129

ACE MTD, ROSCOE, SCHECTER, DANELECTRO AND AMPEG BASS GEAR ON TEST!
Issue 129 April 2016
Bernard Edwards, Chic | Brian Hardgroove Hargrove, Public Enemy | London Bass Guitar Show 2016 report | Promenade Music | Eric Bass, Shinedown | Soulfly tour report | Michael Manring | MTD Saratoga | Roscoe Century fretless | Schecter Stiletto 8 | Danelectro Longhorn | Ampeg SCI-DI

WIN!
Tickets to see Chic at
re a
F ut! k
O
the Fold Festival!

Y E A R S ON,
T W E N T YTE THE GREAT
WE SALU

BER N A R D
A R D S O F
EDW c
Ch i
BRIAN HARDGROOVE HARGROVE, PUBLIC ENEMY | LONDON BASS GUITAR SHOW 2016 REPORT
www.bassguitarmagazine.com UK 4.75 Issue 129 April 2016
29

PROMENADE MUSIC | ERIC BASS, SHINEDOWN | SOULFLY TOUR REPORT | MICHAEL MANRING 9 771476 521061 >

001_rev2_NR.indd 1 23/03/2016 14:44

002.indd 2 23/03/2016 13:46
003.indd 3 23/03/2016 12:26
 CONTENTS
ISSUE 129 APRIL 2016

T
his time every
year I find myself
almost unable to
type these words
52
Roscoe
specifically, after
the annual London Century
Bass Guitar Show. 4 STD+
As youll know if
you were there, this
years event on 12
and 13 March was
the biggest weve
ever had in terms
of numbers of bass
players through the
day and it felt as if
EDITOR Joel McIver,
joel@blazepublishing.co.uk I and the BGM team
SUB-EDITORS Kate Puttick, Nick Robbins knew every one of
TECHNICAL CONSULTANT Stuart Clayton you. The community
CONTRIBUTORS Angus Batey, Bob
Battersby, Duff Battye, Andy Baxter, Nick we all move in is at its best at the LBGS, with studio and session bassists
Beggs, Jeff Berlin, Jamie Blaine, Silvia Bluejay, not to mention a whole raft of actual stars rubbing shoulders with
Mike Brooks, Joe Burcaw, Dave Clarke, Stuart
Clayton, Ben Cooper, Joe Daly, Hywel Davies, luthiers, amp manufacturers and then people like you and me, who
Jon DAuria, Daryl Easlea, David Etheridge, Mike simply love the low end. Summing all this up in this introduction to the
Flynn, Paul Geary, Ian Glasper, Joel Graham, Ruth
Goller, Spencer Grady, Paolo Gregoletto, Hugh
new issue is almost impossible, so Ill direct you to our full report on page
Gulland, Chris Hanby, Andy Hughes, Ken Hunt, 32. Suffice it to say that when we said to ourselves last year How are we
Kevin Johnson, Steve Lawson, Phil Mann, Lee
Marlow, George Martin, Michael McKeegan,
going to improve on the LBGS 2015? we didnt dare to hope that wed be
Stewart McKinsey, Greg Moffitt, Chris Mugan, asking ourselves the same question a year later. Were grateful to each
Ellen O'Reilly, Franc OShea, Harry Paterson, and every one of you.
Raz Rauf, Alison Richter, Steven Rosen, Kevin
Sanders, Amit Sharma, Joe Shooman, Rob In this issue we celebrate the life and career of the mighty Bernard
Statham, Scott Surine, Jon Thorne, Freddy Edwards of Chic taken from us way before his time, 20 years to
Villano, Ray Walker, Alex Webster, Sam Wise
ADVERTISING SALES Guy Meredith the month before this magazine goes on sale and meet the bassists
GRAPHIC DESIGN Steve Dawson from Public Enemy, Shinedown and Soulfly, as well as nipping up to

56
AD DESIGN Matt Smith Promenade Music in Morecambe, and meeting Michael Manring. Bass
COVER PHOTOGRAPH Getty Images gear on review ranges from a pair of state-of-the-art MTDs to a vintage
STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY Eckie
OPERATIONS DIRECTOR James Folkard Danelectro, and as always our world-class tutors do their damnedest to
ASSISTANT PUBLISHER Ruth Burgess make you the bass player youve always dreamed of being. Schecter
PUBLISHER Wes Stanton
ACCOUNTS Dave Deo
Does life in bass world get better? Hell no. See you in May! Stiletto Studio NT-8
Joel McIver, editor
SUBSCRIPTIONS 01926 339808,
subs@blazepublishing.co.uk
SUBSCRIPTION RATE UK 69
For all subscription offers and overseas
prices visit www.bassguitarmagazine.com
or call 01926 339808
Printed in the UK Blaze Publishing
Ltd 2016.
Gear
All Rights Reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced in any form,
stored in a retrieval system or integrated
into any other publication, database or
commercial program without the express
48MTD Saratoga Deluxe 4 & 5
Mike Brooks road-tests
two luxurious basses from the
permission of the publishers in writing.
Under no circumstances should this MTD stable...
publication and its contents be sold, loaned
out or used by way of trade, or stored or

52Roscoe Century
transmitted as an electronic file without the
publishers prior written approval.
DISCLAIMER ...before turning his
While Blaze Publishing Ltd prides itself on attention to this divine fretless!
the quality of the information its publications
provide, the company reserves the right not
to be held legally responsible for any mistakes
or inaccuracies found within the text of this
publication.
Bass Guitar Magazine is an independent
publication and as such does not necessarily
reflect the views or opinions of manufacturers
56Schecter Stiletto 8
Ellen OReilly gets her
metal on with this eight-stringed
or distributors of the products contained
within. All trademarks are acknowledged. heavyweight
DISTRIBUTION

60Danelectro Longhorn
Distributed to the news trade by Comag
Magazine Marketing, West Drayton,
Middlesex, UB7 7QE
Joel McIver lassos this
PUBLISHED BY
Blaze Publishing Ltd. Lawrence House, vintage beast but can he
Morrell Street, Leamington Spa, tame it?

46 64
Warwickshire, CV32 5SZ
Bass Guitar Magazine is proud to
support the Music Industries Association.
Ampeg SCI-DI
MTD Saratoga Is that an Ampeg in your
pocket, asks Ian Glasper
Deluxe 4 & 5

004 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

004-005 Contents_Rev2.indd 4 23/03/2016 14:09

 f/bassguitarmagazine o/bassguitarmag CONTENTS

44
Michael Tuition
Manring
70 Frontline
Four pro bassists offer
you their collective wisdom.
Get smart here

BEGINNER
72 Ellen OReilly
Numbers symbolising
chords? Lets do this, says Ellen

32
Eric Bass, Shinedown
74 Paul Geary
The mighty Geary says...
lets rock!

INTERMEDIATE
76 Stuart Clayton
More Aeolian madness
with our man Clayton

78 Rob Statham
Tapping bass intervals
with bass guru Statham

ADVANCED
80Franc OShea
Digging deeper into
Francs mind-bending bass solo

36
Brian Hardgroove
84 Philip Mann
Double popping, is it? The
venerable Mann takes us there
Hargrove
86David Etheridge
Prof Etheridge gets us
soloing on double bass

Bassists 38 Promenade Music

We head to Morecambe for a visit to a bass mecca by the sea
88Steve Lawson
Lets look at the big picture,

22 Bernard Edwards
Twenty years to the
month after his premature
40Eric Bass, Shinedown
Yes, thats his real name. The US stadium-rocker talks the
low frequencies
advises effects maestro Lawson

death, Daryl Easlea and Dave

Clarke celebrate the life, work
and bass talent of Bernard
Edwards of Chic, a genuine
42 Backstage Bass
We meet four metal musicians from Soulfly, Incite, Lody Kong
and King Parrot for a chat about all things low-end 90Classic Bass Albums
Welcome to Brooksys new
contender for the title of the column, in which he celebrates a
most accomplished bass player
who ever lived. Meanwhile,
Joel McIver sits down with
44 Michael Manring
The maverick bassist looks back (and forward) with another bass
icon, Steve Lawson
classic bass album. All together:
Is this the real life...?

Bernards friend and colleague

in Chic, Nile Rodgers, for an
insight into the lost legends
SUBSCRIBE
NOW
personality

28 Brian Hardgroove Hargrove,

Public Enemy

32
Angus Batey meets the great
hip-hop musician Hardgroove

DETAILS PAGE 82
to discuss a nation of a million
bass-lines London Bass Guitar Show 2016

Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016 005

004-005 Contents_Rev2.indd 5 23/03/2016 14:09

 LOW DOWN
THE
SuPeR SHow!
Thanks to almost 2,200 visitors, the cream of the worlds bass players
and exhibitors from around the world, the sixth London Bass Guitar
Show was the most successful yet. Held at Olympia London on 12
and 13 March in association with this very magazine, the LBGS 2016
hosted Robert Trujillo of Metallica, Suzi Quatro, Jools Holland bassist
Dave Swift, solo bass monsters Federico Malaman, Adam Ben-Ezra and
Freekbass, Status Quos Rhino Edwards and Joy Division/New Order
founder member Peter Hook. Watching Trujillos band Mass Mental,
which also features ace bassist Armand Sabal-Lecco, jamming with Mark
King of Level 42 blew our minds. And as for propping up the bar with
006 Bass Guitar Magazine april 2016
006-010 News_Rev5.indd 6
News and views
from the bass world,
collated by BGMs
team of intrepid
newshounds
Alex Venturella from Slipknot and Paul Turner from Jamiroquai... well,
lets just say that a chaotic night was had by all. How were going to top
the LBGS in 2017 we have no idea, but then again, thats what we said
last time. Were delighted to note that attendance has increased year on
year since 2014, so one more time, hats off to all who came. If you made
it along, thanks for coming and if you didnt, see you next year! Keep an
eye on our social media for pics and film, and enjoy our in-depth report
elsewhere in this issue. And see that pic of a crazed bassist holding a
lovely Teambuilt Warwick Streamer? Thats David Sumeray, who won
the Bassface competition and takes the bass home with him. Congrats,
that man!
Info: www.londonbassguitarshow.com, www.facebook.com/londonbassguitarshow,
@bassguitarshow
23/03/2016 13:48
 HFneR HitS 60
Hofner has announced the release of their 60thAnniversary 500/1 Violin Bass, a sleek version
of the instrument made so famous by up-and-coming beat hopeful Sir Paul McCartney half a
century ago. A strictly limited edition of 60 instruments is now available from selected dealers,
they tell us, adding that the 500/1, designed by Walter Hfner himself, was first shown to the
public at the Frankfurt Musikmesse in 1956. Now we feel old.
Info: www.hofner.com

BooKed uP
Bassline Publishing, run by BGMs very own technical consultant and ace bassist Stuart Clayton,
is releasing more essential instructional volumes devoted to the work of Stuart Hamm and Marcus
Miller. Stu Hamm The Book of Lies Bass Transcriptions (15 plus shipping) contains transcriptions
for all of the tracks on Stus 2015 album The Book Of Lies, including a frankly incredibly-hard-to-
play seven-song solo bass suite, and also contains a detailed biography, details on the instruments
Stu has used and performance notes for each song. The transcriptions were personally checked for
accuracy by Stu, who also provided added insights into the songs in the performance notes.
Meanwhile, Marcus Miller Highlights from Renaissance is a collection of five pieces from
Marcus Millers 2012 album Renaissance, including popular bass-driven tracks such as Detroit,
Jekyll & Hyde and Cee-Tee-Eye. The book also contains a biography of Marcus, details on the
instruments he uses and a detailed analysis of his playing style. Each transcription is written in
both standard notation and tablature and has extensive performance notes.
Elsewhere in book world, Ove Bosch has released a tasty German-language tome called Bass
Vertiefung (or Bass Enrichment according to our 1976 Collins German dictionary from school)
and Steve King has reissued Head To Head: Aerobics For Electric Bass. That lot should keep you
away from your iPad for a while.
Info: www.basslinepublishing.com, www.ovebosch.de, www.facebook.com/steve.kempking

Bass Guitar Magazine april 2016 007

006-010 News_Rev5.indd 7 23/03/2016 13:48

 tHe lowdown

goodBye geeZeR
Black Sabbath are bidding us farewell this year, as fans of heavy
metal will know, after swinging around the globe one last time.
Bassist Geezer Butler is accompanied on the tour, which is aptly
named The End, by a splendid new Ashdown rig, put together by
Mark Goodays team over the last several months. The premise, says
the company, was to be able to separate the high and low signals
to suit his current custom stage cabinets which consists of four
4x12s and four 2x15s. We took an original JE preamp and came up
with a few specific modifications: they needed to be able to split the
signals to run four cabs for the full range signal into the 4x12s, so
we modified the existing two-way crossover to a custom transformer
derived crossover able to power four outputs to feed the two APM-
1000s that would drive Geezers on-stage 4x12s.
See Ashdowns site for more details and Sabbath on tour to catch
the full power of the new bass set-up. See you at Download!
Info: www.ashdownmusic.com

o2 aCadeMieS
Italian effects-makers Nemphasis have launched the 02 Oxygen
Bass Preamp and the units larger Pro Series variant. The preamp
delivers extreme exibility and tonal overlapping with outstanding
clarity, it says here, so wed better get hold of one for review. Controls
include a Mode footswitch, gain and input levels, a ground lift switch
to swerve earth loops and an XLR out. The smaller version has the
same EQ as well as a toggle switch offering a preset boost or scoop of
the mid frequencies. Grab them for 149 or 189 respectively.
Info: www.nemphasis.com

Six oF tHe BeSt

Basses Loaded, the Melvins new album, features not one but six
bass players and is out on 3 June on Ipecac Recordings, the label
owned by Faith No More singer Mike Patton. Lead Melvin Buzz
Osborne is joined byNirvanasKrist Novoselic,Redd KrosssSteve
McDonald,Butthole SurfersJ.D. Pinkus,Big BusinesssJared Warren
and Mr. BunglesTrevor Dunn, while drummer Dale Croverswitches
to bass. As we speak, were trying to get all six of them to talk to us for
a mega-Melvins feature. Dont thank us, its what we do.
Info: www.themelvins.net

008 Bass Guitar Magazine april 2016

006-010 News_Rev5.indd 8 23/03/2016 13:49

 Thanks to the great Nile Rodgers, we have a pair of tickets to the Nile-curated
Fold Festival, which takes place at Fulham Palace in London on 24 to 26 June
(www.foldfestival.com). Get them by answering this simple question about
Pic by Eckie

the late, great Bernard Edwards:

The famous Chic song is...?

A Good Vibes
B Good Times
C Good Nights

Answers to the usual BGM postal address or via www.

bassguitarmagazine.com/competition by May 17.

A ravishing Bruce Thomas Profile bass courtesy of the Bass Centre goes to
John Jones. Thanks to all who entered.

BAYWATCH
Every month, keen bass-spotter Ray Walker brings
us an online bargain.
Sandberg California TM4 Jazz 749
http://tinyurl.com/gl3ptcr

Billed in the ad as a Fender killer, here we have a

lovely Sandberg California TM4 Jazz bass. This is a
pro-quality bass for less than pro-quality bucks. Its
a versatile active or passive bass with an ash body,
maple neck and a coil tap on the bridge pickup, so
tone range galore. According to owners, the zero
fret gives open notes a more consistent tone and
the rounded-profile of the neck feels great in the
hand. The individual locking saddles of this hefty
brass bridge provide excellent height, spacing and
intonation. A beauty!

Bass Guitar Magazine april 2016 009

006-010 News_Rev5.indd 9 23/03/2016 13:49

 The Lowdown

Headlining Head
Peavey has announced the immediate availability of the Headliner 1000
Bass amp head, available to order in the UK exclusively through Peavey
distributors Barnes & Mullins. The 1000W unit is loaded with features,
including a seven-band graphic EQ, optical compressor with level control
and bypass, a Crunch feature that allows players to dial in a vintage
tube effect, Bright and Contour switches and DDT speaker protection
circuitry that detects the onset of clipping. Nab yours for 549.
In other B&M news, the company has just announced the opening
of the Aguilar Amplification performance and tutoring room at BIMM
London, the contemporary music college. This musical education
space is equipped with a wide selection of Aguilar amps, cabinets and
effects: as Alex Mew, Barnes & Mullins associate director of marketing,
says: Facilities such as BIMM are arguably largely responsible for the
incredibly diverse and ever more technically proficient songwriting
and production techniques so prevalent in todays music industry. As
so many highly talented and dedicated young musicians study in these
institutions, it is essential to ensure they have access to high quality,
professional equipment. So with this aim in mind, we are delighted to
have assisted in the creation of this Aguilar Amplification performance
and tutoring environment.
Info: www.bandm.co.uk

Stanley In Sussex
Jazz fusion legend Stanley
Clarke returns to the Love
Supreme Jazz Festival 2016,
held on 1-3 July at Glynde
Place in East Sussex. Hes joined
by Grace Jones,Burt Bacharach,
Lianne La Havas, Caro Emerald,
Melody Gardot and Kelis among
many more musicians of the
jazz-ish persuasion. None other
than the mighty Burt Bacharach
says of the event Im thrilled
to be returning to the UK this

Foxy
Sometime Jam bassist Bruce Foxton returns with a new album, Smash
summer and performing at the
Love Supreme Festival. Ive heard
great things about the festival and
The Clock, which features his old bandmate (and last years BGM cover Im looking forward to sharing my
star) Paul Weller, legendary pub-rocker Wilko Johnson and blues musicinthis beautiful settingwith
veteran Paul Jones and which was recorded at Wellers Black Barn the stunningbackdrop of Glynde
studios. Keep an eye out for his post-jam project From The Jam and Place, which makes it all the
their As And Bs tour later this year, which will include rare tracks cooler that well be giving away a
from the Jams back catalogue. pair of tickets in due course.
Info: www.brucefoxton.com Info: www.lovesupremefestival.com

010 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

006-010 News_Rev5.indd 10 23/03/2016 13:49

011.indd 11 23/03/2016 16:26
 BASSICALLY
speaking
Bassists reveal the tricks of their trade faster
than a snapping D string
Stuart James
GEAR
Basses Rickenbacker 4003, Fender Jazz Deluxe V, Danelectro Longhorn
Effects SansAmp Bass Driver DI, MXR Custom Shop GT-OD Overdrive
Amps Ampeg SVT 3 Pro head, SWR Workingman 2x10 cabs, SWR WorkingPro 1x15 cab
Becky Baldwin
IDestroy, Control The Storm, Triaxis
Im a rock bassist, but Im much more useful when I can chuck the
pick and shred on with my fingers instead! I love to play a four-string
bass. Even when I use my Fender Jazz Deluxe five-string for recording
or function gigs, Ill seldom use the B string because it usually has its
own separate tone. Even with a great set of strings you can hear the
difference. Its fun to drop it in once in a while, but unless the guitarist
is using a seven-string I would prefer to stick to four. The rock and
metal gigs I play dont need slap lines, but I have thrown in a few
cheeky slap fills when recording. I also slap when Ive had enough of
the guitarists noodling away to themselves during soundcheck... Pay
attention to detail. When practising, find ways to record yourself and
listen back. Even if its a low-quality recording on your phone, youll
be able to hear the elements of your playing that you need to work on.
My favourite bass is still my Rickenbacker 4003 which Ive played for
about six years. I still get a warm and mushy feeling when I see it. My
bass heroes are Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath), Cliff Burton (Metallica),
John Entwistle (The Who) and Chris Squire (Yes). The greatest bass
player that ever lived was Lemmy, not so much for his bass playing,
but for his general greatness. My rock band IDestroy recently released
a debut EP, Vanity Loves Me; my melodic metal band Control The
Storm are writing the follow-up to our first album, Beast Inside; and
heavy metallers Triaxis are still touring the third album, Zero Hour.
www.beckybaldwinbass.com
012 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016
012-014, 016 Bassicallys_rev4.indd 12
GEAR
Basses Fender Precision, Epiphone Jack Casady, Fender Jazz, Cleartone strings
Effects Tech21 SansAmp, SolidGoldFX Beta Custom Shop, Vintage Russian Big Muff, MXR Bass Octave Deluxe,
MI Audio BlueBoy Deluxe, TC Electronic Polytune, Bright Onion Pedals Mini Looper
Amps Ampeg SVT-AV, Ampeg SVT-410HLF
Antonio Angotti Tax The Heat
Im a big advocate of groove and feel and love to hold down the
rhythmic aspect of bass playing with the drummer while marrying
that with the harmony. I understand my role in a band and I always
play for the benefit of the song: its about the bigger picture. I still like
to try and turn heads, though, and look for the right opportunities
in songs to play something a little more out there, whether its a fill,
run, countermelody or sync up with the vocals or guitar. A lot of it
for me is finding the right tones to really make your bass part speak.
The secret of playing bass well is having the right mindset. And of
course knowing your stuff! But being a bass player is different from
being a guitarist or a drummer. I know it sounds obvious, but each
play their own different roles in a band setting. As a bass player, you
tread the line of laying down the foundation of the arrangement
as well as looking for those moments in the song to pop out with
something killer. Were not the guys that traditionally let off a three-
minute solo mid-song, so its having that understanding (and a better
handle on the old ego) to play more of a supporting role. Dont get me
wrong, there are many instances where the bass takes the lead look
at Tom Hamilton on Aerosmiths Sweet Emotion or John Deacon
on Queens Under Pressure and Another One Bites The Dust. My
favourite bass to date is my 1976 Fender Precision bass. Its been my
staple with Tax The Heat and 90 per cent of what youll hear on our
debut album is that. It was quite a fortunate eBay acquisition and
thankfully it arrived from the US in one piece! It has some real vintage
mojo to it and everything on it is all original. It has a slightly slimmer
neck profile than most Precision basses, which I think was fairly
common in the late 70s, and it makes for nice comfortable playing.
My bass heroes would probably be John Entwistle, John Deacon,
James Jamerson and Paul McCartney. I think the main thing that
they all share is their melodic approach to bass playing as well as the
incredible amount of creative flair each of them display in their bass-
lines. They also bring a great deal of individuality to the table, these
guys were pioneers of their eras, styles and genres. But a big personal
hero for me is my college music teacher and good friend Craig
Gilligan. Not only did he inspire and help nurture my early growth as
a musician, but he gave us many great opportunities and experiences
to play with other musicians at college. He still continues to be a great
voice of guidance today.Were currently building up to the release of
our debut album, Fed To The Lions, on Nuclear Blast Entertainment.
www.taxtheheat.com
23/03/2016 13:57
 stonefield

