Buzz
Gear Watch: Wren and Cuff Phat Phuk B Bass Boost Pedal
Wren and Cuff has released the Phat Phuk B, a JFET/germanium single circuit hybrid booster pedal designed specifically for bass. The pedal is not designed to be “transparent,” the company explains, as the germanium transistor adds a little grit to your sound. The JFET transistor is placed at the input to keep things “impedance-friendly,” depending on whether you have active...
A Perfect Circle: Weak And Powerless
Just before their latest reunion tour, A Perfect Circle played the Jimmy Kimmel show. Here’s Matt McJunkins laying the foundation on the song “Weak and Powerless” from their second album, .
12 Medium-Easy Jazz, Blues & Funk Etudes
12 Medium-Easy Jazz, Blues & Funk Etudes is a new series of books by Yellowjackets sax man Bob Mintzer written for all instruments, including bass. Designed for beginner- to intermediate-level musicians, this book covers 12 jazz, blues and funk etudes composed by Mintzer in a variety of jazz styles, tempos, and time signatures. A play-along CD is included, along with...
Best of 2010: Top 10 Bass Players
To kick off the new year, we’re celebrating the top 10 most viewed, most searched for bassists on No Treble in 2010. #1. Tal Wilkenfeld For the second year in a row, Tal Wilkenfeld was the most viewed, most searched on bassist No Treble. Tal was busy in 2010, including a tour with Herbie Hancock, sitting in on several albums...
The Jelly Jam Re-Release First Two Albums, Finish Up Third
The Jelly Jam, a prog-rock trio featuring Dream Theater’s John Myung on bass, has had its first two albums re-released as high-resolution MP3 downloads on the Molken Music website. The band, rounded out by King’s X guitarist/vocalist Ty Tabor and Dixie Dregs drummer Rod Morgenstein, put out their eponymous debut in 2002 followed by The Jelly Jam 2 in 2004....
Best of 2010: Top 10 Bass Lessons
Our Best of 2010 series continues today with the top 10 most read lessons on No Treble. Get your bass on! 1. Introduction to Bebop Scale Forms In this lesson we’ll explore the basic forms of Bebop scales so you can start getting the patterns down and experiment with them in your music. There are times when you solo that...
In Memoriam: Bassists We Lost in 2010
As the year draws to its close, we stop to remember the great bassists who passed away in 2010. The bass community lost heroes from every genre, from jazz to funk to punk and everything in between. Here’s our salute to the fallen low-enders. Robert Wilson Robert Wilson, bassist for the Gap Band. Wilson’s funky playing impacted many bassists to...
J.S. Bach for Electric Bass
Bob Gallway’s bass instructional book J.S. Bach for Electric Bass has been updated to now include a companion CD. The book includes three duets and five solo pieces written by Bach and arranged by Gallway for bass. The CD is provided to facilitate mastery of the solo pieces and serve as accompianment for the duets. Tablature is included. Songs included:...
Best of 2010: Top 10 Bass Videos
Our Best of 2010 Countdown continues with the always popular bass video category. Here are the top 10 bass videos for 2010, based on reader views. 1. Pipoquinha, 13 Year Old Bassist Performs “Rei Arthur” Here’s a crazy video of 13 year old Brazilian bass prodigy Pipoquinha ripping it up on his tune “Rei Artur”, which translates to King Arthur....
Matthew Garrison Releases Second Track from “12 Months”
Matthew Garrison has released the second track of his 12 Months project, entitled “Atmosphere 2”. The experimental bassist is unveiling one track per month, culminating in the release of the 12 track-album, about 10 months from now. If that’s not cool enough, you can also buy the tracks with revisions of the tunes. If you buy each track for two...
The Word Alive Bassist Quits; Band Seeking Replacement
Bassist Nick Urlacher has announced he is leaving metalcore act The Word Alive as a life change. “I’ve decided to leave The Word Alive my friends,” he wrote in an online statement. “I will miss all of our friends, family and fans I’ve had the utmost pleasure and honor to meet along my travels with The Word Alive. My life...
Best of 2010: Top 10 Bass How To’s & Columns
We’re counting down the 2010 Top 10 lists on No Treble this week. Today, we’re featuring the Top 10 How To features and columns, based on reader views. 1. Speaker Impedance: How to Properly Match Your Amp Head with Cabinets Amplification can be confusing to a newbie coming from a combo amp. If you are new to amps and cabs,...