Troy Hughes: Rush’s “The Big Money” Playthrough
Troy Hughes has a knack for nailing Geddy Lee’s lines. So much so that he’s featured on the Rush website. However, he couldn’t quite get the tone perfect for songs from the Power Windows album until an incredible trip to get the bass he’d always wanted. Hughes procured a Wal bass from former Puddle of Mudd bassist and founding member...
Chowny Introduces NT-J and NT-B Basses
Chowny Basses have expanded their lineup with the NT-J and NT-B models. The neck-through basses each feature a maple and rosewood neck matched to a chambered Red Cedar body with a Rosewood top. The models are set apart by their pickup configuration, with the NT-J sporting a pair of soapbar jazz pickups and the NT-B with a pair of soapbar...
Mitchell Electric Guitars Launches Bass Lineup
Mitchell Electric Guitars has debuted a new line of electric guitars and basses, including four bass models over three series: the FB Series, the TB Series, and the MB Series. The company calls the FB line their flagship model while the TB and MB basses are configured more traditionally. The FB700 is available in four-, five-, and six-string versions, each...
Maddie Jay & the pH Collective Release Debut Album
If you’ve been following No Treble for the past year, you’ve seen the rise of Maddie Jay & the pH Collective. Starting with their first original, “Throw Away Your Hate,” the bassist-led band has been wowing readers with deep grooves and lush arrangements. Now the band has released their first EP, entitled Meanwhile… The 8-song collection showcases Jay’s slick bass...
Rex Brown Announces Solo Album
After years of holding down the low end for the world’s biggest metal bands, Rex Brown has announced that he’s working on his debut solo album. The former Pantera and Down bassist revealed the news to Metal Hammer, saying it has inspired him to play again after burning out from touring. “I went to Nashville last summer, and I have...
Fender Introduces 800-Watt Bassman Head
Fender’s Bassman series of bass amplifiers has gotten bigger with the introduction of the Bassman 800 Head. The 800-watt, dual channel amp features a hybrid design with a tube preamp matched to a Class D power section. It weighs 17 pounds. Its two-channel tube preamp has Vintage and Overdrive voicings. The Vintage channel provides a vintage tone with a passive...
Cog Effects Expands Octave Pedal Series
Cog Effects has expanded their analog octave pedal lineup with two new pedals – the T-47 and T-70 – and an update to the T-65 model. “I wanted to make a range of octave pedals that provide valid solutions to guitarists and particularly bassists who are being more and more innovative with the pedals that are available to them,” Cog...
Turnitup: An Interview with Ida Nielsen
Ida Nielsen has gone by several names, including Ida Funkhouser and Bassida, but one thing has always stayed consistent: her rock solid funk style. The Danish bassist was building her own artistic empire with her band and a pair of solo albums when Prince handpicked her to be his bassist. Starting in 2010, Nielsen toured the world with The Purple...
MakeMusic Launches Finale v.25
MakeMusic has released version 25 of their popular music notation software, Finale. The new update carries several improvements including the transition to being a 64-bit application, making it more efficient and capable of handling 64-bit sound libraries. It also includes improved workflow and program support. “Features added in this release include transposed note entry, large time signatures, an incredible playback...
Bass of the Week: 39 Custom Guitars CK Canorous
Chris Kollias wrote in to share his new bass from 39 Custom Guitars, and it’s a beauty. The CK Canorous is a 5-string that the bassist wanted to cover a wide tonal palette. “The main purpose of this instrument is to cover a wide variety of sounds according to the demanding needs,” Kollias said. “The neck is made of white...
Evan Brewer: Entheos “New Light” Playthrough
Bass monster Evan Brewer shows his awe-inspiring bass line for Entheos’s “New Light” in this bass-centric playthrough. If you know Evan, you know this one is going to be a wild ride. He varies between several advanced techniques, including the heaviest slap line you’ve ever heard and a harmonically rich two-handed tapping section, to create a beautiful contrast in the...
Radial Engineering Revamps Bigshot i/o
After introducing the EFX version earlier this year, Radial is continuing to work on its Bigshot pedal series with a new redesign of the Bigshot i/o. The stompbox is a instrument selector that allows for switching between two basses plugged into the same amp. Each input can be selected quickly via footswitch. Input 2 is fitted with a level control...