Archive for July 2014

Sometimes you see photos of a bass posted on Facebook, and you just have to stop to check it out. This gorgeous Soame Custom Guitars PJ435 bass was one of those for me. Handmade in Argentina, the bass features a Northern ash body and a bookmatched flamed maple top that really pops thanks to a stunning Bahama Blue satin finish....

Bob Glaub’s resume reads like a who’s who of pop and rock royalty. He’s done session work and toured with artists including John Lennon, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Ringo Starr, Donna Summer, Stevie Nicks, Crosby, Stills & Nash (& Young), Warren Zevon, John Fogerty, and Leonard Cohen, to name just a few. But through...

During my radio interview on WPR’s Central Time yesterday, we discussed a lot of legendary bass lines (not enough, but the segment was only about 20 minutes long.) One of the bass lines discussed was the one on Bob Marley’s “Stir It Up”. I couldn’t get it out of my head after the segment. So I’m paying that forward with...

Most rock fans know JJ Cale’s music because his songs became hits for other people — “Call Me the Breeze” for Lynyrd Skynyrd, and “After Midnight” and “Cocaine” for Eric Clapton. Clapton has said that Cale, who died in 2013, is one of rock history’s most important figures, and from the group he has gathered for , his assessment rings...

Primus reunited their classic lineup of bassist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry LaLonde and drummer Tim “Herb” Alexander back in September, with a tease that they were heading into the studio. Now Claypool has announced that the group will be releasing a new album on October 21st with a tour to boot. The record, which will be the lineup’s first album...

Q: A couple of months ago, I quit my band and because of the state of the guitarists in my area, I decided to start go small, with bass, drums and vocals. Now that some time has passed, I feel that everything is falling apart, which is depressing. Do you think it is a good idea to put the bass...

Every time I see there’s a new Wojtek Pilichowski video, I have to check it out. This one in particular made my jaw drop. In this video, the bassist whips up one of the most insane slap solos I’ve heard. Not only does he dazzle with his technique and musicality, Pilichowski gets the whole crowd involved to bring the solo...

Have a yen to hear electronic music made without laptops? Helio Parallax are your guys. Spearheaded by producer/ composer/ bassist (double and electric)/ keyboardist and programmer Josh Werner, Helio Parallax has released its first album, . Werner and multi-instrumentalist Takuya Nakamura have both played with some of the industry’s best: Werner with Wu Tang and Lee Scratch Perry and Nakamura...

Sá Reston is a bassist who has followed an interesting musical path – one we enjoyed reading about quite a bit. His talent is obviously quite natural, and he’s incredibly humble too. Read on, and you’ll see why we picked Sá as this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight. Bio: I was born in Rio, and I started playing...

Rob Ferrett is the co-host of “Central Time” on Wisconsin Public Radio, and he has a cool idea for a show that’s all about bass. Rob reached out to us to ask us to get involved in the show. Of course we said yes, and of course we want you to be involved too. “The interview will start with a...

Today is Geddy Lee’s birthday, which means we’re celebrating all day with plenty of Rush tunes in rotation. Since we pick one video to spotlight each day, we decided on a tune that brings the band full circle, in a way – the classic Rush tune, “Working Man.” The tune of course was part of the band’s debut album in...

It only took two days in the studio to capture the funky, no-holds-barred jams that define — bassist Amanda Ruzza’s album with fellow Brazilian, drummer Mauricio Zottarelli. The pair were joined on the record by keyboardist-saxophonist and Esperanza Spalding sideman Leo Genovese. The trio initially gathered in the studio to film a short video for Dunlop to demonstrate effects pedals....