GEAR
Basses F Bass VF4-P
Effects Tech21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI
Amps Traynor YBA300 heads, Traynor TC412 Cabinets

Jon Harvey Monster Truck

I do not play five- or six-string bass, because I dont play in Dream Theater. We dont really
play the type of music that requires it. I dont slap. When I hear slapping all I can think of is the
theme for Seinfeld, which isnt a bad thing, but imagine JPJ slappin around.The secret of playing
bass well is paying attention to your drummer and practising a lot with a metronome.My first
bass was a Mexican Fender Jazz which I had to borrow the money for from a bandmate.My
favourite studio bass to date is my Univox (MIJ) copy of a Fender P. It is a great piece of wood. I
have put a lot of time and money into it. It also weighs 15 pounds so on stage, to save my back,
I use the best playing bass I have ever touched, my F Bass VF4-P, with a rosewood fretboard.
I would never play a show without it. My bass heroes are Stanley Clarke, Geezer Butler, Paul
McCartney and Steve Harris.The greatest bass player that ever lived was Niels-Henning rsted
Pedersen. If I could get the bass tone of any album ever released, I would choose Machine Head by
Deep Purple. Roger Glover has the most raunchy yet clear tone. The bass is completely present in
the mix. No weird midrange that gets confused with the organ or bass drum, which is quite a feat
when dealing with a Leslie speaker and the frequency spectrum of a B3 organ crammed through
a Marshall stack.We finished our sophomore album, Sittin Heavy, and the rest of this year will
be spent touring, promoting, playing festivals and staying busy.
www.ilovemonstertruck.com

Owen Griffiths Blacklisters

I sound like a guitarist playing like a bass player, a bass player playing like a guitarist, with a
plectrum, in drop tuning. I play four-string basses because anything else is a bit unnecessary,
especially if youre already in a drop tuning and want to be audible. The sound of an E string
tuned down sounds infinitely better than a low B string, in my humble opinion. Its all about
clarity and tone, man. Im always throwing some hot Level 42 funky grooves into songs but I just
get threatened with violence. Seriously though, unless youre Les Claypool, its a tough one to pull
off in the sort of music I play. There is no secret to being good at anything, you just have to do it
loads, which I have. Learning your favourite riffs is really important and then jamming with a
band is all you need to do. Im a bigfan of scales and arpeggios, but theres too many really good
guitarists and bass players out there that dont know any of that stuff to say its essential to learn.
My first bass was the biggest piece of crap youve ever seen. I bought it off some kid at school
when I was 13, hed nicked it from his dad and sold it to me for 5. As crap as it was, I loved it and
played it every day. Memories...All Fenders rule, Stratocasters, Jaguars, Telecasters, Precisions,
Jazz basses. I just love them all. I also like the Gibson Ripper and anything by Travis Bean. When
I was younger I didnt really have bass heroes, it was more about bands that I liked or just people
in bands. First I wanted to be in Nirvana, then RATM, then Funkadelic, then Melvins, then
Jesus Lizard, at the moment its Fleetwood Mac. The greatest bass player that ever lived was Jaco
Pastorius, obviously. Weve just released our second album, Adult.
www.blacklisters.co.uk

GEAR
Sarah Davey

Basses Fender Jazz

Effects SansAmp Bass Driver, Boss Bluesbreaker
Amps Hartke HA3500 head, Ampeg 610 cab

Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016 013

012-014, 016 Bassicallys_rev4.indd 13 23/03/2016 13:57

 BASSICALLY SPEAKING

never yearned for that extra low end. Im pretty satisfied with my current
quantity of low end. I came to bass with a guitarists background, so I
think that slap playing was just lost in translation. When I picked up a
bass, I immediately erred towards what felt familiar to me as a guitar
player. The idea of slapping and popping my instrument felt completely
foreign.Necessity never really dictated that I learn how to do it, so I
never did. To this day, I still cant slap, and I regret nothing.As a convert
that originally started as a guitar player, I struggled for a long time
with feelings of being a phoney. I did feel like there might be some
secret to bass playing that I hadnt unlocked yet. For me, the biggest
step towards finding comfort and confidence on my instrument was
finding a sound that I could identify as being my own. Zeroing in on
specifically how I liked my bass to sound, and allowing that to shape my
playing has definitely led me to feeling better as a bass player. Im not
an exceptionally flashy player, so having a bass sound that Im stoked
about can go a long way. The first bass that I ever owned was a Fender
70s Jazz reissue. I borrowed friends basses before that, usually either a
Squier or a Samick, or something of that ilk, but that Jazz was the first
Nil bass that I owned. I used it for about three years, and completely
abused it. Its my at-home bass now, because its pretty unfit to take on
the road at this point. It needs a lot of work. I used to slam it around a
lot and the skunk stripe started to pop out of the back of the neck. My
favourite bass ever is the Gibson Grabber. Ive got two of them. The 1978
is my backup bass, and its incredibly light. It feeds back like a dream. I
can stand at the front of the stage and it can still produce really musical,
easily controllable feedback. The 1975 is my main bass, and its much
heavier. Ive worn most of the finish off the neck in the two years Ive
GeaR had it, so it feels great. Both basses sound essentially the same. Theyve
Basses Gibson Grabber
got the growl of a P-Bass, but they play more like Jazz basses. I like that
eFFeCts None
aMPs traynor YC-810 8x10 cab, traynor Monoblock B, traynor Monoblock II, sunn Concert Bass its not the most common bass to see people playing. Thats always a
nice bonus. As far as style, taste, and tone go, Cliff Burton was pretty

dAvid nArdi The DIrTy nIl

None of the bands I was listening to when I was starting to play ever
played five- or six-string basses, and Ive never really seen a five- or
six-string bass that I particularly liked. Nothing against people that use
them, its just not something Ive ever felt the need or desire for. Ive
untouchable. Theres a reason why Metallica moved to San Francisco
just to get him in the band. His snarling fuzz wah sound is amazing. It
cant really be emulated. The dude also wore nothing but denim, which
always gets points in my book. Weve just released our debut album,
Higher Power, and well be doing lots of touring.
www.facebook.com/thedirtynil

kel The emPTy PaGe

I would describe my bass style as punky, fuzzy and song- rather than
ego-driven. I played guitar in previous bands; this time I wanted to
switch to bass for a challenge. I mainly consider myself a singer and
songwriter, so when I write Im usually thinking about catchy hooks
and the vocal melody. It was a challenge to go from playing rhythm
guitar while singing to playing bass while singing. Huge respect to
bassists that slap, I love to watch it but I guess I just dont have the funk!
The most important thing for bassists to master is grooving with the
drums. I could get away with being a bit sloppy as a second guitarist,
but now I have to be part of a rhythmic driving force. Even if what
youre playing is simple, especially then, it has to lock in and keep that
power.The bass I currently play is a short-scale Squier Jaguar as it
was easier to transition from guitar to bass with a smaller instrument,
and easier to play and sing at the same time. Its a budget guitar as Im
skint, but I actually love it and cant see myself changing to a great
big bass any time soon. Its lightweight so I can jump around like an
idiot onstage. I love the Jaguar shape and its currently black on black,
which is classic cool, but Im thinking of adding some sparkle. My bass
heroes are the cool Kims: Gordon and Deal. The greatest bass player
that lived was Lemmy, obviously. Weve just released our first proper
single, Deeply Unlovable, and a really cool video with it, a comment on
the unrealistic beauty standards threatening all womens self-esteem
from an early age. We recorded it live after Id only been playing bass
for about six months. This year we release our debut album and tour as GeaR
much as possible. We have some UK dates in June, come see us! Bass squier Jaguar
eFFeCts electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff
www.theemptypageband.com
aMPs ashdown MaG300
Giz

014 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

012-014, 016 Bassicallys_rev4.indd 14 23/03/2016 13:57

019.indd 19 23/03/2016 12:30
 bassically speaking

GEAR
Basses Anaconda Crusher CXE4 Elite, DAddario strings
Effects Boss OC-2, TC Polytune 2 Blacklight, Boss BB-1X, Boss BC-1X,
all on a Pedaltrain Nano powered by a T-Rex Fueltank Jr
Amps Amps Ashdown ABM and Rootmaster

Mike Prince Dr Meaker

My bass style is solid with the occasional slap outburst.
Always in the pocket. I personally think four-string basses
slap better, and I can get the lower notes by detuning to
C#or even B. I used to re-string to tenor (ADGC), like Stanley
Clarke does, for a different taste. Theres nothing better
when youre rolling off some delicious 16th-note triplets with
a groovy drummer! The secret of playing bass well is locking
in with the drummer, but also listening to all styles and
genres of music, particularly melodic instruments. This gives
you a good harmonic and melodic foundation and is easily
transferred to bass, where it can then help with solo and
melody ideas. Also, learn another instrument such as piano,
even if just the basics. My first bass was a 75 Maxtone
P-Bass copy that my dad bought for me off eBay back in
2005 bargain! Ive still got it, but the neck is as warped as
anything, the action makes it unplayable and the strings are
like telegraph wires. My favourite bass ever to date is my
Anaconda Crusher CXE4 Elite. Its been on every recording
session, gig, tour, and festival Ive done since Andrew built
it for me. I was his first customer back in 2013 and Id never
part with it! My old Status Graphite Kingbass Artist was a
cool bass too, a real slap machine. The greatest bass player
that ever lived is Mark King:his rudimentary drumming
approach revolutionised bass playing in Europe in the 80s
and he continues to do so. Some of his riffs and licks are just
outrageous. I really love Chris Wolstenholmes bass tone
on the early Muse tracks. Lots of low-endgrowl and high-
end fizz but still perfectly clear in the mix.I play for Bristol
drumnbass collective Dr Meaker: our second album Dirt and
Soul is nearly finished and should be released in time to gig
it over the festival season. We played loads of festivals last
Simeon Boys-Layton

year including Glastonbury, so fingers crossed well be there

again this year.
www.drmeaker.co.uk

GEAR
Basses Gretsch White Falcon, Gretsch Broadkaster, Ernie Ball Music Man
Effects None
Amps Various

Daniel Manzano Boyce Avenue

For me its always about supplementing and supporting the band
and the rhythm section. Id always prefer to keep it simple, powerful
and driving than to be playing a part that is all over the place, or is
distracting from the main message or emotion of the song.I play four-
string. I just think that five- and six-string basses are too unwieldy. I
would be drawn to having access to the lower notes if theyd make a
bass that has the B string but gets rid of the high G string, so that it still
only has four strings and is as compact as a regular bass. The secret
of playing bass well is to keep it simple, and to really connect with the
music and everything thats going on around you.My favourite bass
ever to date is my Gretsch White Falcon. Its gorgeous. Its really fun to
play hollow-body basses.We just finished a new album called Road Less
Traveled, and it will be out in April! Were really excited about the new
music, and we cant wait to share the songs with everyone on our world
tour, which kicks off in India this month.
http://boyceavenue.com/

016 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

012-014, 016 Bassicallys_rev4.indd 16 23/03/2016 13:58

 THE LOWDOWN The Luthier

Scott Surine of Surine Basses completes his column on

the making of a state-of-the-art bass guitar

W
elcome back! Were now at the point where we cut out the top of our
Surine, but oversized to the overall body shape. The S-Curve area
is cut to exactly match the fingerboard extension. The top is then
dry-fitted to the assembly to ensure its fit. Once the top fits snugly, it
is then glued to the assembly, using virtually every clamp in the shop. When
dry, the excess top wood is routed until flush with the wings, then rounded
over and pre-final sanded.
After the top has been glued to the assembly, its edge is routed flush to
the profile of the wings, then rounded over for comfort and aesthetics. The
holes for the controls are then drilled through the body, and the neck heel
is carved by hand with rasps and files. Once carved, the neck heel is then
refined with various grits of sandpaper until its overall feel is comfortable to
the hand in several positions.
Using a template for the control cavitys outer shape, the lip is routed to
depth. A second template for the inner shape is screwed in place and routed
using incrementally deeper passes until its final depth is achieved. The
pickup cavities are located on the body, then routed to depth similarly to the
process for the control cavity.
Once all prior tasks have been completed, including drilling for the bridge
mount holes and shaping the fingerboard extension, the entire instrument is
final sanded. Once this is complete, the serial number is stamped on the back
of the headstock. The bass is now ready for finish. The bass is then finished
with either a gloss polyester by Pat Wilkins, as in this example, or with a
handrubbed TruOil finish for a satin look and feel: it is then assembled and
set up by master luthier Kenneth Scott Lofquist. For this bass, the Sonova
bridge was installed a proprietary design by Scott Surine.
Once assembled and set up, the bass is tested for playability and
sonic versatility. If needed, minor adjustments are made at this point.
The bass is photo-documented for archive and marketing purposes.
Both warranty and certificate of authenticity documents are produced
for the purchasing customer, and once all is approved, the bass is now
ready for performance!

www.surinebasses.com

Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016 017

017 luthier_rev3KP.indd 17 23/03/2016 12:06

 THE LOWDOWN
Rockschool
Applied Improvisation with
Rockschool
Nik Preston at Rockschool discusses teaching (and learning) music
T
hroughout the series so far weve covered a lot of harmonic
ground, providing a sound platform from which to develop
fretboard knowledge, aural skills, chord/scale theory and
ultimately develop as improvisers and more rounded musicians.
Something that underpins a lot of the teaching methodology that
practitioners like Joe Hubbard, myself and many of the great players
and educators found in BGM use, is our experience of teaching a
great many players, be it in universities, conservatoires, colleges or
privately.
Youll hear lots of theory on how various individuals learn: VAK, or
sometimes VARK, is one such theory, based on research that seemed
to show that many students have a propensity towards visual, aural
or kinaesthetic stimuli to learn new skills or knowledge. Different
teachers have different theories, but often a great teacher is not just
someone with a great command of the subject matter, but also one
that can
assess the
particular
needs of the THE WORLD IS FULL OF MUSICIANS WHO GAVE UP ON THEIR
student.
From
my own
ASPIRATIONS ALL TOO EARLY, BECAUSE THE TEACHING METHODS
perspective,
there are a
THAT THEY WERE INTRODUCED TO WERENT EFFECTIVE FOR THEM
multitude of
factors that AS INDIVIDUALS AND SUBSEQUENTLY THEY STARTED TO DOUBT
THEIR OWN POTENTIAL
influence
how someone
will learn
most
effectively:
in certain cases the person that develops the fastest is often the one
that has come across the most effective methods for themselves as
individuals, or a great educator who can join the dots for them.
In educational terms, an individual that prefers to develop
devoid of tuition is referred to as an autodidact, and to be honest,
we all need to be autodidactic to a certain degree to achieve in
contemporary music.
My point here is that unless weve drawn these conclusions for
ourselves, the best approach is to immerse ourselves in as many
different opportunities for learning and development as possible, and
ultimately start to choose those which resonate the most.
The world is full of musicians who gave up on their aspirations all
too early, because the teaching methods that they were introduced
to werent effective for them as individuals and subsequently they
started to doubt their own potential or what is often ill-defined as
talent. Im a passionate believer that your true talent is your ability ideas for developing a practice routine from which many of you will
to stay focused, patient and open-minded. Every musician, no matter
how great a player they may be, can find they have any number of
weak points in the early stages of their development. The majority of
the areas in which we need to develop to be able to perform, compose
and improvise are actually skills fundamentals that can be learned
and refined, which many will refer to as talent. The idea that talent is
018 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016
018 Rockschool_rev3KP.indd 18
the defining factor in your chance of success is one that I have seen
demoralise less experienced players who dont believe they have it:
it also gives lazier instructors a reason not to focus on a particular
student as much as another.
Very rarely have I come across any student who could not achieve
at a professional level if they would only be methodical, address their
weaknesses, find ways to motivate themselves and ultimately increase
their own level of confidence. Confidence increases with competence,
and competence will always come with dedication and a clear mind.
If clarity is something that eludes you, as it does for many of us from
time to time, thats a good time to return to the fundamentals. Above
all, stay true to your own personal goals returning to your favourite
records will also bring you back to focus quite quickly.
Heres a concept: each of us should always aim to be our own
favourite player. Although at first that may seem to be unachievable
(and it may
well be), there
is logic in that
statement.
It is only
each of us, as
individuals,
who truly
knows what
we want to be
able to play
and study.
As such, it
follows that
if we make
the choices to
study our favourite players and repertoire, we ultimately create a
style or voice that is the sum total of a whole host of our favourite
voices. If youre not sure, look at someone such as BGMs own Steve
Lawson. It takes courage and dedication to chart such an individual
path, assimilating all of the various musical influences that have been
instrumental in forging that unique voice, and Im sure he hasnt been
without his detractors along the way.
How does this help me improvise, I hear you say? Well, this
is not unique to improvisation, it is applicable to all areas of our
development. Whether youre a Grade 1 sight reader, a Grade 5
improviser or a postgraduate level composer, if youre prepared
to study, imitate and analyse the music of your idols, and you are
determined to stay the course, youll quickly find that the term talent
takes on a whole new meaning.
In my next column in two months time Ill outline some potential
benefit. I have employed this approach with many students, of all
different instruments and stylistic preferences, a great many of whom
are now professional musicians.
Until next month, stay focused, be patient and try at the end of
each practice session to spend some time being purely creative it
works wonders.
22/03/2016 12:18
027.indd 27 23/03/2016 12:31
 THE LOWDOWN
THE MU BASSCHAT
The MU and Basschat
Plan your rehearsal space carefully, say the
Musicians Union
A
ny musician who has set foot on a stage in the last few decades
will doubtless have spent some time in a rehearsal studio but
finding one that suits you and your bands needs requires
research. Read our top five tips for finding and making the most of
your rehearsal space.
Know your objectives
Before setting foot in a rehearsal studio, discuss the bands aspirations
to ensure you share the same goals. Do you want to go pro? Are you
preparing for a tour? Its important to get this out of the way early to
make sure you use your rehearsal time well. There is a legal reason for
setting clear goals too. Even if youre an amateur, you may find yourself
in a legal partnership. Working with other musicians has legal, tax and
other implications, and it is important you protect yourself. Are you an
MU member? We can advise on protecting you and your assets. Get in
touch with your Regional Office (theMU.org/contact).
Review your options
When it comes to sourcing a good rehearsal studio, research matters.
Ask around for recommendations, dig out reviews, and be sure to visit
the premises before parting with any cash. Work out who and how
you are going to pay for it. Check if the studio offers discounts to MU
members. And make sure its convenient and accessible to all members
of the band nothing will sap your will faster than booking a studio
hours away from home. But its worth remembering that state-of-the-
art equipment and dazzling aesthetics do not necessarily mean good
rehearsal spaces. Good facilities make the process more enjoyable,
says Paul Gray, MU regional officer for Wales & South West England
and former bassist with The Damned and UFO. That said, Im
currently rehearsing with my band in a garage with curtains pinned
to the walls, and that suits us just fine. Remember, the plushest places
are not necessarily the most conducive to getting down to work.
Set up as if youre on stage
Spend time experimenting with the sound levels and positioning of
the gear. You want to find the combination that allows everyone in
the band to clearly hear what they and the other members are doing.
Make a note of the equipment positioning and settings for the next
time you rehearse.
Make sure theres a good PA
In 40 years of experiencing the dampest and dankest (with The
Damned) to the plushest and most expensive (UFO), Id say there is one
consideration that overrides everything else, and thats the quality
of the PA, adds Paul. Unless youre working on song structures in
advance of a recording session, rehearsals should be used as a way
to replicate the sound you individually and collectively intend to
make on stage so a decent PA that doesnt feed back, with adequate
headroom, decent mics and a good mixing desk is paramount.
Look after your hearing
Keep an eye on the volume. Excessive sound levels can do irreversible
damage to your hearing, and create friction within your band, so it is
vital to keep amps and PA systems at a comfortable level. Use hearing
protection find out more about this and hearing protection services
that the MU provides for its members via theMU.org.
020 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016
020 basschat mu_rev3KP.indd 20
The live scene for bass players explored by
Basschats Silvia Bluejay
T
he constantly evolving music business triggers
changes in the live performance scene,
especially at local level, where most
Basschatters are active. In General
Discussion we see posts bemoaning
the decline or the death of the live
scene: will thousands of musicians end
up playing in their bedrooms, or posting
videos on Youtube for the enjoyment of
disembodied audiences, instead of going
out to pubs and clubs, both as punters and
as gigging bands? Or are we needlessly
panicking and being overdramatic? The debate
is on, primarily in the regularly updated thread Is
the live scene dying?
One view expressed by some posters is that, with easily available
home entertainment through the TV and the internet, fewer people
are going to the pub for an evening out. Many small music venues are
closing down as a result, especially in desirable areas, where the land
once occupied by a pub can be sold to developers at a massive profit. At
surviving venues, more and more proper music nights are axed as they
are too expensive to sustain. More often than not, live music means
a lone singer with an acoustic guitar, or even a DJ playing recorded
tracks. However, other Basschatters find that in their neck of the woods
there are in fact too many music pubs chasing too few punters: some
pubs offer poor-quality bands, are quickly abandoned by discerning
audiences and soon fail, while others select the best bands and thrive.
Another group reckons that the overall number of music pubs in their
area is not changing at all, in that there are as many pubs starting to
offer live music as there are pubs axing it.
So, short of becoming pub owners ourselves (theres a thought),
what can we do to keep hold of our live audiences and, as a
consequence, our local music venues? Basschats collective wisdom
suggests that, with more and more music acts vying for attention, bands
need to identify what their target audience is, and try to tailor their
setlist accordingly. Spread the word about the bands existence, which
does include being active on the much-maligned social media. Oh, and
dont forget to be musically proficient, too! Nobody wants to cringe
while hearing their favourite songs played live.
Some younger Basschatters are unimpressed by the plethora of
unentertaining pub covers bands playing the same hackneyed classics
while gazing at their fretting hands, with long, awkward silences
between songs. Its far preferable to play songs that the audience
recognise, as long as theyre not sick of them. Finding those is a hit-
and-miss process, so gauge each audiences reaction to each song over
time, and drop less successful numbers from your setlist. Also, be
entertaining on stage: some friendly banter with the band and crowd
can do wonders for the atmosphere. Adding a light show, however
basic, also makes the place more welcoming and tempt in passers-by.
Other, more subtle changes noticed by Basschatters on the live scene
are, on the one hand, the trend towards venues booking acoustic covers
duos and trios, or unplugged bands and requiring the cripplingly low
volume imposed by sound limiters in residential areas. On the other
hand, there is growing demand for originals acts, which may be due to
many of them accepting exposure as opposed to sterling as payment.
Whats your own experience? Let us know on the forum.
www.basschat.co.uk
23/03/2016 13:54
021.indd 21 23/03/2016 12:25

