No Treble Archive for May 6th

Ryan Madora breaks down how to create aggressive, high-energy rock bass lines with picks, blues box patterns, open strings, and driving groove concepts.

Golden Flower mixes indie groove, psychedelic soul, and controlled chaos on “Who Are the People?” with Brandon Kyle Miller holding down the low end.

Clutch has announced a 17-date U.S. headlining tour for fall 2026, with dates from Charlotte to Norfolk and select support from Slomosa and Blood Vulture.

Catalinbread's Wake pedal brings an eight-voice chorus and octave-down blend, delivering subtle, always-on tone for bassists and guitarists alike.

A homemade fretless Jazz Bass, a Jaco-inspired sticker, and a soulful take on "A Remark You Made" — Iv4nBass brings it all together.

Dream Theater’s Volume 2 box set collects four albums from their 2000s era, showcasing the band’s evolving sound and progressive metal legacy.

King’s X bassist and vocalist dUg Pinnick is renowned for his huge tone. That comes partly from his instruments, including this 12-string artist model bass from Schecter.

Zander Zon posted another “Bass Battle” video with Charles Berthoud, and this is a short, but wild ride. The video includes a “tapping round,” a “fingerstyle round,” and a “pick round.”

If you’re a classic thrash metal fan, get ready to mark your calendar. Testament and Kreator have teamed up for another leg of the Klash of the Titans tour.

Meet Matt Ross, who first thought he wanted to play the guitar (after hearing Hendrix), but realized “bass is infinitely cooler.” He has one of the most hilarious superpowers too.

Drummer Yussef Dayes dropped the official video for the title track of his upcoming album, “Black Classical Music,” and it is incredible. The band includes Rocco Palladino on bass, Charlie Stacey on piano, Venna on saxophone, and Alexander Bourt on percussion.

Fifty-three years after they first formed in Boston, the legendary rock band Aerosmith has announced their final tour. The “Peace Out” farewell run will include The Black Crowes for the whole run.

Grez Guitars has unveiled a new bass model called the Mendocino Short Scale Bass. The instrument is a compact, lightweight semi-hollowbody design that takes its cues from a vintage four-string.

Time for another killer video by Fernando Rosa. This one features Fernando at The Jazz Cafe London getting down on some great James Brown tunes.

This year will be the last time to get “tin roof rusted” as The B-52s have announced a tour billed as their “final tour ever of planet Earth.” The band, with Tracy Wormworth, will say goodbye over 15 tour dates this fall.

Todd Kerns is currently the bass player for Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators. But his story is much deeper than that. Enjoy the conversation...

In this video, Josh DuBois and Tim Starace rip through 23 of their favorite Geddy Lee bass lines. I love that Tim chose that epic riff on “La Villa Strangiato.” What’s your favorite?

Attention jazz-loving audiophiles! Christian McBride has teamed up with Qobuz, the hi-res streaming, and download service, to release a new EP called “The Q Sessions”.

Since the quarantine decimated live music, many players have been taking to Facebook to live-stream performances and asking for donations. Now it looks like the social media giant will be offering a way for artists to charge for their streams.

Red Witch Pedals has teamed up with Reverb to release the Seraphina, a limited-edition handmade fuzz/octave up pedal. Described as unlike anything the company has done before, the unit is built using four germanium diodes, WIma capacitors, and more.

I’ve been a long time fan of Studio Jams. Here’s episode #69, which was filmed on April 18, 2015. Nathan East, James “Biscuit” Rouse, Gil Parris, and Matt King combine an open jam with “Tutu” in this clip.

Havok has returned with their fifth studio album, simply titled “V”. The Colorado-based thrash band says that the record brings their same level of energy with an evolved sound - and new bassist, Brandon Bruce.

MXR has teamed up with renowned amp and pedal designer Shin Suzuki to create the Raijin Drive. The new pedal reinvents two iconic Japanese stompboxes – an overdrive and a distortion – with more tonal range to keep up with modern pedals.

Luthier Eric Doucet of Cosmic Woodworking posted some photos of his latest build in the No Treble Facebook group, and people took notice. The Jupiter bass has a lot going for it, but the choice of woods is a knockout.

Sting is releasing “My Songs” later this month. The new album will include his biggest hits from his career, “each reshaped and reimagined for 2019.” To help kick things off, he and his band appeared on the Today Show to perform “Shape Of My Heart.”

Or Bareket has returned to the forefront with his second album as a leader, entitled “33.” The double bassist says the release is a continuation on the same artistic path as 2017’s “ob1.”

