Archive for July 2017 - Page 4

Fender debuted five new signature models at the Summer NAMM show this year including one bass: the Justin Meldal-Johnsen Road Worn Mustang Bass. The session ace, who has worked with artists ranging from Beck to Nine Inch Nails, teamed up with the company to create an instrument based on his personal ’66 Daphne Blue Mustang Bass. The short-scale bass is...

Pablo Elorza has always floored us with his playing. Here’s a great clip of his jazz orchestra performing “Unsung Heroes” from his solo album Jardín Japones. Elorza impresses on his six-string bass with a big tone while his band equally brings the fire on his composition.

Get ready: Victor Wooten has announced he will be releasing a new solo album this fall. TRYPNOTYX will be available on September 5th and will be his first solo record since 2012. The bass guru will is joined by his latest trio featuring monster drummer Dennis Chambers and saxophonist Bob Franceschini. Guest artists will include vocalist Varijashree Venugopal and “voicetrumentalist”...

Bergantino has expanded their bass amp lineup with the Forté, which the company describes as “an incredibly flexible, state-of-the-art Bass Amplifier, delivering maximum performance in a compact package.” The unit is a close relation to their B|Amp and features the same analog preamp and power section with fewer options. It weighs in at just six pounds. The Forté is rated...

Q: I’m once again considering using active electronics on my bass, a pre-amp of some kind. It is still a bit of a debate I notice amongst bass players. Some say it’s “colder,” some say it’s difficult to work with, especially on stage. I even had stories from sound engineers who are not too keen on active basses when having...

Kung Fu are rounding out 2017 with Ninja Cuts, a collection of singles that will be released through the end of the year. “Sfvendgao” is the first single in the series and a song that they say “captures the essence of Kung Fu; live & up close.” That essence of course includes the fresh bass lines by Chris DeAngelis. His...

Meet Ricardo Ferrari, a guitarist-turned-bassist who said was thanks to “the absence of one more lower octave on the standard guitar.” Ricardo is this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight. Here’s his story… Bio: I began playing nylon guitar at 16. First, pop Brazilian music and then classical. I graduated from Berklee in 1985. I took up bass guitar...

I was sad to learn of the news of Allan Holdsworth’s passing. He left a great legacy to all guitarists and musicians in general, and his playing in the 70’s had a great impact on guitarists such as Frank Gambale, Bill Connors, Scott Henderson and even Eddie Van Halen. His way of playing the guitar was revolutionary, his legato style,...

Dave Weckl shared this video on Facebook and it knocked us out. “Here’s an amazing tune that [I] collaborated on with Abhijith P S Nair (violin, electric violin), Sandeep Mohan (electric guitar), and Mohini Dey (bass guitar),” he shared. “Great musicians/songwriters!” Mohini is tearing it up! The tune is available on .

This week we’re checking out a beautiful six-string Solo model bass built by luthier Brady Muckelroy. Its owner, Chris Taylor, shared the specs and photos of the gorgeous beast. “It plays like an absolute dream and the electronics allow for some amazing tone versatility,” he writes. The sleek design features neck through construction with a five-piece wenge, maple, and Ecuadorian...

Today we’re bringing the thunder! We’ll be borrowing from AC/DC guitarist Angus Young by playing the opening riffs from “Thunderstruck.”

Today is bass legend Geezer Butler’s birthday, and we’re celebrating with a killer isolated bass track from one of my favorite Black Sabbath songs: “Sweet Leaf.” It’s the opening track from 1971 album, Master of Reality, and besides being a heavy song, it’s a great example of Butler’s style. He lays down the riffs with a huge, sludgy tone, accenting...