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The International Institute of Bassists (IIB) was founded in 1997, and since then, the IIB has become regarded as one of the premier bass-related web sites online today. The IIB began as a free resource aimed specifically toward the art of contemporary bass playing and the study of the bass tradition, and one of our primary goals since the IIB's inception has been to offer our viewers the highest quality web site available for free. However, the IIB does require a considerable amount of funds just to stay online each month.

Over the years, as the IIB has continued to grow, so have our costs. In June, 2005, we launched the latest generation of the IIB on InstituteOfBass.com. With the launch of this greatly expanded web site, we now employ a staff of professional bass players that will be sharing their years of experience and knowledge with our viewers through online lessons and masterclasses. Compensating our lesson columnists will continue to be one of our greatest expenditures along with web site hosting, database updates, design costs, and software renewal fees.

By becoming a subscriber, you will help keep this resource online for you and others to enjoy in the future.

The IIB Giveaways - Each month, the IIB gives its viewers the opportunity to participate in various monthly giveaways. To become eligible to win products including basses, amplifiers, speaker cabinets, combo amps, effects, strings, instrument cables, pickups, gig bags, straps, gift certificates, DVD's, CD's, books, lessons, t-shirts, and more, ... Read More.

The IIB MP3 Bass Samplers Volumes 1 & 2 - You'll receive access to the IIB MP3 Bass Samplers which feature 22 selected tracks that have been recorded by many of today's premier bass artists including Michael Manring, Marcus Miller, Stuart Hamm, Gary Willis, Ray Riendeau, Adam Nitti, Norm Stockton, Todd Johnson, Jeff Schmidt, Yves Carbonne, Tom Kennedy, Gerald Veasley, Chris Tarry, Chuck Bianchi, David Hughes, and many more. 2 HOURS OF MUSIC! ... Read More.

Bass Tips Of The Week - You will have access to a huge database of lesson material that has been written on subjects such as Classical & Jazz Music Theory, Sight Reading, Ear Training, Bass Line Construction, Right & Left Hand Technique, Soloing, Jazz Improvisation, Slapping, Tapping, Chordal Techniques, Harmonics, Fingerstyle Funk, Altered Tunings, and Concepts For Solo Bass Playing. All of the lessons are available as downloadable PDF files.

There are over 80 individual lessons and over 100 MP3 play-alongs currently available for download within the IIB Subscriber's Area. Click the graphic below to download a sample lesson.

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Unlike the standard and premium subscriptions where PayPal automatically bills a flat recurring charge on a yearly basis, a lifetime subscription is a one-time payment so the subscription process works in a slightly different fashion. You don't need to fill out the signup form below in order to setup a lifetime subscription. Instead, just click on the "Lifetime Subscription" graphic located below the signup form, and you'll be redirected to PayPal where you can complete the subscription. Your contribution is greatly appreciated!

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The new sound of steel! ProSteels are D'Addario's brightest and most magnetic bass strings. A specialized alloy delivers harmonically rich, brilliant high-end coupled with deep, tight lows that work in tandem to create the coveted "piano-like" tone steel players crave. ... Read More.

Gold-Plated 1/4" Angled - Straight Instrument Cable. 8 banana-like compression springs in the shank of the plug compress, making excellent contact while providing additional mechanical holding force. Near-perfect frequency response, double-insulated/double-shield coverage, and the lowest triboelectric (handling noise) of any cables on the market. The plug is soldered, covered with an internal copper shield tube, and then over-molded, first with a rigid PVC to encapsulate the solder joints and then with a flexible polymer for unprecedented strain relief. ... Read More.

Tired of those shoulder and back aches after a long session with your heavy guitar or bass? The Planet Waves Padded Comfort Strap helps relieve the discomfort of playing a heavy instrument by distributing the instrument's weight across a wider area. This 3" wide, heavy-duty tubular strap is equipped with an internal pad that is designed for weightier instruments. ... Read More.

