BellerBlog

2012 New Stuff: Bryan Beller Bass Instructional DVD, Mike Lull BB Signature Model Bass, Plus January Shows Galore

I just sent out a BellerBytes that’s got a pretty comprehensive wrap-up of what’s going on in BellerWorld for 2012. But I’m not above cutting and pasting from it right here. (I am, however, too lazy to redo *all* of the links, so if you want those, click here to read the whole thing in its HTML glory.)

First, the calendar summary:

JANUARY
* Sat 1/14 – Mike Keneally Band gig at the Baked Potato in LA, CA (not a Keneally/Beller “same band” gig, just the good old Mike Keneally Band rockin’ out!)
* Thurs 1/19 thru Sat 1/21 – NAMM appearances (Mike Lull, D’Addario, Alfred booths)
* At NAMM: Introducing the Mike Lull M5BB Bryan Beller Signature Model Bass!
* At NAMM: Introducing the debut Bryan Beller instructional DVD: Mastering Tone & Versatility (part of Alfred Publishing’s Artist Series)
* Sat 1/21 & Sun 1/22 – The Aristocrats gigs at Alva’s Showroom in San Pedro, CA
* Fri 1/27 – The Aristocrats gig at Biscuits & Blues in San Francisco, CA
* Sat 1/28 & Sun 1/29 – The Aristocrats gigs at The Rendezvous in Seattle, WA
* Tues 1/31 – Beller Bass clinic at Premier Bass Guitars in Denver, CO

MARCH
* Fri 3/2 – The Aristocrats gig at Brick By Brick in San Diego, CA
* Sun 3/4 – WESFEST 7 at The Roxy in LA (featuring headliner The Aristocrats)
* 3/7 thru 3/24 – The Aristocrats tour UK, Netherlands, France, Spain, Turkey, Israel!

For more complete info on all of this, check my official website calendar, always your best source for where I’m at and when.

Now, the new stuff: I am very, very proud of the instructional DVD I have coming out through Alfred Publishing. They were great in giving me the freedom and resources to create a vision and see it through all the way to completion. It has three main parts:

1) First is tone, tone, tone: A 90-minute course on everything from bass archetypes to hand placement to EQ frequencies and more. It goes deep.

2) Second is live performances: Thoroughly explained and broken-down performances with The Bryan Beller Band, Kira Small, and bass-and-drums-only live versions of three Dethklok tunes with the Atomic Clock, drummer Gene Hoglan (super-exclusive footage!)

3) Third is me playing to tracks by Steve Vai, Mike Keneally, and myself, all with explanations and hi-res closeups of what I’m doing.

Check the cover art. Available for purchase here.

Also, I can’t even believe that Mike Lull made a Bryan Beller signature bass. But they did, and it’s modeled after my trusty red Lull that some of you have seen in pictures over the years (and which I used on the Vai tour, countless Keneally tours, my own stuff, The Aristocrats album, etc). It’s a 35″-scale 5-string active jazz bass, Seymour Duncan Basslines pickups, Bartolini preamp with 3-band EQ, AAAAA quilted maple top, ash body and maple fingerboard, Hipshot bridge and tuning keys. Extremely like mine!

Here’s a promo shot of me making a fairly gruesome “groove face” while playing the trusty red monster.

My nutshell on it is that it’s the best-feeling active 5-string jazz bass I’ve ever played, and sounds exactly like a jazz bass should, but with just a little extra aggression in the mids and upper mids for perfect “cut-through” in the mix. It’s a great ROCK 5-string bass, but it does everything well, as a good jazz bass should.

Interested? Just contact Mike Lull’s shop in Seattle right here.

There’s even more in the BellerBytes (like sneak preview news about the next Kira/Bryan tour in the NE and upper midwest in April and May). So if you’re still hungry, go read it.

Meanwhile I’ll be at NAMM, drinking.

BB