Buzz
Strukture Introduces Pig Hog Cables
Strukture has introduced their new Pig Hog cables, which the company describes as “overbuilt” to withstand the most extreme touring conditions. The cables feature 8mm thick wire with quality connectors and tension-resistant stress relief. The Pig Hog cables come with a “no questions” lifetime guarantee. Available in instrument, speaker and microphone variations, the cables price around $15 and up. For...
Oteil Burbridge: Live Bass Solo
Here’s Oteil Burbridge taking a solo live during an Allman Brothers Band concert at the Beacon Theatre in New York on March 18, 2011. This a fan shot video (iPhone), synced with the soundboard recording.
Rock Bass Songs for Dummies
Hal Leonard has released Rock Bass Songs for Dummies, a transcription book featuring 38 classic rock tunes. The book includes transcriptions for all 38 songs, presented in both music notation and tab, along with performance notes. The guide presents additional details on bass techniques such as hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides. For music trivia enthusiasts, background information on each song and...
Return To Forever Announces US Tour Dates with Zappa Plays Zappa
Return to Forever has announced the their US dates to their World Tour, which will span August and September. Bass giant Stanley Clarke, who turns 60 in June, will be joining returning members Chick Corea and Lenny White as well as new members Frank Gambale and violinist Jean-Luc Ponty for the trek with the band, dubbed “Return to Forever IV”....
Ray Brown: Isolated Bass on James Brown’s “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”
We love these isolated bass tracks. While not so isolated, you can really hear Ray Brown‘s bass on this reworked version of the James Brown hit, “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”, with Louis Bellson’s orchestra. Lots of leakage on this recording, because the bass was mic’d, while the band performed live. The first part of this video is the...
Digitech Announces Whammy DT Pedal
Digitech has unveiled a new pedal in their Whammy series, dubbed the DT. The Whammy DT builds on its predecessors by including true bypass and a drop tuning feature that allows you to change your tuning by 7 half-steps or an octave – up or down – without changing your bass. The drop tuning interface simply requires turning the selector...
Foo Fighters Announce U.S. Tour Dates
The Foo Fighters, anchored by bassist Nate Mendel, has announced a U.S. tour spanning September in support of their latest effort, Wasting Light. The album is is their first in four years, following 2007’s Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. Mendel says the new record has the group getting back to basics. “The last couple of albums in particular, we were...
Melvin Lee Davis with Lee Ritenour: Rio Funk
There’s nothing like a nice jam to make your day. Here, Melvin Lee Davis lays down some funky slap grooves on guitarist Lee Ritenour’s tune “Rio Funk” from the Northsea Jazz Festival in 2009. The man is groovin’ so hard, you can tell even with the sound muted!
David Hughes Releases “Hopeful Romantic”
David Hughes has released his fourth solo album, entitled Hopeful Romantic. The album features ten of the bassist’s original tunes, revolving around jazz, funk, and jazz/rock fusion. While the bass gets a lot of time to shine on melodies and solos, the album’s tone centers more around the ensemble playing and the compositions. Hughes pulled out his arsenal of basses...
Traveler Guitar Unveils TB-4P Travel Bass
Traveler Guitars has introduced the TB-4P Bass, an electric travel bass designed specifically for practice. Featuring a classic double cutaway design, the bass has several unique features to aid silent practice including a built-in headphone amplifier and a 1/8” aux-in jack for connecting an mp3 player. For increased portability, Traveler removed the headstock and reduced the scale to a 32”...
Custom Shop: The Making of Orchid (Part 4)
This week, we’re wrapping up the series on the making of Orchid, an in-depth look at the build process for a custom bass for No Treble’s founder, Corey Brown, by luthier Rick Toone. If you missed the earlier part of the series, check out Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. Shaping Contours Sculpting the body is one of the...
Hot Tuna: Come Back Baby with Alembic 001
Here is a rare clip featuring Jack Casady‘s legendary bass Alembic 001 (dubbed “Mission Control”) in action live with Hot Tuna in 1972 as they wind out on “Come Back Baby”. The video quality is not so good, but there are some very nice shots of the bass that started it all when it comes to high-end custom rigs. You’ll...