Gruv Gear Announces Damian Erskine Duostrap Signature Bass Strap
Gruv Gear has introduced the Duostrap Signature, a genuine leather strap backed by bassist (and No Treble columnist) Damian Erskine. The new strap features a pair of over-the-shoulder straps for balanced weight distribution to reduce shoulder strain while keeping a comfortable playing position. By design, the right shoulder strap loops around the upper horn of your bass for support, though...
Joe Zinkan: Four Leaf Clover (Old School Slap Bass)
Thomas Bizzle shared this great video of Joe Zinkan playing some mean upright slap bass on the tune “Four Leaf Clover.” Though Zinkan became a regular band member on the Grand ‘Ol Opry, the clip comes from a 1965 episode of the “Bobby Lord Show”. Old school slap. We love it.
Mike Watt to Reunite With fIREHOSE; Releases Album with Spielgusher
2012 is shaping up to be a busy year for punk rock icon Mike Watt, with the and the announcement that fIREHOSE will be reuniting in April. The group, which was formed by Watt and fellow Minutemen member George Hurley after frontman D. Boon’s death, hasn’t played together since 1994. The band has revealed two weeks of dates, including a...
Esperanza Spalding: “Black Gold” Official Music Video
Grammy award winning bassist/vocalist Esperanza Spalding has released the official video for “Black Gold,” the first single off her upcoming album Radio Music Society. The song and video are a beautiful homage to African American heritage. “This song is singing to our African American heritage before slavery,” Spalding writes. “Over the decades, so much of the strength in the African...
Van Halen Releases “A Different Kind of Truth”
About 27 years ago, one of rock’s greatest bands lost its frontman, ending the group’s original lineup. Now David Lee Roth has rejoined the ranks of Van Halen to release A Different Kind of Truth, the first original studio album to feature his vocals since 1984. The 13-track collection is available in regular and deluxe editions. The deluxe edition includes...
Warwick Unveils Jack Bruce Survivor and Jimmy Earl Signature Basses
Warwick introduced a pair of Signature basses at NAMM this year for former Cream bassist Jack Bruce and jazz bassist Jimmy Earl. The new instruments are hand-crafted in Germany and each come with individually issued certificates of authenticity. Based on their previous CRB model, the new Jack Bruce Survivor bass features neck-through construction with a mahogany body and neck. The...
B.C. Rich Unveils Two New Basses for 2012
B.C. Rich rolled out a pair of new basses for NAMM 2012: the Widow 4 Bass and the Greg Weeks Signature Bass. The 2012 Widow 4 bass is a 4-string version of their existing WMD Widow. With a radical body shape and red pinstripes, the bass is designed to resemble the killer Black Widow spider. It features neck-through construction with...
Ashdown Introduces Classic Tube Magnifier All Tube Bass Amp
Ashdown CTM Custom Bass Amp Ashdown unveiled their new Classic Tube Magnifier all tube bass amp at the NAMM show last month. The company, who is celebrating their 15th anniversary, also rolled out custom shop options and were displaying the head in standard and custom covering. Housed in 18mm Marine grade birch ply cabinet, the CTM 300 features a power...
Ampeg Releases Micro-CL Stack
Ampeg has unveiled the Micro-CL Stack, a “micro-sized SVT” rated at 100-watts. The solid state head and 2×10 cabinet resemble the company’s iconic SVT-CL at a fraction of the size. Available only as a set, the “mini fridge” have many of the same features as their larger counterparts, including a dedicated FX Loop, a stereo input, a headphone output, a...
Jackson Ampworks Introduces The Behemoth Bass Amp
Jackson Ampworks unveiled four new amps at NAMM this year including The Behemoth, a 120-watt all-tube bass amp. Sporting dual channels, the company describes the new amp as a marriage of a B-15N and an SVT, with Channel 1 designated as the Vintage Channel while Channel 2 is the Modern Channel. As such, Channel 1 is based on the 8-pin...
Bass of the Week: Brown’s Guitar Factory Fretted/Less Bass
Fretted, fretless, or both? Based out of Minnesota, Brown’s Guitar Factory has a unique take on electric bass with their Fretted/Less models. The design allows for half of the fingerboard to be fretted while the second half has a raised fretless section, which is elevated to the height of the fretted section to keep its proper scale. While BGF says...
Alberto Rigoni: The Net
Here’s a cool video for the mesmerizing track “The Net” from Alberto Rigoni’s 2011 album, Rebirth. The song is built entirely of harmonics, which gives it a floating kind of feeling.