d w a r d s . T o mark th ll that the
c b a s s i s t B e rnard E ated once and for a
t i m e l y d e a t h of Chi man who demonstr ath the disco ball...
y e a r s s i n c e the un s the legacy of the e moshpit, but bene
Its been 20 Daryl Easlea celebrate t in the jazz club or th
biographer bass-lines are found no
coolest
reat claims are made, often Dance Dance (Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah) and
G
within these pages, as to Everybody Dance were wowing the clubbers
who is the greatest bass inside, they were denied access.
player of all time. To these As they turned up their collars to the
ears, the answer is simple: snowy cold, Rodgers and Edwards bought
it is Bernard Edwards, who some champagne,cocaine and marijuana
was, between the years of and decided to throw their own private party
1976 and 1983 and 1992 to 1996, the bass player back at Rodgers apartment on52nd Street.
in a group called Chic. Picking up their instruments the pair started
Good heavens, just listen to Thinking Of to jam, screaming the phrase Ah, fuck off!
You by Sister Sledge, or what is simply one of Soon, it had mutated into Awww... freak out!
the most influential bass parts of all time, Good and they had the skeleton of Le Freak, which
Times, from Chics 1979 albumRisqu. They went on to become Atlantics biggest selling
are, when you break them down, ridiculously single ever when released in the US on 10
straightforward, and the latter, especially, is a July, 1978. Within a year, with that one single
certain kind of players Smoke On The Water tune, Rodgers and Edwards were to capture
when testing a new bass. But to play themright the zeitgeist like two funked-up Samuel Pepys-
there in the pocket, with all that air around them, es, recording for posterity 54 in the lyrics:
is very difficult indeed, as many will testify.
Edwards performed with elegant simplicity. Like the days of stomping at the Savoy,
The economy of his playing was reflected Now we freak, oh what a joy,
in his personality: while his partner in Chic, Just come on down to 54,
Nile Rodgers, was always the more garrulous Find a spot out on the floor...
man ofthe night, Edwards was laconic and
private the one who returned home to his Le Freak is one of those gorgeous records
young family rather than hitting the clubs. that never fails to grab you. Its irresistibility is
Not that he didnt have his party animal due to how much time Edwards and Rodgers
streak: he at least tried to get into the shindig spent working on it, with a trusted ensemble
at New Yorks prestigious Studio 54 nightclub of players. Chic worked as a band with regular
on New Years Eve 1977, but he and Rodgers players, as opposed to the faceless session
were infamously turned away. The duo were musicians who formed the backbone of late-70s
outraged, as they had been invited as guests of dance. The works of Chic were painstakingly
Grace Jones, and while their early hits Dance constructed at the Power Station Studios in
022 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016
022-026 Bernard_rev5.indd 22
e o c c a s i o n , Chic
downtown New York, produced by Rodgers
and Edwards as the Chic Organization Ltd and
engineered by Bob Clearmountain.
Le Freak is a testament to the quality and
space of those records: there is no bass at all in the
chorus, but the fluid way Edwards effortlessly
reintroduces it at the hooks dnouement
creates an air of pathos and excitement. The
instrumental passage is a repeated eight-note
bass motif, nagging, insistent, and conveying
more than a thousand bass solos.
There is not a huge amount on record about
Edwards upbringing. He was born on 31
October 1952 in Greenville, North Carolina.
His father Wilson was a handyman, while his
mother Mamie was a homemaker. The family
relocated to New York for work when Edwards
was 10 years old.One of the key reasons why
there islittle recorded detail regarding Edwards
childhood is that he simply would not talk about
it. His eldest son, Bernard Jr, told me in 2003: It
seemed to be something he tried to avoid. I wish
I knew why. My dad was just like everybody
saw him in the world, a very private person,
and if it was anything that was going to make
him emotional, he would rather be quiet about it
than to deal with it.
Edwards had an enormous interest in music
from the very beginning. He played reeds at his
school in Flushing, took up tenor sax in junior
high and moved to electric bass at the High
School of Performing Arts in New York. He took
over the bass when the bassist in the school
23/03/2016 17:05
 BASSISTS
Bernard Edwards, Chic

The music has

a life beyond us it
almost has nothing to
do with you and
me at all now

Getty Images

Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016 023

022-026 Bernard_rev4.indd 23 23/03/2016 16:08

 audiences would appreciate. I would rewrite parts
so they could have more of a groove.
After hawking their first single, Dance,
Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)
round for months, the group was signed to
Atlantic Records in September 1977. Taking its
Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah refrain from the
harrowing 1969 filmThey Shoot Horses, Dont
They?, Dance Dance Dance sold a million copies
in a month. The follow-up, Everybody Dance,
reinforced their popularity. This song opened
with Edwards most explosively exciting bass
part, which at first sounds incredibly complex
and then you realise there is hardly anything
to it. From then on in, Chic enjoyed two years
at the very apex of the charts, with hits such as
I Want Your Love, My Forbidden Lover and
Good Times the latters remarkable bass part
later recreated by the Sugar Hill Gang for the
groundbreaking Rappers Delight.
When disco crashed out of fashion, Chic fell
quickly from grace. Rodgers recorded bass on
David Bowies song Without You, on the Lets
Dance album from 1983, and also on Madonnas
album Like A Virgin a year later. After spending
the rest of the 80s apart, a period in which
Edwards produced the Power Station and Robert
Palmers Addicted To Love among others, Rodgers
and Edwards reunited in the early 90s on record
with Chic-Ism, an acknowledgement of how their
sound had been incorporated into house music.
Sadly, the album failed to chime with the public.
It all came to an abrupt end in April 1996. Chic
were playing a series of concerts in Tokyo, and
Edwards was suffering from pneumonia, but true
to his professional roots, he refused to cancel the

We are Chic we are performance. At the side of the Budokan stage, on

the final night of the concerts, Edwards reached

beautiful people
Eckie

for Rodgers and held his lifelong friend close.

Fighting back tears, the bassist said, Man, we did
it. This music is bigger than us. Rodgers replied,
What are you coming up with this philosophical
group was drafted to Vietnam. The bass is part of Chic was like. Our costumes made us look like stuff for, Sophocles? Edwards whispered back,
the foundation, the driver in the band, Bernard bankers and businesspeople. To us, it was just as The music has a life beyond us it almost has
Jr said, and my dad was definitely a natural born over-the-top and flamboyant as Kiss. nothing to do with you and me at all now.
leader. Any chance to be a part of the foundation, Within five years, Chic were number one on The rest of the touring party departed
my dad would be all for that. the Billboard Hot 100. With Tony Thompson on for America the following day.However,
Edwards and Rodgers started working drums, Alfa Anderson and Luci Martin on vocals, Edwards was too ill to travel and spent the day
together in the mid-70s when they formed a they were a mixed-gender soul and funk band recuperating. Rodgers stayed behind and checked
friendship on the New York music scene. Rodgers who rode by way of the disco express.The choice on his partner that night before he went out to
was a precocious talent who by this period had of name was apposite: a black band modelled on eat. He asked him if he needed anything, and
been a Black Panther, jammed with Jimi Hendrix a white band, calling themselves Chic, located Edwards assured his friend that everything
and taken acid with Timothy Leary. He had also blackness as glamorous and sophisticated. In the would be fine. Its all right. I just need to sleep, he
begun playing in the Big Apple Band, who backed 1950s and 60s it was civil rights; in the 60s and said.They were his final words.At 1:30am on 18
Im Doin Fine Now hitmakers New York City, 70s it was the Panthers and now Rodgers and April1996, Edwards died of pneumonia.
and got his friend Edwards into the band with Edwards were saying We are Chic we are It was only as the next century dawned that
him. After hatching a plan to marry the larger- beautiful people. In their tuxedos and evening the influence of Chic was duly noticed and
than-life stage antics of Kiss with the glamour of wear, they neither dressed nor dumbed down. appreciated. By the middle of the second decade,
Roxy Music, Chic was eventually born. Rodgers and Edwards married the string they were positively adored once more, given an
I went to see Roxy. I thoughtThisshit is washes of Philly to the funk of JBs and P-Funk. enormous lift by Rodgers ubiquity and the Chic-
happening, Rodgers told me in 2001. If we could The Chic sound was sparse, nuanced and often by-numbers homage, Get Lucky by Daft Punk.
take this sophisticated, cerebral stuff, put a beat bleak. The songs would evolve from jams. Listen to Bernard Edwards playing; you
to it, make it black and our own thing, we could Bernard and I would just start to play. If anyone probably hear it on a regular basis. It remains a
really be happening, too. We also idolised Kiss. were around us, they would go, Wow, it sounds thing of great beauty.
When they were on stage, they had a certain vibe like Chic! recalled Rodgers, adding We were a Daryl Easlea is the author of Everybody
and image, and once they left that stage, you had small rhythm section that had to turn these big Dance: Chic And The Politics Of Disco (Helter
absolutely no idea who they were. Thats what orchestral dance records into something live that Skelter, 2004).

024 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

022-026 Bernard_rev4.indd 24 23/03/2016 16:09

 BASSISTS
Bernard Edwards, Chic

Master Of Funk one live clip Ive managed to find of Chic playing
their debut single Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah,
Yowsah, Yowsah) shows Edwards chucking
away on a white Precision. The Stingray didnt
come into play until Chics second and third

Disco king Dave Clarke digs deep into Bernard Edwards albums, 1978s Cest Chic and 1979s Risqu, along
with Sister Sledges 1979 album We Are Family, for

gear and technique which Edwards recorded his bass tracks by DI-ing
straight into the desk.
While Edwards played basses by G&L, Spector
rom reading BGMs incorporating this rhythmically percussive style and Sadowsky in later years, his live set-up in

F
Bassically Speaking feature into his impressive chord repertoire, creating the early days centred around his Jazz, Precision
each month, its abundantly what he would later describe as Niles style. This and Stingray, which were usually plugged into an
clear that Bernard Edwards didnt simply influence the Chic sound; it would Ampeg SVT and 810 rig. Edwards was also partial
is regarded by bassists as inform the sound of some of the most popular to playing a BC Rich Eagle in the late 70s and early
one of the greatest bassists records of the 20th century. 80s, apparently because of its pleasing aesthetics
of all time and deservedly Chucking aside, most of Edwards bass-lines more than any tonal preference. Im pretty sure
so. In an age when there appears to be an were played using a conventional fingerstyle, you could have handed Edwards the worst bass in
abundance of technically gifted players out there with his slapping technique only making an the world and hed have made it sound fantastic.
who, as their respective Youtube channels testify, appearance when the song demanded it or, more But what strings did he use? I ask this question
are capable of mindboggling bass-gymnastics, rare precisely, when the groove demanded it. This is with tongue firmly in cheek, because nobody
is the bassist who seamlessly combines killer typical of the approach Edwards and Rodgers took seems to know for sure but Im pretty sure
technique with a God-given aptitude for grooves. with the music they created: keeping the parts Edwards was the person who cared the least.
To this end, Edwards was top of the class. as simple as possible and serving the song. It was Duran Duran bassist John Taylor inherited
Sure, many of us can play perfectly credible this mindset that separated Edwards and Rodgers Edwards Good Times Stingray, which had an old
versions of selected works from Edwards back from the rest of the disco crowd, where a kitchen- set of roundwounds on it. Rumour has it that JTs
catalogue, but playing anything that involves sink production was often de rigueur. bass tech took it upon himself to replace these
his legendary chucking technique (using his When it comes to basses, Bernard and hallowed strings. I asked Taylor about this and his
forefinger as a guitarist uses a plectrum) is an Stingray go together like gin and tonic. reply said it all: Bernard would have said, Ah, it
altogether different sport. Few of us will ever However, this association is misleading, often doesnt matter. He wasnt precious about that sort
truly master this unorthodox style without overlooking his regular use of Fender Precisions. of thing.
dedicating many hours of practice, and acquiring In fact, Edwards first bass was a Fender Jazz: to The bass gods broke the mould when they
an index finger thatll look as if its lost an see a rare clip of him playing one, check out a made Bernard Edwards. No other player has truly
argument with a lathe. clip on Youtube of the Big Apple Band playing a sounded like him, before or since. And all those
It is, however, worth pointing out that while cover of the Bee Gees You Should Be Dancing bass-lines its easy to forget that he wrote some
Edwards chucked his hand over basses like a in 1976. The majority, if not all, of Chics 1977 of the most influential parts of all time. Can you
wizard waving his wand, he was no one-trick self-titled debut album was played using this Jazz imagine the world without Good Times? That in
pony. He used the technique he is best known for and a Precision and you can hear it. Indeed, the itself is his greatest legacy.
on surprisingly few tracks, perhaps most notably
on Chic gems such as Everybody Dance, Dance
Dance Dance (Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah) and
Happy Man. Still, this hasnt stopped thousands
of bassists across the globe obsessing over these
sublime creations for almost 40 years.
Edwards was a guitarist before he switched
to bass, but not wanting to use a plectrum hed
play as if he was holding one, with the tip of his
index finger striking the strings as he strummed a
non-stop rhythm of sixteenth notes. This allowed
him to flirt with time with uncommon finesse,
instantaneously changing the dynamic of a songs
groove to devastating effect despite being subtle
to the ear.
Jumping on and off the beat with such
apparent effortlessness allowed for deceptively
complex syncopations, not unlike a boxer
switching from orthodox to southpaw to deliver
an unpredictable punch. Just listen to the
instrumental section of Happy Man and try
playing it using traditional fingerstyle. Good luck
with that! You could do it with a pick, of course,
but the attack will sound completely different.
Edwards showed his chucking technique to
his musical partner Nile Rodgers during their
pre-Chic days, when the pair played together in
the Big Apple Band. After taking a couple of days John Taylor of Duran Duran with Bernard
Tina K

Edwards legendary Music Man Stingray

to get a feel for it, Rodgers immediately began

Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016 025

022-026 Bernard_rev4.indd 25 23/03/2016 16:09

 BASSISTS
Bernard Edwards, Chic

the band and I said, Yeah, I feel the same

about you youre a natural bandleader. He
asked me my name and then said, Are you
that dude I talked to about putting together a
band? Oh wow. I didnt know you were that
funky! Ever since that moment, we were
never really apart. Even when Chic broke
up I called him to record with Madonna and
Bowie: we were always friends.

Tell us about Bernards work with

David Bowie.
I had a bet with David that Bernard would
knock out the song he played on from the
Lets Dance album in 15 minutes, and Bernard
did it in one take. Afterwards he looked at
me and Bowie with a little bit of an attitude,
and said, Is that what you motherfuckers
were looking for? Ha ha! I said to Bowie, You
got any problems with that part, David? and
he said Sounds great to me! I looked at my
watch and Bernard had done the take in 14
minutes exactly.

What did you and Bernard have in common?

We had serious respect for each others
ability to make music. One thing that was
absolutely certain in my mind was that
there was never, ever a job that I couldnt
call Bernard up to play bass on, and that
whichever artist he played with would be
completely blown away. And thats how he
felt about me. He would tell people, You
want some unique guitar parts that are
going to make the music groove? Call my boy
Nile! We were proud of each other. Id say to
people, You want to see some serious bass

Chic Talk
playing? Watch this.

Did you and Bernard ever swap instruments?

We would swap instruments sometimes, to
teach each other songs. I would say I hear
the bass-line going like this and he would
do the same for the guitar part. He wrote
songs on the guitar, too, because he was
a guitar player first. Thats why used that
weird chucking style where he acted like
The great Nile Rodgers was Bernard Edwards partner in Chic, and he was holding a pick but he was using his

closest friend for many years. Joel McIver asks him to look back forefinger.

Did he use tape to protect his finger?

