The Who’s Farewell, Spector’s Limited Basses, and More: This Week’s Top Bass Stories

Here it is: your weekly wrap-up of the best bass on the internet. This week’s top ten is balanced with new gear, new albums, new tours, and heavy grooves.

At the top of the heap is the new Spector Limited Edition Euro CST lineup, which offer custom shop features like spalted maple tops on a factory-built bass. Next up, Jon Button will be channeling the spirit of John Entwistle as The Who perform their farewell tour later this year. Marek Bero returned with an intriguing new lesson on “bidirectional intervals” from his Bass Gym series. Readers also went ape over the Contriver Guitars Plunk, which garnered No Treble’s Bass of the Week.

The rest of the list is stacked with killer videos of Carrtoons, Hadrien Feraud, Riccardo Oliva, and the great Christian McBride. Scroll down to get caught up with our top ten of the week.

1. Spector’s Limited Euro CST Basses: Spalted Maple Tops, Darkglass Tone, Custom Shop Detail

Spector introduces the Euro CST basses: a limited-edition line featuring spalted maple, Czech construction, and electronics by Darkglass.

2. The Who Announce Farewell Tour: Jon Button Carries On John Entwistle’s Bass Legacy

The Who have announced their farewell North American tour, “The Song is Over,” marking the end of an era for one of rock’s most enduring bands.

3. Bidirectional Intervals on Bass: A Harmonic Minor Trick for Fresh Melodic Ideas

Learn how flipping sixth intervals in the harmonic minor scale can expand your bass phrasing and sharpen your technique through sixteenth-note timing.

4. Hadrien Feraud Cooks on Bass in Hiromi’s ‘Yes! Ramen!!’ Live at Blue Note Tokyo

Hadrien Feraud brings the heat on bass alongside Hiromi at Blue Note Tokyo. Full video inside.

5. Bass Meets Pocket: CARRTOONS Joins Nate Smith for a Laid-Back, Lockstep Groove Session

Nate Smith and bassist CARRTOONS create a pocket-driven groove session that blends jazz, R&B, and hip hop in this episode of Pocket Plus One.

6. Bass of the Week: Contriver Guitars’ Plunk is a Headless Six-String with Wild Design DNA

The Contriver Guitars Plunk Bass blends Parker Fly and BC Rich design cues with modern features like a headless tuning system, an asymmetrical neck, and Aguilar electronics.

7. Riccardo Oliva Blends Moog and 6-String Bass in J3PO’s Genre-Bending “My Favorite Things”

Riccardo Oliva plays 6-string bass and Moog synth in a modern jazz trio take on “My Favorite Things” with Julian “J3PO” Pollack and Gianluca Pellerito.

8. Motörhead’s Unearthed 1976 Studio Tapes Reveal Raw First Session of Lemmy’s Iconic Lineup

A long-lost 1976 Motörhead studio session featuring Lemmy, Fast Eddie Clarke, and Phil Taylor will be released as The Manticore Tapes on June 27.

9. Trickfish Introduces L-Series Cabinets: Lightweight Builds, Full-Ranged Tone

With neodymium drivers and pro-grade tone, Trickfish’s lightweight L-Series cabinets combine portability and performance.

10. No Setlist, No Rehearsal: Christian McBride and Savannah Harris Trade Fire on “The Blues” for SFJAZZ

In this SFJAZZ duo performance, Christian McBride and Savannah Harris explore “The Blues” with no setlist, relying on instinct, feel, and deep trust.