This unique pick-sized tuner uses Planet Wave's revolutionary strobe-on-string technology. Barely bigger than a guitar pick, the S.O.S. bass tuner emits 2 out-of-phase LED light beams directly onto the vibrating string. When the string is out of tune, the two lights will visually dance on the string being tuned. As you approach in-tune status, the movement slows down and eventually stops when you are perfectly in tune. A thumbwheel selects the right LED output for each string of a 4, 5, or 6-string bass guitar. Since it relies strictly on visuals, this tuning system enables precision tuning in dim or noisy environments without the need for audible sound or sensing of any kind. ... Read More.

With unsurpassed tone, punch, and clarity, the Thunderfunk TFB550-B bass amplifier is the choice of the world's best bass players. It is the direct descendent of the amp that Jaco Pastorius loved, the legendary AMP BH-420, improved and handmade in the U.S.A. by Dave Funk. With an all-aluminum chassis, the TFB550-B weighs in at only 16 pounds, and the amp can operate with or without the fan so it's quiet for studio or tv use. The TFB550-B's tone is achieved by using high quality film caps in the preamp's signal chain just like a high quality mixing board. Twenty-five times more expensive than electrolytics used in other amps, film cap's tighter tolerances maintain phase coherence through the amp, producing a focused punch unlike any other amp. Add two to three times the filter caps of other amps and you get a round, focused bottom that doesn't roll around the stage but instead projects out into the room. Through a unique "SS/Tube Switch" which changes between the original high voltage power supply that feeds the power amp and a separate low voltage power supply, you'll be able to choose from a super clean, hi-fi solid-state tone for slap and double bass playing to a warm, tube tone for all the rest. ... Read More.

TFB550-B Specifications
- 550 watts @ 4 ohms/300 watts @ 8 ohms
- Dual input jacks
- Mute switch with LED indicator
- Gain/limiter control
- Enhance control
- Bass control
- 4-band parametric equalizer
- Treble control
- Timbre control
- Volume control
- Headphone/line output jack
- "The Switch" with LED indicators
- Pre-EQ balanced DI output
- Post-EQ balanced output with level control
- Ground lift switches for both XLR outputs
- Pre-EQ & post-EQ effects loop
- Pre-amp output
- Power amp input
- 2 1/4" speaker outputs
- 2 speakon outputs
- Aluminum chassis
- Time delayed turn on
- Quiet AC power switching
- 40,800uF supply filter for deep response and increased mids clarity
- AC signal coupled to reduce input pops
- 100/120/220/240v operation
- Runs with or without the fan
- Removable rack ears
- Dimensions: 17" W x 3.5" H x 10.5" D (19" wide with rack ears)
- Weight: 16 lbs.

Designed and developed from the ground up by LightWave, the Saber SL is a high performance, professional bass featuring the exclusive, patented LightWave optical pickup system. The LightWave pickup's transparent response delivers harmonically rich, deep, and powerful sound, spanning a wide range of tones from pure, natural string sound to super aggressive and cutting edge with the use of EQ or signal processing. Extremely low noise characteristics eliminate the annoying background hum and buzz typical of conventional pickups, and with no magnetic field pulling on the strings, sustain is long and natural, like a grand piano. Highly sensitive to even the most subtle nuances, the LightWave pickup delivers the true sound of the strings, the instrument, and your playing. The Saber's high performance design makes it perfect for heavy road work, the sonic demands of digital recording, or long hours of playing and practicing. Since the LightWave pickup does not rely on body mass for its extended bass response and long sustain, the Saber is exceptionally light in weight and designed with a natural, familiar feel for outstanding performance in all styles of music, from hard rock and heavy metal to pop and jazz. ... Read More.

