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Giveaways

admin — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:54:28 +0000

You Could Win This Music Man Sterling Bass!

You could win a metallic silver Music Man Sterling Bass, with dual H pickups, courtesy of Bass Frontiers Magazine. All you have to do is register to receive our newsletter and you’re automatically entered to win. This Music Man Sterling Bass comes with a hard shell case and features a maple neck. Some restrictions apply. See rules below.

Bass Frontiers Giveaway Rules and Fine Print:

NOTE: Bass Frontiers Magazine giveaways are limited to one sign-up per visitor. If you have already subscribed to our newsletter at www.bassfrontiersmag.com, then you have been automatically entered in this sweepstakes. Please contact us using our contact form if you wish to be removed from eligibility. Don’t worry if you’re a non-U.S. resident or non-qualifying U.S. resident (see contest rules below) who has registered as a subscriber with us – your email address will be removed from the eligibility list at the time of drawing.

Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Each entry will have an equal chance of winning.

Eligibility: This sweepstakes is open to legal residents in the United States and the District of Columbia, except and excluding legal residents of Rhode Island, who are sixteen (16) years of age or older as of the day before the start of the sweepstakes and who had Internet access on or before the day before the start of the sweepstakes. Void in Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, U.S. territories and possessions, and wherever prohibited or restricted by law. Subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Officers, directors, employees, and agents of Bass Frontiers/F Clef Publishing, Inc., and each of its respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, and advertising and promotional agencies; and their respective officers, directors, and agents (collectively, the “Sweepstakes Entities”); and the immediate family members and persons living in the same household of each are not eligible for giveaways.

Bass Workout Austria

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:51:57 +0000

Master bass instructor Jim Stinnett will travel to to Austria in September to present the 2nd Bass Workout Austria in conjunction with Palassar Productions. This 3-day intensive workshop will be presented from September 3-5 at the Carinthian Music Academy, Ossiach.

The event will feature Jim Stinnett and Grant Stinnett as the main faculty, with special guests Brent Rusinow and Shane Allessio appearing as well. Topics to be covered will include tecnique, walking lines, slap bass, tapping, reading, improvising, practice techniques, and transcription skills.

Jim Stinnett has been teaching at Berklee College of Musicfor well over 20 years, and has earned the title of full Professor in the college’s Contemporary Writing & Production department. In 2001, Jim created the Bass Workout in Candia, NH, where he sought to provide students with a serious environment to help them work towards personal growth in their playing. The Bass Workout now runs several times a year at multiple different levels and with Workouts dedicated to specific goals, such as the Slap/Tap Workout, the Todd Johnson Workout, and the Recording Workout. 2010 saw the institution of the inaugural Bass Workout Austria as well as the Bass Workout California. Jim also runs the Stinnett Music Nonpareil online school which offers classes such as The Music of Paul Chambers, Contemporary Techniques for Electric Bass, and Music Theory.

Tuition for the event is $425 USD, and registration is available athttp://www.bassworkout.com. For directions and lodging information, contact BWOA director Albin Palasser at: palasser@aon.at.

July 2010

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:09:28 +0000

Editors Notes for July 2010

Welcome to summer in hot steamy Nashville, TN! I hope you guys that are located in hot places are staying hydrated! It is beyond hot here in Nashville at this time. The temperature often dips to 87 F at night (LOL)!

Dave Fowler, Editor In Chief, Bass Frontiers Magazine

Anyway, heat…what a good subject! What will you do when the heat is on you? Will you deliver or will you crumble? I heard my pastor say a while back that to purify silver it has to be heated to a very high level to get out all impurities and sometimes I think that may be how God treats us to remove our impurities…think about it.

When the heat is on it will usually show who we truly are. How we react in those situations is always a direct result of who we are.

How do you want people to remember you? Will you rise and be counted or fold when the pressure is on? I would like to think that I would find quick resolve in any conflict and stay strong under extreme heat, but so often times being human I have a hard time with this. I have my moments around here at Bass Frontiers.

I would like to encourage each of you to always know where you are headed and be aware that at every turn some form of adversity could be lurking to trip you up and at that moment you will need to be ready to “Stand the Heat”. You can always choose how you will find resolve in this and it would be my wish that you would opt to find the right and honorable way to show great character in finding that resolve with whatever lays before you. I feel that being a tour manager for many years on the road has really helped me in so many ways with these situations. Responsibility is a very good teacher, trust me I know!

So when faced with adversity and “heat” stare it in the face and find a way to take it and use it for your good instead of it whipping your butt! This would directly apply to playing bass and traveling with others etc.

On a different note I want to say that I was very saddened by the death of Paul Gray of Slipknot last month. While I am in no way shape or form a fan of the band, it just breaks my heart when a person loses all hope. Let me just say in closing that hope is NEVER completely lost. If it were, we would certainly be in terrible shape. If we can ever be a help to anyone who feels there is no hope all you have to do is reach out to us. As I have stated time and again we want to be more than your magazine we want to be your friend and help you in any way we are able.

