Buzz
Korg Releases TM-50 Combo Tuner Metronome
Korg has introduced the TM-50 combo tuner/metronome. The latest edition of the their TM series allows for using both the tuning and metronome functions simultaneously while including a newly designed LCD needle-type meter. The TM-50’s pitch detection ranges from C1 to C8 with a tempo range of 30 to 252 beats per minute. Other features include reference tone generation, 15...
Felix Pastorius with the Yellowjackets: Live Bass Solo
Back in January, we broke the news that Felix Pastorius, the son of the late great Jaco Pastorius, was joining the Yellowjackets as a temporary replacement for Jimmy Haslip. Now we get to see some of the magic of that combination with this live bass solo by Felix, filmed by a member of the audience at a May 2012 concert...
Donny Hathaway’s Live and In Performance Reissued
Shout! Factory has brought back two albums by soul artist Donny Hathaway with the release of Live + In Performance, a two-disc set out this week. While the two albums in this combined set were big hits at the time they were released, they’d fallen out of print in the U.S. Both albums feature Willie Weeks on bass, including Weeks’...
Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris Announces Debut Solo Album
Steve Harris and EMI Music have announced the longtime Iron Maiden bassist is releasing his debut solo album next month. Entitled British Lion, the 10-track album is the result of the music he’s written and recorded in between recording and touring with Iron Maiden over the past few years. According to a statement from the label, the album is “decidedly...
Getting to Know Your Bass: How Many Strings Does It Take to Screw In A Lightbulb?
Ok, this column’s title is a bad joke (feel free to come up with you own punch line). In the past few columns of this “Getting To Know” series, we’ve examined a number of topics that relate to what your instrument can do, why you prefer it, and how that impacts your playing ability on the instrument. After discussing tone...
The Beatles’ Lovely Rita: Paul McCartney’s Isolated Bass
“Lovely Rita”, the Paul McCartney-penned tune from the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s album featured a terrific, bouncy bass line. The story goes that the tune was on a 4-track recorder with Harrison’s and Lennon’s guitars on tracks 1 and 2, Starr’s drums on track 3 and McCartney’s piano on track 4. Once those tracks were “bounced”, the McCartney’s lead vocal and...
Flea Releases Debut Solo EP, “Helen Burns”
Flea has released his debut solo album entitled Helen Burns on a pay-what-you-will basis and serving as a fundraiser for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. Recorded over a couple of days after the Red Hot Chili Peppers finished touring Stadium Arcadium, the bassist explains the mostly instrumental EP is not what most fans will expect. “Warning! It is not a...
Bass of the Week: Hofner 500/1 Vintage 1963 Violin Bass
In 1955, Walter Hofner came up with the idea to make a short scale bass guitar with a violin-shaped hollow body. The idea came to life the next year at the Frankfurt trade show and made its rounds, eventually landing in the hands of Beatles member Paul McCartney, who had to switch from guitar to bass following the departure of...
Stories Behind the Songs: Joe Osborn
Where many bassists strive to have that one hit song, Joe Osborn has more chart-topping records than he can even keep track of. His signature tone – achieved with flatwound strings and a pick – underpins an overwhelming number of pop, rock, and country hits from the ’60s through the ’80s, and his resume reads like a who’s who of...
Craig Butterfield: Bass Quartet Arrangement of Frank Zappa’s “Peaches En Regalia”
We’re big fans of Frank Zappa here at No Treble HQ. So when Craig Butterfield sent in his all bass version of “Peaches En Regalia,” we were stoked. As is par for his videos, Butterfield nails all the parts with unbelievable accuracy. All of the percussion, bass lines, melodies and solos are perfectly in place, and in a fashion that...
“Jack Bruce & His Big Blues Band: Live 2012” Now Available
Earlier this year, Jack Bruce took his Big Blues Band on the road in the UK to tear through new arrangements of classic Cream tunes as well as his solo work. Luckily for us, the March 19th performance at The Stables in Milton Keynes was recorded. The resulting Jack Bruce & His Big Blues Band: Live 2012 album is now...
Hartke Introduces Limited Edition David Ellefson Signature Combo A70 Bass Amp
Hartke is releasing their newest combo amp, the David Ellefson Signature Combo A70 bass amp. The limited edition combo features Ellefson’s signature badge and a custom chrome grill in addition to all the features of the pre-existing A70. Built with a 12-inch aluminum bass driver, the combo is rated at 70 watts and is designed for small venues or home...