Archive for 2016 - Page 77

This week we’re taking a look at the ESP E-II Stream SL-5, a bigger variation on the bass model they debuted in 2014. The SL-5 is a five-string version with a 35-inch scale and larger body than its predecessors. As part of the E-II series, the Stream SL-5 is built in ESP’s Japanese factory. Available in Deep Red Metallic Satin...

One of our No Treble readers has this to say: I understand how to structure my practice, but I’m still having trouble figuring out how to set up practice sessions because I have so much stuff to work on. I’m a bit frustrated. Do you have any suggestions? The first thing I’d suggest is to check out this column on...

Until today, I had never heard the band Songhoy Blues. So I looked them up. According to Wikipedia, the band is a “desert punk / blues music group from Timbuktu, Mali.” I have no idea what that means, exactly, but I dig whatever you want to call this fine music. Here’s the band performing “Sekou Oumarou” live at Jazz Club...

It’s a tradition around here – celebrating No Treble’s birthday with a post. Seven years ago today, we pushed the button and made this site live. Many of you have connected with us on Facebook, and we just hit 200,000 bass playing friends there last week. Some of our big additions since our last birthday include the launch of some...

Blue Öyster Cult founding bassist Joe Bouchard has released his fourth solo album, The Power of Music. Bouchard, who plays with The X Brothers and Blue Coupe — the latter with former Alice Cooper bassist Dennis Dunaway — produced and appears to have played all the instruments on his record, which features a cover of his former band’s song, “Career...

Nordstrand Pickups has once again expanded their signature pickup offerings with the new Big Blade soapbar. The pickup, which is available in standard soapbar shapes and sizes, was built for a “striking and aggressive sound.” “The Big Blade is a result of the pursuit of a continuous sensing blade style pickup whose tone brings with it the huge, rich, and...

Time to celebrate the best of the best from the world of bass – aka the weekly No Treble reader’s top 10. Here are the most read stories, columns and lessons, and the most watched videos of the week. Thanks for reading, watching, commenting and sharing. 1. Tal Wilkenfeld: Under the Sun Back in March, Tal Wilkenfeld visited Paste Studios...

In 1972, Bill Withers made an appearance on the Germany TV show, “Beat-Club”. Backed by his band – which included Melvin Dunlap – they laid down one sweet groove on “Kissing My Love”.

Yousician has added support for bass guitar. The digital music education platform, which is available on desktop and mobile versions, teaches by listening to your playing and giving feedback. “The Yousician platform works by listening to users play a real instrument through the microphone of a desktop or handheld device, and uses gamification to deliver real-time feedback on a musician’s...

Luthier Michael Gillett has launched a new range of basses called the Gillett Contour Electro-Acoustic Bass. Introduced at the London Bass Guitar Show, the aptly-named hollowbody basses feature unique contouring for an ergonomic experience. “Our basses have been a long time in the design and creation phase starting out over ten years ago when I was working as a peri...

Like countless others, we were devastated to hear the news of Prince’s passing on April 21st. Since then, the flood of Prince videos and tributes have filled up our feeds on social media. This one stood out to us. Backed by Larry Graham on bass, here’s Prince performing their funky version “Motherless Child”. RIP, Prince.

Arco aficionado Gaelen McCormick has expanded series of instructional books for the double bass with Mastering the Bow, Part 2: Spiccato. The book dives into the intricacies of spiccato strokes with elaborate definitions and examples. It’s designed to systematically build your technique with a variety of exercises and etudes, including those from the methods of Dotzauer, Kreutzer, Lee, Popper, Bille,...