Buzz
Warwick Unveils 2014 Limited Edition Fortress Bass
Each year, Warwick releases the latest in their Limited Edition series of basses, and this year the company has announced the 2014 Limited Edition Fortress Bass. The model, which comes in 4- and 5-string versions, is limited to only 100 instruments in the world. The bass is built around a swamp ash body with a stunning 3/8″ birdseye poplar top...
Thoughts on “Making It” in the Music Business
Q: I’m a bass player in Chicago. I’m 17 and have been playing for 10 years. I’ve always wanted to be a bass player and I always will be. I wanted to ask you about being a bass player in today’s society. When you listen to interviews with older bass players, they say they played in a couple bands, did...
Marcelo Yakko & Stuart Hamm: Arpegius Love
Bassist Marcelo Yakko sent us this wonderful tune he wrote and recorded on his album, Pulse. As a bonus, the great Stuart Hamm plays on the track as well, including taking a solo. Marcelo indicates through the video which bassist is taking the lead. Such a great tune, with double the bass goodness. Check out more from Marcelo on his...
Les Claypool’s Duo De Twang Releases “Four Foot Shack”
So what do you call a group with one bass, one guitar, and a beat provided by a tambourine-type thing? You’d call it Les Claypool’s Duo de Twang, composed of Primus leader/bass monster Claypool and guitarist Bryan Kehoe. It’s a departure from Primus’ freewheeling, iconoclastic funk — kind of. Duo de Twang’s first album , is, as you would imagine...
Reader Spotlight: Jonny Southern
This week, the spotlight is on a musician named Jonny Southern. Jonny is a man of few words, as you’ll see. But his words cracked us up. His attitude impressed us too. So this was an easy choice for us to make him the No Treble reader in the spotlight for the week of February 3, 2014. Bio: My name...
Funky Slap Bass Lesson
Today we’re going to dive in to some more intermediate level slap bass techniques. This lesson builds upon topics we’ve covered in the past, including beginning slap bass patterns and techniques, the double thumb technique and shakes. Follow along with the video and the transcription – standard notation and tab included. For the gear heads, I’m playing my Sandberg MarloweDK...
Alissia Benveniste: Let it Out
Our Facebook friend Ricardo Franco sent us this killer video of bassist Alissia Benveniste leading a band with her song “Let it Out.” The super catchy tune features her on bass and vocals. Alissia has got some serious groove!
Care Fund Set Up for New Orleans Bassist Left in Coma
The music community is coming to the aid of jazz bassist Doug Potter, who was left in a coma after a brutal attack in New Orleans. Potter had just finished playing a gig at Cafe Beignet on Bourbon Street when two men assaulted him as he carried his bass back to his car. The incident was caught on video and...
Yamaha Now Shipping TRBX Basses
Yamaha was showing off their new TRBX series of basses at this year’s Winter NAMM show. Combining elements of their former TRB and RBX lines, the new basses come in 300 and 500 levels with differing controls and pickups. All of the instruments sport a mahogany body and a five-piece maple/mahogany neck. The 500-level basses include the TRBX504 and TRBX505,...
Manuel Jiménez Gastélum: “Fine China” Bass Cover
It’s always great to discover cool bass lines that you wouldn’t normally hear. I don’t listen to much pop, but Manuel Jiménez Gastélum sent in this cover of Chris Brown’s “Fine China,” and I dig it. The song has a funky distorted bass line that he absolutely nails and his tone is killer.
Etienne Mbappe Returns with “Pater Noster”
Silk-gloved bassist Etienne Mbappe’s album combines the Duala language of his native Cameroon, a huge groove and blazing bass. Mbappe, known for his work with legendary guitarist John McLaughlin, as well as his own solo music, is also the vocalist on the collection of joyous, danceable tunes. The groove on “Wondja” from Pater Noster is worth checking out, even if...
Weekly Top Ten: The Best in Bass for the Week of January 26th
This week’s top 10 features more gear news and videos from the NAMM Show. But it was Damian Erskine’s new column that reigned supreme. One person asked about modes and scales thousands of bassists apparently wanted to know more about the topic as well. One of our favorites here at NT HQ also made the list: the latest Profiles in...