Hmmm… that MTD sound, always unique, distinctive and luxurious. I’ve been playing an MTD 535 for quite some time and I am still loving it.

Earlier this year Bass Player did a good piece on the Z4 and Z5 basses. There is meant to be a Z6 coming soon. That promises to be a cracking 6 string, complete with the Buzz Feiten tuning system, at an affordable price.

The MTD website doesn’t seem to have been updated in a while, but there is an intersting overview of MTD history here. There is a very nice clip on YouTube, which gives a slideshow of a bass being built, and suggests there is a video on the way. Excellent!

We are increasingly spoilt for choice as bass players, even for six strings. Enjoy!

If you’ve been asleep or on the road, then you might have missed this video on YouTube. Yes it is the super mario theme. Count the number of strings, definitely one for extended range bass!

Wonder no more, the guide to playing bass in 11 steps!

http://www.wikihow.com/Play-Bass

If you are after slightly more in-depth tuition, drop by the Music DoJo. I’ve been through a few of the courses and have to say that they are great. The on-line courses are lead by the likes of Adam Nitti, Norm Stockton, David Dyson, Cliff Engel and many others. If you haven’t invested in lessons before, or no longer have a near-by instructor, Music DoJo is the perfect way to move your bass playing up a notch. Not too expensive, but enough of an investment to focus the practice routine!

I missed this one first time round, but at the recent Live Earth event there was a wild bass that was specially made by US bass makers Lakland for the Spinal Tap bassist. Check out the Burning Earth Bass on the BBC site!

Kudos to Dan and the team. It really is something special, based on the 55-94 model, it has 6 (yes, SIX!) pickups and a paint job that puts a hotrod car to shame.

This month saw the tenth anniversary of Jens Ritter’s bass company. He released a limited edition of 10 basses:

They are all sold, already! It sounds like there have been some hassles for Ritter in recent months: false rumors and fake Ritter’s being sold on eBay. That is a great shame, as Ritter turn out excellent basses. I have had the chance to play a couple in my time; They sound great and they look fantastic. If you want a very distinctive bass, check out their range, the classic is my fave.