Buzz
Left Hand Flexibility for Bassists
When playing the bass, flexibility is far more important than strength. In fact, if body mechanics and gravity are used intelligently it takes surprisingly little strength to play our instrument. Flexibility, however, is paramount to many of the things we must do well. In the left hand (or fingering hand for the lefties!) it is especially important. Lack of flexibility...
Tower of Power: “What Is Hip?” at 2013 NAMM Show
Tower of Power rocked the 2013 NAMM Show with an incredible performance on Thursday, January 24th. It was so good to see Rocco Prestia moving and grooving with the band, which was tight, tight, tight.
Weekly Top Ten: The Best in Bass for the Week of January 20
No surprise, our weekly top 10 was dominated by gear coverage from the 2013 NAMM Show. A few other things made it into the mix too, with a couple of popular videos and Damian Erskine’s weekly column. Here are the top 10 most viewed articles and videos on No Treble for the week of January 20 – 26, 2013. As...
James LoMenzo and Mike Portnoy: Led Zep NAMM Jam
James LoMenzo teamed up with drummer Mike Portnoy during the Bonzo Bash NAMM Jam, which celebrates the life and work of the late John Bonham. The duo jammed out “How Many More Times” from Led Zeppelin’s self-titled album, locking in perfectly to the groove.
String Harmonies Releases “Trinity”
String Harmonies has released their latest effort, Trinity. The string trio, which consists of Vik Momjian on six-string bass, Antranik Kzirian on Oud and Yervand Kalajian on violin, weave a beautiful mix of modern and traditional Armenian music that soothes and excites. Momjian’s bass serves as a solid foundation with a fat, gorgeous tone. Throwing in chordal work from time...
Aguilar Announces Two New Soapbar Pickup Series
Aguilar has introduced the Super Singles and the DCB pickups, two new pickup series for bass. Both types of pickups are wound in the company’s New York City factory and will be available in a variety of 4-, 5-, and 6-string standard soapbar sizes. The Super Singles offer a single coil sound in a soapbar size, Aguilar says, going on...
Schecter Introduces Nikki Sixx Signature Bass
Schecter and Nikki Sixx have teamed up to release the “Schecter Sixx” Bass, a 4-string signature model for the Motley Crue bassist. Sixx, who also is an accomplished author and radio show host, collaborated with the company to create the instrument. “It was an exciting and creative process to work with Schecter on the new Schecter Sixx Signature Series Bass,”...
La Bella Strings Introduces 760T White Nylon Tape Wound Bass Set
La Bella Strings has introduced the 760T White Nylon Tape Wound Set of bass strings. The new strings differ from their 760N counterparts by being made with a transparent nylon wrapped over stainless steal underlays. La Bella notes that the White Nylon set offers a brighter sound and smoother finish for easier gliding between notes. The 760T set can be...
Kala Unveils Rumbler U-Bass
Kala is unveiling a new U-Bass at this year’s Winter NAMM show called the Rumbler. The new ukulele-sized bass offers new custom engineered electronics and proprietary strings. The Rumbler’s electronics include a piezo pickup matched with an active EQ and built-in tuner. Its strings are Kala Silver Rumbler Strings, which are made with a special Nylgut compound with calcium carbonate...
On Performing: Somebody, Somewhere, Is Going To Notice
Just when you think no one is watching… someone comes along and compliments you on your technique. Technique? Really? Of all things… This past weekend, I played a rock ’n roll gig at a smoke-filled, small-town bar with Coors and Miller lights ablaze. A few older gentlemen approached me during a break and asked: “what did you play before bass?”...
Vinniescream: Bass Playalong of A Wilhelm Scream’s “The Horse”
Our friend Ben Blumgart sent this one in, noting that we could cover more punk videos. The clip is a playalong of the bass line to A Wilhelm Scream’s “The Horse” played by Vini of the Brazilian band Fall Over, who goes by Vinniescream on YouTube. Vini absolutely nails the high energy tune and makes the overdriven tapping sections look...
Warwick Introduces RockBass Star Bass
Warwick has a new RockBass version of their hollow body Star Bass model. As with the rest of the series, the RockBass Star Bass is built in China and checked by a German Warwick employee for quality inspection. The Star Bass is made with a laminated maple body and a maple neck with Ekanga veneer stripes, while different fingerboards are...