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Reader Spotlight: Adi Thompson
Meet Adi Thompson, who switched originally switched to bass after joining a band with three guitarists. He never looked back. Adi is this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight. Here’s his story… Bio: Originally from Lincolnshire, I moved to Norfolk 20+ years ago after playing in numerous bands. Location: Kings Lynn Norfolk United Kingdom Day gig: I work at...
Talking Style: I’ve Got To Use My Imagination
One of the things that I love about doing this column is that I sometimes find unlikely pairings – like this one. I didn’t know that Bon Jovi’s Hugh McDonald played bass on this extremely funky joint, “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination” as performed by Gladys Knight and the Pips. The song was written and originally performed by Barry...
Hungry Beats: A Wonderful Journey to the Sun
Rubatat Antonin just shared his latest video with Hungry Beats, saying “Our most experimental track so far… ring mod, Meatbox, key bass. Lots of stuff in this video.” We’re really digging what Rubatat and drummer Romain Chenard are doing.
New Rush Documentary Available Now
Rush’s Time Stand Still documentary is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray. The film documents the band’s 40-year history, centered on the band’s final R40 tour. Geddy Lee, Neil Peart, and Alex Lifeson share personal stories about the band’s career while much of the film focuses on the trio’s fans, as well. “A lot of people pat us on the...
Bass of the Week: Zon Guitars Zemi Acoustik Bass
Meshuggah’s Dick Lovgren has gotten a crazy new bass from Zon Guitars, and it’s our bass of the week. The one-of-a-kind Zemi Acoustik is based on Zon’s Sonus body style but has a thicker, hollow mahogany body with a stunning flame maple top. Its set neck is made of a composite, while the phenowood fingerboard holds 24 frets. The pickups...
Starting Out: Getting Work
Photo by Alan Levine Q: I recently saw a video that talked about going to music school. After watching it I got the impression that maybe school wasn’t such a good idea. At the same time it seemed like the only way to get work as a musician, was to go to school and use that school’s alumni network to...
Viktor L?rincz: The Loner
Viktor L?rincz is back, and he’s just shared his latest video with us. Viktor said, “The Loner” is one of his favorite guitar songs after hearing Gary Moore perform it. So he decided to create his own solo bass arrangement of the tune.
Brandi Disterheft Releases “Blue Canvas”
Brandi Disterheft has returned with her fourth album as a leader, entitled Blue Canvas. With veteran pianist Harold Mabern and drummer Joe Farnsworth in tow, the jazz bassist/vocalist goes deep on a mix of classic and original tunes. “Aside from an array of classic standards from Clifford Brown, Bobby Timmons, and Tadd Dameron, I chose four out of thirty songs...
Weekly Top 10: Competing with the “Virtuosos”, New Bass Lessons, Top Videos, New Gear and More
We had a great week last week, with a heavy dose of great lessons and columns. Add to that some new gear, top bass videos and more, and you have this week’s reader favorites. Thanks for reading, watching, commenting and sharing. 1. Competing with the “Bass Virtuosos” A reader wrote in to Damian this week saying he feels a bit...
Vincenzo Maurogiovanni and Gaia Gentile: Fascino
We were so knocked out by the bass and vocals duo of Vincenzo Maurogiovanni and Gaia Gentile. In this video, they perform Vincenzo’s tune, “Fascino” – and it is fantastic.
Mike Watt Releases Historic Live Album
A special piece of history has been released with Mike Watt’s Ring Spiel Tour ’95 album. It was a special time for Watt, who was just beginning his solo work after years of working with The Minutemen and fIREHOSE. His first solo album, Ball-Hog or Tugboat? was released in February 1995, and he took the show on the road in...
Sadowsky Unveils Vintage Style Single Cut Bass
Roger Sadowsky and crew have introduced a vintage version of their Single Cut model, which was introduced earlier this year. The bass retains the specs of the original bass with two key differences: different pickups and the inclusion of a pickguard and control plate. Sadowsky gave us the scoop on the new pickup set, which includes a single J-style pickup...