Buzz
Cort Upgrades the B5 Plus AS Bass for 2016
Cort has updated their B5 Plus AS bass with a new set of electronics. The model, which is part of the Artisan Series, now comes with the Markbass MB-1 EQ to match its Bartolini MK-1 pickups. The bass’s preamp is described as providing a “very natural and transparent boost” that won’t color the instrument’s natural tone. “The crystal clarity and...
The Lightbulb Moment: Learn Lots of Songs
Here I am, once again, on the bandstand with a bass in hand. Two sets down, one to go. It’s a free for all… no official set list and a handful of requests. A guy with a twenty in his hand walks up to the stage and says, “Do ya’ll know ‘Whipping Post’?” The guitar player immediately looks at me...
Shobaleader One: Squarepusher’s Theme
Bassist and electronica artist Squarepusher is taking his band Shobaleader One on the road in the UK next month, and we’ve got a clip of the first live video footage of the group. The up-tempo song “Squarepusher’s Theme” blends all the elements of the artist’s personality with drum and bass styled drumming, synth pads, and killer bass lines. The bassist...
Miles Mosley Releases “Abraham”
When the West Coast Get Down locked themselves in a studio for an entire month, each member of the group came out with a plethora of material. The first release from the session was Kamasi Washington’s groundbreaking 2015 album The Epic, and now upright bass phenom Miles Mosley has unveiled his first piece from the collaboration. In the bassist’s typical...
Levy’s Leathers Introduces M317HPR Harper Designer Strap
Levy’s Leathers has introduced the M317HPR Harper Designer strap, a deluxe pull-up leather strap decorated with a ridge down the center to accent its pull-up nature. Available in Rust coloring, the strap is 2½ inches wide with a soft suede backing. It’s adjustable from 37 inches to 51 inches. It will be available with a suggested retail price $122.26. Levy’s...
Bass Transcription: Scotty Edwards’s Bass Line on Hall & Oates’s “Rich Girl”
Often as bassists, we become so concerned with notes, rhythm, and locking in with our drummer that we forget the other important aspects of groove that can impact the listener equally as much. Articulation contributes greatly to groove and expression and can be employed to create contrast, add texture, and propel a song forward. I chose the example of Scotty...
Christian McBride & Edgar Meyer: Solar, Live 2016
One of the best concerts I saw in 2015 was the duo of double bass virtuosos Christian McBride and Edgar Meyer. Besides being unbelievable technicians, their musicality and rapport was astounding. This year they took the show on the road to the UK. Here’s a smoking clip of McBride and Meyer tearing through the jazz standard “Solar”. McBride kicks things...
App Makes Transcribing Easier
If you’re in the market for an app to help you transcribe the songs you want to learn, Transcribe+ aims to help. The app, designed for iPhone and iPad, allows you to import a song from your music library, change the speed and key, create loops, see the music’s waveform and even take notes. A version of the app, with...
Korg Introduces Sledgehammer Custom 100 Clip-On Tuner
After introducing the Custom Shop Series of tuners this year, Korg has added to the lineup with the Sledgehammer Custom 100 clip-on tuner. The tuner offers tuning accuracy of ±0.1 cents and works with both bass and guitar. It’s powered by a single AAA battery, which provides about 100 hours of use before needing replacement. The Sledgehammer clips on and...
Getting Better Intonation on a Fretless Bass
Q: I’ve recently made a switch from fretted to fretless bass, and so far it’s been awesome, but here’s the thing… A couple of the fretted basses I’ve played so far were all 34-inch scale, and the fretless I now play is a 35-inch scale six-string – and it’s unlined. So stretching my fingers that wide is becoming a pain...
YYNOT: “Cygnus X-1, Book II” Virtual Cover
We’ve featured a couple of impressive videos by the virtual band known as YYNOT. Here’s another. In this video, the group covers one of the greatest sides of a rock album ever – Rush’s “Cygnus X-1, Book II” – in its entirety. And once again, Tim Starace nails Geddy’s lines. The rest of the band includes Billy Alexander on guitars,...
QRATES Aims to Get Your Indie Vinyl Into Stores
You’re a musician and you love LP records. You’d love to press your music to vinyl to enjoy and for the world at large to hear. But even with the resurgence of vinyl, how do you begin pressing your music to vinyl discs, particularly on a small scale? The platform QRATES aims to answer that question. QRATES is a service...