Buzz
Bass of the Week: Tuli Basses HIILYX
I’m always floored by Tuli Basses, and builder Aron Bach made my day by sending me the details of his latest HIILYX bass. The six-string bass is the new single cut model that he revealed at the 2018 London Bass Guitar Show. Even with six strings and a single cut body, the HIILYX comes in lighter than many four-strings. “I...
Vulfpeck: Business Casual
I received Vulfpeck’s Mr Finish Line on vinyl recently, and I’ve been spinning it ever since. Here’s the most recent video release for the track, “Business Casual.” I love the vocals on this one, and as always, the bass playing of Joe Dart.
Hal Leonard Publishes “The First 15 Lessons: Bass Guitar” Instructional Book
Are you a complete beginner or have someone interested in starting on bass? Hal Leonard has just published First 15 Lessons: Bass Guitar by Jon Liebman to aid fledgling players. The step-by-step lesson plan starts with holding the bass and graduates to playing open strings and beyond. While it covers the basics, the book gets you ready to jam with...
First Electric Bass Guitar, Audiovox #736, Up For Auction
Although Leo Fender is often given credit, it was actually Paul Tutmarc who invented the first electric bass guitar. The Audiovox Model 736 was designed and manufactured by the Seattle-based builder all the way back in 1936. There are only three of these basses known to be left in the world, and now one of them is up for sale....
The Lao Tizer Band: Metropolis
We don’t often get emails from pianists, but that changed with a note from Lao Tizer, who shared his latest video. This is the premiere video for The Lao Tizer Band, and a track from their upcoming CD & DVD combo release, Songs From The Swinghouse. The album features two bassists: Cheikh N’Doye on ngoni bass and Ric Fierabracci on...
The Breeders Release “All Nerve”
The Breeders, fronted by former Pixies bassist Kim Deal, have returned with their first new album in a decade. All Nerve is also the return of the band’s classic Last Splash lineup with Deal on guitar and vocals, Jim Macpherson on drums, Kelley Deal on lead guitar and vocals, and Josephine Wiggs laying down the bass. Rallying the old members...
Guild Guitars Announces Starfire Bass II Flamed Maple
Guild’s iconic Starfire Bass II is available in a new Flamed Maple version for 2018. The company debuted the instrument at the Winter NAMM Show. “The Starfire Bass II Flamed Maple (FM) is a dual-pickup semi-hollow bass guitar that adds additional sonic options to Guild’s iconic Starfire Bass,” Guild writes. “As its name suggests, the Flamed Maple version replaced the...
Sanne Verbogt: Microtonal Pop Bass
Last year we featured Sanne Verbogt’s awesome microtonal bass from Roks Instruments. Now she’s released a new video demonstrating it on a pop song. “In my study to explore the use of microtones in Western music I chose a pop/dance song to make an arrangement for microtonal (quartertone) bass guitar. The song of choice is a personal favourite: Kygo’s remix...
Shane Cooper and Mabuta Release Debut Album, “Welcome To This World”
Last year, bassist Shane Cooper launched a new project called Mabuta. The South African band is billed as a jazz quintet, but their mix of jazz, world music, and electronica blend into something that is hard to pin down as one genre. That’s evident by their debut recording, Welcome To This World, which is available now. The Johannesburg-based band consists...
Ibanez Introduces Soundgear SR670 and SR675 Basses
Ibanez’s flagship Soundgear bass series is being bolstered even further this year with the addition of the SR670 and the SR675. The four and five-string basses are set apart by a mahogany body topped with ash in a black and silver finish. They also feature Ibanez’s new B500 and B505 bridges. “The Ash top offers superior tonal clarity and attack,...
The Wood Brothers: River Takes The Town (Live)
The Wood Brothers visited WFUV in January to perform some of their songs from their new album, One Drop of Truth. Here’s their performance of the album’s opening track, “River Takes The Town,” with Chris Wood laying down the low end.
Bass Gear Roundup: The Top Gear Stories in February 2018
The amount of new bass gear news coming out of each year’s Winter NAMM show always means there’s a healthy dose of stories in February. This year was no exception. Here are the top 10 No Treble reader favorite gear stories for the month. Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing. 1. Fender Limited Edition Parallel Universe ’51 Telecaster PJ Bass...