Earthquaker Devices has launched a new pedal called Pyramids. Built around the same DSP architecture as their Avalanche Run, the new stompbox is a stereo flanger with tons of features packed in. “Pyramids [features] five user-definable presets (a first for any EarthQuaker Devices pedal!), eight flanger modes, tap tempo, tap subdivision via the Rate & Tap mini-toggle, a multifunction Modify...

You’ve never heard Rihanna like this. London’s Armada of Secrets is the killer duo of vocalist Caroline Kabera and bassist Carl Dawkins. Along with session drummer Jerry Shadowski, the pair tackle “Pour It Up” in spectacular fashion. Dawkins handles the bass line, starting with a subdued intro and kicking things into high gear as the song progresses. Utilizing a complex...

It’s been five years since Megadeth bassist David Ellefson released his autobiography, My Life With Deth. Co-authored with Joel McIver, the book chronicled the founding of the band through his departure. Now he’s announced that he’ll be picking the story back up with a new memoir entitled More Life With Deth. The book is written with Thom Hazert and will...

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...

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,...

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....

Barefaced Audio has added a 4×10? bass cabinet to their lineup, aptly named the Four10. Rated at up to 1000 watts, the company says their take on the classic speaker configuration ups the game with their custom drivers and Hybrid Resonator enclosure design. “The characteristics of most 10″ speakers require a smaller sealed cab or a very large ported cab,”...

Something I notice when listening to inexperienced bassists is that they often tend to line up all of their technical ideas, one after another, when creating a bass line. It’s similar to a chef using all their spices to make just one dish. Most of us will learn with experience that less is not only more but you can reinvent...

Dishwalla bassist Scot Alexander sent me this video saying, “With all the David Bowie stuff still going on, just thought I’d send this your way… It’s SO good. Mark Plati takes over bass and Gail Ann [Dorsey switches to] guitar. The bass is really hot in the mix and his little melodic licks are on point!” While we always love...

The bass work of the late Boz Burrell can be heard on a two-CD live set of Bad Company performances recorded in 1977 and 1979. Simply titled Bad Company: Live in Concert 1977 & 1979, the set captures the band’s original lineup as it supported the Burnin’ Sky and Desolation Angels albums, respectively, from original 24-track tapes. Vocalist Paul Rodgers...

Spector Basses has introduced a new Mike Starr Signature version of their Euro4LX bass. Available as a limited edition, the bass is crafted in the company’s Czech factory and will only be available for order in the 2015 calendar year. “We started working with Mike on this before he passed away,” Spector’s PJ Rubal told us. “He’s known for his...

Q: I have been interested in music all my life, but never played an instrument. Now that I’m retired, I have taken up playing the bass for the last six months from an instructor. I started out learning the notes on the bass itself and one song using notes. But since then, all of my learning has been by the...

During the 2014 Tbilisi Jazz Festival, Stanley Clarke took the stage with pianist Beka Gochiashvili and performed this killer version of “Brazilian Love Affair”. The tune was written by one of Clarke’s longtime collaborators, George Duke, who passed away in 2013.

Jeff Beck’s latest live album Live+, features performances from the legendary guitarist’s 2014 tour, with Rhonda Smith (also known for her time in Prince’s band) on bass. Two new studio tracks — “Tribal” and “My Tiled White Floor” round out the collection. The album, recorded at a variety of venues, features favorites like “Big Block,” as well as Beck’s covers...

Meet Chris Kollias, a versatile, busy and humble bassist from Greece who has a great story to share. Chris is No Treble’s reader in the spotlight for the week of May 5, 2014. Bio: I was born on December 8, 1986, and I live in Athens, Greece. I took the first steps in music at the age of 9 by...

Keeley Electronics is now shipping the Neutrino, an envelope filter that’s built for both bass and guitar. The hand-built pedal is a modern compact circuit of an opto-coupler based design that borrows concepts from their other stompboxes. “Our design team focused on building a tunable dual opto-coupler design that could be aligned for unit-to-unit perfection,” company founder Robert Keeley explains....

Simon Fitzpatrick has shared yet another stunning and beautiful solo bass performance. This time around, Simon performs the Erik Satie piece “Gymnopédie No.1”. If you dig Simon’s work as much as we do, you should check out his debut solo album.

Toto is still going strong and the band celebrated a long career with a 35th anniversary tour in 2013. A still-vital group is revealed in the . Known for early 80’s hits like “Rosanna” and “Hold the Line,” the Toto of today includes superstar session bassist Nathan East in the role previously filled (1982-2007) by Mike Porcaro, who suffers from...

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to hear expressed all manner of explanation as to why someone is not progressing as they wish. Although every situation and individual is unique, some common “explanations” are the result of fallacious thinking. For those who wish to be serious in their study, the two ideas below can be very damaging to...

