Buzz
Victor Wooten Announces New Album, Fall Tour
Get ready: Victor Wooten has announced he will be releasing a new solo album this fall. TRYPNOTYX will be available on September 5th and will be his first solo record since 2012. The bass guru will is joined by his latest trio featuring monster drummer Dennis Chambers and saxophonist Bob Franceschini. Guest artists will include vocalist Varijashree Venugopal and “voicetrumentalist”...
Bergantino Introduces the Forté Bass Amp
Bergantino has expanded their bass amp lineup with the Forté, which the company describes as “an incredibly flexible, state-of-the-art Bass Amplifier, delivering maximum performance in a compact package.” The unit is a close relation to their B|Amp and features the same analog preamp and power section with fewer options. It weighs in at just six pounds. The Forté is rated...
Should I Go Active? A Discussion for Bass Players
Q: I’m once again considering using active electronics on my bass, a pre-amp of some kind. It is still a bit of a debate I notice amongst bass players. Some say it’s “colder,” some say it’s difficult to work with, especially on stage. I even had stories from sound engineers who are not too keen on active basses when having...
Kung Fu: Sfvendago
Kung Fu are rounding out 2017 with Ninja Cuts, a collection of singles that will be released through the end of the year. “Sfvendgao” is the first single in the series and a song that they say “captures the essence of Kung Fu; live & up close.” That essence of course includes the fresh bass lines by Chris DeAngelis. His...
Reader Spotlight: Ricardo Ferrari
Meet Ricardo Ferrari, a guitarist-turned-bassist who said was thanks to “the absence of one more lower octave on the standard guitar.” Ricardo is this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight. Here’s his story… Bio: I began playing nylon guitar at 16. First, pop Brazilian music and then classical. I graduated from Berklee in 1985. I took up bass guitar...
Bass Transcription: Jimmy Johnson’s Bass Line on Alan Holdsworth’s “Tokyo Dream”
I was sad to learn of the news of Allan Holdsworth’s passing. He left a great legacy to all guitarists and musicians in general, and his playing in the 70’s had a great impact on guitarists such as Frank Gambale, Bill Connors, Scott Henderson and even Eddie Van Halen. His way of playing the guitar was revolutionary, his legato style,...
Dave Weckl (Featuring Mohini Dey): Saraswati
Dave Weckl shared this video on Facebook and it knocked us out. “Here’s an amazing tune that [I] collaborated on with Abhijith P S Nair (violin, electric violin), Sandeep Mohan (electric guitar), and Mohini Dey (bass guitar),” he shared. “Great musicians/songwriters!” Mohini is tearing it up! The tune is available on .
Bass of the Week: Muckelroy Six-String Solo
This week we’re checking out a beautiful six-string Solo model bass built by luthier Brady Muckelroy. Its owner, Chris Taylor, shared the specs and photos of the gorgeous beast. “It plays like an absolute dream and the electronics allow for some amazing tone versatility,” he writes. The sleek design features neck through construction with a five-piece wenge, maple, and Ecuadorian...
Talking Technique: The Thunder Episode
Today we’re bringing the thunder! We’ll be borrowing from AC/DC guitarist Angus Young by playing the opening riffs from “Thunderstruck.”
Black Sabbath: Sweet Leaf (Geezer Butler’s Isolated Bass)
Today is bass legend Geezer Butler’s birthday, and we’re celebrating with a killer isolated bass track from one of my favorite Black Sabbath songs: “Sweet Leaf.” It’s the opening track from 1971 album, Master of Reality, and besides being a heavy song, it’s a great example of Butler’s style. He lays down the riffs with a huge, sludgy tone, accenting...
Hartke Gets Back On The Attack With the New Bass Attack 2 Preamp/DI with OD
Hartke has introduced the new Bass Attack 2 pedal, which combines Hartke’s classic preamp circuitry with thick overdrive tones and a low-noise direct box into a rugged zinc die cast stompbox design. It’s the ultimate tool for both live bass performance and studio recording. This second generation of the Hartke Bass Attack offers unique preamp tone sculpting capabilities. The stompbox...
Yamaha Revamps BB Series Basses for 2017
Yamaha’s BB Bass series is growing this summer with nine new models that debuted at the Summer NAMM Show. The reworked basses, which range from entry-level to professional, will feature a smaller body among other upgrades. The new line starts with the four-string BB234 and five-string BB235. Each is built a solid alder body fitted with a custom V3 ceramic...