Weekly Top 10: March 9-15, 2024
This week’s top 10 list features more bass gear, Sting’s return to a power trio, octave slides lesson, top 10 videos, our Pete Griffin interview, and new music from Mark Egan and Kim Gordon.
1. Grez Guitars Unveils the Mendocino Bass VI
Grez Guitars has expanded their Mendocino series instruments with a Bass VI model. The new semi-hollow axe is built using salvaged old grown redwood top for a “classic aesthetic and voice while delivering modern high-performance hardware and playability.”
2. Bass of the Week: Overwater Basses Progress Series IV Standard 5-String
This week we’re checking out a killer Progress Series IV Standard 5-string bass by Overwater Basses. Its swamp ash body has a gorgeous walnut top that’s matched with a walnut headstock cap, walnut fingerboard binding, and walnut block inlays.
3. Charles Berthoud: If Sinatra Played Bass (“My Way”)
Charles Berthoud never ceases to amaze. In this video he titled “If Sinatra Played BASS,” Charles plays a masterful solo bass arrangement of “My Way.”
4. Nordstrand Audio Unveils PolyVox Multi-Coil Bass Pickups
Nordstrand Audio has added a new pickup model called the PolyVox. The multi-coil pickups are described as “the ultimate expression of Carey [Nordstrand’s] lifelong search for the most inspiring and musically evocative bass tone.”
5. Sting Announces New Power Trio For “Sting 3.0” Tour
Sting made his name as the bassist and vocalist for a power trio called The Police, and now he’s getting back to the format. He’s announced a new tour called “STING 3.0” featuring a new trio with longtime guitarist Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas of Mumford & Sons fame.
6. How to Play Octave Slides On Bass: Essential Rock Technique
In this lesson, we take a look at octave slides and how they can intensify our rock and roll bass playing! We’ll practice playing a root note in the lower register of the bass and then slide up to play the octave on the adjacent string.
7. Top 10: The Most Watched Bass Videos (February 2024)
February was a great month for bass videos on No Treble. Of the 29 we shared, here are the top 10 reader favorites.
8. Lab Rat: An Interview with Pete Griffin
Pete Griffin has an insane résumé that includes work with Zappa Plays Zappa, Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Dethklok, Dr. John, and many more. We caught up with him to get the scoop on his new EP, “Pete Griffin and His Lab Rats,” and more.
9. Mark Egan Releases “Cross Currents”
Mark Egan has just released “Cross Currents,” a new trio album featuring the talents of drummer. Shawn Pelton and guitarist Shane Theriot. Described as the bassist's most versatile and ambitious album to date, the music covers a lot of ground with styles including funk, ambient, swamp rock, second-line, Cajun, and Indian.
10. Kim Gordon’s Second Solo Album, “The Collective,” Out Now
Five years after her solo debut, former Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon has returned with her sophomore album, “The Collective.”
