This Week in Bass: Mike Herrera’s New Sig Model and the Rock Hall’s Standout Low-End Moments
We’re back again with a roundup of the week’s best of bass.
Our top story this week was about the new Mike Herrera signature bass from Sterling by Music Man. The cost-effective StingRay mirrors his Ernie Ball Music Man model from 2020, including a unique electronics package. Its single humbucker is matched with a volume knob plus two non-functional dummy knobs.
“Some people are probably going to be very confused when they get this and their knobs don’t work,” the MxPx frontman explains. “When I started out I was going crazy on stage. I [hit the] volume knob or the tone knob and wonder why everything sounded so weird. So that’s why I started doing this and I’ve been doing it my whole career.”
We had plenty of star-studded videos to share in the wake of the recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. That includes a bass and drums cover of “Seven Nation Army” by Twenty One Pilots, a tribute to Sly Stone featuring Flea and Tony Russell, and a Joe Cocker tribute anchored by Brandon Boone.
Other highlights include a sneak peek of Hartke’s upcoming bass amp, the IK Multimedia Tonex Plug, a fretless 7-string Esphera from FM Guitars, and more. Scroll on to get all caught up.
1. How Twenty One Pilots Turned “Seven Nation Army” into a Bass-and-Drums Power Duo
2. Flea on Bass at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Tribute to Sly Stone, Featuring Stevie Wonder, Beck & More
3. Brandon Boone Steers the Joe Cocker Tribute at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Teddy Swims, Cyndi Lauper, Chris Robinson, Bryan Adams & More
4. Larry Hartke Unveils the TX7500 – An 800-Watt Lightweight Successor to the HA3500
5. IK Multimedia Launches TONEX Plug: 40,000 AI Tone Models in a Pocket-Sized Amp
6. This Fretless 7-String Bass by FM Guitars Takes Inspiration from a Stealth Bomber
7. That Bass Line You Can’t Forget? Nathan East Made It Feel Effortless on “Bad Love”
8. Vincen García’s new drop ‘LET’S DO IT’ is packed with low-end ideas bass players will want to steal
9. 10 Years Later, Khruangbin Rewrites Their Debut With “The Universe Smiles Upon You ii”
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