Saber SL Specifications
- Solid alder body
- Ultrablack, infrared or xenon blue finish
- Rosewood fingerboard
- 3-piece hard maple neck
- LightWave optical pickup system
- Custom GraphTech monolithic bridges
- iceTone saddles
- Switchcraft output jack
- Noble potentiometers
- Master volume
- Bass boost and cut
- Mids boost and cut / mids sweep
- iceTone blend
- Warm / cool toggle switch
- NiMH rechargeable battery pack
- Rapid-charge system (1 hour recharge)
- 16 hours playing time per charge
- Hear the true sound of the string
- Transparent response
- No magnetic field = long, natural sustain
- Extremely low noise
- Extended bass response
- Lightweight, comfortable design
- 34" scale length
- 4 and 5-string, fretted and fretless
- 2-octave fingerboard
- ProTec gig bag

The Accugroove Tri112L is for players looking for incredibly accurate and hi-fi sound in a 1x12 cab. The Tri112L brings together a 12" woofer, a 6" midrange, and 2 high-frequency tweeters in one unique, 3-way bass cab. Accugroove uses custom, lightweight neodymium-magnet speakers, and houses them in their own individual enclosure specifically tuned for optimal response. Every panel in an Accugroove cabinet is constructed from premium 3/4" void-free plywood using traditional dado and rabbet joints. Each cab has lots of other quality features including steel vibration-free grill, self-resetting protection circuit for midrange and high-frequency drivers, stackable locking corners, comfortable recessed handles, reliable 1,000 watt crossover circuit, 2 sealed 1/4" jacks, 2 speakon jacks, and removable casters. ... Read More.

Tri112L Specifications
- 12" neodymium woofer with die-cast aluminum frames
- 6" midrange driver with kapton coils
- 2 soft textile dome tweeters
- 400 watts @ 8 ohms
- 39 Hz - 18 kHz frequency response
- 100dB SPL
- 1,000 watt crossover circuit
- custom tuned port
- 2 speakon jacks
- 2 sealed 1/4" jacks
- Individual, specifically tuned cabinet-within-a-cabinet enclosure
- High-grade, 3/4" void-free birch plywood with rabbet and dado joints
- Black steel vibration-free grill
- Self-resetting protection circuit for midrange and tweeters
- Recessed handles
- Locking corners
- Removable casters
- Dimensions: 16.5" W x 21.25" H x 17.25" D
- Weight: 38 lbs.

Plug into complete platinum bass tone with the Bass PODxt Pro. Whether you're laying down tracks in a high-dollar studio or taking your songs on the road, Bass PODxt Pro gives you everything you need for professional-grade bass tone. All the studio-standards are built right in. You get models of 28 classic and modern bass amps, 22 essential speaker cabs, and over 50 stompbox, studio, and synth effects. With all these options, creating your own signature bass tone has never been easier. Bass PODxt Pro also comes equipped with all the elaborate pro connections that you need for a truly professional studio or stage experience. In addition, Bass PODxt Pro features A.I.R. II cabinet/microphone modeling, which allows you to choose from 4 mic models, along with the ability to adjust the amount of room you hear. The ability to mix and match speaker cabs and mics will help you find the exact vibe you're looking for. ... Read More.

Bass PODxt Pro Specifications
- 28 modern and classing amp models
- 22 cab models
- 50 stompbox/synth/studio effects
- Compressor
- 6-band semi-parametric EQ
- 4 mic models
- A.I.R. cab/speaker/mic emulation
- MIDI I/O/Thru
- Chromatic tuner
- 64 channel memories
- USB digital I/O
- 1/4" and XLR stereo outputs
- AES/EBU and S/PDIF digital I/O
- Effects loop
- Analog re-amping in and out
- Biamp mode with selectable crossover
- Ability to mix direct signal with modeled signal
- Headphone out
- Foot controller connector

Not everyone needs a sleek, narrow necked bass like the Ibanez Soundgear. This is why Ibanez first came out with the ATK series in 1995. The ATK700 is named for it's powerful attack. Unlike the Soundgear, the ATK is big with the bold tones you get from a big neck and big body, but the ATK is no one-trick workhorse. It's also versatile and comfortable thanks to its unique electronics and physical layout. In other words, it's the right choice for blues, hard rock, and country players along with anyone else who wants every benefit of a traditional bass and more. It features a gorgeous quilted maple top on a light ash body, a massive 5-piece maple/walnut neck with maple fretboard and string-thru body design which delivers endless sustain, and the unbelievably powerful and versatile ATK 3-coil pickup works with the ATK character switch for rapid changes in tone to allow endless tonal possibilities. ... Read More.