Here’s some old school Police for you. Recorded in 1978, Sting and the boys bring their raw energy (and awesome sunglasses) to “Can’t Stand Losing You” and “Next To You” on this taped performance for The Old Grey Whistle Test. The show was The Police’s first ever TV appearance in the UK.

Schecter has unveiled the Baron-H Vintage, a semi-hollow body bass with an f-hole that drips with old school vibe. Also available in a lefty version, the bass features a mahogany body with a bolt-on maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. The bass comes with a Seymour Duncan SMB-4D hum-canceling pickup paired with an active 2-band EQ. Hardware on the Baron-H Vintage...

Lynyrd Skynyrd have announced that they’ll have a new album on the shelves on August 21. Last of a Dying Breed will be their first effort since 2009’s God & Guns, and promises to be a real fan-pleaser. “It was great to get back in the studio with [producer Bob Marlette] for this new album,” guitarist Gary Rossington said. “We...

Here’s bassist/vocalist Nik West performing her funky tune, “Wait a Minute”. The song is from the bassist’s album, Just in the Nik of Time. Love the scat singing with Nik doubling the line on bass.

The original line-up for Asia, anchored by bassist John Wetton, along with Geoff Downes, Steve Howe and Carl Palmer, is gearing up for the British rock band’s 30th anniversary with the announcement of a new album, XXX and tour. XXX will be available in multiple formats, including a standard CD, a collector’s edition CD/2-DVD set and a limited edition vinyl....

AC Guitars has announced a new line of handmade production basses called the Graft series, aimed at bringing hand made instruments into a more accessible price point. The new models are handcrafted by Scottish builder Alan Cringean in Moffat alongside his custom work. The line includes five different body shapes: Finn, Recurve, Harlot, Gallas, and J-Type, all built of Alder...

This week, we’re taking a look back at the top 10 most popular bass videos from April, 2011, based on the number of views by No Treble readers. 1. Paul Young with Pino Palladino: I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down (1984) Our Facebook friend Jeff Kerestes shared this video with us, with Pino Palladino working his magic on the fretless,...

Brothers Mike Beliveau (bass) and Tony Beliveau (keyboards and vocals) formed the trio The Crash Kings with drummer Jason Morris. But they approach it with a twist: to “create a band that once and for all could be ‘The Big Rock Sound’ without guitar.” The two brothers trade handling the guitar-like duties, with Mike hitting the tube overdrive and Tony...

Hal Leonard’s 38th book in their Bass Play-Along series, Bob Marley: Bass Play-Along, features eight songs by the legendary singer/songwriter. Each song is presented in tab format. The book ships with an accompanying CD, which can be played in any CD player. The CD also runs on Windows and mac, allowing the player to adjust the recording’s tempo without changing...

Primus has announced they will be headlining a tour this summer for the first time in almost four years. The band, anchored by Les Claypool’s unique style, will be starting in Toronto in July and finishing up in Tempe, Arizona, with fall dates to be announced soon. The gypsy punks in Gogol Bordello will be supporting the trio for most...

In a performance from the North Sea Jazz Festival back in 1992, when the festival was in The Hague, Holland, here’s the Yellowjackets with Jimmy Haslip performing the lovely “Claire’s Song”:

Asia, the supergroup formed in 1981 by members of Yes, King Crimson, Emerson Lake and Palmer and Uriah Heep, has released their latest album, Omega. The four original Asia members, vocalist/bassist John Wetton, keyboardist Geoffrey Downes, guitarist Steve Howe and drummer Carl Palmer, reunited for the first time in 23 years in 2006, resulting in successful world tours, the live...

This summer, Charlie Haden will be performing a great number of international venues, including the Vitoria Jazz Festival and the Montreal Jazz Festival. June 2009 Dates to be announced July 5-6, 2009 Massey Hall, Toronto Charlie Haden & Ethan Iverson Duo July 8, 2009 Montreal Jazz Festival/ Charlie Haden Family & Friends July 11, 2009 North Sea Jazz Festival/ Special...

Today’s featured video comes from a member of our Youtube group. Bassist Hadrien Feraud shows off his skills and 5-string Ken Smith bass and Markbass amplifier during a 2008 performance at Bass Day U.K. Want to submit a video? Add it to our group.

Green Day’s latest album, 21st Century Breakdown, is releasing next week. To help celebrate, College News and Green Day are holding a contest where one winner will get bassist Mike Dirnt’s signature Squier Precision Bass, and a limited special edition version of the new album. Enter here.

Radio broadcaster Redbeard has posted an interview of Rush bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson on his In the Studio web site. Geddy and Alex share stories about Rush’s origins and longevity in the 19 minute segment. I’m pretty sure a good part of that interview is from the 80’s, because it sounds like an interview I heard on...