Weekly Top 10: April 20-26, 2024

Here’s your weekly roundup of what’s trending in the world of bass (also known as the top 10 reader favorites on No Treble).

This week’s list includes new bass gear, a great new column by Paul Thompson, Brittany Frompovich’s latest “Wonder Women” interview, new albums, and more.

1. Stuart Spector Unveils First Bass Model From Esopus Guitars

Since launching Esopus Guitars, Stuart Spector has focused on making acoustic guitars. Now he’s back to building basses. The Tailwater bass is a 32-inch scale instrument handcrafted by the legendary luthier.

2. Ampeg Now Shipping the Venture V7 Bass Amp

Ampeg launched the Venture Series late last year. After introducing a new cabinet earlier this month, the company announced that the lineup’s mid-level amplifier is now shipping.

3. 10 More Lines You Should Never Play on Upright Bass

It’s time to revisit the banned list! Here are 10 more bass lines guaranteed to get you kicked out of your next bass lesson! (All your favorites including Tool, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Primus, Symphony X, The Stranglers, RATM, Black Sabbath, and more.)

4. Bass of the Week: Anka Custom Basses Jarius 33″

This week, we’re checking out a custom Jarius bass from Anka Custom Guitars & Basses with a streamlined design. The 33-inch-scale bass pares things down from the standard Jarius design, which has a pair of single-coil pickups.

5. Charles Berthoud: “Under The Bridge” On Fretless Bass

I love when Charles Berthoud reimagines songs on the fretless bass. In this new video, he takes on the Red Hot Chili Peppers tune, “Under The Bridge.”

6. Wonder Women: Becky Baldwin – Part 1

In this edition of “Wonder Women: Stories From the Women Who Play Bass,” I caught up with rock bassist Becky Baldwin. She is the current bassist for heavy metal bands Mercyful Fate and Fury, as well as teaching bass online and running a Patreon page.

7. Ghost-Note Releases “Mustard n’Onions” with MonoNeon and Marcus Miller

Ghost-Note has released their third album, “Mustard n’Onions,” which – as you can imagine from the title – is a funky affair. That's thanks in part to bassists MonoNeon and Marcus Miller.

8. Jeff Matz Delivers Powerful Riffs on High On Fire’s “Cometh The Storm”

High on Fire has returned with “Cometh the Storm,” marking their first studio album since 2018’s “Electric Messiah.” Riff masters Matt Pike and Jeff Matz are joined by Coady Willis.

9. Pearl Jam Releases “Dark Matter”

Pearl Jam connected with producer Andrew Watt last year at the legendary Shangri-La Studios in Miami. Facing each other in one room with their instruments, they were struck with a burst of inspiration and the album “Dark Matter” was created in just three weeks.

10. Mane Custom Bass Introduces the KJ5 Standard Bass

We got a sneak peek of the new Mane Custom Bass model at NAMM this year, and now we have the full scoop. The KJ5 Standard is based on their KJ5 Signature model but utilizes different woods to offer a competitive price without compromising quality.