I
ts been 20 years to the
month since Bernard
died, Nile. What are your
last memories of him?
I love you guys for
putting Bernard on the
cover! The last night
Bernard played with me, who was he on stage
with? Steve Winwood, Simon Le Bon, Sister
Sledge, and me, his best friend. He told an
interviewer at the time, I never have more
fun than when Im playing with Nile. I like
playing with other people, dont get me wrong,
but no one is as much fun as Nile. Im his bass
player and hes my guitar player. That made
me cry, but it was exactly how it was.
How did you meet?
We became friends the first night we met
in person. However, the first time we spoke
on the phone, he told me to lose his number!
He told me never to call him again and
hung up the phone. I was a hippie and I had
told him I wanted to put together a band
which combined Fairport Convention, the
Mahavishnu Orchestra and Country Joe
& The Fish. But when we met at a gig, we
didnt know who the other one was, and I just
plugged in and started playing with the band.
He and I organised the musicians between
us and told them what to do, and at the end
of the night he said Man, I really dig what
you did. I really love how you were leading
Nah! The blood would just drip down. At the
end of the Chic era at the end of the 70s, we
had hit records by Chic and Sister Sledge, so
our concerts became very long, and some
of them would have a lot of chucking, like
Everybody Dance and Happy Man. Many a
night, wed finish the show, bro, and thered
be a little pool of blood on his shoes or
dripping down his bass. Just try to play the
bass parts on those songs. Knock yourself out
and try and play them!
Nile Rodgers and Chic will be performing at Niles Fold
Festival at Fulham Palace in London on 24 to 26 June.
Info: www.foldfestival.com. Win a pair of tickets to the
event by entering the competition on page nine.

026 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

022-026 Bernard_rev4.indd 26 23/03/2016 16:09

015.indd 15 23/03/2016 12:28
 Groove is in the

Public Enemy bassist Brian Hardgroove

Hargrove brings the noise: Angus Batey
asks the questions

028 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

028-030 Hardgroove_rev6.indd 28 23/03/2016 16:10

 BASSISTS
Brian Hardgroove Hargrove

hen an already established and hugely successful band

W
recruits a new member, its always going to be difficult
for the arriving musician. Fans have an expectation of
how the music ought to be played, so the newcomer
either has to subsume their ego and replicate the parts
people want to hear, or risk messing with the magic by
imposing their style on the collective. For Brian
Hardgroove Hargrove, though, the problems were magnified when, in 2002, he
joined an iconic, world-famous band who had never had a bass player before.
I didnt approach it, firstly, as a musician, says Hardgroove who, nearly two
decades into the bands existence, became the first bassist and musical director
of a live band incarnation of Public Enemy. I approached it first as a producer.
That was the only way.
A long-term fan of the band, multi-instrumentalist and producer Hardgroove
understood how their music worked. Public Enemys first four albums, released
between 1988 and 1991, earned the band a huge global audience, the strident
politics of leader Chuck Ds lyrics as important to their fans as the dense collages
of samples crafted by their production team, the Bomb Squad. After 15 years
of touring in the conventional hip-hop format rappers using instrumental
backing tracks, with a DJ the only musician performing live on stage Chuck
had decided to take the groups shows in a new direction. After meeting
Hardgroove through mutual friends, and working together on a side project
called Fine Arts Militia, Chuck invited Brian to reimagine the Public Enemy hits
and work out how they could be performed by a full band.
You have to approach the music as an instrument you have to be the
instrument, he explains. The instruments that played this music were
programmed. There were samples thrown on top of samples, maybe in an
experimental fashion, and Im sure the Bomb Squad put things together
and stripped things away 50 times before they got what they wanted. That
explains why some things feel a bit weird. But it works.

"I remember looking

up at the stage,
and I realised that
music was such a
positive force on
me that it would be
better for me to be
up there and help
people before they
get in trouble"
Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016 029

028-030 Hardgroove_rev6.indd 29 23/03/2016 16:10

 BASSISTS
Brian Hardgroove Hargrove
"It's the best-sounding
instrument of any I own"
After accepting the job, Hardgroove went
back to the Public Enemy records he already
loved, and methodically deconstructed them,
reverse-engineering the sounds with the aim
of recreating the intricately assembled songs
using a completely different set of musical
equipment. Along the way, he discovered that,
often, whats left out is as important as whats
put in.
For example, Fight The Power has this
huge, what I call funky hole in the middle of
it, he explains. You get a big snare drum, then
a ghost note which is the hole, which would
normally be the four. Thats one of the main
powers of Fight The Power. Its not for the
audience to know or even care about it they
just need to move to it.
How Hardgroove reached a point where he
was the perfect musician to take on the task is
a story in itself. He remembers seeing Earth,
Wind & Fire on their first arena tour in 1974,
at the Nassau Coliseum on his native Long
Island, and thinking music might be what he
wanted to do with his life. Up to that point, the
14-year-olds ambition had been to become a
police officer.
I remember looking up at the stage, and I
realised that music was such a positive force on
me that it would be better for me to be up there
and help people before they get in trouble,
he says. As a police officer Id be dealing with
people after theyd committed a crime or been
victimised by it, so thats all negative, but up
there I could help inspire people in a positive
direction, as music had done for me.
030 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016
028-030 Hardgroove_rev6.indd 30
He came to bass late, arriving at the
instrument via guitar on his mothers orders.
My older brother had a very fleeting interest
in the bass, so I wanted a bass because I wanted
to follow in some footsteps he never took,
Hardgroove recalls. But my mother was wise
enough to say, I wont buy you a bass until you
learn how to play guitar. Because my mothers
a pianist, she realised the inherent limitation
of just learning the bass. I needed to learn an
accompanying instrument.
With a summer course of guitar tuition duly
completed, Hardgrooves mum sent his dad out to
buy Brian a bass. His Carlo Robelli Fender copy
cost $221 I remember because thats exactly tours with Bootsy Collins, but Im gonna ask
what Joe Frazier weighed throughout every
fight he had that year but by this stage he had
already found a place in a local Long Island band,
as a drummer. Bass became the focus, though,
because he couldnt afford a drum kit.
He was given his nickname in 1985 by John
Golden, who at the time was bassist for Meat
Loaf. Playing in a succession of bands, in a wide
array of styles, Hardgroove wound up at Chuck
Ds door via the short-lived rock-rap group
Confrontation Camp. Already a huge Public
Enemy fan, he was spotted by Chucks friend,
and former Confrontation Camp leader, Kyle
Jason, during a Long Island show. He became
more involved with the PE machinery in the
early 2000s, and collaborated with Chuck on
the Fine Arts Militia album essentially a
series of Chucks political writings set to rock-
flavoured, full-band music, which Hardgroove
wrote, arranged and produced in 2001.
During the preparation of Public Enemys 2002
album Revolverlution, plans for a new incarnation
of the group to perform on their extensive global
tours were put in place. Known as the baNNed,
the live musicians were first intended to take
some of the weight off Chucks shoulders while
his co-rapper and on-stage foil, Flavor Flav, was
in prison. The experiment proved a success, and
Public Enemy continue to tour with them today,
although Hardgroove stepped down in 2011 to
pursue other opportunities.
He certainly hasnt been idle. Through a
digital radio show where he got to interview
some of his musical heroes, Hardgroove has
ended up working with two of them. He spent
part of this year recording with B-52s vocalist
Fred Schneider with Hardgroove playing
every instrument except saxophone. And
in September, at the Future Music Forum in
Barcelona, his other big project of the year was
unveiled: a competition to find a vocalist for
music hes made with Stewart Copeland.
Its a global search for a vocalist good enough
to be in a band with a rhythm section comprised
of the Police and Public Enemy, Hardgroove says
of the competition. Its being billed as the worlds
biggest audition, and will see vocalists submit
performances via the WholeWorldBand.com
app/website. Sponsors include Gibson, Sennheiser
and Yamaha.
Getting Copeland to agree wasnt difficult. Hes
62, but hes like an 18-year-old, Hardgroove says.
Hes game, hes energetic, hes up for anything
hes everything you would think he was.
After years of playing an original Steinberger
(serial number 458, since sold) he began using
Gibson Steinberger Synapses, which sound
better than the original but theyre nowhere near
as bulletproof. His current guitar is a $3,000
custom model, called the Colonel, made by
California-based Watson, modelled on Firebird
and Thunderbird guitars.
The electronics are brilliant, he says. Its
the best-sounding instrument of any I own of
any of the drums, or the guitars that I have. I
had it made for my work with PE and also my
Watson to do another run, with less high-end
electronics. Its very sensitive, and I dont like
travelling with it.
He also uses TC Electronic amps and effects,
in particular the BG250-115 Toneprint-enabled
combo and the Ditto X2 Looper.
His primary basss name comes from one
of the more curious accolades Hardgroove has
collected over the years. In 2008, the state of New
Mexico (8 May) and the city of Santa Fe (7 June)
recognised one of their favourite sons by creating
two Brian Hardgroove Days. At the same time,
the clearly still delighted musician was appointed
Colonel aide de camp to New Mexico governor
Bill Richardson.
During the Richardson administration I
had open access to his office, but its a lifetime
title, Hardgroove chuckles. I can put it on my
letterhead, on my drivers licence on any official
document: Colonel Brian Hardgroove!
23/03/2016 16:10
031.indd 31 23/03/2016 16:06
 london bAss
guitAr show
Well, it was the show we were all waiting for, folks and what an awe-inspiring event it turned out
to be. Olympia London was the venue; 12 and 13 March the dates. Read on for the gear, the stars and the vibes
that the bass community helped to make the best theres ever been
Words: Mike Brooks, Silvia Bluejay, Joel McIver. Pics: Eckie
2016
he London Bass Guitar basses on the stand. Weve had phenomenal

T
Show attracts
manufacturers and
distributors from around
the globe, and this years
show was no exception. A
perfect example is Tomm
Stanley from Stonefield Musical Instrument
Company, who had travelled all the way from
New Zealand with his new range of instruments
and thankfully his journey wasnt wasted, as
he explained. Weve had so much great
feedback on the instruments, which has been
gratifying, but the high point of the show for me
was having Michael Manring come and play our
interest in what is a new company displaying
new instruments.
Each year seems to attract new faces along
with the established exhibitors, but one exhibitor
who has gone from newbie to seasoned regular
is Marc Vanderkley, whose range of bass
amplification has proved immensely popular
since his first appearance at the inaugural show
five years ago. As he tells us, In 2011, nobody
knew me, and now my stand is busy all day on
both days. Saturday was crazy, but the whole
show has been very good: the single 1x12 cabinets
still appear to be very popular and make up 80
per cent of the cabinets I sell.

032 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

032-036 LBGS_rev4_NR.indd 32 23/03/2016 15:58


Adding to the international flavour was
Marvit Guitars from Italy, with their Modern
range of basses catching many an eye and
ear expect a review in these pages very
soon. Chris May from Overwater hadnt
exhibited at the show for four years, but
with some bass exotica in tow, instruments
were leaving his clutches from the moment
the doors opened. Saturday was completely
manic, he says, but its been a very
worthwhile exercise for us. One customer
walked in on Saturday morning and bought a
bass off the stand immediately, and we even
had an online order from the US for a bass
we had here based on photos wed uploaded
on Friday evening. Thats how it works these
days! Its been a very productive weekend,
very enjoyable and thoroughly worthwhile.
Both Spector and Peavey could be found
on the Barnes & Mullins stand, with Stuart
Spector in attendance to offer information,
flanked by an array of Spector Signature,
Euro LX, Legend and SpectorCore models.
032-036 LBGS_rev4_NR.indd 33
2016 is the companys 40th anniversary, and
were celebrating! he said. Federico Malaman
and Lorenzo Feliciati (on a break, and sharing
a bag of crisps) paused to have a better look. To
the side of the stand, DR Strings showcased a
selection including their impossible-to-ignore
coloured series.
B&M also introduced Aguilars new SL410x
cab: bass lovers were also treated to one of
Alpher Instruments jewels plugged into it. The
other half of the stand was devoted to Spector,
with Stuart talking to customers throughout
the weekend.
The Peavey stand had the new MiniMEGA,
MiniMAX and Headliner amplifiers on display,
all of which garnered significant interest from
visitors to their stand.
Jason How of Rotosound could be seen
darting across the exhibition hall, and when
we finally caught up with him for a chat, he
had this to say of the whole weekend. The
show has been great for us this year, really
busy weve seen lots of people and lots of
london bAss guitAr show 2016 The Report
Robert Tujillo
The Metallica and Mass Mental man talks about
the inspirations of his film Jaco...
Ive been very hands-on with the film. I financed the
whole project and believe me, that was a challenge,
because Im not [Metallica founders] Lars Ulrich or
James Hetfield and I didnt write Enter Sandman! Im
just like anybody else: I have a family to feed and bills
to pay, and I actually ran out of money at one stage.
Fortunately we got it done with a lot of love and a lot of
support, and I couldnt be more proud of what weve
achieved with this film. It needed to be made: Jacos
legacy is too important for all of us.
I saw Jaco play four times. In 1985 I went to a
guitar show in Hollywood, not knowing that Jaco
was going to be there, but I walked into the room
and there he was! I was speechless. I sat down
right in front of him. He turned up his bass amp and
started making all this feedback. He was looking at
everybody like he was about to go to war. I swear,
he was staring at us, right in the eyes, like he was
saying, I got you now. Youve heard the rumours:
well, Im here, and Im gonna kick your ass!
Like Jaco, I was a no-rules kind of guy: I liked
a lot of the English bands like Bow Wow Wow and
bassists like Mick Karn from Japan, Pino Palladino
and Nick Beggs from Kajagoogoo, who now plays
with Steven Wilson. Mark King of Level 42 was a
massive influence on me too. He jammed with my
band Mass Mental at the LBGS last night, and I hadnt
met him before that. I thought to myself, Why would
Mark King come and play with us? but he came
down and played with us and his bass playing
completely blew my mind!
Interview: Joel McIver
Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016 033
23/03/2016 15:59
 Stuart Spector
The great luthier shares his wisdom
No stranger to the London Bass Guitar Show is
the venerable Stuart Spector, all the way from
Woodstock in upstate New York. Stuart was
quick to express his excitement at being here
and his gratitude to the public who showed a
keen interest in his Spector products. Its been
a wonderful show, the attendance on Saturday
was extraordinary, it was just a beautiful crowd
of people. We had a great opportunity to meet
and talk with them and show them various
things, all of which made it totally worthwhile
coming over here. This is very much going to
become a part of my annual itinerary, because
it makes great sense to come to the show and
then hop over to the continent and spend time
visiting my distributors so its a productive
annual jaunt.
With a constantly changing product range,
Stuart was pleased that various instruments from
the Spector catalogue were raising eyebrows
at the show. It was really gratifying that people
were interested in the whole range, but were
most surprised with the Legend 8 Classic and
the SpectorCore instruments. It was great to see
them try those out. Well begin delivering the
Rudy Sarzo signature model, which features a
Jazz-type body but with all of the Spector neck
construction. He checked out our Euro basses
and loved the sound of them, but wanted a
different body, so thats where the whole impetus a full instrument range, this was the companys guys from Onkartgromt were exhibiting
came from. He is an extraordinarily wonderful first appearance at the show. Jorg Feser was on their tasty effects pedals before they have
person, a great musician and a great guy. hand to discuss all things Schack with us. The even been released to market watch these
And thats not all folks, the team at Spector show has been amazingly good, and the feedback pages for reviews in the near future. Westside
are also working on a 40th Anniversary Euro has been awesome: for a lot of people, this has Distribution cultivated a lot of interest in their
LX model to commemorate the companys been their first contact with the Schack name. Schecter basses, Mesa Boogie amplification,
forthcoming celebrations. As Stuart explains: The neck connection is attracting a lot of people, MXR pedals and Dunlop Strings with a
Were going to be doing relatively short runs and weve had lots of compliments on the finishes number of endorsees such as Dave Swift, Steve
of it and rotate the different finishes. The first too plus people like being able to dial in certain Lawson and Paul Turner in attendance at the
edition of it has solid maple wings with a red frequencies via the circuitry. show. Phil Jones Bass, represented by Synergy
transparent finish, but the entire neck section is The Markbass stand was exceptionally busy on Distribution, was exhibiting its amplification
painted opaque black with the number 40 inlaid both days, with some excellent demonstrations for the first time, as was Oliver Lang and his
into the fingerboard at the twelfth fret. Were of the current product range. Over at Strings & enticing range of instruments. Many a player
also working on a new USA single cutaway, Things, there was much anticipation as the three- waited to try out the Rikkers basses that seemed
through-neck instrument and a short scale, piece female band including BGM writer Ellen popular, as were the basses on the Manne stand.
extremely lightweight bass which will probably OReilly blew everyones socks off with their Fans of high quality bass cases were keen to try
be produced in Asia. performances on an hourly basis equipped with out Mono and Dixon products.
Interview: Mike Brooks Ernie Ball guitars and basses, natch. New models Elsewhere Eden was busy showcasing the new
from the Modern Classic range were available Terra Nova series, while the equally popular Eich
to test via the headphone testing set-up, which stand had their Bass Board for additional good
endorsees too. Our foil packaging has received worked very well. vibes, and Marleaux basses to play through it. I
nothing but good comments, and were happy Rob and Dawn from Status had prepared a spotted Alex Lofoco jamming there with Jay-Tee
to be paperless, cardboardless and moistureless. stand of bass goodies that had most attendees Teterissa between stints at their sponsors stands.
Now we can get the products to the customer licking their lips. Alex Venturella from Slipknot Full marks for weirdness to LeFays fretless
anywhere in the world in perfect condition. was on hand to sign for fans, while Dawn bass with a steel fingerboard. Reiner Dobbratz,
Sales of flatwound strings are very high: they confirmed that a number of basses had sold at owner with his brother Meik, was pleased with
were used on so many big albums that people are the show, with a lot of interest for the Chris the attention they received: We love this show,
rediscovering that sound. Wolstenholme Signature model and the ever- its so convenient to reach from our hometown
Schack Guitars has the ring of familiarity, popular Kingbass. of Hamburg. Saturday was absolutely crazy, in a
due in no small part to their excellent circuitry Torun and Smooth Hound Innovations both good way!
and pickup packages, now used by many received a lot of interest in their instruments His stand neighbour, Sander De Gier, was
manufacturers. Having recently relaunched with and wireless systems respectively, while the exhibiting his versions of the classic Jazz and

034 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

032-036 LBGS_rev4_NR.indd 34 23/03/2016 16:40

 london bass guitar show 2016 The Report

Precision models. I didnt want to work on said Nick Smith. Luckily hes doing OK now. Best

Adam Ben Ezra

traditional shapes at first, but when Marcus
Miller bought my first Jazz prototype, and
Richard Bona the second, I decided that I must
be doing something right, so here I am. I add my
own original textures and colours to the design.
Nearby was DAddario, introducing the new
NYXL series of bass strings. Andrew Needham
(a bassist himself, and a Basschatter) and Elaine
Smith were happy: DAddario UK led the way in
beta-testing the new strings, also thanks to our
involvement with Basschat, and the response to
the product is overwhelmingly positive.
Enfield Guitars and Sims Pickups were in
their usual spot. Business has been brisk, but
Martin Sims getting injured just before the show
unfortunately spoiled the weekend somewhat,
wishes to Martin from all at BGM and the LBGS.
AC Guitars and John East preamps had a new,
larger home. Alan Cringean was showcasing his
new acrylic resin-treated fingerboards and tops,
and John offered a choice of his preamps. This is
the only show we attend; were here every year
because we do good business and we can meet
our clients face to face.
Debutant exhibitor Chowny introduced the
CHB semi-acoustic bass. Owner Stephen says:
Ive sold a good number of basses and Ive spoken
to many people who absolutely loved the CHB.
Im expecting lots of hits on the website in the
next few days!
After saying hello to Andrew Taylor-
Cummings of Anaconda Basses, at the show as
The man from Tel Aviv reveals his bass
philosophy
Your music is a fascinating mixture
of east and west. What are your
influences?
I like all kinds of styles classic, jazz, Middle-
Eastern I play the oud, you know, the Arabic
mandolin, and I like to combine all those
elements in my own playing style. My own
style is difficult to pigeonhole, but I think we
can call it Mediterranean fusion! Ive played
the double bass since I was 16, after learning
the violin, the piano, the guitar and the cajon.
I try to apply the styles of those instruments
to the double bass as much as possible, with
percussion on the body, guitar-like plucking,
and so on.

Id like to know more about your five-

string double bass.
Its strung E to C, so it doesnt have a low B like
a five-string bass guitar. The first time I saw a
double bass tuned like that, I immediately knew
it was what I needed. I want to be able to play
very high notes and reach the range of the cello
or even the viola, and I play lots of chords, and
the high C on the bass sounds amazing.

Tell me more about that special

detachable neck.

