No Treble Archive for February 3rd

In his latest episode of “From the Bottom”, Paul Thompson explores one of his favorite tracks from one of his favorite albums: King Crimson’s “Discipline.” Paul discusses Tony Levin’s bass line and how to play in 17/16 with GROOVE!!

Petros Klampanis has a new album coming out, and given his previous work, I’m very excited about it. Today we’re featuring the studio video for “Enteka,” from the upcoming album.

While many bassists celebrate Cliff Burton every day, they’ll have more of a reason on February 10th. The 6th annual Cliff Burton Day will take place on what would be the late Metallica bass man’s 61st birthday.

The Crown has announced the departure of bassist Magnus Olsfelt, who is leaving the group after 32 years. Olsfelt, who co-founded the Swedish death metal outfit in 1990, says his heart simply isn’t in it anymore.

One of the foundational rock bands that made me love the genre was Triumph. For the February episode of Groove, we chatted with Mike Levine, who has held the bass chair for the band since the beginning. Enjoy the conversation...

Brian Bromberg has released a new live video from the 2021 Berks Jazz Fest to celebrate the music of the late Nick Colionne. The jazz guitarist, who passed away on New Year’s Day, was his longtime friend and sat in with Bromberg for the concert.

John Mayer is using his downtime from Dead & Company’s schedule to launch his own tour to support his last solo album, “Sob Rock”. Returning to Mayer’s touring band is his longtime bassist and session legend, Pino Palladino.

Guild has unveiled their new offerings for 2021 and it includes a modern adaptation of the Starfire I Bass. With an attainable price point of $599, the bass looks to be a great option for fans of hollowbody designs.

The Main Squeeze returns in epic fashion with their live cover of James Brown’s “Sex Machine” in this new video. As usual, Rob Walker holds down the low end for the band, which is joined by special guests this time around.

Marvin Gaye’s iconic album “What’s Going On” turned 50 this year, and Motown/UMe celebrated with a deluxe digital edition. However, fans will be interested to hear an accompanying album called “Funky Nation: The Detroit Instrumentals” - with Michael Henderson on bass.

Neural DSP has so far released several plugins for modeling software. The company, founded by Douglas Castro of Darkglass, has now unleashed its first piece of hardware. The Quad Cortex is a unit they call the “most powerful floor modeler on the planet.”

The NAMM Show has a row called the Boutique Guitar Showcase, which allows for independent luthiers to show off their instruments. This year I got to catch up with Peter Malinoski of Malinoski Guitars, who showed me his Nero model.

Here’s something I missed at this year’s NAMM Show, but thankfully someone recorded it. Hadrien Feraud, Federico Malaman, Dario Chiazzolino, and Kalyan Pathak took the stage to perform this great version of Roy Hargrove’s “Strasbourg / St. Denis.”

Bassist Ida Nielsen may be known for her in-your-face funk, but she’s taking another direction on her new album, “02022020.” The release was inspired by the date February 2, 2020, and it’s numerical values.

Jackson Guitars announced the new JS Series Spectra line of basses at the 2019 Winter NAMM Show. Each of the basses feature a new offset poplar Spectra body shape that has a large upper horn for evenly distributing weight.

The groove machine known as Mike Zabrin’s Funktastic has returned with a video for their new single, “My O My,” and it’s a killer. After kicking off with a New Orleans-inspired beat, the song drops into a slower, sultry groove with vocals, only to return to the upbeat stroll.

The Get Right Band has released their first live album, aptly entitled “Live in Asheville.” Recorded at the Asheville Music Hall, the hour-long album includes some previously unreleased songs, as well as a cover of The Buggles’ “Video Killed The Radio Star.”

Ampeg launched two new pedals at the Winter NAMM Show this year: the Liquifier Analog Chorus and Opto Comp Analog Optical Compressor. The new pedals add to their existing preamp and overdrive pedals. The Liquifier features a dual chorus circuit, which Ampeg says offers deep potential. “This isn’t your typical chorus pedal,” Ampeg Product Manager Ryan Cassady says. “The dual...

Victor Wooten’s appearances at the NAMM Show are always special. This year he gave a performance and talk at the Reverb booth. Starting with an awesome solo piece, Wooten talks about his summer camp before diving into music theory in a relatable way. He’s then joined by saxophonist Bob Franceschini for a pair of tunes.

