Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 634

I love discovering new artists, and it’s even better when a No Treble reader shares something with us. Justin Barker dropped me a line about bassist Dave McMillan of Big Wreck. “Just heard the single ‘Ghosts’ from a band called Big Wreck,” he wrote. “It’s pretty rare to me that a bass player from what I’d consider a ‘mainstream’ act...

Electro-Harmonix has expanded their bass offerings with the announcement of the Nano Bass Big Muff Pi, a distortion/sustainer pedal that blends features of its predecessors into a smaller package. The new pedal is voiced like the EHX Russian Big Muff but has a classic Big Muff Pi control layout with Sustain, Tone, and Volume knobs. Electro-Harmonix says the pedal dishes...

Less than a year after scoring their first number one album in the United States with 13, the metal pioneers in Black Sabbath may be getting ready for a followup, says bassist Geezer Butler. “We’ve still got four tracks left over from the album,” he told Time Out Dubai, “so maybe we’ll fill in the other four or five tracks...

Juan Alderete has such a singular voice on the bass, and yet he can be so versatile. He got his first break in the metal scene, spent plenty of years with innovative rockers Mars Volta, and has his own experimental duo Big Sir with vocalist Lisa Papineau. Through it all, he’s always been about hip hop. “When [I joined Racer...

Tie dye? Check. Disco skating? Check. Funky bass? Check, check, check. Freekbass likes to keep things funky and, well, freeky. Here’s the first video for the track “Victoria Thunder” from his latest album, Everybody’s Feelin’ Real.

Luminscent position marker company Luminlay has expanded their product line to include the MA19 series of knobs. The knobs, which come in five colors, are inlaid with luminescent numbers for easy visibility on a dark stage. Similar to their inlays, the knob’s numbers are activated by a Luminlay LED light charger. Suited for a six millimeter shaft diameter, the knobs...

This week we check out the Limes bass, a unique singlecut design that’s handmade by Oliver Lang Instruments. The series came as a collaboration between Lang and his customer Michael after meeting at a fretless workshop. Together they created the first of the Limes series, dubbed the “Erik,” which features a five-piece maple and walnut neck, walnut body wings with...

Paul McCartney has been forced to postpone his appearances in Japan and South Korea this month after being sidelined by a viral infection. The 71-year-old is reportedly hospitalized in Tokyo, although his admittance was not confirmed. “Thank you so much for your kind messages of support. I’m so very touched,” the former Beatle stated on his website. “Unfortunately my condition...

I’m a sucker for jazz ballads on bass, so when Christopher Brydge shared this duo of Oscar Pettiford and Attila Zoller playing “The Gentle Art of Love,” I dropped everything to watch. The video is part of some rare footage from a TV program called “Black and White Show no. 2” which aired on June 15th, 1959. Pettiford, who is...

Rock bassist Randy Coven, who toured and recorded with artists including Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai, passed away on May 20th of undisclosed causes. He was 54. Born in Great Neck, New York, Coven was introduced to music at a young age. His parents fostered his love of music by taking him to the Beatles concert at Shea Stadium when...

Get ready to chill out. Ian Trusheim sent in this awesome solo bass tune he wrote called “Stair Steps.” The song revolves around a nice groove that develops into a beautiful harmonic progression to which the bassist adds a simple yet gripping vocal melody.

Analog Alien is now shipping the Alien Bass Station, a pedal that puts three effects into one box. The effects, which include a limiter, an amp generator, and a gamma fuzz, can be used independently or simultaneously for tonal flexibility. Each section has separate output knobs to adjust that effects signal strength. The limiter has a limit-comp knob for the...