Archive for 2014 - Page 25

Jens Ritter has a knack for creating unique instruments, but this one is something different even for him. Bassist and performance artist Angie Taylor got this custom made Ritter Cora with a mystic neon paint job. The 4-string bass is built with an alder body, maple neck, and ebony fingerboard. Its neck features a black frosted transparent finish to complete...

The electric bass and the double bass (aka Contrabass, Kontrabass, Contrebasse, Upright bass, Stand-up bass, String bass, Doghouse bass, etc. etc.) are cousins. It seems intuitive that one plays both instruments. After all, we share a range, number of strings (generally) and a tuning (most of the time). However, the constructions of the instruments differ enough to make for substantial...

I always love it when Nathan Navarro puts out a new video, and this is one of my favorites. He takes the classic Beatles tune “Because” and perfectly captures its ethereal vibe with a heavy reverb. Navarro shared the video on his Facebook page noting, “Here’s an interesting quote from John Lennon: ‘Yoko was playing Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’ on the...

Dick Lövgren is a bassist as at home playing jazz as metal. While he’s a trained jazz bassist, since 2004 he’s been more well-known for his work with Swedish experimental metal band Meshuggah. His Meshuggah sound, created by playing with a pick exclusively, is evident on the band’s second live recording, CD/DVD set , which documents a May 2013 London...

Besides bass, a common thread in this week’s top 10 list seems to be groove. And that’s just fine with us. Plus, a top 10 list inside a top 10 list. Also fine by us. Here are the top 10 most popular stories and videos for No Treble readers for the week of September 27 – October 3, 2014. Thanks...

Radial Engineering has introduced the Stagebug SB-48UB, a phantom power supply for use with a condenser microphone. Aiming the device at double bassists who utilize mics in their setup, the company explains the new box supplies microphones with 48 volt phantom power and outputs an unbalanced signal that is more appropriate for use in a standard preamp. The SB-48UB is...

After filling in for bassist Paul DiLeo for several months, bassist Jeff Rouse is now a permanent member of Fozzy. The rock band, fronted by WWE star Chris Jericho, announced the news in a press release. “Jeff is an incredible musician and singer who has spent the last decade playing in Duff McKagan’s Loaded and is also the lead singer...

Our Facebook friend Tanner Feazell sent us a clip of the experimental rock group The Physics House Band performing their song “Teratology.” The group’s bold sound is held together by bassist Adam Hutchinson, who throws in some nasty fills between grooves. “I stumbled upon these guys today and loved it! Hope you guys enjoy it, too,” Feazell wrote. And we...

Wow. Flying Colors kicks into the second song of its second album, , with a big ol’ blast of bass, courtesy of Dave LaRue. Just check out “Mask Machine” in the video we featured yesterday. Flying Colors is the creation of former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, LaRue and guitarist Steve Morse (both known for their work in the Dixie...

Next year will see the revamp of two classic Gibson basses including the SG Standard and Thunderbird bass models. Each of the basses will retain many of their features with improvements including a full contact bridge, thicker and smoother rosewood fingerboards, pearl inlays, comprehensive setups, upgraded output jacks, and more robust cables for improved signal strength. The 2015 Gibson Thunderbird...

The supergroup known as Flying Colors has released their second album, Second Nature. One thing we love about it is the second song on the album, because it kicks off with some gnarly bass by Dave LaRue. What else needs to be said?

We lost legendary jazz double bassist Charlie Haden this summer, but he lives on through his music – that includes music that few people have had a chance to hear, until now. The Impulse! label has issued a previously unreleased performance of Haden and jazz guitarist Jim Hall (Hall died in December 2013, just a little more than 6 months...