ATK700 Specifications
Body: Light ash with quilted maple top
Neck: 5-piece ATK4 maple/walnut
Fingerboard: Birdseye maple
Scale: 34"
Frets: 22 medium
Pickups: ATK triple coil neck pickup/ATK 4 bridge pickup
Electronics: ATK 3-band EQ with tone character switch
Hardware: Chrome

The WorkingPro 12 is a compact combo amp that's full of killer SWR tone and lots of high-end features, all in an elegant enclosure that will fit quite nicely into the back seat of your average family car. It has 200 watts of power which are pumped through a 12" Eminence woofer and Le Son TLX-1 piezo tweeter for rich, full-range sound. The bass intensifier provides an instant low end boost. The 3-band active EQ with sweepable midrange and aural enhancer make shaping your tone simple. The WorkingPro 12 also has an effects send and return and even a built in limiter. An LED indicates any clipping while the back panel includes a balanced XLR direct line output with ground lift, a headphone output, and a footswitch input. Its tilt-back design lets the sound project out into the room. A side-mounted monitor input allows the amp to double as a powered monitor as well. ... Read More.

WorkingPro 12 Specifications
- Solid state amplifier
- 200 watts
- 12" Eminence woofer with Le Son TLX-1 piezo tweeter
- Tilt-back enclosure design
- Wedge EQ circuit
- Side-mounted monitor input
- 3-band active EQ with sweepable midrange
- Aural enhancer
- Bass intensifier
- Limiter
- Effects send and return
- Balanced XLR direct out with ground lift, 1/4" unbalanced outputs
- Headphone jack
- Footswitch input
- External speaker jack
- Mute button
- Black carpet with chrome stamped steel vibration-free grill
- Dimensions: 18.5" W x 22.5" H x 18.5" D
- Weight: 44 lbs.

The Fender B-DEC 30 (Bass Digital Entertainment Center) is both an entertainment center and a teaching/training tool for bass players. It includes 70 loops called performance presets which provide instrumental accompaniment for many musical styles and teacher loops which help bassists develop and refine basic techniques. The B-DEC 30 has eight of the most popular bass amps and 18 effects models combined with musical loops for endless jamming fun. Each loop has drum, guitar, and keyboard sounds along with a guide bass track, and each instrument can easily be muted. The internal synthesizer with MIDI interface allows playback of any MIDI file and can store up to 64 MIDI song files. The included complete method book has transcription and tablature for every preset along with suggested techniques, areas of focus, and playing variations. ... Read More.

B-DEC 30 Specifications
- Solid state amplifier
- 30 watts
- 10" Fender special design speaker with high frequency piezo horn
- Tilt-back cabinet
- Headphone jack
- 70 performance preset loops
- Instrument backing tracks in various styles
- Teacher loops
- Transpose and tune function
- Tempo control
- Volume control over each instrument in loop
- Preset loop model and effect controls
- 8 bass amp models
- 18 effects
- 3 reverbs
- 28 second phrase sampler
- Internal MIDI synth
- Storage for 64 MIDI song files
- Tuner
- Method book
- Speaker out
- RCA aux in
- Line level 1/4" out
- MIDI I/O
- Rear panel teacher input jack
- Footswitch jack
- Black carpet covering
- Black metal grill
- Dimensions: 15" W x 17" H x 14.5" D
- Weight: 33 lbs.

