Archive for 2011 - Page 42

Fender has released the T-Bucket Bass, the first four-stringer in their Hot Rod Design series. The acoustic bass guitar includes a Fishman Isys III pickup system for amplification, complete with a three-band EQ, onboard preamp and tuner. Finished in a classic three-color sunburst, the T-Bucket features a flame maple top with scalloped X bracing and mahogany back, sides and neck....

Q: I recently had a stolen instrument scare. It got me wondering, what do you and other working professionals do? With all your traveling, I’m sure it’s a small worry in the back of your mind. What do you use to ensure the safety of your gear? Do you have instrument specific insurance or some other option? I think a...

I’ve been listening to a ton of music with the great Jerry Jemmott lately and decided to check out some videos too. This one, which aired on The Late Show with David Letterman earlier this year, made me smile to see the bass legend still going strong. Really strong.

Dio Disciples, a band formed as tribute to the late vocalist Ronnie James Dio, has announced their first U.S. tour. Fronted by singer Tim “Ripper” Owens, the band is made up of alumni from Dio’s band, including bassist Rudy Sarzo, drummer Simon Wright, guitarist Craig Goldy and keyboardist Scott Warren. The tour starts in Poughkeepsie, New York in late September...

Meet Kristoffer Carter, a bassist from Akron, Ohio who regularly headlines solo bass looping shows around Ohio and Chicago. Kristoffer is our bassist in the spotlight for August 23, 2011. Bio: Kristoffer Carter came up through the Cleveland, OH music scene as the touring bassist for ska rockers The Twistoffs, then reinvented himself as a laser-focused pop songwriter. The result...

Upgrading the Lab Rat: Bridge Replacement I have a bass I call the Lab Rat. It’s a really cheap Jaguar knock off I bought to experiment with some ideas I’d been kicking around. I’ve upgraded all the electronics already, and we’ll briefly go over some of that in future articles. I’m on to the hardware phase now, and today is...

A new week, a new question taken from the Player Spotlight questionnaire (open to all bassists, by the way). The question this week: What’s in your gear list? Tell us about your gear! Answer below in the comments, or on our Facebook page.

Here’s a nice inside look at the Peter Erskine New Trio performing “Every Tomorrow” from their new album, Joy Luck. This is the first project between uncle (Peter) and nephew, bassist (and No Treble contributor) Damian Erskine. “Every Tomorrow” was written by the other member of the trio, pianist Vardan Ovsepian. Also cool: bassist Janek Gwizdala filmed this video.

A new documentary about the genre-defying band Fishbone is making its way around the country in select screenings, with a DVD release in the works. Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone follows the band’s career, from their formation in South Central Los Angeles and rise to fame to struggles and their current day affairs. The film focuses much attention on...

3Leaf Audio has released the PWNZOR Optical Compressor, a new high-fidelity design that also nods to classic compressors with a Vintage switch. The pedal’s internal charge pump circuitry turns power from a standard 9-volt supply into 18-volts to provide more clean headroom. 3Leaf also included their new relay bypass system for clickless switching, which automatically switches to bypass mode if...

Right Note is an app by Orange Qube, offering ear training and pitch and melody recognition on iOS devices. While there are a number of ear training apps available at the app store, I found Right Note to be worth a special mention, primarily due to the inclusion of the microphone as a means of interval recognition. This allows you...

This clip is from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame performance by Jeff Beck, along with Beck’s band (at the time), bassist Tal Wilkenfeld, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and keyboardist Jason Rebello. Jimmy Page joins the band for the group’s performance of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song”.