Archive for 2012 - Page 50

Flea has released his debut solo album entitled Helen Burns on a pay-what-you-will basis and serving as a fundraiser for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. Recorded over a couple of days after the Red Hot Chili Peppers finished touring Stadium Arcadium, the bassist explains the mostly instrumental EP is not what most fans will expect. “Warning! It is not a...

In 1955, Walter Hofner came up with the idea to make a short scale bass guitar with a violin-shaped hollow body. The idea came to life the next year at the Frankfurt trade show and made its rounds, eventually landing in the hands of Beatles member Paul McCartney, who had to switch from guitar to bass following the departure of...

Where many bassists strive to have that one hit song, Joe Osborn has more chart-topping records than he can even keep track of. His signature tone – achieved with flatwound strings and a pick – underpins an overwhelming number of pop, rock, and country hits from the ’60s through the ’80s, and his resume reads like a who’s who of...

We’re big fans of Frank Zappa here at No Treble HQ. So when Craig Butterfield sent in his all bass version of “Peaches En Regalia,” we were stoked. As is par for his videos, Butterfield nails all the parts with unbelievable accuracy. All of the percussion, bass lines, melodies and solos are perfectly in place, and in a fashion that...

Earlier this year, Jack Bruce took his Big Blues Band on the road in the UK to tear through new arrangements of classic Cream tunes as well as his solo work. Luckily for us, the March 19th performance at The Stables in Milton Keynes was recorded. The resulting Jack Bruce & His Big Blues Band: Live 2012 album is now...

Hartke is releasing their newest combo amp, the David Ellefson Signature Combo A70 bass amp. The limited edition combo features Ellefson’s signature badge and a custom chrome grill in addition to all the features of the pre-existing A70. Built with a 12-inch aluminum bass driver, the combo is rated at 70 watts and is designed for small venues or home...

Q: I can’t get the same swing feel on electric as upright. Any advice? A: While I don’t play upright, this does present an opportunity to share a broader concept that may help you. Patience, padawan… patience (and focused practice). I’ve found with a vast majority of my students that whenever something is not “clicking”, you can break down the...

We first featured bassist Samuel Haynes back in January, thanks to our Facebook friend Charles Hoernemann. Here’s Samuel once again with an impressive solo bass performance of a tune he wrote named “Lucid”. For the tune, Samuel tuned his bass BEAD and uses a capo.

Luminlay has introduced the Vintage Series of their luminescent position markers. Designed for on top of the fingerboard, the new inlays have a subtler color tone similar to maple and blend in better with vintage-style fingerboards, rather than most fluorescent materials that have a greenish tint. The inlays take place of your existing markers, and when activated, the dots shine...

Meet bassist Rodrigo de Haro who makes his living playing the bass and teaching bass. Sounds like the perfect life to us. Rodrigo is our bass player in the spotlight for the week of July 17, 2012. (You could be next!) Bio: I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and I began studing bass at the age of 14. After...

Geezer Butler has signed with Hartke, according to a press release from the bass amplifier company. The Black Sabbath bassist will be utilizing the brand’s new Kilo amps, with which he played through for Metal Masters 3 and the 2012 Download Festival on June 10th. “It’s a true honor to welcome Geezer to the Hartke family,” states Director of Marketing...

I love these inside looks at a veteran group preparing for a show. Here’s a new one from Marcus Miller and his band, rehearsing for a show in Istanbul with percussionist Okay Temiz a couple of weeks ago. These guys are such monsters! Anyone else think they’re channeling Weather Report here?