Bless you all!

Mike Inez Of Alice In Chains

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:45:37 +0000

Mike Inez Of Alice In Chains

I have been a Mike Inez fan for a very long time. Mike was born on May 14, 1966 (Happy belated Birthday Mike!) in San Fernando, CA and started out playing guitar and saxophone at an early age. It was a real treat to sit down and get to know him through this interview…he is a very warm and kind human being.

After this interview I attended the Alice in Chains show here in Nashville and man they were on fire! Armed with his Ampeg SVT’s, Warwick Streamer series basses (which we will give away one of these from Warwick in June) and one Spector from the SSD days, Mike’s tone and execution was totally amazing. The band was very tight and every aspect of the band was great! Guitars, vocals the front of house mix; everything was well in place and it was an outstanding show. Thanks again to Mike for your kindness to us!

We here at Bass frontiers hope you enjoy this video interview with Mike as much as we enjoyed sitting down with him.

Mike Inez Bass Rig

Aguilar Announces The Agro Bass Overdrive Pedal

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 13:50:43 +0000

Aguilar Amplification is pleased to announce the AGRO bass overdrive pedal, the newest addition to their family of effects for bassists. The AGRO is based on the saturation channel of Aguilar’s celebrated AG 500 bass head. Capable of producing everything from warm, tube-like overdrive to full on distortion, this pedal will give you the grind you need without sucking out your low end.

The AGRO offers a wealth of overdriven sounds within an easy to use, 4-knob layout. The saturation control offers a tremendous range of distortion while the contour control allows you to dial in a scooped or a more aggressive, boosted midrange sound. The presence knob adds the right amount of ‘attack’ ensuring that your bass remains defined even with the most saturated settings. The output level control guarantees that you’ll be able to get the distortion you want at any volume level.

Features:

Separate Saturation and output level controls
Contour control: broad spectrum mid scoop centered around 900Hz
Presence control: + 6dB/-20dB >4kHz
Gig-saver bypass (signal passes even if your battery dies)
Power: Nine-volt battery or optional universal power supply
Heavy Duty steel construction

The AGRO will be available in June 2010 and has a street price of $179.00

June 2010: Guest Notes by Matt O’Donnell

admin — Thu, 20 May 2010 15:08:20 +0000

Letter from “An” Editor

Hello friends, Matt O’Donnell, Bass Frontiers Managing Editor here. Dave asked me if I’d like to sit in and write the Editor’s Notes for this month. Needless to say (since you are, in fact, reading this), I went for it!

One thing I love about working for Bass Frontiers is that we’re small and independent. We don’t have to just say things about players and gear and records because it’ll keep us hip. What we do here is actually tell you the things that you need to know to help become a better player, towards whatever goal (touring, studio work, weekend cover band, just playing along with records) you’re looking for. A great help with that is having you all get to read Dave’s editor’s notes every month. I think that because he hasn’t been on the cover of Bass Player ten times or anything like that, Dave might not seem like the number one person to ask questions. You’d probably much rather try and ask Marcus or Stanley questions about playing on the road. But believe me, a guy like Dave Fowler is going to have answers that are much more relevant to getting your act together, although it might not have to do with playing a million notes a minute or working on your fretless solo playing.

I felt compelled to say that because when I was thinking of a topic to cover, I was strangely drawn to the No. 1 subject that pops up in these editor’s notes: preparation. I know you probably aren’t interested in hearing it again, but I think it’s important for you to hear it from someone who is young and trying really hard to land a steady gig that comes with all the bells and whistles of tour buses, catering, and fans telling you how good you sound (even though you always just want to tell them they’re so wrong…) as opposed to Dave, who has been kicking ass at it for over 20 years.

I moved to Nashville in January 2009, and since then have been lucky enough to go out for gigs with Caitlin & Will, Rick Huckaby, Thom Shepherd, Megan Linville, Reed Turner, and River County. But, I haven’t gotten on any year long world tours yet, in just about 18 months or living here. However, I’m pretty confident that I’ll get a call like that someday, and I’ll be able to keep that gig because I’ll have put in the mileage on the bass that is required to make my playing impossible to live without.

I’d just like to share with you some specific things that I think will really help you be a successful playing prospect and just be a highly disciplined player.

-Know your technique/tone and practice it!

People always like to think that this goes without saying, but it doesn’t. Having proper technique and tone is a good place to START from, but you have to keep developing it. It’s not going to just stay the way you like it without maintenance. And when you’re actually on a gig, warm up! Your ability to hit the right notes and still look like you’re having a good time will thank you!

