Archive for 2015 - Page 97

Vulfpeck’s Jack Stratton just sent me his latest visualization video. This time around, the tune is Stevie Wonder’s “I Was Made to Love Her” – once again showcasing the genius of James Jamerson.

Bob Dylan has taken on some American pop standards, and according to a Los Angeles Times review of Shadows in the Night, the bass leads the way. “Guided by bassist Tony Garnier‘s liquid lines, ‘Shadows’ is an exercise in precision, each syllable essential, each measure evenly weighted,” reviewer Randall Roberts writes. Garnier is Dylan’s longtime bassist and has also worked...

Boss has introduced the BB-1X Bass Driver, a compact pedal that employs the company’s MDP technology to offer sounds ranging from natural clean tone to a heavy distortion. Beyond a drive pedal, the BB-1X has EQ controls and a 1/4-inch line output to add preamp and DI functionality. The pedal’s distortion circuit analyzes your bass signal to respond to your...

I get a an insurmountable number of emailed questions asking about slap tone and technique. While I have mentioned dozens of times in various columns that I never really explored the slap side of bass, I have fiddled with it enough, in addition to knowing quite a few fantastic slappers. I know how to get the tone, I just never...

Italian prog bassist Alberto Rigoni sent in this great playthrough of “Chron” from his latest album, Overloaded. Rigoni puts on a nice, fuzzy tone to work through the odd-metered song before cooling things off to take a solo at the 3:12 mark. For those of you looking to play along yourself, Rigoni has supplied a detailed PDF with notation and...

Johnny “Spazz” Hatton, double bassist for the Brian Setzer Orchestra, lays down the basics in Rockabilly Bass: Slap Technique, Creating Bass Lines & the Rudiments of Rockin’ String Bass. Hatton, who has also played a host of styles with a wide variety of artists (including a 1967 concert with Elvis Presley) covers a multitude of bases in the title from...

Every Tuesday, we get to share one of our favorite features on No Treble: the Reader Spotlight. Sometimes when I bump into people, at NAMM or elsewhere, there seems to be confusion about how this actually works. So I’d like to clear it up. Really, we just need your story. You can submit it via our spotlight questionnaire. You don’t...

Ashdown Engineering took the opportunity at NAMM to unveil the B-Social, a desktop bass amp that’s loaded with innovative features. The 75-watt stereo amp is boasted as the first desktop amp system for bass guitarists with Bluetooth connectivity that allows the bass to connect wirelessly via an optional transmitter. The “social” aspect of the amp comes from from several features,...

Bassists Colin Edwin and Lorenzo Feliciati teamed up last year to release Twinscapes, an album that ranges from ambient drones to heavy grooving. Besides stellar musicianship, the record is tied together with clever uses of effects and techniques to create rich sonic atmospheres. The duo have now released footage of a master class in which they reveal their approaches. Taken...

If you love live records, vinyl albums, and heavy drone/psychedelic band Om, you need to take a look at Live. The band includes Al Cisneros (also known for his work in Sleep) on vocals and bass. The four-track record is intended to capture the sound of the group’s 2013 European tour. Around 1,000 copies of the album were pressed and...

January is always a good month for new bass gear stories, thanks to the NAMM show. Here are the 10 most popular bass gear stories in January, based on No Treble readers. Thanks for reading, and sorry for all the GAS. 1. Marcus Miller Teams with Sire Guitars for New Signature Basses Marcus Miller has a new line of signature...

This week we check out the Fëanor JMS6, a 6-string headless bass created by Italian luthier Giulio Negrini. The modern design also includes a multi-scale string configuration and fanned frets. Negrini built the bass with an alder body topped with flamed maple in a beautiful translucent colored finish. Its neck continues the flamed maple theme and is reinforced with carbon...