Archive for September 2013 - Page 2

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Geddy Lee has revealed that Rush is taking a break from their constant touring schedule. The trio just finished their year-long Clockwork Angels World Tour, and according to Lee, will be taking 2014 off, without discussing their future. “Our manager is talking all the time about the future and we’re choosing to ignore...

Featuring a 30-inch scale, Mensinger describes their Cazpar bass as designed with players with smaller hands in mind. It also works nicely in both piccolo and standard tuning for versatility. Available in 4-, 5-, and 6-string versions, the Cazpar is built with a body consisting of an alder or mahogany core sandwiched between two pieces of maple as well as...

A bassist who goes by the screen name Sitruss has turned in one impressive cover of Michael Manring’s “I Left America”. “This one has been in the works for a while,” the bassist said. “Playing solo gives you a lot less leeway for mistakes… it came out pretty good though considering it was the first try of the day! (Out...

Dream Theater has released their twelfth album, Dream Theater. Not only is this the band’s first self-titled release, it is also the first to fully feature the band’s newest drummer, Mike Mangini, who replaced Mike Portnoy in 2010. Dream Theater’s longest tenured members, bassist John Myung and guitarist John Petrucci are also joined by vocalist James LaBrie and keyboardist Jordan...

Progressive rock fans rejoice! Guitarist Robert Fripp has announced that King Crimson is back with a new lineup. Originally formed in 1968, the iconic band has gone through several incarnations, the last of which disbanded in 2009 after a cancelled tour. The eighth incarnation of King Crimson will be anchored by bassist Tony Levin. “King Crimson will be back in...

Q: I’m an intermediate level hearing-impaired bassist who cannot identify notes or pitch or key by ear. I play songs by memory. How would I go about breaking through to the next level? A: Wow, this may be the hardest question I’ve ever had to attempt to answer. The impression that I have is that with something so outside of...

Nathan Navarro is a total beast of a bassist who really knows how to make effects sound good. Here’s a demo he made to show some of what he can do. Things start out pretty ambient and serene up until the 1:30 mark when all hell breaks loose. Check out those sweeps at 2:00! For the brave, Nathan has the...

Last year, Megadeth celebrated the 20th anniversary of their iconic album Countdown to Extinction with a reissue and tour during which the band played the the whole thing in order. One year later, the group has released Countdown To Extinction: Live, a snapshot of the anniversary tour that was captured at the Fox Theatre in Los Angeles in December 2012....

Meet the bassist known as Boogie Cindy. Cindy anchors the Boogie Wonder Band, a band she founded and has since gone on to play over 2,500 shows in 450 cities around the world. The band is a well-choreographed 1970s Disco cover band. Cindy is No Treble’s reader in the spotlight for the week of September 23, 2013. Bio I am...

Osiamo has launched the Dr. J line of effects pedals, which the company describes as bringing reasonable prices to the “boutique” market. The series includes three stompboxes aimed at bassists: the D-55 Aerolite Comp, the D-53 Sparrow Driver & DI, and the D-52 Soloman Bass Overdrive. All of the pedals feature true bypass switching, a metal housing, and DC power....

Thanks to the new iTunes Radio, I got on a Dumpstaphunk kick, which extended to videos of the band. This is one funky band, started by Ivan Neville (son of Aaron Neville) and including two bassists (Nick Daniels and Tony Hall), and one incredible drummer (Nikki Glaspie). Here they are in their return home to New Orleans for this year’s...

Three years ago, bassist Percy Jones, guitarist/engineer/producer Neil Citron and drummer Walter Garces released their debut as the band known as BangTower. The trio is back with a new release, coming later this year. BangTower has released the first track, “This is My Town”, which features a first for the band: Citron’s vocals. Jones, a fretless bass pioneer, made his...