Suzi Quatro
The neck comes off, and its a very convenient
system for when youre travelling. You just
loosen the strings, remove the bridge, slide out
the neck, and in 15 minutes its ready to travel.
The Girl From Detroit City speaks out... My specially made flight case has room for
the body of the bass and also for the detached
Youre still working hard and doing new things: what are your current projects? neck and the bow.
Last year I released an 82-track, four-CD box, The Girl From Detroit City, as a celebration of my first 50
years, and a book that came out last year called Through My Eyes. Im recording with a few people at the Does that set-up affect the sound in
moment, with somebody else singing which Ive never done before and Ive finished the album Quatro, any way?
Scott And Powell [with Andy Scott of Sweet and Don Powell of Slade], which has turned out superb. While it might not be the perfect solution for
those who play classical, its fine in my case,
All that still playing your trusty Fender Precision? because I mostly play amplified, and the sound
On stage Im using a Fender Jazz at the moment. I wont take the old one out any more, because its too I get is very consistent.
valuable. I prefer the Precision, but when I do the bass solo, the Jazz is slightly quicker.
Do you do a lot of bowing?
You were my first role model, up there on stage with that big bass. I use the bow with French grip sometimes, but
Thats funny, but thats to do with the fact that Im little and the bass is a big instrument. I didnt deliberately mostly I do fingerstyle and percussive style.
pick up a big bass, its just that that was the one I like. I dont like small basses. I dont like short scales or
headless guitars. Fenders are probably the only bass that you can plug directly into a console for recording What are your current projects?
and you dont need to do anything; you can just plug it in, and its correct. Thats amazing. I do a solo show, with effect pedals, and a
show as part of a trio, with guitarist Adam
Thanks to your presence at the show, weve seen more female bassists than usual. Ben Amitai and percussionist Gilad Dobrecky,
I was the first one. Not the first bass player, of course, but the first one to have success as a woman. So I with whom I recorded my album Cant Stop
put it on the map. I love it that more women are playing. I feel real good about that. Running. I have just finished a tour, which
started and ended in London; its a new
What advice would you give to women who want to be professional bass players? project, a duo with Spanish flamenco guitarist
Its a very physically demanding job. Make sure thats what you want to do. I dont like people who pretend Dario Casares. I use the percussive bass style
to play or who dont play well. If you gonna play, play. Be good. Dont take it backwards. Because then a lot with him.
people say shes good, for a girl, and that drives me fucking mad. Interview: Silvia Bluejay
Interview: Silvia Bluejay

Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016 035

032-036 LBGS_rev4_NR.indd 35 23/03/2016 15:59

 london bass guitar show 2016
The Report

Rhino Edwards
The Quo bassist goes down down, deeper
and down...
We caught up with Rhino Edwards after his
masterclass performance for a few words
about the state of bass playing and music in
general. I think a lot of people coming to a
show like this are going to look at what I do and
think its a pile of crap. But theyre wrong! Im
no slouch, Im up on my bass. I was pleased to
be asked to do this, but it has been a chastening
experience. I was a more technical player
before I joined Quo, I came through in a real
golden period for music and I have had the most
incredible run. All I ever wanted to be was in
an insular band and thats why I loved being in
Dexys Midnight Runners so much. Ive always
been a big attitude player, I want to get on that
stage and go Here we go, this is it cop this!
Rhino has long been associated with Status
Graphite basses and he still owns an early
model, as he explains. I bought my first Series
2000 Status, a black one, serial number 007, in
1982 I think. I sold it to Barry Moorhouse at the
Bass Centre and then bought it back six months
later as I missed it. I used that with Judy Tzuke
a lot: her stuff was great fun for me as a player. I
used that and my Alembic on Quo stuff for years
and years, but the Statii do the job every time.
Being out there, doing it, is clearly what
Rhino is all about, as he is quick to affirm.
Music isnt the social force it once was: its
been watered down and it no longer defines a
generation. Ive always been an attitude player, cheerful: Im still building everything myself quiet; we have a keyboard and people come and
thats why I like metal. Im a huge Anthrax fan, by hand; my Bass Mute has been incredibly jam with our basses! said owner Michael. When I
I love the technique of Frank Bello. But I love successful, and Im going home to over 600 emails pointed out that the basses were all right-handed,
Quo, Ive played some of those songs 3,000 with enquiries and orders! he added: Yes, we missed an opportunity. Here
times now but I still go on and give it 110 per Besides admiring Ashdowns new Rootmaster- at the show weve received a lot of requests for a
cent. We go on to have a good time and I want Evo and AAA-Evo models, I somehow couldnt lefty, so well be making one soon!
to see people with a smile on their face when take my eyes off their tiny Tourbus 10 practice Located outside the main hall, both Warwick
we play: it doesnt matter if the sound is bad, amp. According to the guys at the stand, I wasnt and Promenade Music were located perfectly and
as long as were playing well. Someone asked the only one. I also wasnt the only one in the area experienced considerable footfall and interest.
Whats the secret? and it really is luck, luck, saying hi to Dave Swift, who was surrounded by Ove Bosch from Warwick had this to say after an
luck and talent! Im a firm believer that you admirers at every step. exceptionally busy weekend: The show has been
make your own luck. Bass Direct was very busy indeed, with great, the audience have been amazing and weve
Interview: Mike Brooks owner Mark Stickley rarely having a break from had a lot of interest in the brand itself, the basses,
welcoming customers. Periphery bassist Adam the amplifiers and the Bass Camp in September.
Nolly Getgood was there too. Two more words: Of particular interest have been the Custom Shop
a visitor, I noticed late addition AGS Straps with Sheldon Dingwall. In fact, make it three: Sheldon models fitted with USB chargers so you no longer
their reversible leather straps. We usually dont Dingwalls D-Bird the first of its kind. That bass need batteries for the electronics.
go to shows, but we make an exception for this is a prototype and its not for sale, but someone Promenade Music dealt admirably with a
one, and were very glad we did this year too! managed to post on social media pretending problem they experienced before the show as
said director Manta Bose. At Proel International, theyd bought it! laughed Sheldon. Mayones the bass community rallied round. The show
visitors were checking out Corts new Artisan and basses were showcased by bass star Federico has been absolutely brilliant, typical bass playing
Action basses. The guys were busy and pleased to Malaman, whose presence drew a large crowd. people, we have a fair few repeat customers who
see interest from an increasing number of female I managed to catch educator Jon Liebman in buy from us year after year but the whole bass
bassists and hard rock fans attracted by Robert a rare quiet moment at his table. His books and community is amazing, said owner David Wood.
Trujillos presence at the show. instruction DVDs had been flying off the shelves And who are we to argue? See you next year!
Bassline Publishings two new transcription all weekend. The hottest seller has been the Bass
books, Stu Hamms Book Of Lies and Marcus Millers Aerobics book, followed by literally anything to do See you next year for the London Bass Guitar Show 2017! Dates,
Renaissance were popular, and so was anything with Jaco! he said. exhibitors and artists will be confirmed as time passes at
concerning Robert Trujillo (I wonder why). New exhibitor Gillett introduced their Contour www.londonbassguitarshow.com, www.facebook.com/
Dutch luthier Ellio Martina had reason to be electro-acoustic basses there. We love it here, its londonbassguitarshow and @bassguitarshow.

036 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

032-036 LBGS_rev4_NR.indd 36 23/03/2016 15:59

037.indd 37 23/03/2016 16:11
 BASSISTS
Promenade Music

MORECAMBE
WISDOM Behind the scenes with Gary Thistlethwaite of
Promenade Music in Morecambe, home of more basses
than we can shake a stick at...

P
romenade was founded by
David Wood back in 1989
and Ive been in charge of
the bass guitar floor for
longer than I care to
remember. Weve got
space here for a lot of
basses and bass amps but the clever part is
deciding which ones to fill it with! We get people
coming from all over the UK and Europe,
though, so we must be on the right track.
Fenders have been consistently popular
over the years, of course, but we stock all
kinds of basses from Marleaux, Rickenbacker,
Overwater, Gibson, Music Man and Warwick
as well as entry-level guitars from Westcoast,
Levin, Squier and Yamaha. We also have
dedicated rooms for amps from Markbass,
Ashdown, Gallien Krueger, Warwick, SWR,
Peavey, Orange, Marshall and Fender it really
is a bass players paradise down there.
A lot of bass players come to see me for
repairs, or just for a recommendation about
good bass gear: they know that Ive got a lot of
history as a bass player myself. Ive told this
story before, but in 1988, the band I played
in at the time toured and lived in America.
We were playing at a club in Newport News,
Virginia and I was given Victor Wootens
phone number, so I called him to ask if he gave
lessons. Yes I do, he politely said and asked for
$20 an hour. Sounds good, I thought.
I had a Kubicki Ex Factor at the time and
Victor asked if I wouldnt mind if he tried my
bass and I tried his. Fodera? I asked. Where
are these made? Brooklyn, he replied... his did leave, he wouldnt take a penny more you get up here youll see why people keep
bass was amazing, but what was even more than agreed. A big thanks to my wife Gina, coming here. The Queen unveiled a statue of
amazing was his patience and modesty. At who sat in the car with our three daughters Eric Morecambe, who was born here, on the
no time did he make me feel any lower than for over an hour, for being very patient and seafront back in 1999 and 10,000 people came
him as a player or a person. The hour, which understanding. to see it. If only theyd all been bass players!
actually turned into over two, flew by, but I Morecambe is a lovely place to be: its a
wasnt going to leave in a hurry. When I finally long drive from London, of course, but when Info: www.promenademusic.co.uk

038 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

038 Promenade_rev3KP.indd 38 23/03/2016 14:00

039.indd 39 23/03/2016 12:34
THE SHINING

040 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

040-041 shinedown_rev3KP.indd 40 22/03/2016 14:49


American stadium-rockers Shinedown are poised for
stardom on this side of the pond. Bassist Eric Bass (yes,
thats his real name) talks the low frequencies
ve always been into
I
tearing things apart and
building things up again: I
built my first bass guitar
when I was 12 years old,
although it was pretty
rough and didnt play very
well. I wound my own pickups too, although
they sounded horrible. So in the two months off
which Shinedown had earlier this year, I
worked on a muscle truck back home. I have
the same attitude towards gear: I built my own
studio myself, too. I always have to have a
project of some sort. If Im not busy I dont know
what to do!
I used to play my own Dean signature model,
which was a dream come true, but we parted
ways amicably a while back and now Im with
PRS; I was introduced to them because our guitar
player plays them. They sent over some Grainger
basses and man, you want to talk about a tone
monster? Im not just saying that because I play
them: I A/B-ed them with everything.
My initial plan was to go out with a bunch
of Fender J and P-Basses on this cycle, and
some Bill Nash Tele basses and Gibson SGs that
I love, and I was really excited about that, but
we got to rehearsals and I started comparing
all of those with the Graingers, and they just
blew everything away. They normally come
with two pickups, but I found myself using the
neck pickup most of the time, and that was
the tone I liked big, boomy and not overly
midrangey, which is something that I dont like,
for live anyway. In the studio its different. So I
Pic by James Williams, Livewire Photography
called PRS and asked them to unwire the bridge
pickup and leave just a volume knob, which
they did, and now I have three basses like that.
I dont yet have a signature model with
them, but they asked me what I would like on
a bass in that situation, and they made me this
fantastic custom bass that Im in love with, man.
040-041 shinedown_rev3KP.indd 41
BASSISTS
Eric Bass, Shinedown
Its so great. And I also moved from Hartke to
Ampeg. I tried out a couple of Ampeg amps
and the rig I have from them is monstrous:
two rackmount 4 Pros which I EQ a little bit
differently. On stage I have a couple of Diamond
cabs: its a big, bad rig on stage.
It was a bit of a learning curve going from the
Dean to the PRS, because the necks are really
different. The new neck is a little wider at the
nut, because I designed the Dean neck around
an Ernie Ball Sterling neck. The PRSs neck is
more like a Stingray neck all the way up, but Im
not opposed to that at all: Ive gotten used to it
pretty quickly.
I completely purged my pedalboard for this
record. Before that I had a lot of effects a
chorus for ballads, and so on but I always
like to give the front of house engineer what
he needs, and after talking to him, I realised
his need for consistency in the low end is
more important than my own preferences.
Essentially hes the delivery system for the
music, so I ask myself what he needs to make
our band sound amazing. I had a whammy
pedal, a wah pedal, a phaser... but I wanted to
make it more simple this time around so I took
everything off, minus the channel-switcher
to cut the distortion off and on. I have an old-
school Boss distortion pedal, the orange one
which I love, and I run it through a Radial
Bassbone which stops you losing the low end
when you use the distortion.
Previously I had a Marshall JCM 800 guitar
rig in line too, and I had an A/B/C switch so I
could flip that on and add a guitar tone to the
bass sound. Im really considering going back to
that now. When I produce Shinedown tracks
thats exactly what I do, blending it with a
Sansamp. It works great!
Shinedowns album Threat To Survival is out now on Atlantic.
Info: www.shinedown.com
April 2016 Bass Guitar Magazine 041
22/03/2016 14:49
 BASSISTS
Backstage Bass
A new feature in which we ask bass players of similar tastes to get together and talk shop...
the bass shop. This month: heavy metal titans Mike Leon (Soulfly), Christopher El Esten (Incite),
Wayne Slatts Slattery (King Parrot) and Noah Shephard (Lody Kong)
What bass gear are you using on this tour?
El I play ESP basses, Mesa Boogie amps, Dunlop strings and the Darkglass
B7K and B3. Darkglass keeps coming out with all this awesome stuff, but
I dont have the money to buy it!
Mike I played the new B7K Ultra at NAMM, its incredible. Its loud,
clear and low. I used Sansamps for years to get that drivey sound, but
Darkglass does so much more for my tone. I also play ESP, and I use
Peavey amps, Aguilar, Tech 21 and SIT strings. Were all sharing my
Peavey 8x10 cab on this tour with our own heads and pedalboards.
Slatts I play a very old Rickenbacker 4003S and BC Rich guitars. Im
endorsed by Aguilar and I run Ibanez distortion pedals, Dean Markley
strings... and Im powered by electricity.
Noah I play an Ibanez SR506, SIT strings and also a Darkglass B7K.
Are you four-string players or do you dabble in ERBs?
El Four strings is all I can handle.
Mike In my old band Havok I played four-string, but because Soulfly
plays in A and B tunings, I went to five to make it a little smoother.
Slatts Four strings here.
Noah Six strings.
Slatts You show-off...
Whos the greatest bass player who ever lived?
El Steve Harris.
Slatts Geezer Butler.
Mike Cliff Burton.
Noah Geddy Lee.
Mike Tim Commerford is another one of my all-time favourite bassists.
He was a Fender P dude for ever.
If you could get the bass tone of any album ever, which would
you choose?
Mike Any Rex Brown or Justin Chancellor albums. Or Flea.
El Hes taking up all the good answers. Also Stuart Morrow from New
Model Armys No Rest For The Wicked.
Noah Rexs tone on Down II is my favourite tone ever.
Slatts Damageds Do Not Spit album: they were a band from Melbourne
and you could scratch your face off with that tone. Heavily distorted and
thin as fuck!
042 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016
042 NEW Backstage bass_rev2_NR.indd 42
What was your first bass?
Noah It was a four-string Antares from a pawnshop. It had an Explorer
body shape.
Slatts That sounds adorable! The first bass I actually owned was a
headless Steinberger Alien.
Mike What?
Slatts I wound the strings so hard on it that I broke a machine head and
it cost $200 to buy a new one.
Mike My first bass was a starter Yamaha pack. It had a bass and an amp.
I still have it, and it still shreds. I still love it.
El Mine was a black 1988 Charvel. I wanted the blue one because David
Ellefson of Megadeth played a Jackson in that colour, but they only had
black. I still have it too, its a good studio bass.
To slap or not to slap?
Mike I am an aficionado of slap, and I slappa da bass every night. Its the
coolest sound a bass can make, in my opinion, and Ive incorporated a lot
of it into Soulflys music.
El I cant do all that stuff: I just watch him slap every night.
Slatts Im not a slapper, but Im certainly a fan of the art.
Noah Im getting there!
What would your dream bass be?
El I had my dream bass, until I switched. I used to be endorsed by
Jackson and I had two Rhoads V custom shop basses with EMGs. The
basses I play now are still really awesome, though.
Mike My signature ESP, which I dont have yet but one day I hope I will.
Fingers crossed.
Noah The Carl Thompson bass that Les Claypool used to play. Also
anything by a luthier called Evan Nichols in Phoenix: his basses are
amazing. The tone is ridiculous.
Slatts The Rickenbacker that I play every day. I broke the pickup cover
off: things can get fiercely physical out there.
Mike That thing helps with the resonance, not meaning to get too nerdy.
El They should call it the science bar!
Info: www.soulfly.com, http://minushead.com/bands/incite, www.facebook.com/
lodykong7, www.facebook.com/kingparrotband.
Incites new album Oppression is out in April.
23/03/2016 13:15
043.indd 43 23/03/2016 14:05

In a unique meeting of minds, effects prodigy Steve Lawson interviews the great
Michael Manring. Stand clear: bass profundity overload warning
ithout doubt one of the
W
greatest innovators in the
short history of the bass
guitar, Michael Manring
has been exploring the
outer edges of the potential
of our instrument for over
30 years. From his early association with acoustic
guitar legend Michael Hedges, through his avant-
improv supergroup with Tim Alexander (Primus)
and Alex Skolnick (Testament), Michaels musical
breadth and relentless curiosity has amazed and
inspired thousands of musicians and music lovers
across the planet.
Michaels last solo album, Soliloquy, set the solo
bass bar several notches higher for the rest of us.
All this made the prospect of Michaels visit to the
London Bass Guitar Show 2016 a very exciting
one indeed. Interviewing your heroes is often
easier because you know what theyve been up
to, whereas interviewing your friends is hard
because you cant get any distance. When your
friends are your musical heroes, everything gets
mixed up. That said, lets dive in...
There has been a flurry of releases that
youve been a part of over the last couple of
years. Was that a conscious decision to do
more collaborative work, or just how things
worked out?
A little of both, I suppose. With the economics
of things as they are, Im tending to do a lot of
session work, but I also feel a bit shy about how
much of my own music Ive put out there. I dont
want to overtax people with my solo thing.
Wow, really? Given my own work-rate, thats
a very alien concept. Its been quite a few years
since Soliloquy, and Ive heard you exploring
some new music in a live setting since then.
044 Bass Guitar Magazine april 2016
044-046 michael manring_rev3KP.indd 44
ON THE
Do you have material ready to release?
I have a ton of new solo music! I have about
six new solo pieces recorded and ready for
mastering, and I have about 10 more that Im
working on.
The last few times Ive seen you play, youve
combined older compositions with open
improvisation. Do you find that you play tunes
in a more formalised way when theyre new?
Ive had an odd relationship with composition
over the last few years. I love composing set
pieces and thats something Im sure Ill always
do, but I dont quite feel right doing a concert
of mostly through-composed music. Somehow
that just hasnt been making much sense to me!
I think it may be to do with the popularity of
YouTube. Parts of most of the shows I do end
up there, so perhaps thats making me feel like I
need to keep things varied. In any case, I havent
played any of the new through-composed pieces
live, but Ive been having fun dabbling with the
more opened ended ideas and several of those
Ive recorded as well.
Youre right, though tunes generally start out
following a plan and then take on a life of their
own. Some go through radical changes, some just
a little and some stay mostly the same.
Thats interesting. Im fascinated by how the
web, and possibilities for releasing music in
multiple ways, can shape our notion of what
we do. Improvising to make sure that the
digital document of each show is varied is a
lovely consequence of the benign surveillance
of YouTube. Do you routinely record your
shows now?
Id like to record my shows, but Im almost always
so occupied with just trying to get my act together
Im not able to pull it off. Im actually quite
grateful to the folks out there who put things up,
because I learn a lot from listening back to them.
Other than that documentary process, what
other things have been helping to shape the
direction of your new music?
Its odd: Im at a place in my life where Im
actually trying not to do too many new things. I
have a set of ideas Ive been working with and I
want to focus on those. So my new stuff probably
wont come as a huge shock to anyone, but its
definitely challenging for me. Earlier in my career
I tried to work through big, obvious ideas. These
days its a bit more subtle.
Thats a fascinating choice in a world obsessed
with novelty, refinement and continual
engagement with an idea is rare and valuable.
Ive gone through different periods with this
myself. I remember in the early 90s feeling
like doing much improv live would be a bit
pretentious, almost. Then, I got to where I wanted
it all to be improv! Now Im trying to find a
balance, and to let that balance shift from night to
night if it wants to.
Have any of your recent collaborations
influenced the music youre making? Do
you find collaboration to be a source for solo
ideas too?
I always learn a lot working with other folks. Its
a great way of getting pushed out of your own
comfort zone and that, I think, helps me keep
from just going around and around the same
ideas in my own stuff. I like getting used to having
to think in a new way all the time. Ive learned
a lot from Indian music over the last few years,
working with both Carnatic and Hindustani
musicians. But I honestly try to learn something
from everyone I work with and figure out how to
23/03/2016 11:59
 bassists Michael Manring

Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016 045

044-046 michael manring_rev3KP.indd 45 23/03/2016 11:59

 bassists
Michael Manring
bring those lessons into my own music. Some of
the lessons are straightforward, like trying to pick
up a rhythmic idea or approach to harmony, but a
lot of it is more abstract.
Do you see listening to recorded music as a
conscious part of your development process?
I have very little time to listen to recorded music
these days, so I try to make it count. And yes,
its a conscious part of the process. I try to listen
to what I want to incorporate. Lately Ive been
listening to a lot of drummers. Perhaps Im one
of the few people whod rather listen to a drum
solo than a band tune. Most of the time Id rather
play with a percussionist, because drums are
so powerful it pushes you into a certain kind of
playing. That kind of playing is a joy, but its been
done a lot, and done very well. When you play
with a lighter rhythmic accompaniment it opens
some other possibilities. But man, there are some
amazing drummers out there these days.
In the run-up to a new recording, I see what I put
in my ears as a diet. I specifically choose things
that will help shape the direction of the work,
and open me up to a greater set of possibilities.
I like that! You gotta be careful what you put in
your body. Why not be careful what you put in
your soul?
Ive always loved your rhythmic sensibility,
one of the least-talked about elements of your
music; and yet that percussive influence is
apparent in so many of your techniques. Did
you ever learn specific hand drum techniques
to transfer to bass?
Thank you! Yes, Ive had some training in
Afro-Cuban rhythm and Ive tried to learn as
much as I can about the tabla, mridangam and
046 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016
044-046 michael manring_rev3KP.indd 46
kanjira. Basically, I just try to learn as much as
I can about any kind of music from any source
thats available. In terms of application to the
bass, theres a general approach in both forms of
Indian classical music that really transfers well
to the bass. Its insanely highly developed there,
but also very idiomatic. Im thrilled by being
able to use those ideas without having to stick
to the conventions that are necessary to play
authentically. However, all rhythmic ideas are
valuable and theres just so much more to do.
You often reference the vastness of music and
of the possible areas for exploration. How do
you maintain that as a motivation, rather than
allowing it to distract you?
Thats an interesting question. Im not sure I
ever think about it! Ive come to feel that music
occupies an incredibly central place in human
experience. I think youve heard my spiel about
understanding the phrase music is a language
but feeling the converse is more true language
is a music. Its often assumed that language is
a large part of who we are, but if language is a
subset of music, then music is even more deeply
ingrained in what it means to be human. I
suppose this a long way of saying that I find the
musical process is intuitive, or beyond linguistic
scope, and I do my best just to participate as well
as I can.
Im interested in your approach to practising. I
was deeply influenced by your exploration of
technique as more of a gestalt thing, a way of
being with the instrument. Do you still have to
get surgical in your practice at all, to fix things,
or develop specific technical affordances for
new music, or does that emerge in the context of
music-making?
Great question, and it gets to this idea that the
world really is more abstract (musical) than
literal (linguistic). We are deeply enamoured
of this ability we have to put things in little
linguistic categories, but we know thats not
really how things work. Technique in music
is like that, isnt it? We like to think of it as a
separate entity, but in a way, the technique is the
music at least, in the sense that if there was no
technique at all thered be no sound. But for me,
yes, I still work very hard on moving my fingers
in more precise and specific ways, but I dont
tend to see that as necessarily less pure music-
making than anything else. Usually Ill have the
desire to play a certain idea and discover I dont
have the ability, so that will set me off on a long
process of isolated exercises. Hopefully that will
fix the issue, but it often opens up a lot of other
things to think about.
That process of music leading to the
development of exercises to fix it is one Ive been
working on, and teaching, for a while. Its an
amazing way to feel enveloped by your own
practice, in the sense of having a music practice
rather than practising.
Ooh, I like that! Im going to use that phrase
having a music practice. That really gets to the
heart of the issue. Theres no real getting around
the integration of music in the rest of life. Music
is just a kind of lens through which we process
the experience.
How does equipment fit into that integrated
view of music?
Actually equipment has that same resonance
were talking about. It has that venal notion
to it, but I sound awful without my bass! And
amp. And EBow. And strings So the gear is
part of that same process. I think you and I are
both into this notion that the effects are part of
the instrument. You certainly have mastered
this concept in a way that I dont think has yet
been fully appreciated and its one of the many
things I adore about your music. Ive been using
the Roland VB-99 for my live shows lately and
having a ball. Its another area where theres so
much to do! The Zon basses are still at the heart
of my music. Joe and I are working on a new
Hyperbass to allow me to leave the prototype
Ive been playing all these years at home, before
it gets destroyed by the airlines. The EBow is, of
course, essential. Im sticking with the DAddario
strings that have worked so well for me all these
years. My collaboration with Markbass has been
wonderful and Marco tells me hes just about
completed a signature system for me. I cant wait
to give it a spin! From what we were working
on the last time I was there, it will likely be very
different from your average bass amp, and they
may choose to market it more generally. The goal
is to have something that sounds transparent yet
warm that is very portable, flexible and adaptable
to many situations and configurations. It might
just be really cool!
Info: www.manthing.com
23/03/2016 11:59
 GEAR Introduction

52
Roscoe

GEAR
Century 4 STD+

R E V I E W S 48
MTD

B
ehold our world-beating bass
gear review section, where
Saratoga Deluxe 4 & 5
we bring you the crop of each
months new, interesting or
otherwise relevant bass guitars, bass
amplifiers, bass speakers and bass
effects. Occasionally well review a
56 60
guitar effect if its particularly useful
for bassists, and well test recording Schecter Danelectro
equipment and general accessories Stiletto Studio NT-8 Longhorn
every now and then as well, but
generally speaking, this zone is for
bass-specific gear.
We take the ratings that we give
each item very seriously. BGM is the
only print magazine devoted to bass
in this country, and we have readers
from all over the world, so were
responsible about our conclusions. If
a product is worth your investigation,
well say so; if its flawed in some
way, we wont hold back from making
that clear. Were not beholden to
advertisers in any way and our
conclusions are entirely independent
of the views of manufacturers,
musicians and distributors.
When you read about a bass-
related product here, you know
youre getting a sensible, balanced
review from an experienced bass
tester. Value for money is at the top
of our agenda in these cash-strapped
times, but on the other hand, we
believe in paying for quality.
Right, thats enough from me.
Remember, this is just about the only
place that its good to have GAS!*
Joel McIver, editor

*GAS = Gear Acquisition Syndrome

(a malaise often suffered by bass
players)

64
Ampeg
SCR-DI

Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016 047

047 Reviews intro_rev2_NR.indd 47 23/03/2016 13:24

 MTD
Saratoga Deluxe 4 & 5
How do these two MTD basses stack up in todays crowded marketplace?
Mike Brooks runs the rule over these sub-700 offerings
Bass Direct
www.bassdirect.co.uk

T
hese upgraded Saratoga Deluxe models demonstrate the quality
of instruments being produced in China on behalf of bass
manufacturers the world over. Gone are the days of ill-fitting
hardware and poor craftsmanship in order to be competitive,
Chinese production lines have had to up their game, which is why the
likes of Michael Tobias of MTD and others have confidence in their
production. Who knows, perhaps this improvement in far eastern
technology will lead to a reversal of the current situation, where
western lutherie is prized? Only time will tell...
These Chinese-made basses now feature flamed maple tops and
three-band active circuitry and up the ante in terms of what a
customer purchasing a mid-range instrument can expect, especially
from the MTD stable.

Build Quality
Both basses are similar in design and features, although the gloss
finish of the five-string makes the figuring stand out far more, almost
like a hologram. The satin finish of the four seems like a bit of an
afterthought and looks and feels a little uninspiring. Both instruments
are comfortable to wear with the same curves and contouring. The
front facing of each bass exhibits a bevelled contour that adds to the
general aesthetic along with the matching headstocks, while the deep
cutaways offer excellent access to the dusty end of the fingerboard.
The four-string feels far slinkier and compact when compared to
the five-string, but neither bass shows too much headstock bias, and

048 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

048-050 MTD_rev4KP.indd 48 23/03/2016 16:00

 GEAR
MTD Saratoga Deluxe Prices 625, 699

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Price | 629, 699
Made In | China
Body | Basswood with flame maple top
Neck | Maple, 34-inch scale
Neck Joint | Bolt-on, four-bolt
Nut Width | 38mm / 44mm
Fingerboard | Maple / rosewood
Frets | 21
Pickups | Single-coil x 2
Electronics | Active, three-band EQ
Controls | Volume, pickup pan, passive tone, bass/
middle/treble cut/boost, active/passive switch
Hardware | Smoked chrome hardware
Weight | 3.8 kg / 4.1 kg
Case/gig bag included? | No, optional MTD bag 50
Left-hand option available? | Yes

WHAT WE THINK
Plus | Solid workhorse basses, well constructed
with strong fundamental tones
Minus | Lacking the X factor slightly
Overall | These are good basses that can
certainly put in a shift, but do they stand out
from the crowd?

BGM RATING
BUILD QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE

Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016 049

048-050 MTD_rev4KP.indd 49 23/03/2016 16:00

 GEAR
MTD Saratoga Deluxe Prices 625, 699

NEITHER BASS IS PARTICULARLY

OSTENTATIOUS, BUT I CANT DENY
THAT BOTH PUT IN A VERY SOLID
PERFORMANCE AND ARE BOTH
WELL UP TO THE JOB
both balance well on and off a strap. I was pleased with the remarkably
good set-ups, with no obvious sharp frets, comfortable string actions
and 19mm string spacing. The neck profiles differ slightly: the four-
string has a full, round C-shape profile while the broadness of the
five-strings rosewood fingerboard lends itself to a shallower D-shape
profile. Both make use of MTDs asymmetric neck design, which in
theory reduces strain on the wrist, fingers and forearm. Both necks
are very comfortable, making them highly playable: neither feels like
hard work to get to grips with.
Both basses are fitted with smoked chrome hardware, a graphite nut
and a zero fret but no front-facing position markers, although black (four-
string) and white (five-string) side markers have been used. The control
set is identical, with pots for volume (stacked with a passive tone control),
pickup pan, bass, middle and treble and an active/passive switch.

Sounds and Playability

Both basses displayed a fair amount of natural spring and bounce
in their acoustic tones: hold them close while playing them and

its evident that they resonate very well indeed. Despite the same
circuitry and pickups, there was some differentiation between the
two examples: plugged in, the four-string sounded big and ballsy with
plenty of articulation and definition, and a good response across all
four strings. The five-string has a far more guttural, aggressive tone
that doesnt lack punch or growl: the low B string benefits from this,
making it sound distinctive with good projection in the lower register.
Panning between the pickups highlights the obvious tonal differences
that a pair of single-coil pickups provides: the pickup in the neck
position provides plenty of warmth and rounds the tone out nicely,
while the bridge pickup provides extra clarity and honk.
For all of its bottom-end authority, which is impressive, the five-
string lacks a glass-like high end, but it does have plenty of definition
with which to cut through a band mix. The EQ on both basses is not
radically extreme, although the bass EQ definitely adds a lot of power
to your armoury. Having said that, the EQ is usable and flexible with
a good range of tone-shaping options. The passive tone control adds
some variation when in passive mode, which is useful if your circuit
battery goes down so you do have some light and shade to play with.

Conclusions
Neither bass is particularly ostentatious, but I cant deny that both put
in a very solid performance and are well up to the job. The styling is
contemporary, and both basses are very playable: in terms of comfort,
they dont really put a foot wrong. However, at the 600 to 700 mark,
players may want more bells and whistles: Im not convinced that
either of these basses have enough to project them above the crowd of
contenders at this price point. Nonetheless, if youre shopping in this
price band, give them a try they just might tick your boxes.

050 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

048-050 MTD_rev4KP.indd 50 23/03/2016 16:00

051.indd 51 23/03/2016 14:06
 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Price | 2,325
Made in | USA
Body | Spanish cedar with buckeye burl top
Neck | Maple five-piece, 34-inch scale
Neck joint | Bolt-on, four-bolt
Nut width | 38mm
Fingerboard | Birdseye maple diamondwood
Frets | 24
Pickups | Bartolini CB x2
Electronics | Bartolini active preamp, three-
band EQ
Controls | Volume, pickup pan, bass/treble
stacked, middle (push/pull for different mid
frequency adjustment 250-800Hz)
Hardware | Gotoh tuners, Hipshot B bridge
Weight | 3.5 kg
Case/gig bag included? | Hardcase
Left-hand option available? | Yes

WHAT WE THINK
Plus | A top-notch fretless bass, tones to die
for, comfortable and highly playable
Minus | A little pricey but its the going rate.
Lively nature occasionally needs reining in
Overall | A rewarding instrument with an
extremely pleasing tone, wise choice of timbers
and a flexible electronics package.

BGM RATING
BUILD QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE

052 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

052-054 Roscoe_rev3KP.indd 52 23/03/2016 16:02

 GEAR
Roscoe Century 4 STD+ Price 2,325

ROSCOE
Century 4 STD+
Anyone up for some fretless fun? If so, this mwah-drenched beauty from
Roscoe might be just what youre looking for, as Mike Brooks finds out
Bass Direct
www.bassdirect.co.uk

F
retless bass, whichever way we look at it, is simply a different bass
flavour, a different tonal voice all of its own yet it comes across these
days as a poisoned chalice, just as much as slap bass. But used wisely,
it can make songs and their respective bass-lines come to life. Its
popularity may have waned in recent times but a great fretless can be just
that great! This offering from Roscoe certainly has the credentials to be
a solid performer, but does it stand out from the crowd?
Build Quality
The Century range models from Keith Roscoe have always been real
plug and play instruments, easy to adjust to and play from the word go;
this bass is no exception. The comfortable body shape, rear contouring
and sensibly slim dimensions make this an easy instrument to wear,
while the overall set-up and attention to detail deserve a serious
thumbs-up. The thin buckeye burl top adorns the Spanish cedar body
giving the bass a head-turning appearance, although the view from the
rear is a little uninspiring.
The five-piece laminated neck is connected with a tight four-bolt
attachment and has a shallow D-profile shape, feeling long and slinky
with immense amounts of bounce in its natural character, coupled with
a classic fretless fundamental tone. To achieve the fretlines, the resin-
impregnated birdseye maple fingerboard has been fitted with regular
metal frets which have then been ground down. The resin gives the
fingerboard a hard coating that not only protects the timber from string
wear but also adds a singing quality as the string vibrates in contact with
it, which has led to this material being termed diamondwood.
The Gotoh machine heads operate as smoothly as you would expect,
and the Hipshot B bridge offers two-way string adjustments. Bartolini CB
pickups and a three-band EQ Bartolini circuit are well matched on this
particular instrument, the voicing of both helping to convey the woody
fretless tones. Aside from volume and pickup pan controls, the bass and
treble controls are stacked while the middle control offers a push-pull
facility to select between mid frequencies in the 250Hz range or 800Hz
range a sensible arrangement.
Sounds and Playability
Immediately, a lively acoustic tone is very apparent: the notes simply
jump off the fingerboard so early indications would imply that getting
your intonation correct is going to be fairly important. The upper and
lower cutaways provide easy access to the upper frets: overall, this bass
has extremely playable written all over it. The neck is silky smooth
but the resonant tone of the whole instrument draws the player in: the
woody tones are smooth without too much bark.
Plug in and opt for the bridge pickup with some low mid boost, and
youre instantly in fretless nirvana: the woody tones are wonderful
without sounding thin or brittle, but with some natural warmth. Opt for

April 2016 Bass Guitar Magazine 053

052-054 Roscoe_rev3KP.indd 53 23/03/2016 16:02

 GEAR
Roscoe Century 4 STD+ Price 2,325

KEITH ROSCOE SHOULD BE

CONGRATULATED ON CREATING AN
OUTSTANDING INSTRUMENT THAT IS HIGHLY
PLAYABLE, IMMENSELY COMFORTABLE TO
WEAR AND A REAL JOY TO PLAY
some upper mid help from the circuit, and tight fingerstyle lines with a fair
amount of presence for projection are instantly on tap. It should be noted
that this bass is available with single coil pickups if an extra honky fingerstyle
tone is your preference, but with these pickups fitted, some of the inherent
warmth from the basss delivery is maintained.
With the pickup pan control centred, a more rounded tone is achieved:
the Bartolini electronics package keeps this bass lively at all times. Rolling
off the treble EQ and adding some bass EQ helps to temper some of the
livelier aspects of its character. The hardness of the fingerboard really adds
to the exemplary delivery of what this bass has to offer. When a bass is this
comfortable to wear and play, the obvious difficulties in navigating around
a fretless fingerboard can be concentrated on, without having to fight the
physical difficulties that the instrument poses.

Conclusions
Keith Roscoe should be congratulated on creating an outstanding instrument
that is highly playable, immensely comfortable to wear and a real joy to
play. At just over 2300 its hardly cheap, but this is in the ballpark for a
hand-crafted instrument from the US and when a bass plays as well as
this, youre getting what you pay for. If youre looking to dip your toe into the
world of fretless bass, put this on your list.

054 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

052-054 Roscoe_rev3KP.indd 54 23/03/2016 16:02

055.indd 55 23/03/2016 16:27
 Schecter
Stiletto Studio NT-8
For some, four strings are just not enough; Ellen OReilly gets to grips with an eight-string Schecter
Westside Distribution
www.westsidedistribution.com

C
alifornian guitar company Schecter has enjoyed a 40-year long career
and boasts many high-profile players, particularly from the rock and
metal genres. David Schecter opened Schecter Guitar Research in 1976,
which was primarily a guitar repair shop: later, it became a guitar parts
manufacturer, and began releasing its first fully-assembled guitars in 1979.
Since then the company has grown to produce guitars en masse in South
Korea, which are then shipped to the USA for the finishing touches, as well as
fully US-produced models. Produced at the companys South Korean factory,
the Stiletto Studio series of basses are a particularly good-looking family, and
with its doubled-up four strings, EMG pickups and satin translucent black
colouring, its a bass with rock and alternative bass players in mind.

Build Quality
The NT-8 is definitely a sturdy bass, with a mahogany body, and a heavy one
at that, weighing in at a hefty 4.3 kilos. The neck-through design also adds to
the overall rock-solid stability of this instrument. There are also a number of
nice design perks such as the headstock, which is angled backwards to pull the
strings over the nut towards and around the tuning pegs: this eliminates the

need for string trees. The headstock design itself is quintessentially Schecter,
with small Schecter and Grover tuners. The bridge and hardware are all
Schecters own brand chrome: these give the bass a tough, industrial look.
The body itself has a chunky feel, and the face of the body is quite flat, but
the smooth edges and deep cutaways compensate for this. Reasonable string
spacing allows for the inevitable pick playing that this bass will be subjected
to, while the neck is a thin, comfortable C-shape design. The woods used have
a silky feel to them and the trans-black satin paint effect complements the
flame maple top wood of the body. For this price, the bass is built to a high
standard: everything about it suggests quality and strength. For me, its the
build quality and value for money of this bass thats the real winner here.

its built to a high standard: everything

about it suggests quality and strength
056 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

056-058 Schecter_rev4.indd 56 23/03/2016 13:36

 geAr
schecter stiletto studio nt-8 Price 775

teChniCal sPeCiFiCation
Price | 775
Made in South Korea
Body | Mahogany with flame maple top
Neck | Five-piece maple with walnut satin finish,
34 scale neck
Neck joint | Neck-through
Nut width | 40mm
Fingerboard | Rosewood
Frets | 24
Pickups | 2x EMG 35HZ Soapbar pickups
Electronics | EMG three-band active EQ
Controls | Volume, Blend, Bass/Mid-treble
cut/boosts
Hardware | Chrome Schecter and Grover
tuners, Diamond Custom two-piece bridge
Weight | 4.3kg
Case/gig bag included? | No
Left-hand option available? | Yes

What We thinK
Plus | Great looks, rich tone and great value
for money
Minus | Its a little on the heavy side and theres
some neck dip
Overall | If you want to delve into the world
of multi-stringed instruments, then this is a
perfect bass to start from

bgM rating
BUILD QUALItY
SOUND QUALItY
VALUe

Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016 057

056-058 Schecter_rev4.indd 57 23/03/2016 13:36

 gear
Schecter Stiletto Studio NT-8 Price 775

Sounds and Playability

When played standing up, the BT-8s balance is acceptable, although there
is a slight neck dip when playing seated. Its a typical eight-string, as if
there is such a thing, in that the four bass strings are tuned as normal but
are coupled with a string pitched an octave higher, guitar strings in other
words. Eight-string basses can be notoriously difficult to play if youre using
any technique other than with a pick. Thankfully the designers are aware
of this fact and have allowed for roomy string spacing: youre also assisted
by the slim, fast neck, which helps you get around the fretboard more
efficiently. This is not the instrument for you if you like to get slap happy
or play traditional fingerstyle: youll just have to dust off your plectrum and
get picking.
Thanks to the double soapbar EG pickups and active circuitry, this bass
has a powerful output and a three-band EQ where you can dial between
bass, mid and treble. As well as a volume control, there is also a blend pot
where you can mix or select between the neck or bridge pickups: selecting
the neck pickup gives you a predictably warmer, beefier tone, whereas
the more you blend towards the bridge, the thinner the tone becomes.
The doubled up strings make for a choral, melodious sound, which sounds
glorious with some reverb effect added. Note that on each downstroke you
hit the low octave string first and on each upstroke the higher octave: this
results in plenty of tonal and musical possibilities. Listen to John Paul Jones
first solo album Zooma for examples.