Guitar Player Magazine's 2004 Readers' Choice Awards - Best Accessory. The best cable Evidence Audio produces. The Lyric HG is a line-level cable especially well-suited for high gain amplifiers or passive pickups where microphonics can be a challenge. The Lyric HG is an intelligent blend of materials and design which results in a new level of sonic transparency. ... Read More.

In order to overcome the distortion found in most other cables of lesser quality, Evidence Audio's Lyric is a directional instrument cable which utilizes high-grade IGL copper conductors, solid core conductors, a balanced design, foamed polypropylene insulating material, a high-density pure copper braid for shielding to keep out interference, Wonder Solder from TRT, and Neutrik plugs. ... Read More.

The Melody signal cable has been designed for use with instruments, as well as for studio, pedal-board, and rack wiring. The Melody is built by designer Tony Farinella to be what he calls a "coax cable done right." Based on years of research in cable theory and design and most importantly time spent listening, the Melody incorporates fundamental features pioneered by Evidence Audio that allow signal transmission with minimal degradation. It is designed to pass audio with as little change as possible for an honest presentation of associated equipment and playing styles. ... Read More.

The Siren II is the next generation Siren speaker cable. ... Read More.

The NJ4 is a vintage single coil J-style pickup made with '60's-era correct heavy formvar wire and alnico V magnets. In winding these pickups, Nordstrand uses a simulated hand wound pattern that lowers the resonant peak of the pickup resulting in a pleasing yet present high end. These pickups have a very even and full sound with that snap and grind associated with the classic basses of that time. The NJ4 includes black covers with exposed pole pieces. ... Read More.

The Zon Pro Series Gig Bag is a premium quality gig bag that is constructed from heavy-duty, waterproof codura fabric and fits all bass guitars. It features thick padding, plush lining, zipper, adjustable dual-padded shoulder straps, and three storage pockets. ... Read More.

The Pro Bass Series consists of a wider design through the shoulder area, providing added support for the typically heavier bass instrument. Neoprene pad tapers to 3" from 3.5" and is available in three lengths:
Pro Bass Short 33" - 37"
Pro Bass Long 38" - 45"
Pro Bass Extra Long 42" - 54" ... Read More.

Damian Erskine - "Spain"

Damian Erskine - Bass
Ramsey Embick - Piano; Reinhardt Melz - Drums; Israel Annoh - Percussion
Release Date - 2007
Record Label - Notnek Music
Contact - DamianErskine.com

John Flitcraft - "Digging Out"

John Flitcraft - Bass
Jeff Miley - Guitar
Steve Holmes - Drums
Release Date - 2005
Record Label - Flitcraft Music
Contact - JohnFlitcraft.com

Stuart Hamm - "Outbound"

Stuart Hamm - Bass
Jude Gold - Guitar; John Mader - Drums; John Seppala - Keyboards
Release Date - 2007
Record Label - Ubik Musik
Contact - StuartHamm.net

Steve Jenkins - "Merkaba"

Steve Jenkins - Bass
Tony Escapa - Drums, Percussion
Dan Brantigan - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Release Date - 2004
Record Label - Jenkadelic Productions
Contact - SteveJenkinsBass.com

Bernhard Lackner - "We Try To Fly"

Bernhard Lackner - Bass
Scott Bernhard - Guitar; Blair Masters - Keyboard; Derico Watson - Drums
Release Date - 2006
Record Label - Bernhard Lackner Music
Contact - BernhardLackner.com

Jonni Lightfoot - "Flutterbys"

Jonni Lightfoot - Solo Piccolo Bass Guitar
Release Date - 2006
Record Label - DreamAttik Productions
Contact - JonniLightfoot.net

Joseph Patrick Moore - "Mystery"

Joseph Patrick Moore - Bass
Buzz Amato - Programming; Al Smith - Keys; Jon Chalden - Drums; Emrah Kotan - Percussion; Al McSpadden - EWI
Release Date - 2006
Record Label - Blue Canoe Records
Contact - JosephPatrickMoore.com

