Buzz

The Studio Builder’s Handbook

Alfred Music has released The Studio Builder’s Handbook, the latest entry in their Pro Audio Series. The handbook focuses on building and improving recording studios, for any budget. The book covers a variety of topics, from isolation booth acoustics to building a studio from start to finish, offering details on planning, engineering, construction and gear selection. The book also dives...

Practicing Scales (Part 2)

This week, Dr. D. continues the series on practicing scales. Check out part 1. Advanced Scale Work At whatever technical level you have been playing scales, you have hopefully been incorporating technical challenges into the mix. Mastering various fingerings, bowings, plucking techniques, refining your left hand shape, trills, vibrato, artificial harmonics, etc., should be an integral part of the routine....

Marcus Miller vs Big Doug Epting

Marcus Miller and Big Doug Epting trade licks in this live performance, including drummer Poogie Bell. At the end of the clip, Marcus does a little bit of “Silver Rain”.

Here are the most read, most popular stories and features on No Treble for the week of March 20 – 26, 2011. 1. Contest: Win an Ansir Custom Built Bass — Designed Just for You! Ansir Music is sponsoring an incredible custom bass giveaway (valued at $2,000) to help all you bassists kick off spring 2011. Ansir’s founder, Jody Michael,...

Ampeg Launches Portaflex Series Amps

Ampeg has unveiled a new line of amps and cabinets inspired by their B-15 called the Portaflex series. The line includes two heads and two cabs that can be matched together to make flip-top combos. The PF-350 is the more compact of the two heads, weighing in at 8 lbs. It features a solid-state preamp combined with a Class D...

Bob Babbitt: “What’s Goin’ On” Live (NAMM ’08)

Bob Babbitt took the stage at the 2008 NAMM show with Malford Miligan on vocals, GE Smith on guitar and Curt Bisquera on drums to perform “What’s Goin’ On”.

Classic Gems For Electric Bass

Damon Mazzocco’s Classic Gems For Electric Bass, now back in print, is a focused study guide for learning solos on electric bass. The goal is to get through the guide with an ability not only to play the pieces start to finish, but to also gain new skills with arpeggio runs. The 20 page book contains seven solos and one...

Gibson Releases Thunderbird Short Scale Bass

Gibson has just released a short scale version of their classic Thunderbird bass. The bass has a 30.5″ scale, which the manufacturer explains is favorable for players with shorter arms or smaller hands as well as beginners and students. They also note that these short-scale basses aren’t just for novices, as Jack Bruce and Paul McCartney played them during highlights...

Michael Manring: “Born to Be Wild” Solo Bass Performance

Filmed live at ?the Canadian Guitar Festival in Ontario last July, Michael Manring took the stage with his headless Zon bass and some slow blues. He eventually works up to a faster pace, leading him in to a rockin’ all-bass version of “Born to Be Wild”.

David Ellefson Talks On Next Megadeth Album

In an interview with UGO.com, Megadeth bassist David Ellefson commented on the group’s as yet untitled follow-up to 2009’s Endgame. “We are working on it now so it’s a bit early to encapsulate what the final will ultimately sound like,” Ellefson explained. “I think we know the punch and impact we want it to have but also not be afraid...

Spector Releases Alex Webster Signature Bass

Spector has just released a new Alex Webster Signature Model bass, designed around their Euro5LX. One of the instrument’s key features is a faster neck, which is slimmer front to back, to facilitate playing the fast and technical riffs, as the Cannibal Corpse bassist is known to play. The fingerboard is ebony with blood red Spector Crown inlays. The Webster...

Future Perfekt: Purple Haze (Live)

Through the magic of “related videos”, I stumbled on this one by a band named Future Perfekt, performing “Purple Haze” live at the New Parish in Oakland, CA. And I’m glad I did. This is one tight version, with some nice bass work by Scott Thompson.