the number of views by No Treble readers. 1....

Fodera has introduced the new Yin Yang Standard bass, based on their Victor Wooten Yin Yang Deluxe. The company consulted Wooten on the creation, as he has “long wanted a Yin Yang that could be more widely available.” The bass utilizes all the same materials and specifications from their Brooklyn-made instrument with a lower price point. The Yin Yang Standard...

The No Treble crew has been hitting the NAMM floor for a couple of days, getting the scoop on the latest bass news and meeting lots of great bassists along the way. Be sure to check out our ongoing NAMM coverage, with lots of new gear reports and bassist news scheduled, even after the show ends. Marcus Miller Alex Al...

Gallien-Krueger Amplification has expanded their MB series by adding a new more powerful head unit, a new combo, and powered enclosures to the line up. The MB800 is an 800-watt amp that weighs in at 4.9 pounds and features a discreet FET driven preamp and power amp. The unit includes a 10dB pad, tuning mute switch, two gains, a four...

Mel Bay’s new jazz bass method was actually written by guitarist Frank Vignola. Walking the Bass: Jazz Standard Progressions is a collection of ten walking bass lines for the most common progressions in jazz standards. The 28 page book is designed to provide the student with strong concepts for playing each walking line, while also learning how to outline chords...