Brady Muckelroy - "Love Song For The Mountains"

Brady Muckelroy - Solo Bass Guitar
Release Date - 2004
Record Label - Brady Muckelroy Records
Contact - BradyMuckelroy.com

Jeff Schmidt - "Satori"

Jeff Schmidt - Solo Bass Guitar
Release Date - 2007
Record Label - Jeff Schmidt Music
Contact - Beautiful-Bass.com

Chris Tarry - "There Was One"

Chris Tarry - Bass
Pete McCann - Guitar; Kelly Jefferson - Saxophone; Dan Weiss - Drums; Jon Cowherd - Piano
Release Date - 2006
Record Label - Cellar Live
Contact - ChrisTarry.com

Chuck Bianchi - "December"

Chuck Bianchi - Solo Bass Guitar
Release Date - 2002
Record Label - Dreaming Out Loud Music
Contact - DreamingOutLoud.net

Carbonne - Di Piazza - Manring - "Holy Spirit"

Yves Carbonne - Solo Bass Guitar
Release Date - 2005
Record Label - Yves Carbonne Music
Contact - YvesCarbonne.com

David Hughes - "Swoosh"

David Hughes - Bass, Keyboards, Programming
Release Date - 2003
Record Label - ABZ Music
Contact - SwedeBass.com

Todd Johnson - "Goin' Home"

Todd Johnson - Electric Bass
Kristin Korb - Acoustic Upright Bass
Kendall Kay - Drums
Release Date - 2004
Record Label - GraceBase Productions
Contact - ToddJohnsonMusic.com

Tom Kennedy - "Suede Shoes"

Tom Kennedy - Electric Bass & Acoustic Upright Bass
Kara Baldus - Keyboard
Miles Vandiver - Drums
Contact - TomKennedyMusic.com

Michael Manring - "I Left America"

Michael Manring - Solo Acoustic Bass Guitar
Release Date - 2005
Record Label - Manthing Music
Contact - Manthing.com

Marcus Miller - "3 Deuces"

Marcus Miller - Bass
Poogie Bell - Drums; Dean Brown - Guitar; Roger Byam - Sax; Bruce Flowers - Keyboards; Michael Stewart - Trumpet
Release Date - 2002
Record Label - 3 Deuces Records
Contact - MarcusMiller.com

Adam Nitti - "Skitzo"

Adam Nitti - Bass & Keyboard
Bill Hart - Guitar; Tom Knight - Drums; Sam Skelton - Sax
Release Date - 2001
Record Label - Renaissance Man
Contact - AdamNitti.com

Ray Riendeau - "Living For The City"

Ray Riendeau - Bass
Jesse McGuire - Trumpet; Ted Belledin - Saxophone; Joe Morris - Cajon, Shakers & Tamborine
Release Date - 2001
Record Label - Groove Theory Records
Contact - RayRiendeau.net

Norm Stockton - "The Race"

Norm Stockton - Bass
Rod Lincoln - Drums & Loops; Steve Laury - Guitar; Scott Wilkie - Keyboards; Larry Williams - Trumpet
Release Date - 2001
Record Label - Stocktones Music
Contact - NormStockton.com

Gerald Veasley - "On The Fast Track"

Gerald Veasley - Bass; Chris Farr - Saxophone; Will Brock - Keys; Peter Kuzma - Organ; Eric Greene - Drums; Pablo Batista - Percussion; Matt Cappy - Trumpet; Jeff Bradshaw - Trombone
Release Date - 2005
Record Label - Heads Up
Contact - GeraldVeasley.com

Gary Willis - "Hipmotize"

Gary Willis - Bass
Dennis Chambers - Drums; Scott Kinsey - Keyboards; Steve Tavaglione - EWI
Release Date - 1998
Record Label - Alchemy Records
Contact - GaryWillis.com

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