-Learn to be musically flexible

That was the only fancy way I could think of saying “don’t get stuck playing everything in the original key”. When I was studying at Berklee, I was in an ensemble class with Jetro da Silva (Whitney Houston, Jamie Foxx, Brandy, Celine Dion, etc.), and in the middle of the instrumental break in “Sir Duke”, he yells out “Again! Up a minor third!” …………and everyone lost it. Depending on the night, or the vocalist, or whatever, you’re going to have to play half of your show in different keys sometimes, so you don’t want to get stuck looking like a deer in the headlights in front of 10,000 people.

-Never stop advancing yourself

Lots of people who go out on the road stop trying to advance their playing or build their repertoire. They think that just because they have their gig, they can play the same 15 songs forever, and when the dream is over, they have nothing but those same things and nothing new. Work on a new transcription! Learn how to play some advanced chords! Artificial harmonics! The more you add into your repertoire, the more you’ll have at your disposal!

-Take care of your gear and your body!

Having a bass with new strings, proper intonation, and good neck bow is an important part of life, make sure that you keep in good shape! I’m kind of a “halfway home” kind of person about that right now, but the better off your body is, the better off your playing will be. Always remember, your instrument is just an extension of your body, so they both need to be working well!

-Be a nice person

I hope that this one is obvious to you, but believe me, lots of people get it wrong. On the road, you probably spend about 90-120 minutes playing the music. That means people have to put up with you for the other 22 1/2 hours in the day! If you can play the music backwards, forwards, and in four-part harmony, but you’re still a jerk; that’s not going to fly. If you have a decent handle on it, but are a hard worker, and a pleasure to be around, you’ll win almost every time.

Obviously, there’s a lot more to it, but if you’re wondering why you’re not getting the gigs you want, keep up with these things, and I guarantee you’ll see results sooner than later!

Again, remember that we’re always here to help! Drop us a line whenever you have questions, comments, concerns, or thoughts!

Matt O’Donnell
Managing Editor
Bass Frontiers Magazine

Waves Issues Statement Regarding Intellectual Property & Copyright Infringements

admin — Tue, 18 May 2010 13:51:26 +0000

Waves Audio, a leading provider of digital signal processing solutions, recently won one lawsuit and had a defendant admit liability in a second lawsuit regarding intellectual property infringements and the illegal use of its software. The two studios named were New York City-based Reckless Music, LLC, d.b.a. Skyline Recording Studios NYC, and Quad Recording Studios, Inc. The following statements were issued:

“This is a tremendous victory for the studio recording industry and Waves in particular,” said Waves’ attorney, Mr. Guy H. Weiss, of the international business law firm Adorno & Yoss, LLC. “The Courts are serious about protecting the rights of copyright holders, whether they are singers and musicians, or the software companies that allow the recording industry to mix and record their music,” Mr. Weiss explained. “In the Reckless d.b.a. Skyline case, the jury found that Waves had valid copyrights and that the defendant infringed on those copyrights. The law is clear: A recording studio is responsible for the copyright infringement committed by its employees, independent contractors or customers.”

Accordingly, the Honorable James C. Francis, IV, United Sates Magistrate Judge for the Southern Federal District Court of New York, instructed the Jury, “[a] person is liable for copyright infringement by another if the person has a financial interest and the right and ability to supervise the infringing activity, whether or not the person knew of the infringement.”

Weiss continued, “Thus, Skyline could not rely on the defense that it did not know that its employees, engineers or customers were using cracked software. It had an absolute duty to stop the copyright infringement committed in its studios. In the Quad Studios case, the defendant admitted liability. At settlement, Quad’s owner committed to run a 100% crack free studio in the future.”

“The judgments obtained in these two court cases should send a targeted message to all users of illegal software that Waves is very serious about defending its rights and will continue to fight against the use of cracked software,” stated Gilad Keren, CEO of Waves Ltd. “In the long-term, illegal software does not benefit anyone, as it hurts not just Waves, but all developers and manufacturers of software products including their distributors, retail partners and of course, loyal customers who have purchased legitimate, legal versions of the product. We consider a lawsuit the very last resort, but unfortunately it is a course of action that can protect our intellectual property and ensure that we can continue to develop and bring to market the right tools for the recording, broadcast and post-production industries.”

Clarion Associates Musical Instrument Insurance

admin — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:50:25 +0000

Here in Nashville, the recent flooding affected thousands of citizens. As a musician, one of the most frightening things I saw was the water that engulfed Soundcheck, the city’s premier rehearsal, gear, and touring rental location. So many of our musicians had gear stored there, and it will be hard to know exactly what could be salvaged.

