Weekly Top 10: Popular Bass Gear Stories from NAMM, Avoiding Practice Room Pitfalls, Thinking in Modes Plus the Best Bass Videos
This week was mostly about NAMM, but that doesn’t mean this week’s top 10 is all about gear.
No Treble readers enjoyed columns by Dr. D and Damian Erskine – big time – as well as a couple of great bass videos.
Thanks as always for reading, commenting and sharing.
1. Marcus Miller Teams with Sire Guitars for New Signature Basses
Marcus Miller has a new line of signature instruments with Sire Guitars. The series is based on two models – the J-bass inspired V7 and the modern-styled M3 – and aims to create quality instruments at low prices. Miller describes how the series comes about in this interview video…
2. Improving Practice: 4 Pitfalls to Avoid in the Practice Room
We learn and grow musically from a variety of sources. Teachers, performances, fellow musicians all play a role, but our most direct improvement comes from our time in the practice room. Dr D lays out 4 pitfalls to avoid in his new Lowdown column…
3. Thinking In Modes or Scales and Constructing Bass Lines
This week, Damian Erskine answers a reader’s question on thinking about scales when it comes to playing over chord changes. Damian delivers yet again in this new column…
4. TC Electronic Unveils K-Series Bass Cabinets
TC Electronic took the opportunity at the Winter NAMM Show to unveil the new K-Series of bass cabinets. Following in the footsteps of the company’s RS and BC cabinets, the K-Series models are designed to be lightweight with vertical stacking ability. The lineup includes the K210, the K212, and the K410…
5. Ampeg Unveils SCR-DI Bass DI Pedal at NAMM
Ampeg’s booth at NAMM this year featured their new revamped BA combo series, but it centered around the unveiling of their brand new SCR-DI. The bass-friendly direct box is their first new pedal in years and brings together an Ampeg preamp, EQ section, and their Scrambler Overdrive…
6. Chris Brubeck’s Triple Play: New Stew, Opus 2
A friend sent in this video of bassist Chris Brubeck and his trio Triple Play performing their song “New Stew, Opus 2” live. Brubeck, whose father was jazz legend Dave Brubeck, brings a bubbly funk groove on his modded fretless Rickenbacker…
7. Radial Engineering Announces the Bassbone V2
After introducing the Bassbone OD last year, Radial Engineering is updating the original Bassbone with the Bassbone V2. The second generation device features a dedicated effects loop, a combination power booster-mute footswitch, and a piezo optimized input for upright bass…
8. Morley Announces Cliff Burton Tribute Series Power Fuzz Wah Pedal
Morley debuted the Cliff Burton Tribute Series Power Fuzz Wah at the Winter NAMM Show this year. Introduced in part with the bassist’s father Ray Burton, the pedal is a tribute that blends aspects of the 70’s model used by Burton on the early Metallica recordings and the company’s modern models…
9. Marco Morandi: Integral’s “Realm Of Atlantis” Playthrough
We featured the SiC Instruments Madness 6-string fretless as a bass of the week in December, and it was a fan favorite. Luthier Simon Calabrese followed up by sending us this video of Integral’s Marco Morandi using the bass to play through their song “Realm of Atlantis”…
10. Aguilar Introduces Fuzzistor Bass Fuzz Pedal
Aguilar unveiled a new pedal at this year’s NAMM Show this year called the Fuzzistor. The bass fuzz pedal features a classic silicone transistor distortion circuit for a retro, fuzzy ’70s tone. The Fuzzistor allows for dialing in your tone with Level, Blend, Tone, and Fuzz controls…