Conclusion
At only 775, the NT-8 is a real bargain for such a well-made instrument
and an eight-string to boot. Its a great instrument to add to your arsenal, but
its probably going to be a niche instrument rather than one for everyday
use. It is a bass built with a very specific style of playing in mind and sounds
otherworldly with those doubled-up strings and warm tones. Itll take some
getting used to, but for a medium-priced instrument, it really is great value
for money.

Thanks to the Great British Bass Lounge, www.greatbritishbasslounge.com.

058 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

056-058 Schecter_rev4.indd 58 23/03/2016 13:36

059.indd 59 23/03/2016 15:45
 technIcaL specIfIcatIon
RRP | 499
Made In | Korea
Body | Masonite, laminated wood frame,
hollow body
Neck | Maple, 29.75 scale, 24 frets
Neck join | Bolt-on
Fingerboard | Rosewood
Pickups | 2x Danelectro Lipstickpickups
Controls | 2x stacked volume/tone
Bridge | Traditional, rosewood saddle
Hardware | Danelectro
Weight | 3kg

what we thInK
Plus | Unexpectedly wide tone range,
highly playable
Minus | Looks weird, feels a bit plasticky
Overall | Faithful, low-cost reissue of a
classic bass

bgm ratIng
BUIlD QUalItY
SoUnD QUalItY
ValUe

060 Bass Guitar Magazine april 2016

060-062 Danelectro_rev3KP.indd 60 22/03/2016 15:37

 gear
Danelectro Longhorn Price 499

Danelectro
Longhorn
Joel McIver tackles a classic reissue. Insert your own Ride em, cowboy! quip here
John Hornby Skewes
www.jhs.co.uk

L
ike eating your greens and going for a run, some things in life are good
for you even though you dont enjoy them, and reviewing basses you
dont like is another one of them. Ive never been a fan of the Danelectro
Longhorn body shape or its cola-bottle headstock, but as JHS are
reissuing them at only 499, it behoves us to set aside our prejudices and
give the thing a chance. After all, Tom Petty played one in the Traveling
Wilburys, so they must have something going for them. Lets have a look...

Build Quality
Lightweight bass bodies and short scales have come into favour at the
BGM command bunker lately, after years of playing massive coffee-table
basses with plank-like necks, so the Longhorn is doubly refreshing when
you pick it up. At only three kilos its a doddle to swing around, and that

Its always nice to have your

preconceptions overturned, and
Danelectro has done a fine job of
recreating an ancient design that
fulfils modern requirements
Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016 061

060-062 Danelectro_rev3KP.indd 61 22/03/2016 15:37

 gear
Danelectro Longhorn Price 499
tiny 29.75 scale into which a two-octave neck has somehow been
packed is a lot of fun to run up and down.
Does this bass feel substantial? Not at all. Would you want to throw
it casually to your roadie after your solo at Madison Square Garden?
Not remotely. The body, a hollow unit made of Masonite (wood
fibre hardboard thanks Google), is pleasantly light but doesnt feel
particularly tough. So go easy on it.
If youre not a fan of tiny machine heads, dont buy this bass, but then
again large ones would look ridiculous on that dinky little headstock.
The lipstick pickups and bridge look pretty but also well-engineered, so
062 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016
060-062 Danelectro_rev3KP.indd 62
theres definitely a feeling about the Longhorn that once you get past the
Happy Days aesthetic, there will be quality under the hood. But who am I
kidding? You wouldnt be buying this bass, or indeed reading this review,
if you werent a fan of the whole early-70s look.
Sounds and Playability
I realise that last paragraph was slightly patronising, but dont get angry
with me, because Ive been converted (at least partly) by the fun Ive had
playing the Longhorn. Even the most sausage-fingered of bassists will
enjoy the short-scale neck, and the bass balances perfectly on lap or strap
despite the location of the forward strap button at the heel of the neck.
If you plug in the bass with the EQ set flat, you may be disappointed
by the lack of low end the Longhorn possesses. Well, thats where
your expectations will be overturned. Sure, the controls feel a touch
plasticky (well, they are made of plastic...) but they add a lot of boost at
both ends. Fire up the bass frequencies and youll be rewarded with a
stomach-shuddering rumble that no bass made of wood fibre has any
right to make. Theres plenty of zing at the treble end too, but where the
Longhorn excels is with its high-mids tone, a beautiful, self-evidently
vintage sound that cuts through everything else with great ease. Finally,
what the Longhorn obviously has in its favour is unparalleled access to
the upper frets, only bettered by a Zon Hyperbass, its polar opposite in
every single way I can think of. Solo to your hearts content: find the right
tone and your guitarists wont know whats hit them.
Conclusion
Its always nice to have your preconceptions overturned, and Danelectro
has done a fine job of recreating an ancient design that fulfils modern
requirements. Sure, youll need to be a devotee of that crazy body shape
and materials to get the most out of the Longhorn, but you could say
exactly the same thing about a Rickenbacker 4001, couldnt you? Check
this unusual bass out at the very least, itll broaden your horizons.
22/03/2016 15:37
063.indd 63 23/03/2016 16:55
 Ampeg
SCR-DI
Ever wondered what it would be like to carry an Ampeg in your back
pocket? Ian Glasper finds out
Polar Audio
www.polaraudio.co.uk

A
s soon as you heft this slab of a pedal in your hand, youre struck
by its super heavy-duty construction. Its housed in a corrosion-
resistant die-cast zinc chassis and screams indestructible! with
beefy metal foot switches that clunk securely and satisfyingly
when stomped on. When used in a rehearsal room with a shiny
wooden floor during the review trial, it literally didnt move an inch,
thanks to some seriously non-slip rubber feet.
It comes with exactly the same circuits as all those classic Ampeg
pre-amps, so youre able to dial in formidable tones with a minimum
of fuss. In fact, this is the best bass pedal since the SansAmp if
youre after a thick, chewy sound, but own a substandard amp, this
pedal wont let you down. It may not make every single amp you play
through sound or feel like an Ampeg, but it enables a close enough
approximation to rattle fillings and put a smile on the face of any
honest bassist.
The three-band EQ is bolstered by Ultra-Lo and Ultra-Hi switches,
for extra depth and/or clarity, and if things still arent dirty enough for
you, open fire with the Bass Scrambler circuitry, which depending on
how youve set the drive and blend knobs will kick in anything from
a snifter of grit to a howling twister of distortion. I quite like the latter,
it has to be said, although this pedal does subtle too.
A sassy purple LED lets you know when youve got the EQ
activated, and a green LED reminds you that the Scrambler is in effect.
But believe me, you wont need reminding youll be too busy peeling
your bandmates off the wall. Both the EQ and Scrambler are foot
switchable, so you can kick them in and out as required.
Another really great feature of this box is that if you plug in your
headphones, it doubles as the best-sounding practice amp youve ever
played through, and no one needs to get annoyed because the walls are
shaking. The auxiliary input even allows you to plug in an MP3 player
and balance the volume in your cans, so you can jam along to tunes all
night long without waking anyone.
Other features include two parallel line outs, a balanced XLR and
an unbalanced jack, so you can send the XLR to the desk and the jack
to an amplifier: a volume knob on the EQ dash controls the level of
these outputs. Theres also a power supply input, if you prefer that to
using batteries albeit a trifling concern when faced with a DI pedal
of such quality.

If youre after a thick,

chewy sound, but own a
substandard amp, this pedal
wont let you down
064 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

064-065 Ampeg_rev3KP.indd 64 22/03/2016 15:14

 geAR
Ampeg scr-dI 208

tEchnIcAl spEcIfIcAtIon
Price | 208
Made In | China
Features | Three-band EQ, Bass Scrambler,
Ultra-Lo and Ultra-Hi circuits, 1/4 and 1/8
auxiliary inputs and separate volume, XLR line
out jack, ground lift switch, 1/8 headphones
jack, external power connector
Weight | 1.2 kg
Dimensions | 2.2 x 7.6 x 4.3

whAt wE thInk
Plus | Built like a bomb shelter; delivers a meaty
Ampeg oomph through whatever youre playing
Minus | Maybe a hefty price tag for a pedal
but you get what you pay for
Overall | If youre after serious bass tones, this
effortlessly delivers

bGm rAtInG
BUILD QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
VALUe

Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016 065

064-065 Ampeg_rev3KP.indd 65 22/03/2016 15:14

066.indd 66 23/03/2016 14:11
067.indd 67 23/03/2016 12:44
 BASS
TUITION
Making you a better bass player
W
elcome to our redesigned tuition section, in which Bass Guitar
Magazine collates the wit and wisdom of the crme de la crme of
the electric and upright bass world. Were fortunate enough to have
some serious talent on the team, from world-class music educators
to experienced touring musicians, who between them have laid down
the low notes in every studio, club and arena in the civilised world. Note
that weve divided the columns according to Beginner, Intermediate and
Advanced level for easy reference. Whether youre looking to improve
your playing technique, expand your awareness of theory, set up your rig
to sound like your particular bass hero or simply get on a bus and tour, we
provide the answers you need here. What are you waiting for? Dive in...
Joel McIver, editor
068 Bass Guitar Magazine February 2015
068-069 Techniques Intro_Rev3.indd 68
Ellen OReilly is a freelance bassist and vocalist
currently studying at ICMP. Ellen has extensive
experience in gigging, studio and television work.
www.lowendlady.com
ELLEn oREiLLY BEGINNERS THEORY 72
Paul Geary attended the Berklee College of Music in
Boston and the Musicians Institute of Technology. He
also heads up the Academy Of Contemporary Musics
bass school.
www.paulgeary.com
PAuL gEARY BEGINNERS TECHNIQUES 74
Stuart Clayton is a professional bassist and writer with
over 20 years of experience in the industry. He runs the
bass department at BIMM Bristol and Bassline Publishing,
which has published a range of tuition and tab books.
www.stuartclayton.com www.basslinepublishing.com
StuARt CLAYton INTERMEDIATE THEORY 76
Rob Statham has amassed over 25 years as a
professional freelance bass player. He has played in a
wide range of musical settings, including jazz, blues,
prog and classical, and he has taught for the past three
years at BIMM London.
Rob StAtHAm INTERMEDIATE TECHNIQUES 78
Head of the Bass Department at BIMM Brighton,
Franc has worked with artists such as Steve Howe
(Yes), Lisa Moorish, and Mike Lindup (Level 42). Franc
uses Jeff Chapman basses and Elites strings.
www.francoshea.com
FRAnC oSHEA ADVANCED THEORY 80
Say hello to advanced techniques columnist Philip
Mann, star of studio and stage. Ready to get those
fingers ying? Mann up...
PHiLiP mAnn ADVANCED TECHNIQUES 84
David Etheridge studied double bass at the Royal College
of Music. Since then hes worked with musicians such as
Nigel Kennedy and Martin Taylor. David teaches double
and electric bass and is the MD of two big bands and a
55-piece jazz orchestra.
DAViD EtHERiDgE UPRIGHT BASS 86
Steve Lawson is the UKs most celebrated solo bass
guitarist, with 15 years of touring and 36 solo and
collaborative albums to his name. He also lectures at
colleges around the world.
www.stevelawson.net
StEVE LAWSon EFFECTS MAESTRO 88
Mike has written for BGM since 2004 and has beena
bassistsince 1987, clocking up over 3000 gigs around
the worldin the process. He has played for and worked
withthe likes of Bonnie Tyler and Toyah Willcox, and has
a bass collection to rival a small shop.
miKE bRooKS CLASSIC BASS ALBUMS 90
23/03/2016 16:00
 tuition Introduction

bgm Notation Legend

The following is a guide to the notation symbols and terminology used in Bass Guitar Magazine
The Stave: most music written for the bass guitar uses the bass clef. The
example to the right shows the placement of the notes on the stave.

Tablature: this is a graphical representation of the music. Each horizontal

line corresponds with a string on the bass guitar, with the lowest line
representing the lowest pitched string (E). The numbers represent the frets
to be played. Numbers stacked vertically indicate notes that are played
together. Where basses with five or six strings are required, the tablature
stave will have five or six lines as necessary.

Notes shown in brackets indicate that a note has been tied over from a previous bar.

Playing Techniques

Slap and Pop Technique
Notes slapped with the thumb are
marked with a t, notes popped
with the fingers marked with a p
Advanced slap Technique
Fretting hand slaps are marked
lh and double thumbing
upstrokes are shown with an
upward pointing arrow
Plectrum Technique
Where necessary, down and
upstrokes with the pick will
be shown using these symbols
(down-up-down-up)
Tapping Techniques
Fretting hand taps are shown with
a + in a circle. Picking hand taps are
shown with +. Specific fingers will
be shown with numbers if necessary

Fretting Techniques

Hammer-On and Pull-Off Slide (Glissando) Trills Vibrato

Hammer-ons and pull-offs are Slides are performed by playing the Trills are performed by rapidly The pitch of the note is altered by
shown with a slur over the notes. first note then sliding the fretting alternating between the two repeatedly bending the string up
Only the first note is plucked by finger up to the second note notes shown using hammer-ons and back with the fretting finger
the picking hand and pull-offs

Playing Harmonics Bending Notes

Natural Harmonics Artificial Harmonics Bend Bend and Release

The note is played as a harmonic Pluck the string while fretting the The note is bent upwards to the The note is bent up to the interval
by lightly touching the string lower note and placing the edge of interval specified: = semitone, indicated then released back to its
above the fret indicated the picking hand thumb an octave full = tone original pitch
higher (the note shown in brackets)

Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016 069

068-069 Techniques Intro_Rev3.indd 69 23/03/2016 16:01

 The

front line
The Metalhead
I va n M u n g u i a

Deeds Of Flesh bassist Ivan talks tone

The most important part of my tone? Strings. I use stainless steel as
opposed to nickel. Stainless steel strings are a hell of a lot brighter,

Want to make it as a professional bassist? Listen up and when used in conjuction with a heavy pick attack they put out a
very crunchy tone. Conventional wisdom says stainless strings wear

as BGMs world-class bass team reports back from out your frets faster, but I call BS! Ive used them on my basses for
years and have yet to refret a bass. I use DAddario Pro Steels 45-135

the tourbus with my bass tuned down one step for Deeds Of Flesh, and one and a
half steps for my
other band Arkaik.
The Pro Steels go
The Jazz Bassist onto my Spector
basses, which I
Ruth Goller
play exclusively.

Jazz warrior Ruth relaxes after a stint on the road To my eyes, ears,
and fingers they
Ive recently been on tour with a band called Let Spin, one of the are the best
few bands Im in that functions really well as a collaborative project. I basses for metal.
think this is because it is based on our characters, and a trust between I simultaneously
each other which comes out musically. The music we do is a mixture of run my Spectors
rock, jazz and riff- into a SansAmp
based tunes with Bass Driver
open improvisation and a Darkglass
sections. As with all Microtubes B7K,
open music, trusting although I know
and knowing each Im breaking some
others playing unwritten rule by
is an important doing so. I used
factor. As much as a SansAmp for
I enjoy being on years, but when the
stage with someone Darkglass came out
I dont know, and I knew I had to step up my preamp game. It turns out that combination
playing improvised gave my tone the extra kick it needed. My bandmates were impressed,
music with them so I ended up keeping the SansAmp and the two-preamp set-up has
for the first time, been a part of my tone ever since. I set the SansAmps EQ settings
I feel that with flat, with the Blend maxed out and the level adjusted as needed. The
someone whose Darkglass provides the overdrive, with the EQ settings (lo mids, high
playing I do know mids, low, and treble) slightly boosted at about one to two oclock, the
there is always the attack switch set to Boost 2, the Grunt switch set to Fat, and the Drive
chance for things at almost three oclock, but I dial back the Blend knob to noon or below
to develop a step to keep the tone from getting too nasty and distorted. I run my Spector
further, as long
as I feel inspired
by that persons
This amp has balls of steel. The downside of playing such
musicianship. With a vintage amp is that its fragile and heavy as hell
Let Spin I can say
that I feel that with and preamps into an early 70s Ampeg SVT Blackline 300W head
each and every one that I found at a shop in the San Francisco Bay Area. For those of you
of the musicians. Our recent run of gigs in the UK was in small venues, that dont know the history behind this amp, it is the second version
but to good crowds. It was perfect for a band like us to develop further of the original Ampeg SVT Blueline amps. When other bass heads
musically, because most of the time we werent even using a PA, basically at the time were putting out 100 watts or less, this behemoth came
playing as if we were in a rehearsal studio with strangers coming in and onto the market, pushing 300 watts. This amp has balls of steel. The
listening. These are the gigs I enjoy the most: small, sweaty, packed and full downside of playing such a vintage amp is that its fragile and heavy as
of energy. Even as a listener those are always the best gigs to me, as you hell. Death metal tours are a circus, and so all my gear takes a severe
can feel a band moving and finding their space with each other. Its really beating on the road. Consequently, its been to the ER three times
amazing how the same gig, with the same setlist, can develop between gig now, but the tone from it is well worth the upkeep. The head pushes
number one and gig number six. We recorded those gigs: listening back a single 6x10 Ampeg SVT cab that I prefer over the 8x10 version
to them, we can really tell when the getting to know each other again because of the adjustable horn that helps out with the top end of my
phase is over and when we really start taking risks and playing music in sound. I hope that this serves as a reference point for your journey
the most dedicated way. Of course, these low-budget tours usually end in finding the ultimate metal tone: the best piece of advice I can give
with sleeping on someones living room floor and as hard as that can be, is to take peoples opinions about gear with a grain of salt, and not be
sometimes it adds a lot to feeling connected, and really giving everything afraid to experiment. You might find the most badass tone in the most
to the music that has been created, without any compromise. unexpected of ways.
www.ruthgoller.com www.facebook.com/deedsoffleshofficial

