Elbow Releases Seventh Studio Album, “Little Fictions”
English alt-rock band Elbow has returned with their seventh studio album, Little Fictions. Inspired by topics ranging from love to Britain’s pending exit from the European Union, the entire album is rooted by Pete Turner, who dishes out melodic bass lines to punctuate dreamy songs. Little Fictions is available now on , and as a digital download ( and )....
In Memoriam: Steve Lang
Steve Lang, who played bass for the Canadian classic rock outfit April Wine, has died at the age of 67. No cause of death has been announced, though he had suffered from Parkinson’s Disease. The news of Lang’s passing was shared by April Wine bandleader Myles Goodwyn. “My dear friend Steve Lang passed away this weekend,” Goodwyn wrote on Facebook....
Bass of the Week: Manne Guitars Moab
This week we’re checking out the Manne Guitars Moab, which they describe as their flagship luxury bass model. The bass comes in four, five, and six-string versions with a korina body topped by walnut, Italian Yew, or poplar. Its multi-laminated neck is fitted with a thin “F resin” fretboard, which Manne says allows for precise attack without dead notes. Its...
The Levin Brothers Announce Spring Tour Dates
Bass legend Tony Levin has announced a spring tour with his brother Pete. The Levin Brothers will begin with a Rosendale, New York gig on March 4th before heading south to Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia, and El Salvador. They’ll then return to the U.S. for a handful of dates in the Northeast. The duo will be joined by saxophonist Erik...
Spector Celebrates 40 Years with Euro4LE 1977 Limited Edition Bass
Spector is celebrating 40 years of bass building with the Euro4LE 1977 Limited Edition bass. Based on the company’s original bass from 1977, it’s built with neck-through construction with a fully carved body with solid American walnut body wings and a 3-piece maple neck. Spector went so far as to measure the dot inlays that adorn the 24-fret rosewood fingerboard...
Digitech Announces FreqOut Feedback Pedal
Digitech has unveiled the FreqOut, a pedal for bass and guitar that creates controlled feedback. The stompbox uses pitch-detection technology to identify the harmonic content of notes and chords then makes those frequencies feedback in a musical way with several settings. “Roaring feedback from an amp can add intensity and musicality to a live performance when used correctly,” Digitech’s Tom...
Wing Instruments Introduces Two New Models
Wing Instruments expanded their product lineup at the NAMM show this year with the Wing Bass NT and Wing Bass 30. The company describes the new models as representing an evolution in their philosophy that “life is short scale.” Similar to the original Wing Bass, the NT measures up at just 21 inches and plays like the top range of...
David Crosby Recruits Mai Agan for 2017 Tour
David Crosby has announced a North American tour for April and May. The trek will see the legendary rock icon performing songs from his album, Croz, as well as a track from his upcoming album, Sky Trails. Of course, he’ll also perform some of his greatest hits. Crosby enlisted bassist Mai Agan for the outing. Born in Estonia and based...
Darkglass Electronics Introduces the Alpha Omega Distortion Pedal
Darkglass Electronics wowed NAMM attendees this year with a brand new pedal called the Alpha Omega. Co-designed with Karnivool’s Jon Stockman, the stompbox is a departure from their previous circuits and preamplifiers. “[The Alpha Omega] is fully operational amplifier based and has two distinct distortion circuits (Alpha and Omega) which can be selected or blended using our Mod knob,” Darkglass...
Jefferson Airplane: Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil, 1967
We’re kicking it old school today with a clip of Jefferson Airplane from a performance in 1967. Our friend Will Marks sent the clip in, noting the tasteful bass work of Jack Casady. “Interesting to see how he developed and presented his sections when the bass was featured — typically found them to be rooted in simple figures aggressively stated...
“Learn to Play the UBass” eBook Now Available
If you’ve been reading No Treble for a while, you’ve probably seen Magnus Sjöquist grooving hard on the Kala UBass. Now Sjöquist is sharing his bass playing knowledge in a new eBook entitled Learn to Play the UBass. Available for iOS, the book is highly interactive with picture galleries, multi-angle videos, and lesson quizzes. The text has clickable highlighted words...
Ashdown Reveals Origin Bass Head and Tube Preamp/DI
Ashdown debuted the Origin series at NAMM this year, including a 300-watt bass amplifier and a tube preamp and DI pedal. Both units are designed to be “lightweight, portable and stripped back” for a strong yet streamlined bass signal. The Origin amp starts with an active/passive input switch and effects loop. It has a five-band EQ section with Bass, Lo-Mid,...