Buzz
Alun Vaughan: “Bohemian Rhapsody” Solo Bass Arrangement
About three years ago, bassist Alun Vaughan shared a video of Simon Fitzpatrick performing an all-bass arrangement of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Alun just shared with us his own take on the tune, also arranged for solo bass. “A quick demo of my solo arrangement of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. (Apologies for a couple of synching issues that I couldn’t fix),” Alun...
Tony Levin and His Brother Pete Release Their Take on Old-School Cool Jazz
Love 1950s’-style “cool” jazz? You’re in good company. Renowned bassist Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson) and his famed keyboardist brother Pete (Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Jaco Pastorius, Wayne Shorter) have always adored it, too, and now the pair have recorded their first album together as a duo, because of their affection for it. As Tony, who also plays cello...
Bass of the Week: Beardly Customs Rainbow Bass
Beardly Customs luthier Rick Link sent us this example of his take on a rainbow style bass, and it looks like he knocked it out of the park. The bass is centered around its body, which has thirty separate pieces of wood to give a rainbow-like effect. Link used rosewood, purpleheart, wenge, flamed maple, redwood burl, blood wood, walnut, cocobolo,...
Starting Back Up on Bass After a Long Break
Even those of us who maintain a regular practice routine may find ourselves taking an extended period of time away from our instrument. Vacations, travel, illness, work, incarceration, etc. can keep even the most dedicated musician away from their instrument. With an instrument as physically demanding as the double bass, we would be wise to put forethought into how we...
Dominique Muzeau: “A Day in the Life” Solo Bass Arrangement
French bassist and No Treble reader Dominique Muzeau sent in this serene solo bass version of the classic McCartney/Lennon song “A Day in the Life,” and I’m glad he did. “I play a Takamine B10 bass and a while ago I was looking for some other players of this instrument on the web,” he wrote. “[I couldn’t find] something very...
Weekly Roundup: RIP Glenn Cornick, Trujillo with Rodrigo y Gabriela, Rare Jaco, Rithimic Review, New Gear and More
If it’s Sunday, it means it is time for the weekly roundup featuring the top 10 most read stories and most watched videos of the week. Sadly, this week we said goodbye to another bassist, Jethro Tull’s Glenn Cornick. We also got a look at some rare Jaco footage, Robert Trujillo performing with Rodrigo y Gabriela and some other great...
Ibanez Teams with Korg for the SR Kaoss Bass
Here’s something different: Ibanez has teamed up with Korg to introduce the SRKP4 Bass. The 4-string model takes the company’s flagship SR model and equips it with a Korg Mini Kaoss Pad 2S, which has 100 effect programs that can be controlled real time with a touchpad interface.
Tony Grey: Coldplay’s “The Scientist” All-Bass Cover
Tony Grey has the magic touch… so musical, and with a great bass tone. Here’s Tony performing his cover of Coldplay’s “The Scientist” with his bass, a Keith McMillen 12 Step foot controller, plus some electronic beats and vocals added in. Perfect for a lazy Sunday, or any day.
Grammy Nominee Shares Pro Advice in Book on Playing Upright Bass
Andy McKee, a jazz bassist nominated for two Grammys for his work with the Mingus Big Band, has authored a book to help others improve their playing. is designed for bassists of all skill levels, offering insight on a wide swath of topics, from improvising, soloing and practicing to instrument care, performance, and right-and-left-hand technique. McKee is also the author...
Line 6 Introduces Sonic Port VX Audio Interface
Line 6 has introduced the Sonic Port VX mobile audio interface. Designed for portability, it’s equipped with a three built-in condenser microphones with preamps, a stereo line input, and a guitar/bass input with 120dB of dynamic range. The microphone setup includes a stereo matched pair and a front-facing mono mic for versatility. Aside from its inputs, the Sonic Port VX...
Bryan Beller: The Aristocrats “Living the Dream” Bass Playthrough
Gallien Krueger has released the latest in their artist series of videos, and this one is a doozie. Aristocrats bassist and all around bass monster Bryan Beller plays through the song “Living the Dream” from the trio’s latest album, Culture Clash. Sometimes blissful and sometimes frantic, the song pays homage to the ups and downs of a touring musician. Beller...
Big Star’s “#1 Record” and “Radio City” Reissued in Individual Remastered Versions
Let a bassist break down why Big Star was so important. The bassist, by the way, is R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, who penned liner notes for the reissues of two of the power pop trailblazers/originators’ albums — its 1972 debut, and its 1974 followup . Big Star was a band “who made records that sounded like rock and roll bands should...