Buzz
Ibanez Unveils 40th Anniversary 2609B Black Eagle Bass
Ibanez has announced they will reissue the famed 2609B, also known as the Black Eagle bass. Admitting they are not apt to reissue many instruments, the company says the limited edition run marks the 40th anniversary of the classic model.
Miki Santamaria: “Thinking Out Loud” (All-Bass Ed Sheeran Cover)
Miki Santamaria sent me a note a few days ago with his newest bass cover. Thanks to my daughter Sara, I already knew the name Ed Sheeran – so I felt a little bit cooler when Miki mentioned this was Sheeran’s tune, “Thinking Out Loud”. And as always, Miki plays with such soul. Awesome cover. [Editor’s note: Based on the...
In Memoriam: Danny McCulloch
Danny McCulloch, who played bass for the second incarnation of The Animals, has passed away from cardiac heart failure. He was 69 years old. McCulloch was born in West London in 1945 and got his musical start in his teens. His first band was The Avro Boys, who went on to become Tony Craven & The Casuals in the late...
Gruv Gear Introduces SoloStrap Neo at NAMM
Gruv Gear introduced the SoloStrap Neo 4.0 and 2.5 at NAMM this year. The new straps are a more economical version of their existing straps and comes in a four-inch wide version to accommodate bassists. “We had our DuoStrap Signature and then made the Duostrap Neo as an affordable version of it,” Gruv Gear’s Jay Baldemor explains. “Then we had...
Bass of the Week: Hilton Guitars Sk8bass
Part of the fun of the NAMM show is finding all the oddities that are tucked away into the booths for different vendors. One of the coolest discoveries for us this year was an intricate striped bass at the Hipshot booth. After a minute we got to talking with its creator, Pete Hilton of Hilton Guitars, and I got to...
Song Exclusive: “We Are” by Divinity Roxx
Divinity Roxx is back with a new single called “We Are,” and we’ve got an exclusive lyric video for it. Inspired by the trying times and situations surrounding us, the song is a call for us all to make positive changes, one person at a time. The video’s description sums it up: “From the abduction of young girls by extremists...
Rush Celebrates a Career Spanning Four Decades with North American Tour
A whole slew of Rush albums are being reissued vinyl in commemoration of the band’s more than four decades of music making, and now the Canadian trio featuring bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee will continue the celebrations with the R40 Live Tour. The tour, which begins May 8, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, will visit 34 North American cities. The tour came together despite...
Weekly Top 10: More NAMM Bass News, Isolated Bass Week 5, “Speed Demon” Transcribed, Top 10 Bass Videos & More
This week’s top 10 packs a real punch: all 7 of the tracks from our Isolated Bass Week #5 (wrapped into one), a top 10 list inside the top 10 (most popular bass videos of the month), plus more NAMM bass news, and more. Thanks as always for reading, watching, commenting and sharing. 1. Isolated Bass Week 5 Isolated Bass...
Warwick Introduces the LWA 500 Compact Bass Amplifer
Warwick expanded their lightweight bass amp lineup with the LWA 500 at NAMM this year. Rated at up to 500 watts, the compact amp weighs in at only 2.42 pounds. The LWA 500 combines a preamp based on the Class A/Low Z circuitry found in the WA series with a Class D power amplifier to keep the weight down. It...
The Four Tops: Reach Out (I’ll Be There) (James Jamerson’s Isolated Bass)
As with past Isolated Bass Weeks here, we’re closing this one out with the legendary James Jamerson. Here’s his isolated bass track on The Four Tops’ “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)”, from the original Motown master tapes. Enjoy.
Johan Hansén-Larson Featured on Kristian Persson Elements Album
Johan Hansén-Larson can be considered a regular here at No Treble, with several of his videos being featured here over the years. Now, the Swedish bassist can be heard at length on the Kristian Persson Elements jazz album, Let It Go. Cormac Larkin of the Irish Times says “Funk and soul are the main references in Persson’s hot, big-hearted sound,...
Ibanez Adds Fanned Fret SR Models to Bass Workshop Series
One of the many new basses at Ibanez’s booth this year was the SRFF, a fanned-fret version of their flagship SR bass. Available in five and six-string models, the bass features a multi-scale setup to optimize the tonal performance of each string. “The goal of the fanned-fret system is to even the tension of each string,” Ibanez explains in a...