Weekly Top 10: January 13-19, 2024
NAMM starts this week, but the news has already started trickling in. This week’s top 10 includes a handful of bass gear stories as a result.
Add to it a very popular video, Ryan Madora’s latest “Keep It Groovy” lesson, and some new albums, and more, and that comprises this week’s reader favorites.
1. Steve Morse/David Grisman/Rob Wasserman Trio: Merv Griffin Show Appearance (1985)
In 1985, three award-winning musicians – guitarist Steve Morse, mandolinist David Grisman, and bassist Rob Wasserman – performed together for the first time on the Merv Griffin Show.
2. Julien’s Auctions Announces “The Collection of Dusty Hill of ZZ Top Part II”
Last month, Julien’s Auctions sold off a great deal of late ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill‘s basses, wardrobe, and memorabilia. Now the event has an encore as they’ve announced “The Collection of Dusty Hill of ZZ Top Part II.”
3. Ernie Ball Music Man Introduces Joe Dart III Bass
Ernie Ball Music Man has added a third iteration to the Joe Dart Artist Series Bass Collection, fittingly called the Joe Dart III. The bass takes a wholly new approach from the previous two and features a short 30-inch scale with a passive split-coil pickup.
4. Source Audio Introduces the ZIO Bass Preamp
Source Audio has expanded its offering of bass-specific pedals with the ZIO, which is an analog bass preamp and DI.
5. EBS Announces the Runsten Pedalboard Power Supply
EBS has revealed the first of their new products for the 2024 Winter NAMM Show with the Runsten. The pedalboard power supply features ten isolated 9-volt DC outputs, eight of which can be switched to 12-volt operation.
6. Essential Tips for Playing Bass With A Pick
Ryan Madora’s newest “Keep It Groovy” bass lesson is all about getting acquainted with a pick. Let’s dig into the mechanics of it and establish some exercises for our pick-playing journey.
7. Epiphone Unveils the Rex Brown Signature Thunderbird Bass
In 2022, amid the news of Pantera reforming to tour, Gibson unveiled a Rex Brown signature Thunderbird Bass. The signature model has now been added to the more budget-minded Epiphone brand.
8. Bass of the Week: Spector USA Custom NS-2 NYC Graffiti Collection Limited Edition Bass
This week we’re checking out one of the new collaborations between Spector Basses and Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center. The two companies teamed up for a line of one-of-a-kind NS-2 models featuring special graffiti artwork by airbrush artist Dan Lawrence that celebrates New York City.
9. Ghost-Note Announces “Mustard n’Onions”
Ghost-Note has announced a new album. “Mustard n’Onions” will drop on April 19th. The band, led by Snarky Puppy’s Robert “Sput” Searlight, welcome a host of guests. MonoNeon handles most of the work, with Marcus Miller appearing on one track.
10. Ross Valory Announces Solo Debut Album, “All Of The Above”
Former Journey bassist Ross Valory has announced his debut solo album is coming this April. “All of the Above” is described as the first of three “experimental” albums from Valory, who has been crafting his own musical ideas for decades.
