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Gear Watch: Enigma Q-Balls

Electro-Harmonix has announced the release of their first analog filter designed specifically for bass: the Enigma Q-balls. The Enigma has a frequency range of 40 Hz to 3 kHz able to define tight sweeps through the entire harmonic range. The Engima includes analog distrotion with controls to give let you shape the growl any way you want. The feature list...

Fender Bass Bash Jam

We admit it… if you post a video of multi-bass bands, we’re likely to feature it here. This video was filmed at Fender Mexico’s theater in 2008, featuring Motown bass legend Bob Babbitt, Bobby Vega, Christopher Maloney and Ivan Barrera on bass, Jeff Kollman on guitar and Nick DVirgilio on drums. This one starts slow, but starts cooking once the...

George Porter Jr. on New Orleans Funk

Bassist George Porter Jr. from the Funky Meters has taken the time to share some of his insight on the origins of funk and what it was like at the beginning. Porter first played with Art Neville as a guitarist, “I was a rhythm player and Art was expecting a lead player. I took some solos and he looked at...

Ask Damian Erskine: Harmony and Composing

Q: How do you approach writing a harmony once a melody has been composed? And how do you make sure the harmonic progression works in the way you like it? I assume it’s not just trial and error! A: Admittedly, I’m a newbie when it comes to real composition and yes, it had largely been trial and error. Half of...

Aerosmith bassist forced to sit out

Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton has been forced to sit out for part of the bands current tour due to recovery from non-invasive surgery. Hamilton, 57 years old and a cancer survivor, has been a part of Aerosmith since their beginning in 1970. The tour “Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Presents Aerosmith” kicked off June 10th and has been plagued with postponed dates...

Gear Watch: ToneGear String Cleaner

ToneGear, winner of “Best in Show” at NAMM 2008, is releasing a new product: The String Cleaner for Bass Guitar. The string cleaner utilizes a patented 360 degree cleansing technique to remove the oils and deposits from your fingers while playing. Untreated these deposits cause oxidative damage to your strings over time and will affect your tone. ToneGear claims that...

Player Watch: Fernando Huergo

Here at No Treble, we are dedicated to bringing you news about bassists you know and love and introducing those you may not know. If you have not already heard his music, it is worth your time to check out Living These Times by bassist Fernando Huergo. Huergo is an instructor at the Berklee College of Music and has been...

Bunny Brunel: Ivanhoe re-released

Bunny Brunel‘s Ivanhoe, originally released in 1983, has been reissued by Planet Blue label today. The CD features eight original compositions by Brunel, with appearances by Chick Corea on Mini-Moog and Fender Rhodes, Herbie Hancock on piano, Stanley Clarke on bass, Tony Williams on drums, Joe Farrell on saxophone, Bill Watrous on trombone, Tom Brechtlein on drums and Don Alias...

Alain Caron Solo Bass Slap

Check out Alain Caron with “Le Band”, Alain’s project from the mid-90’s. This tune, “Slam The Clown” is from the album Rhythm ‘N Jazz. If you’re interested, Alain also has a Rhythm ‘n Jazz Ultimate Play-Along for Bass instruction book and CD to help you figure it all out.

Jack Bruce honored

Singer and bassist Jack Bruce was made a Doctor of Letters by Glasgow Caledonian University. Bruce is 66 years old and a founding member of the band Cream with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker. Bruce was quoted saying: “I dropped out and became a professional musician when I was very young, I just wanted to get on with it really...

Untold Secret to Melodic Bass lesson: Embellishment of Fixed Bass Lines

This lesson is derived from Jon Burr’s The Untold Secret to Melodic Bass. Be sure to check out the complete method book in downloadable PDF, Kindle Book and the all-new paperback formats. So far we’ve covered Anchors, Pivots, and now Lead-Ins… This is all fine for jazz, you might be thinking, but what the heck does this have to do...

Gear Watch: TC Electronic RS410 Released

TC Electronic has announced the release of the RS410 Cabinet. The RS410 features 4×10” speakers (plus high frequency driver) running at 8 Ohm 600W. It also boasts an anti-scratch finish and uses a dual-component ‘anti skid’ surface treatment helps the cabinets hold together when stacked. The guts are rigged up with two high-quality Speakon connectors as well as a heavy...