Buzz
Me and Maria: Wintertime in My Heart (Live)
Bassist Johannes Pehrson sent us this live video of his duo with Maria Rosenberg performing live in 2016. This time, they’re joined by keyboardist Claus Thorzager in a stunning performance of “Wintertime in My Heart.” “I’m playing my old Warwick Streamer Stage 1 with piccolo strings in this video. Thanks to the big stage, I did not need my reverb...
Top 10: The Most Watched Bass Videos (April 2017)
Time for some fun – aka the top 10 reader favorite videos on No Treble. Here are the most watched videos for the month of April, 2017. Thanks as always for watching, commenting and sharing. Enjoy. 1. Yes with Geddy Lee: Roundabout, Live There were rumors flying that Rush bassist Geddy Lee would be filling in for the late Chris...
Bass of the Week: Stellart Guitars Nemesis
Bass builder Stephan Mongeon sent me some photos of his latest build and I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. The Stellart Guitars Nemesis is a six-string neck-through semi-hollow fretless bass. Judging by these pictures, it’s a work of art, too. Mongeon builds basses with his wife, Ella, in Quebec where they’ve been honing their craft for...
Talking Technique: Pivot Perms & Mirror Image
This episode is part one of a three-part challenge. Those time tested permutation exercises (you are doing them, right?) are getting two fresh twists in this episode: descending by their mirror image for an additional right-hand alternating challenge, and what I call the wicked “Pivot Permutations” – a great fun way to spice up that vital practice. I have a...
Gustaf Fjelstrom: Revenant
Bassist Gustaf Fjelstrom has a new album coming out called The Peripheral Arc: Volume 1. The 8-song instrumental release will feature the bass with an ambient, postrock, electronic twist. He’s just shared the first single from the album, called “Revenant,” which is built around a gritty Rickenbacker tone. The track also has some thick synth bass in the mix. For...
Ampeg Now Shipping Classic Preamp and Scrambler Overdrive Pedals
After introducing the pedals at the Winter NAMM Show this year, Ampeg is now shipping the Classic analog bass preamp and Scrambler bass overdrive. The all-analog stomp boxes are compact effects derived from the larger SCR-DI. The Classic offers up the company’s 3-band EQ complete with Ultra Lo and Ultra Hi shelving switches for dialing in your tone. A volume...
Karl Clews: Chameleon
We’ve seen a few bassists take Herbie Hancock’s class tune, “Chameleon” and turn it into a solo bass performance. Karl Clews took it up a notch with a three-bass arrangement, using his 2003 Status Graphite Kingbass Artist. Funky!
GHS Updates Short Scale Strings
GHS Strings has updated their short-scale bass strings to be a bit longer. The extra length, they say, is to accommodate for short-scale basses that have a tailpiece or are strung thru-body. “Traditionally, the winding length (ball end to taper/silk) of a short scale bass string has been 32 [inches],” the company writes. “However, this measurement did not work easily...
John Scofield with Gary Grainger: Time Marches On / The Nag
Here’s a crazy lineup: John Scofield on guitar, Gary Grainger on bass, Dennis Chambers on drums, and Jim Beard on keys. The quartet is on top of their game as they rip it up on the songs “Time Marches On” and “The Nag” in this clip. The first song is a slower jam with Grainger laying down a fat groove,...
In Memoriam: Cel Revuelta
Former Black Flag bassist Cel Revuelta has passed away after fighting brain cancer. The news was shared on a GoFundMe page that was set up to assist with his medical bills. “Today we lost a wonderful person, our hearts are broken Cel passed away this morning Wednesday, May 3rd, 2017,” Adriana Martinez shared. “He was surrounded by his immediate family....
The Lightbulb Moment: Key Change!
There comes a time in every player’s life when we listen to a song and are able to identify a perfectly executed lift in tonal center. The energy heightens, the chorus takes on a slightly new character, and the band keeps grooving with a new sense of intention. This extraordinary moment can only be one thing: a key change. Take...
FORQ: Ultraviolet
FORQ released their sophomore album, in April. The band, which includes Snarky Puppy bassist/bandleader Michael League, Snarky Puppy guitarist Chris McQueen, Rudder keyboardist Henry Hey, and drummer Jason “JT” Thomas, just shared the video for the track “Ultraviolet.” The musical ties in this band are strong. “I met Chris McQueen the summer before our first year in college at the...