Darkglass Electronics wowed NAMM attendees this year with a brand new pedal called the Alpha Omega. Co-designed with Karnivool’s Jon Stockman, the stompbox is a departure from their previous circuits and preamplifiers. “[The Alpha Omega] is fully operational amplifier based and has two distinct distortion circuits (Alpha and Omega) which can be selected or blended using our Mod knob,” Darkglass...

We’re kicking it old school today with a clip of Jefferson Airplane from a performance in 1967. Our friend Will Marks sent the clip in, noting the tasteful bass work of Jack Casady. “Interesting to see how he developed and presented his sections when the bass was featured — typically found them to be rooted in simple figures aggressively stated...

If you’ve been reading No Treble for a while, you’ve probably seen Magnus Sjöquist grooving hard on the Kala UBass. Now Sjöquist is sharing his bass playing knowledge in a new eBook entitled Learn to Play the UBass. Available for iOS, the book is highly interactive with picture galleries, multi-angle videos, and lesson quizzes. The text has clickable highlighted words...

Ex-Van Halen and current The Circle bassist Michael Anthony has a brand new signature bass from Schecter Guitars. Available in production and custom shop versions, the bass is a take on their Model T with updates to suit Anthony’s playing style. The Diamond Series Michael Anthony Bass is built in South Korea with an Alder body, maple and walnut neck,...

Q: I have seen a lot of Slap Pop tutorials, but none of them cover which pick up on the bass to use or tonal settings on the bass or amp. I am still working on proper striking technique, but I am wondering if part of getting the proper sound might be that I am not using the right pick...

Fernando Lamadrid never fails to impress. In this video, he performs his original composition, “Haiku”, along with Marcos Munné on guitar, Nano Peña on drums and Poti Trujillo on Cajón. What a great tune.

The Tedeschi Trucks Band’s third studio album, Let Me Get By, is also the group’s first with bassist Tim Lefebvre, known for his work in jazz and funk circles and on David Bowie’s final album, Blackstar. Let Me Get By is the first featuring all band-penned songs, and the first album for co-bandleader Derek Trucks, since the Allman Brothers Band...

Every Tuesday, we get to share one of our favorite features on No Treble: the Reader Spotlight. Sometimes when I bump into people, at NAMM or elsewhere, there seems to be confusion about how this actually works. So I’d like to clear it up. Really, we just need your story. You can submit it via our spotlight questionnaire. You don’t...

Ashdown Engineering took the opportunity at NAMM to unveil the B-Social, a desktop bass amp that’s loaded with innovative features. The 75-watt stereo amp is boasted as the first desktop amp system for bass guitarists with Bluetooth connectivity that allows the bass to connect wirelessly via an optional transmitter. The “social” aspect of the amp comes from from several features,...

Bassists Colin Edwin and Lorenzo Feliciati teamed up last year to release Twinscapes, an album that ranges from ambient drones to heavy grooving. Besides stellar musicianship, the record is tied together with clever uses of effects and techniques to create rich sonic atmospheres. The duo have now released footage of a master class in which they reveal their approaches. Taken...

If you love live records, vinyl albums, and heavy drone/psychedelic band Om, you need to take a look at Live. The band includes Al Cisneros (also known for his work in Sleep) on vocals and bass. The four-track record is intended to capture the sound of the group’s 2013 European tour. Around 1,000 copies of the album were pressed and...

The music community is coming to the aid of jazz bassist Doug Potter, who was left in a coma after a brutal attack in New Orleans. Potter had just finished playing a gig at Cafe Beignet on Bourbon Street when two men assaulted him as he carried his bass back to his car. The incident was caught on video and...

Yamaha was showing off their new TRBX series of basses at this year’s Winter NAMM show. Combining elements of their former TRB and RBX lines, the new basses come in 300 and 500 levels with differing controls and pickups. All of the instruments sport a mahogany body and a five-piece maple/mahogany neck. The 500-level basses include the TRBX504 and TRBX505,...

It’s always great to discover cool bass lines that you wouldn’t normally hear. I don’t listen to much pop, but Manuel Jiménez Gastélum sent in this cover of Chris Brown’s “Fine China,” and I dig it. The song has a funky distorted bass line that he absolutely nails and his tone is killer.

