Archive for March 2013 - Page 9

No Treble readership just keeps going up up up, thanks in large part to the gear stories, how to’s, lessons and videos like those below. Here’s our top 10 for the week of February 24 – March 2, 2013. Thanks as always for reading, commenting and sharing. 1. Simon Fitzpatrick: “Bohemian Rhapsody” for Solo Bass Guitar Almost two years ago,...

Evan Brewer has a new solo album in the works, and he took a little time out to preview some of it with a new video. The new effort will stray from his first album, Alone, which he created entirely with only bass. “This album is coming out a lot different than the first one,” Brewer explains. “What we’re doing...

Bryan Beller and The Aristocrats have announced an extensive U.S. Tour in anticipation of their second studio album, tentatively titled Culture Clash, which is due out July 16th. The trio will hit the road for six weeks from mid-July to late August in support of the effort. The trio, made up of bassist Beller, guitarist Guthrie Govan, and drummer Marco...

G&L has introduced the MJ-4 Bass, a bass with a familiar feel that the company says is part of an evolution of bass features. The model sports a pair of G&L’s new Bi-Coil Alnico V pickups, which they say looks like a classic single-coil but actually contains two side-by-side coils configured in series-humbucking mode. The pickups are matched for a...

Time to hit the shed. Here are the 10 most popular how to columns and lessons on No Treble in February. 1. Expand Your Bass Fretboard Knowledge with the Pentatonic Scale Here’s a great exercise aimed at expanding your fretboard knowledge. For this lesson, we’re going to use the five positions of the A minor / C Major pentatonic scale....

Today, we’re gonna throw it back with the 1980 music video for “Stomp!” by the Brothers Johnson. Bassist Louis Johnson is holding it down with a perfect grooving bass line. Dig it.

Chuck Goff, who played bass with country music superstar Toby Keith, died this week after sustaining injuries from a car accident. He was 54. Carl “Chuck” Goff Jr. played for Keith for over 25 years as both a bass player and band leader. He also cowrote “You Ain’t Much Fun” and “Upstairs Downtown” from the 1994 album Boomtown. Keith shared...

While NAMM seems like a distant memory now, the gear coverage from the show kept coming in February (and we still have more to cover!) And that made for a gear-filled February. Here are the top 10 most popular gear stories on No Treble for February, 2013. 1. Fender Introduces Four New American Vintage Basses Fender has expanded its American...

For years, bass players have debated the concept of changing strings and most people have asked the same questions: Doesn’t it change the sound of the instrument? Does the funk disappear? How can someone get good tone playing strings that are a year old? Don’t you know that (insert famous bass player) never changed his strings? Don’t you know that...

Here’s an outstanding video of Marcus Miller and saxophonist Alex Han going to town on a beat given to them by a DJ on Italy’s Rai Radio. Miller shared the story on his Facebook page recently while in the studio. “Been in the studio with Alex Han for the past couple weeks working on his album,” Miller said. “Here’s some...

A week after announcing a tour with his Duo De Twang, Les Claypool and Primus are gearing up for a new leg of their 3D Tour. The concert experience has audience members wear 3D glasses to enjoy a “one-of-a-kind psychedelic experience.” Performances also feature Quad Surround Sound, as well. The trek kicks off in Eureka, California on MAy 10th with...