Archive for May 2012 - Page 6

Q: I really enjoy and find great value in your columns on No Treble. In your last column, you discussed the modal and chordal approaches and mentioned this: “Don’t forget to also practice and transcribe things, which will make you a stronger bassist (walking, common endings and turnarounds, time, various time-feels, and so on.)” Could you expound further on what...

G.A.S. alert! Davey4557’s Leo Fender and the History of the Electric Bass video is one of the most watched videos in No Treble history. Davey followed up with this, what he dubs “Fender Jazz Bass: The Movie”. He breaks down the features and history of the famed Leo Fender creation. Try not to drool… it isn’t good for your computer.

Alfred Music Publishing has published Foo Fighters: Ultimate Bass Play-Along, the newest edition in the company’s Ultimate Play-Along series. Featuring eight Foo Fighters tunes, the book and two enhanced CD set offers authentic transcriptions of Nate Mendel‘s bass lines, and is also available in guitar and drum editions. The CDs include two audio tracks per song – one offers a...

Meet Will Repholz, a bassist hailing from The Crescent City (aka New Orleans) and obviously living the dream as a bassist. Will is our player in the spotlight for May 14, 2012. Bio: I moved to New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina and quickly met an incredible network of talented artists and musicians. I play with several acts and feel...

In April, we celebrated the awesomeness of isolated bass one week. And that week ended up dominating the top 10 video list for the entire month. With the bass work of Geddy Lee, John Paul Jones, Chris Squire, Wilton Felder, Paul McCartney and John Entwistle being featured in all its glory, we weren’t surprised. But it wasn’t all about isolated...

The up-tempo Supremes tune “Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart” was a departure from the group’s more typical lighter sound. And while this one didn’t make #1 as many of the Funk Brothers-backed tunes, it did make the top 10 for a week in 1966. And now, thanks to the power of the interwebs, here’s the full, pre-edit...

Lava Cable has introduced the second generation of their Clear Connect instrument cable. The Clear Connect II offers solder-free Pure Plugs by Abbatron and Clear Connect Technology, wherein the connectors are high-pressure crimped onto the cable. This results in a purer signal path. The Lava Cable Clear Connect cables are available in sizes from 6 inches to 30 feet with...

Gallien-Krueger has expanded its MB series bass amplifiers with the MB Fusion 800, an 800-watt amp that brings together an all tube preamp and a digital power amp. Similar to the rest of the line, the MB Fusion 800 is built with an aluminum chassis and is sized to fit in a gig bag for easy portability. The MB Fusion...

If you’re like me, the existence of an app like Audio MIDI Connect is a dream come true. This app allows you to take your instrument signal and convert it to Midi and send it over Wifi! The implications are pretty cool, because this means that your instrument of choice can be a midi controller for recording, transcribing and triggering,...

Today is Jack Bruce’s birthday, and while we don’t need any excuse to share a great clip from the legendary bassist, we thought we’d celebrate with this one. This starts with Jack giving guitarist Rory Gallagher a crash course for “Politician”, seconds before the group takes the stage. Jack carries the tune and lets Rory fill in the rest. This...

So much bass goodness, it hardly fits in a single top 10 list. But we managed to squeeze these in. Here are the most viewed stories, videos, lessons and more on No Treble for the week of May 6 – 12, 2012. Thanks for reading! 1. Playing Chords: A Guide for Bassists Q: I recently bought a 6-string bass and...

Sahe Audio has launched ReKawl, a mobile app designed to help you keep track of your analog gear’s settings by taking photos, creating track sheets, and neatly organizing your notes. The app uses your phone’s camera to take pictures and attach notes to create maps of your amp settings, pedal board, studio setup, or anything else that you need to...