To this end, we felt that it would be important to discuss Clarion Associates, who are a musical instrument insurance company. Clarion his been representing financially stable insurance companies since the early 1980′s. With programs fitting just about anyone (including students, professionals, amateurs, collectors, trusts, and corporations), Clarion is a serious consideration for anyone who truly values the instruments that they make music with. Not only that, but they will insure sheet music, tuners, metronomes, music stands, and just about anything else used to make music.

Clarion is recognized and endorsed by the American Federation of Musicians, the International Association for Jazz Education, Berklee College of Music, the Country Music Association, and Sam Ash, among many others.

For more information, or to get a quote, please visit:http://www.clarionins.com/

Alien Audio

admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:51:02 +0000

We live in a world filled with lots of instrument companies that claim to be owned and operated by seasoned players, only to find out that their basses look good, but possess absolutely no qualities befitting of a great working bass for a real player.

This is where Charlie “Chopper” Anderson comes in. Right here in Nashville, Chopper has created a great bass company called Alien Audio. I could rattle on about what this company means myself, but I think that the Alien Audio mission statement knocks it right out of the park.

“After 40 years of playing bass in almost every conceivable environment, I decided to combine the very best aspects of classic and custom bass design with the finest quality audio and hardware components I could find. I believe that any bass player can now own an instrument with virtually infinite tonal range, incredible ease of playability, outright beauty and ageless durability. It is my goal to put an Alien Audio bass into the hands of every player at an affordable price.”

We can’t argue with that idea.

Consequently, Chopper has put together a hell of an instrument. The instruments are made to hard and fast specifications at the Southbound Custom Guitar shop here in Nashville. All of the basses are made from great mahogany, polar, walnut, maple, and ash hardwoods, which are then filled with Nordstrand pickups wired into exclusive preamps designed by Mo West. Even better the preamp is called the Depends Preamp, as they feel that’s what you’ll wish you were wearing when you hear it.

One exciting detail is that there are 2 graphite rods in the neck, one on either side of the truss rod. This means that the neck on an Alien Audio bass should stay nice and sturdy for you to move around with to various sessions, gigs, rehearsals, and whatever else you might be doing with it through different hot car rides, room moistures, and etc.

You can get each model of their bass (the double-cutaway “Constellation” model, and the increeeedddible looking single-cut Lunar) in 4 or 5 string models, all of which have a long 35-inch scale neck (even the 4-string!!! Awesome!!) 34-inch models are coming soon.

We’re not the only ones who think these basses are great. Artists are starting to LEAP onto the bandwagon. These basses are getting played in the studio and live by some of the best players around, including David Hungate (Toto, Seals & Croft, Dolly Parton, Andrae Crouch), Paul Chapman (Terri Clark 4HIM, Taylor Hicks, Joseph Wooten), Travis Carlton (Larry Carlton, Robben Ford), Bernd Renn, and Tony Gottlieb.

Alien Audio is out there making some great instruments, designed by a real honest-to-God professional bassist who has a really fine idea of what we need in an instrument. And further to that end, these basses come with a lifetime warranty to the original purchaser which covers manufacturing and electronics. Like Chopper says in the mission statement, these instruments need to go into the hands of players at an affordable price.

We can’t HELP but agree.

For more information please visit:http://www.alienaudio.us

May 2010

admin — Sat, 01 May 2010 15:07:38 +0000

I hope all is well for you guys and gals and that summer will be a time of great prosperity for you touring musicians! I know firsthand from living in Nashville, TN that our summers are (for the most part) very good money months for musicians that tour.

I know I have talked about this a lot but I don’t feel that I can talk enough about being prepared.

Dave Fowler, Editor In Chief, Bass Frontiers Magazine

I found out 2 days ago that my life is about to change forever as in January 2011, I will become a Dad for the first time in my life. Guys, Gals and bass players of all ages, I will be 47 in June, so this is big news for me.

Being well prepared now takes on a whole new meaning for me personally. Needless to say, we have an addition coming to us that will depend on us for a very long time for their every need, and really the responsibility never ends.

I am feeling a lot of things depending on when you ask me about this. Blessed is what I probably feel most. I am still juggling as many live gigs as I can and am managing an artist who had a LOT of success through the 90’s so again needless to say we are very busy around here, but everything we are doing is all “good stuff” for us to be involved in.

Bass Frontiers is growing each and every day and we are always looking for people to be involved with reviewing materials especially books, educational material and of course CD reviews.

So if you are game, e-mail me. You don’t have to have a degree or anything to do this, just some writing ability and willingness to dive in and get it done. You can submit your request for involvement here: dave.fowler@bassfrontiersmag.com

We at Bass Frontiers really appreciate your reading the online magazine and as always we love being helpful to you in any way we are able to do, so please always email us and let us know what you want to see or how you might like to get involved with us!

We are always available to you for questions so please utilize us if need be. Til next time stay in tune on all levels,t and execute every note you play with authority and conviction!

Bless you all!
Dave Fowler
Editor in Chief