Weekly Top 10: Gearing up for NAMM, New Bass Lessons and How To’s and the Top Bass Videos of the Week
As the Summer NAMM show approaches, we’re seeing a steady flow of gear news coming our way — and it’ll only get better.
As usual, No Treble’s columnists brought the good stuff: Dr. D’s left hand dexterity drills, Ryan’s “Getting To Know Your Bass” feature on action, and Kevin’s Bass of the Week: the Fodera Buckeye Burl Yin Yang Imperial 6 Elite.
And it wouldn’t be No Treble without a handful of awesome bass videos in the mix. Videos like Bruno Masquio’s all bass arrangement of Metallica’s “Master of Puppets”, Trio Bravo with MarloweDK performing “History Confusion”, JoStLe Live (Lee Sklar, Steve Bailey and Jonas Hellborg) or Huw Foster’s solo bass cover of Stevie Wonder’s “As”.
Here is your top 10 for the week of July 1 – 7, 2012. Thanks for reading and commenting.
1. Fender Custom Shop Unveils Limited Edition Relic La Cabronita “Boracho” Bass
Fender’s Custom Shop has unveiled their 2012 Limited Edition Models, including the Limited Edition Relic La Cabronita “Boracho” Bass. Bringing together elements of the Porazzo and its sister Boracha, the Boracho sports a reversed Jazzmaster body with added mass. Couple that with a custom T.V. Jones Thunderblade pickup and you get what Fender says is a “very unique and LOUD sounding bass.”
2. Nothing but Bass: Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” All Bass Arrangement
Hold onto your hats. Bruno Masquio took Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” and arranged it for nothing but bass. Pretty sweet bass too.
3. Single Position Left Hand Dexterity Drills for Bassists
Although scales, arpeggios and repertory are necessary for any musician’s development, etudes and exercises such as the ones below should also be part of any instrumentalist’s diet. Such exercises allow us to focus on a single aspect of technique. Single task left hand drills are essential if we desire to have true dexterity in the left hand fingers…
4. Bass of the Week: Fodera Buckeye Burl Yin Yang Imperial 6 Elite
I get to check out tons of basses every day, but when Anthony Wellington posted the details of his new Fodera my jaw hit the floor. The latest in the renowned bass educator’s collection is a Buckeye Burl Yin Yang Imperial 6 Elite from the New York boutique shop…
5. Trio Bravo with MarloweDK: History Confusion
Thomas Risell, perhaps better known as MarloweDK around these parts is part of the jazz/rock trio Trio Bravo, along with guitarist Per Gade and drummer Thomas Duus. Here they are rehearsing Gade’s tune, “History Confusion”. These guys know how to get down!
6. Getting to Know Your Bass: How Your Bass’s Action Influences What You Can Do
Keeping up with Getting to Know Your Bass series, today we’ll take a look at the action of your bass and how that influences what you can play. While your action doesn’t necessarily impact your note choice, it certainly factors into the amount of force necessary to play the instrument and the techniques that you use while playing…
7. JoStLe Live: Lee Sklar, Steve Bailey and Jonas Hellborg
During the 2012 Musikmesse show, bassists Lee Sklar, Steve Bailey and Jonas Hellborg took the stage, along with drummer Chester Thompson. Bass awesomeness ensued…
8. Fender Introduces CB-100CE Acoustic Bass Guitar
Fender has upped their acoustic bass game this summer with the CB-100CE. The dreadnought cutaway bass sports a spruce top with scalloped X bracing and mother-of-pearl acrylic rosette. The mahogany neck’s profile is styled after that of a Jazz Bass and has a dual-action truss rod for proper adjustments…
9. Spector Unveils ReBop MM Basses
Spector has expanded its ReBop family for basses with the ReBop4 MM and ReBop5 MM. While keeping many of the same traits as their predecessors, the new models are equipped with an EMG-HZ MM passive dual coil pickup. They also introduce maple fingerboards with black Spector inlays and a trans blue stain matte body finish…
10. Huw Foster: Solo Bass Cover of Stevie Wonder’s “As”
Until today, I’ve never seen a video by bassist Huw Foster. Now I’ve seen a ton. I enjoyed them all, but this one stood out. Huw plays an improvised intro and outro, with the tune starting around the 0:38 mark…
