Weekly Top 10: January 6-12, 2024

NAMM news is starting to come in, and some of the stories so far have been quite popular. Add to that some great bass videos, some early Jaco Pastorius solos, news from Warwick, and the latest “From The Bottom” episode, and you have this week’s top 10 reader favorites.

Thanks for being here!

1. Ibanez to Introduce Fretless Semi-Hollow SR Series Basses at NAMM 2024

Ibanez’s flagship SR series will be shown at the 2024 NAMM show. The fretless SRD900 and the SRD905 models are four and five-string basses, each featuring a semi-hollow construction with an exotic maple top with three oval sound holes.

2. Jaco Pastorius: Three Bass Solos from 1977 Herbie Hancock Tour

For many years, I’ve loved the records of Jaco Pastorius during Herbie Hancock’s 1977 tour. Jaco was 25 at the time. Music Universe put together this video of three of Jaco’s solos during the tour, spanning three cities.

3. Bass of the Week: Brooks EB-TB-IV

Rob van den Broek of Brooks has shared another killer mashup design he calls the EB-TB-IV. Built for Swedish bassist Roger Hedin, the axe blends two vintage basses for a fresh instrument.

4. FM Guitars Unveils the Esphera Bass

FM Guitars has introduced the Esphera bass, a lightweight and ergonomic instrument that comes in 4, 5, 6, and 7-string versions as well as FM’s signature double fingerboard style in 8, 10, and 12-strings.

5. Earthquaker Devices Announces the Blumes Bass Overdrive Pedal

Earthquaker Devices has expanded their pedal lineup with a new bass overdrive called Blumes. Though the company’s effects have often been used for bass, the Blumes is their first overdrive made specifically for bass.

6. Warwick Announces New Owner

Warwick has sent out an important announcement regarding their leadership. Hans-Peter Wilfer, who founded the company in 1982, will be stepping away from the company. However, he will be leaving it in good hands as he has passed the torch to his son, Nicolas Wilfer.

7. Glide: Is This the Ultimate Slap Bass Line?

In this new episode of “From the Bottom,” Paul Thompson digs into one of the “Hall of Fame” bass grooves from the past 40 years: “Glide” by Pleasure (1979), and the man who wrote and played it: Nate Phillips.

8. Percy Jones and PAKT Announce Album and West Coast Tour

PAKT is gearing up to release a new album in February and they’ll touring to support it. “No Steps Left To Trace” is split between six tracks recorded at NRS Studio and five tracks captured live during their 2021 and 2023 tours.

9. Top 10: The Most Watched Bass Videos (December 2023)

We had some incredible videos to share for the last month of 2023, and these saw huge traffic. Here is your top 10 list of favorite bass videos for December.

10. ToneSpeak Unveils Bass Guitar Speaker Series

ToneSpeak has introduced a new line of ultra-lightweight neodymium speakers designed specifically for the bass guitar. Built by hand in their St. Paul, Minnesota headquarters, the new drivers come in 10, 12, and 15 inch sizes.