Weekly Top 10: October 28 – November 3, 2023

In this episode of “From The Bottom,” Paul Thompson digs into the 1990’s #1 Billboard Dance hit “Groove Is In the Heart” by Deee-Lite (with Bootsy Collins and Q-Tip) and one of the most recognizable bass lines from the last 35 years.

Filmed on October 13, 2023 at the River of Time Boutique & Gallery in Athens, OH, here’s Hot Tuna (Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady) performing “Death Don’t Have No Mercy.”

There’s always something exciting about seeing elements from different bass styles coming together. This week we’re checking out a bit of a Frankenstein with the Thunderstang by Island Instruments.

Guild has reintroduced the Starfire Bass II in a bold Black finish for a limited run alongside the Starfire III Black and M-75 Aristocrat Black guitars. Originally introduced in 1967, the Starfire Bass II is fitted with a pair of Guild BS-1 BiSonic pickups.

Hal Leonard has expanded to their series of Play-Along packs with “Rush - Bass Play-Along Volume 61.” The new pack contains eight sound-alike recordings of Rush tracks with artist-approved transcriptions to get you feeling like Geddy Lee.

Pigtronix has introduced a new pedal tuner cleverly called the 2NR Chromatic Tuner. The company calls it a “no-nonsense, high-precision” tuner for guitar and bass.

In the world of the electric bass, it’s the musical virtuosos like Bobby Wooten III who bring new live to the instrument’s boundless narrative. In this month’s episode of Groove - The No Treble podcast, we chat with him to learn more.

Ernie Ball Music Man is throwing it back to their earliest years by introducing a new model called the Retro ’70s StingRay Bass Guitar. The new model comes in black, white, vintage sunburst, and heritage natural colorways with mostly classic-inspired features.

TWA is getting in the spirit of Halloween with their latest pedal, the Octoverdrive Overdrive. Suited for bass or guitar, the has a dual channel setup that utilizes “undead” components.

Another month ends, so it’s time for your monthly roundup of the top bass gear stories from the previous one. Here is your top 10 list of reader-favorite gear stories for the month of October 2023.