Buzz
The Fender Archives Revealed in Scrapbook-Style Collection
Fender lovers: It’s time to rejoice. Another book has arrived for you. by Tom Wheeler is filled with artifacts from Fender’s long history, including handwritten letters, production totals, and Leo Fender’s drawing-board sketches. Wheeler, who has written for Rolling Stone and Guitar Player Magazine, and was the founding editorial director of Bass Player, is now a professor at the University...
Weekly Top 10: Tips for Freelancing, Gail Ann Dorsey, Wojtek Pilichowski Transcribed, Top Bass Videos and More
Brace yourself, here comes a whole lotta bass: the top 10 most popular stories and videos on No Treble for the week of November 15-21, 2014. Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing! 1. Freelance Gigs: Five Tips for Bass Players The last “Tips” column (on avoiding injury), was a popular one. So let’s continue this series with some tips on...
EC Pedals Announces Superswitcher 2
EC Pedals has announced the Superswitcher 2, a compact switcher for controlling multiple effects or amps at once. The pedal has eight audio loops for pedals (seven mono and one stereo), as well as an effects loop module, two relay switches for controlling amp channels, and MIDI in and outs. The switcher is based on a Microchip MCU that allows...
Esperanza Spalding: Hold On Me (Live)
It’s Sunday (at least it is when I’m sharing this), and this just feels perfect for a chill day like today. Of course, when it is Esperanza Spalding, I don’t need any excuse. This is Esperanza performing “Hold On Me” live in 2012, with Leo Genovese (keys), Jef Lee Johnson (guitar), Igmar Thomas (trumpet), Lyndon Rochelle (drums) and a great...
Janek Gwizdala Publishes “All The Good Stuff – How I Practice” Instructional eBook
Janek Gwizdala has a new instructional book out. All the Good Stuff – How I Practice revolves around his practice regimen, and the book is full on getting the most out of your instrument, your hands and your ears. Gwizdala dives into more than practicing with tips on getting focused, inspiration, pacing, and finding solutions to musical problems. It’s filled...
Fishman Now Shipping Platinum Pro EQ and Platinum Stage Acoustic Preamps
Fishman is now shipping the Platinum Pro EQ and Platinum Stage acoustic preamps. The all-analog preamps have been redesigned with a discrete, high-headroom Class-A circuitry as well as a new switchable guitar/bass EQ that the company says makes them more musical for bass instruments. The Platinum Stage preamp has a four-band EQ with a sweepable mid-frequency and low frequency filter...
Chick Corea and Friends, with Eddie Gomez: Humpty Dumpty
Steve Bailey recently sent me a cool video of bass players congratulating Eddie Gomez on his recent honorary doctorate from Berklee School of Music. A recurring theme in everyone’s praise was Eddie’s playing on the song “Humpty Dumpty,” which led me to revisit the song and find a few versions. Here’s a clip of Eddie playing it alongside Chick Corea,...
Overwater Basses Announces J Series Scott Devine Bass Model
After releasing the Scott Devine Series bass in 2011, Overwater Basses has announced the J Series “Scott Devine Model.” The new model is based on the 4-string bass he uses in the majority of his YouTube bass lesson videos. “Based on the original custom 4 string bass we built for Scott back in 2010, encompassing all the physical attributes associated...
Maktub Project: The Sound of Silence
Bassist Davide Medicina shared this video of his band Maktub Project performing a reimagined version of Simon and Garfunkel’s classic hit, “The Sound of Silence.” Medicina describes their band as influenced by R&B, jazz and neo-soul, and it shows. The trio reharmonizes the song and adds a healthy dose of modern groove. Medicina lays a thick foundation while taking time...
Latin American Double Bass Workshop Celebrates 10th Anniversary
The 10th annual Encuentro Latinoamericano de Contrabajos will take place Saturday, November 22nd through Thursday, November 27th at the Tijuana Cultural Center in Tijuana, Mexico. The week-long Latin American bass workshop is presented by the Contrabajos de Baja California and will include quartets, group classes, masterclasses, a bass orchestra, and much more. This year’s guest artists include world-renowned bassists Catalin...
Reed James Engineering Introduces RJ Neo Buckers Bass Pickups
Reed James Engineering has expanded their line of neodymium pickups with the RJ Neo Bucker, a split coil design built in a soap bar shape with a reverse P-bass format. Utilizing the company’s Vintage Vibe Neo technology, the pickup boasts noiseless operation. The pickup is constructed with pole pieces powered by neodymium magnets. Other features include ABS plastic covers, a...
Bass Transcription: Wojtek Pilichowski’s “Cowboy from Prague”
This month’s transcription is “Cowboy from Prague,” a short piece by Polish slap bass wizard Wojtek Pilichowski, recorded at the Aguilar Artist Loft earlier in 2014. Wojtek has made a name for himself in recent years with his hard-hitting and energetic slap technique. True to form, he packs a lot of ideas into this short piece. Wojtek takes influences from...