Buzz
Solving Bass Hum Problems (Grounding vs. Shielding)
Q: Why does my bass hum when I touch the strings and play in the rehearsal studio? I use SVT, Digitech multi-effects pedal and a Ibanez Roadstar II with big humbucking pickups. A: There is some confusion out there between what happens when you have a grounding issue vs. when you have a shielding issue. You have a grounding issue....
Inside Geddy Lee’s Bass Guitar Collection
Geddy Lee may be known for his association with two types of basses, but this clip from a recent episode of That Metal Show proves that they aren’t his only axes. The Rush bassist took the TMS crew into his bass lair to show some of collection and talk about the instrument’s evolution. “I’ve tried to recreate the history of...
Peter Hook to Perform All of Joy Division’s Songs at Special May Show
Former Joy Division/New Order bassist Peter Hook and his band, The Light, will conclude its short spring touring schedule with a May 18 performance of every track ever recorded by Joy Division. The date is significant in Joy Division history — it’s when, in 1980, lead singer Ian Curtis took his own life. The remainder of the band eventually became...
Reader Spotlight: Sean Geist
While in the earlier part of his life, Sean Geist knew his dad was a bass player, but he didn’t exactly know what that meant. Fast forward to middle school, a band was formed without a bass player. Sean decided to follow in his dad’s footsteps, and the rest is history. Sean is No Treble’s reader in the spotlight for...
Williamscot Basses Launches with Gagliano, Panormo and Da Salo Models
The double bass and electric bass are two quite different instruments, but bass builders Thomas and George Martin are bringing their 30 plus years of double bass making into a new electric bass company called Williamscot. The company, which was launched in January, builds each bass by hand in the UK without the use of CNC machines or PIN routers....
Kevin “Brandino” Brandon: Where is the World Going
Seven-time Grammy winning bassist Kevin “Brandino” Brandon has worked with artists ranging like Outkast and Justin Timberlake, but his first break was in jazz with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. Here’s a clip of Brandino showing his musical roots on a five-string double bass performing the original tune “Where is the World Going” with pianist Andy Langham.
Swedish Death Metal Band Reviews Career on New Live Album
Melodic death metal band Soilwork has released a 2 CD/1 Blu-ray set documenting a March 21, 2014 show at Circus Club in Helsinki, Finland. Live in the Heart of Helsinki features bass work from Ola Flink, which, according to a review in Ghost Cult, is clearly heard in the mix. The show also hits on all the stages of the...
Bass of the Week: Prometeus Guitars Kirlian 8
Prometeus Guitars has a way with creating interesting body shapes that still function well. They also have a knack for extended range basses. Both of those features are showcased on their Kirlian 8, a multi-scale eight-string bass that will stop you in your tracks. The Prometeus is built around a padouk neck and wenge fingerboard with fanned frets. The strings,...
Bass Lick Series: Funky Fingerstyle Bass Groove in Dm
Time to add another lick lesson to the series. This time around, our focus is on this funky fingerstyle bass groove, which is in the key of Dm or D7, using mostly the D minor Dorian scale with chromatic connecting notes. This lick also relies heavily on open strings, for fast note doubling (D on open string to D on...
Erlend Caspersen: Spawn of Possession’s “The Evangelist” Playthrough
Buckle up your seat belts, because Erlend Caspersen’s latest playthrough is bound to knock you out of your seat. This time he shows how to play Spawn of Possession’s “The Evangelist” from the Swedish death metal band’s third album, Incurso. Caspersen delivers unrelenting riffs over the nearly ten minute song that will make you question the laws of physics. He...
Gov’t Mule Releases Classic New Year’s Concert with Reggae Legend
Gov’t Mule is celebrating its 20th anniversary with some archival releases, including the live Dub Side of the Mule, recorded on New Year’s Eve 2006 at The Beacon Theatre in New York City. The album features three hours of music, including a 45-minute reggae set from Toots Hibbert of Toots & the Maytals. It’s also a place to hear the...
Weekly Top 10: Soloing, Theory, Rock and Roll Transcription, Plus the Top Bass Videos and Gear
This is one huge edition of the Weekly Top 10. This week, readers really enjoyed how-to columns by Dr. D and Damian Erskine on both taking a melody-first approach to soloing, to overcoming struggles while learning theory and harmony. It gets bigger: two top 10 lists made the list… the top 10 videos and the top 10 gear stories for...