Silk-gloved bassist Etienne Mbappe’s album combines the Duala language of his native Cameroon, a huge groove and blazing bass. Mbappe, known for his work with legendary guitarist John McLaughlin, as well as his own solo music, is also the vocalist on the collection of joyous, danceable tunes. The groove on “Wondja” from Pater Noster is worth checking out, even if...

D’Angelico Guitars has been reborn for 2013. The brand, named for luthier John D’Angelico, has relaunched several instruments including the EX-Bass, which will be part of their Standard Series. With its single-cutaway, semi-hollow body, the 32.25? scale bass bears the company’s classic vibe and vintage feel. It also pays homage to D’Angelico’s New York roots with a machined aluminum truss...

Our top ten bass stories and videos included plenty from the 2013 NAMM Show – including a couple of cool videos. There’s more NAMM news, photos and videos to come over the next couple of weeks, so we expect the trend to continue. Here are the most read stories and most watched videos on No Treble for the week of...

We’re so lucky to live in the time we do. The web has afforded us so much access to great music — music that would have been near impossible to experience in any other time. No Treble friend and reader Franco Grimoldi sent me a note saying, “I’m writing just to share this beautiful video, featuring [guitarist/vocalist] Ana Paula da...

Ampeg has unveiled the Micro-CL Stack, a “micro-sized SVT” rated at 100-watts. The solid state head and 2×10 cabinet resemble the company’s iconic SVT-CL at a fraction of the size. Available only as a set, the “mini fridge” have many of the same features as their larger counterparts, including a dedicated FX Loop, a stereo input, a headphone output, a...

Greetings, bass players! Although I’ve enjoyed writing about the blues for the past few months, a new year calls for a new subject, and I’ve decided to shift gears a bit. Thanks to you guys, No Treble readers, and to the nifty technological advancements that allow us to communicate in new ways, I’ve been impressed by the ongoing dialogue that...

Bassist Marco Ignacio Toba sent us a note and a few awesome videos he’s done. Marco is from Argentina and plays in a prog metal band by the name of Thabu. In this video, Marco plays “Milonga” for two basses, arranged by Bucky Arcella. You know what we say, two basses are better than one! Nice playing, Marco. Have a...

Starting this month, we’re going to highlight the best of the best from the world of bass. Here are the most popular features on No Treble in January, 2012. As always, our top 10 lists are based on readership. Thanks for reading! 1. Fender Custom Shop Introduces 2012 Bass Models Fender’s Custom Shop has announced two new bass models for...

Tech 21 has unveiled a new two new Boost Chorus pedals, including a bass specific version. The new Boost Chorus Bass, which can be used to obtain slapback, echo, flanging, and doubling effects, was designed after ‘70s vintage choruses, to mimic their richness. To get a chorus sound without making “seasick tones,” Tech 21 added a Detune knob that adds...

Here’s a clip of the song “Viridian” from Between the Buried and Me’s Colors Live DVD. The song is based around the beautiful bass melody laid out by Dan Briggs.

Bob Marley’s final performance, which took place at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Stanley Theater on September 23, 1980, has just been released. Bob Marley & the Wailers: Live Forever is a 2-disc, 20-track collection capturing Marley and his band performing his most famous hits at the end of an era, as Marley would die of cancer months later. Marley’s band is of...

Larry Graham is back! The original bassist for Sly & The Family Stone and pioneer of the slap-thumb method of bass playing is taking his group, Graham Central Station, back on the road. Graham Central Station was formed in 1973 and performed together until 1979. Graham re-formed Graham Central Station after Sly and the Family Stone’s induction into the Rock...

Q: What is considered a “good” practice session?? Say, if I take an hour to practice, what should I be working on… doing warm-ups, running through set lists of songs I know, learning new material, listening and trying to imitate players I like, etc. Just trying to be as productive as possible with my time. A: In my opinion, ANY...

Today’s featured video showcases Brazilian bassist Bruno Masquio, playing along to a recording of his original composition, “So Far…” Bruno is currently working on his solo CD. Check out more from Bruno on his MySpace page and his band page.

Schecter has announced the new Raiden Special and Raiden Elite basses, geared towards the “feature driven, price conscious player.” Both basses feature 34” scale and 6-bolt necks. The Raiden Special has a body of basswood with a quilted maple top and a 24 X Jumbo fret Rosewood board with a maple neck. The Special also features the coil tappable Schecter...