070 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016

070-071 Front line_Rev2KP.indd 70 22/03/2016 15:52


The Alternative Rocker
Michael McKeegan
Therapy?s bass ninja Mike explores cover versions
I was recently looking forward to hearing a favourite band of mine
doing a cover of a song by one of my other favourite bands. It sounded
like a dream concept and thankfully the result wasnt that bad, just a tad
uninspiring. It got me thinking about covers and how they can be a great
way to learn about music, develop a style and refine influences. I also
realised how hard it can be to do a good, distinctive cover version. Were
big music fans and over the years weve covered a wide range of songs,
admittedly with varying degrees of success: heres a few pointers that
www-ashleybird-com
might keep your reworking on track. The main thing is to work out what
elements of a song youd like to keep. The joy of a good cover is making it
your own, so the rule book, while not necessarily going out the window,
can be disregarded for a bit. Lyrically its probably wise not to change
much, if anything, as youll run into the sticky world of having to speak
to a publisher or an artist to approve any amendments. Id also steer clear
of doing a genre version: its very tempting to do a tune in a stylistically
different way. For example, as a punk band you might be tempted to
double the tempo and crank the guitars. I feel weve all heard too many
wacky musical takes on great songs. One nice thing about doing a cover
is that you can sometimes see the tune a bit more clearly than your
own material, and so can be a bit more brutal with deciding what stays
and what goes. Note which bits of the song you feel are overplayed or
dont work; chop that double chorus at the end; and try and find some
elements that could be made more of. If theres a cool melody lurking
somewhere, try and bring that out in a bass-line or guitar solo. Another
approach is to start with the vocal, record it first and then begin to fill
in the arrangement around it. It is amazing how sometimes so little
is needed to flesh out a song instrumentally, so try different keys and
tempos and dont be afraid to add extra chords or parts. Understanding
why songs work is a great tool in helping you put together and tighten
up your own songwriting: doing a unique cover of a song can be a
positive exercise in arrangement and instrumentation.
www.therapyquestionmark.co.uk
070-071 Front line_Rev2KP.indd 71
the front line
The Extended-Range Specialist
S t e wa r t M c K i n s e y
Ten-string-wielding Dementor McKinsey gets plucky
Now that youve had a chance to hear how your attack and plucking
hand placement create specific results, lets work on refining them to
get the effects you desire. For now, focus on eighth notes at a medium
tempo. Choose a note on your lowest string and play two measures,
then move up an octave on the same string. Youll note that the high
note doesnt open the same way as the low note. Start alternating,
playing two measures of the low note and then two more of the high
note, working with your attack and where you hit the string along its
length until you get the different notes to respond similarly. Once you
get them happening the way you would like, play two measures of
the higher note and play the same note in the same range on the next
higher string. Again, it will take you a bit of time to get them to sound
the same. Dont rush the results. You need to be able to do this smoothly
and evenly. When youre happy with how the notes in the same octave
sound, play two measures with the next octave up. This time alternate
between all three notes, so you will play two measures on your second
lowest string; two measures an octave up from there; and then, rather
than returning to the second lowest string, play the lower note on the
lowest strings. Once these sound even to you, continue working up
and down the neck. This is not the most exciting exercise you will play,
but as you explore one note played in as many places and in as many
registers as you can, you will begin to hear how much work you have
to do in terms of playing consistently, but you will also start to feel
your hands making these adjustments faster and faster as your brain
processes what it is you want from the bass. To develop the exercise, do
the same thing with other notes, with note duration (quarter notes, half
notes and sixteenth notes) and then change to a single measure before
alternating. Then shift the position of your plucking hand. Youll find
challenges both moving closer to the end of the fingerboard and closer
to the bridge. Remember: theres no deadline, and pushing too fast
will actually slow your progress. Next month, well start work on your
fretting hand.
www.facebook.com + search Stewart McKinsey
Bass Guitar Magazine April 2016 071
22/03/2016 15:52
 APP EXTRA
TUITION
Beginners Theory
Download the Bass app
for extra content

in a given key signature. Lets take the key of C major, for example. Im sure youve noticed how often this
particular key is used in examples, this is because it has no accidentals (sharps or flats) present to complicate
things. Now each step in the scale (or scale degree) is as follows: C, D, E, F, G, A and B. Chords are built up
on each of these scale degrees, and the process of how we do this is known as harmonising the major scale,
which weve covered in previous columns.
In order to keep things simple, Ill look at these chords in their most basic form which is as triads. As weve
seen before, a triad is a basic chord made up of three notes: the root, third and a fifth. What kind of third
and fifth we have determines whether the chord is major, minor or diminished. For example, we know C is
C major as it is made up of a root, a major third and a perfect fifth; E is E minor as it is made up of a root, a
minor third and a perfect fifth; but we know B is diminished as it is made up of a root, a minor third and a
flattened fifth (aka a flat 5). In the key of C major, the scale degrees in triads are C major, D minor, E minor, F
major, G major, A minor and B diminished.

Now, with this system we give

each of these chords a number in
Roman numerals so that we know
ELLEN OREILLY where we are in a given key this
means that the one chord is I, the
two chord is ii, the three is iii and
Into the bass charts with so on. Note that when we add a
Roman numeral to a chord, the
top of the poppers Ellen C major triad
minor and diminished chords are
written in lower case, whereas
the major chords are written with

O
ver the last few columns upper case Roman numerals, e.g.
Ive fried your brains with G major is V and D minor is ii. As
talk of scales and suchlike, you can see in the example Ive
but now Im going to take it given, each scale degree is given
back to basics: its time we had a number.
a look at how to put all this new You can see how the triad looks
knowledge into practice and on the stave, and the root notes
navigate a chord chart. are given for you in tab as I want
Now, you may or may not you to find the rest of the notes
have been in a musical situation E minor triad yourselves.
where a guitarist or keyboardist Lets put this chord numbering
has shouted out five or put up system into practice. If you were
three fingers, expecting you to asked to play a I, IV, V sequence
know what that meant. Well, in the key of C major, you would
these guys and girls are trying play C, F and G. If you were asked
to tell you what chord theyre on to play a VI, iii, V, I sequence in
by using numbers allocated to the key of C major you would play
each chord. This is a really handy A, E, G and C. Try mixing up the
way of communicating with your numbers and see if you can find
bandmates: all its telling you is the corresponding root notes and
that a number represents a chord B diminished triad triads yourselves.

EXAMPLE 1

072 Bass Guitar Magazine October 2015

072 Ellen_Rev4_NR.indd 72 23/03/2016 15:08

073.indd 73 23/03/2016 16:31
 ExamplE 1

Set your metronome to 100BPM on a quarter-note pulse. Play the note A at the fifth fret of the E string.
Try to keep the notes even and in time with the click. Try choking the notes and experiment with the actual
length. You can get a lot out of tonal range out of a single note.
Think about the tone and how you play the note with the plucking hand. Consider the position of your
PAuL GEARY fingers over the pickup. How much pressure are you using to produce the note? Is it clean? How far is your
hand away from the bridge? All of these things will affect the sound of the notes you are playing.
Playing nearer the bridge creates a mid tone: the strings feel tighter. Playing closer to the neck gives a
Commander Geary gets rounder tone with more bottom end, but the strings feel looser. Make sure your fretting hand fingers fret
the note cleanly without any fret buzz. Try adjusting and dampening the note by lifting your fretting-
his rock on... and so hand fingers.
I remember one particular recording session many years ago where I had to replace a section of bass-line
should you I had recorded on a track the day before. No surprises there, I just needed to remember the part. This was
called a drop-in, and involved the engineer punching in your bass on the recording desk at the exact point in

T
his month I would like to take the song where the bass-line needed to be replaced. This would then make a nice clean edit on the finished
a look at incorporating some recording, so I recorded the section with the correct notes, in time, appropriate feel and so on. The engineer
eighth-note grooves into a said Great. Now play it with the same pressure! At the time I really hadnt thought it would matter. When I
rock chart. Sometimes, some heard the track back before the edit, the actual feel and volume of the notes didnt sound right at all. He was
of the seemingly simple aspects spot on! These days with the various software available for recording you can cut and paste almost anything,
of bass playing can actually turn and adjust the individual volume and timbre, but I miss the days of the good old drop-in: I think it presented
out to be the most challenging. a greater challenge to the musician.
Playing eighth notes to a click or
drum machine accurately, in time,
with good feel and meter, can be ExamplE 2
harder than you think. It is the
meat and potatoes of bass playing,
but drastically underrated. The
following examples demonstrate
how much variation you can get
out of a single note.

app Extra Lets try using a tie on the A note to extend the value and keep the forward motion feel happening. Keep the
pulse steady and dont move on until the line is even and consistent. Try recording yourself on your phone.
Download the Bass app
for extra content This will give a pretty good representation of your overall sound.

SOMETIMES, SOME OF THE SEEMINGLY SIMPLE ASPECTS OF BASS PLAYING CAN

ACTUALLY TURN OUT TO BE THE MOST CHALLENGING. PLAYING EIGHTH NOTES TO A
CLICK OR DRUM MACHINE ACCURATELY, IN TIME, WITH GOOD FEEL AND METER, CAN BE
HARDER THAN YOU THINK

074 Bass Guitar Magazine October 2015

074-075 Geary_rev2_NR.indd 74 23/03/2016 13:23

 tuition
Beginners Techniques

Example 3
This is where we add some extra
notes to the line. The first is
a low E played on the open E
string, followed by a G note at
the third fret of the E string. We
then have a tied A note over the
bar line and continue with an
eighth-note pulse.
The last grouping of eighth
notes start with the low G,
followed by an open E, and then rock chart
we take the repeat.
We can start to apply these
grooves to an actual chart. Make
sure you establish a good 3/4
pulse before you attempt the first
bar. The low B is a dotted quarter
note played on the second fret of
the A string, followed by three
eighth notes.
We then drop down to a low
F# played on the second fret of
the E string. The third bar is the
same as the first. In the fourth
bar we use a high E eighth note
played on the second fret of the
D string followed by F#, D, B and
A, all utilising the open strings.
On lines two and three we
have tied dotted half notes. The
trick is to make sure you hold
them on for the complete bar.
Dont be tempted to rush. On line
four we switch to a low G played
on the third fret of the E string.
This note ties over to the third
bar where we play a dotted D
quarter note at the fifth fret of
the A string.
The last bar we play a high
G octave, which leads into the
A7 sus chord. At the end of that
line we take the repeat at the
sign. Play through everything
again and go to the drum solo
vamp section. This is the main
riff broken down. At the DS al
coda, go to the (S) sign and play
through to the coda. The coda is
the last bar at the end, where we
play the riff and finish on a low B
at the second fret of the A string.
Try to keep a steady pulse
when playing this chart and
dont rush.
Until next time...!

Bass Guitar Magazine October 2015 075

074-075 Geary_rev2_NR.indd 75 23/03/2016 13:23

 example 3

modes maestro clayton continues his aeolian expedition

w
elcome back to my column on demystifying the modes. Weve made significant progress in this
endeavour now and the end is in sight. In this months instalment well be taking a look at a longer
piece that features the Aeolian mode, which is the third minor mode that weve covered. So without
further ado
This piece is an uptempo rock track that exclusively uses the A Aeolian mode, which as you will now know
is the sixth mode of the major scale in this case, the C major scale. As such, it contains only natural notes,
since these are the only notes that occur within the key of C. Youll hopefully also be aware that the Aeolian
mode is another name for the natural minor scale. If you need a recap on the construction of the Aeolian
mode or the theory behind it, be sure to refer to my column in the last issue.
The track opens with the A section, a melodic line played in the upper register which descends along
the G-string. When playing each phrase, be sure to allow the open A-string to ring underneath, creating a
stuart clayton foundation. You should also follow the phrasing marks that are written: playing the hammer-ons and pull-
offs as shown will be a big help in making this line sound smooth.

076 Bass Guitar Magazine October 2015

076-077 clayton_Rev4.indd 76 23/03/2016 13:21

 example 6
By carefully studying the material presented in these columns you
should become well acquainted with the unique sound of each mode
At letter B a new riff begins, again based on the open A-string. The
last two bars of this section suggest a chord progression moving from
Am G F Em, which is a common turnaround in a minor key. This
line is then repeated.
At letter C a new riff begins, implying a faster moving chord
progression. The second bar of the two-bar phrase is important
here, as it is repeated at the end of the section (bars 18-20). Note that
rhythmic displacement and a bar of 3/4 are used here to add interest.
This section is also repeated.
The final section of the piece at letter D is a restatement of the
main melodic motif from letter A, this time played an octave lower.
Again, phrasing indications should be observed where possible in
076-077 clayton_Rev4.indd 77
tuition
Intermediate Theory
order for the line to sound smooth.
Have fun with this piece. Its a simple line to learn, but Im hoping
that the ideas presented here will inspire you to come up with Aeolian-
based riffs of your own.
Hopefully through what weve covered in the last two columns you
can hear that the Aeolian has a noticeably different sound to the other
two minor modes (Dorian and Phrygian). Each mode has something
different to offer and by carefully studying all of the material
presented in these columns you should be well acquainted with the
unique sound of each one.
Next time well be making a start with the seventh and final mode
of the major scale the Locrian. Until then
Bass Guitar Magazine October 2015 077
23/03/2016 13:21
 app exTRa
Download the Bass app
for extra content
ROB StAtHAM
Tapping compound
intervals with the
great Statham
O
ne of the attractions of
playing tapped arpeggios is
that, by using two hands, we
are able to play wide intervals
that would be difcult if not
impossible to play ngerstyle.
Usually when we play arpeggio
patterns we play the notes in the
same octave, but it is possible to
take one or more of the notes in
any given arpeggio and play them
an octave higher. These are called
compound intervals: you are
probably familiar with this idea
from playing tenths, an attractive
sound on the bass, where we play
the third of a chord an octave
higher. So, for instance, we might
play the note C, then G a fth
higher, and nally E, the third of a
C major triad, but an octave higher
than we might usually play it, so
a major sixth above the G. This
pattern ts nicely into one position
on the bass and, albeit with
some string-skipping involved, is
comfortable to play ngerstyle.
But by using a tapping technique
we can expand on this concept
and play more notes in any given
arpeggio an octave higher, beyond
what might be possible using a
regular nger technique.
078 Bass Guitar Magazine October 2015
078-079 Statham_rev3KP.indd 78
The first example is indeed major tenths on a I-IV-V-IV progression, and so while this could be played
fingerstyle, it will serve as an example of how a tapping technique can be used for this concept. In each
triplet group the first two notes are hammered on with our fretting hand, while our plucking hand, now our
tapping hand, taps the tenth of the triad. While, as mentioned, this could be played fingerstyle, we would
likely use a different fingering, so, for instance, playing the E in the first arpeggio at the ninth fret on the G
string. However, using a tapping technique it makes more sense to play it at the 14th fret on the D string.
Our second example is based on the same chord progression, but now the compound interval in the triad
is the fifth rather than the third. This makes for an even wider intervallic sound, an octave and a minor
third between the third of the chord and the compounded fifth. While I have tabbed the root and third to
be played on one string, stretching a major third, you might prefer to play the third where you would likely
normally play it in relation to the root. For instance, the second note of the first triplet group could be played
at the seventh fret on the A string rather than the 12th fret on the E string. Try it both ways and see which
you prefer.
The next example gets us away from the triplet figures and into groups of four notes, in this instance on a
similar chord progression, I-IV-V-I. In fact, the first bar of this example is similar to the first bar of the first
example with the addition of the ninth between the fifth and compound third. Here again I am just tapping
the last note of the group, and so youll see that the root, fifth and ninth are two consecutive perfect fifths, all
hammered on, with the 10th tapped. However, the second bar is played somewhat differently. Here we play
a seventh chord arpeggio, a G7, hammering on the root and the fifth and now tapping two notes, the seventh
and the compound third.
This requires us to make a tritone shape with our tapping hand. In the second half of the bar we return to
a triad, but this time it is played in first inversion with the compound octave making the fourth note. Here,
as in the first half of the bar, I am hammering on the first two notes, the third and octave, and tapping the
fifth and compound octave, this time a perfect fourth shape in our tapping hand. Again, this makes for a wide
intervallic sound and would be a tricky pattern to play using fingerstyle but is reasonably comfortable using
a tapping technique.
The final example consists entirely of seventh chords and, as in the second half of the previous example,
I am hammering on the first two notes in each group of four and tapping the last two. The example is based
on an Autumn Leaves set of chord changes and so uses four types of seventh chord minor seven, major
23/03/2016 14:34
 tuition
Intermediate Techniques

seven, dominant seven, and half

diminished, or minor seven flat
example 1
five. In this example we get into
some particularly wide intervals
on some of the chords, and
fingerstyle would not really be
an option.
The first chord, a D minor
7, has a compound third and
seventh which, as you can see,
results in two perfect fifth shapes
a minor sixth apart, a particularly
example 2
wide intervallic sound. The
second chord, a G7, has only one
compound interval, the third
which is played as a 10th in fact,
this is played in the same manner
as the G7 in the third example.
The third chord, a C major 7, is
configured like the first chord
root, fifth, compound third,
and compound seventh, so here
again a wide intervallic sound.
Again we have two perfect fifth
example 3
shapes, but now a major sixth
apart. The next bar is an F major
7 configured like the G7 arpeggio
with just one compounded tone,
the third played as a tenth.
As you can see, there is an
alternating pattern of compound
patterns in the first four bars.
In the fifth bar we get into
an even wider intervallic
sound by inverting the third
and the seventh in our tapping
example 4
hand on the B half diminished
chord, the third now a full two
octaves higher. This means
that the E7 that follows it still
has two compound tones, the
third and seventh, and the A
minor seven chord that follows
that is configured like the B
half diminished chord with a
compound seventh and a double
compound third. We are now well
beyond what would be possible to
play fingerstyle, and this is where
the tapping technique comes into
its own, making patterns possible
to play that would be otherwise
unplayable and thus providing
fresh possibilities.
By making use of a tapping
technique we can play wide familiar arpeggios in differing configurations. There are many possibilities, so use these examples as a
compound intervals and arrange starting point and experiment with your own ideas.

Bass Guitar Magazine October 2015 079

078-079 Statham_rev3KP.indd 79 23/03/2016 14:35

 FrANC O'SHeA

more exotic territory

explored with Big franc

i
n this issue I will be analysing
the second half of a bass solo
that uses an exotic scale for
all its melodic and harmonic
content. For the last few issues I
have been using the A Mixolydian
b6 as an example of how to
get the most out of a scale by
unpacking it: however, it is worth
remembering that this type of
analysis can be applied to all
scales.
The first half of the solo, which
appeared in my last column,
showed bars one to 27, and since
this is the second half of the
solo I have started this month at
bar 26 to provide some context
before continuing with the rest of
the solo. Bars 24 to 25 showed a
figure based on a D melodic minor
scale, which is the parent scale
of A Mixolydian b6. This figure
was repeated in bars 26 and 27,
which, as you can see, is a motif
created using minor and major
10ths. This motif provided some
relief and stability as it came in bars 28 to 31. These unsettling mirroring motifs are still based exclusively on notes from the A Mixolydian
after an intense triplet chordal b6, but since this scale shares similarities with the whole tone scale, these figures highlight this. In fact, if
section based on a G Prometheus you were to strip out the perfect 4th and perfect 5th interval degrees from the A Mixolydian b6 scale you
hexatonic scale with an open A would be left with the notes A, B, C#, F and G, and all it would take to create an A whole tone scale would be
pedal. the simple addition of an Eb.
However, this is just the calm So why do whole tone scales create such an atmosphere of unsettling eeriness? Imagine a film scene in
before the storm gathers again, which Freddy Krueger is just about to pounce on a scared victim who has been hearing strange noises in
as can be seen in the rather their house at night. As the psychological tension mounts before the final pounce, augmented triads running
disconcerting figures appearing up and down the whole tone scale are employed to underpin the suspense. Nothing is actually happening

80 Bass Guitar Magazine October 2015

080-081 Franc_Rev2KP.indd 80 23/03/2016 10:37

 APP extra
Download the Bass app
for extra content tuition
Advanced Theory

musica) as far back as the early

1700s, but few know that this
term was also often applied to the
more dissonant semitone interval.
The chord in bars 35 and 36
employ both intervals. It has
a tritone (C# to G) and then its
octave, which is followed by the
semitone interval of C# to D.
Surprisingly, the resulting chord
exudes a hauntingly beautiful
quality. This is, in part, due
to the fact that the notes are
arpeggiated but also because
our modern ears are used to
dissonances that would have
been considered unpalatable in
older times with their different
tuning temperaments. On the
third beat of both these bars a low
open E string replaces the lower
C# that appears on the first beat,
creating a min6/7 chord with the
5th omitted.
The upper part of the chord
that appears in bars 37 and
38 uses a similar tritone and
semitone combination: however,
the configuration is now reversed
with the semitone (E to F)
appearing first and the tritone (F
to B) appearing above it.
Bar 39 is less tense than the

The fact that the whole tone scale has only one moDE previous four bars and is an
Fmaj7b5 chord with the b5, B, its
lowest note, placing it in second

means that the ear cant find a tonal centre. This is what inversion. An E-addb9 chord in
the next bar brings back some of

creates the unsettling and uncertain feeling the tritone and semitone tension,
although the root and b9 are
separated by an octave, before the
tension is finally broken in bar 41.
In comparison to the previous
within the action of the film but the film-makers are implying that something is about to through the bars, bars 41 to 50 create a fairly
soundtrack. You just dont know when. easy-going and harmonically
The fact that the whole tone scale has only one mode (as on every other scale degree is another whole tone pleasing run down the scale
scale, and also because every note is a whole tone apart) means that the ear cant find a tonal centre. This is by employing simple rhythmic
what creates the unsettling and uncertain feeling, since there is no natural resolution point in this scale. figures, double stops and an open
Bars 32 to 34 create a different dynamic which is equally intense, this time through the use of syncopated A string drone, topped off with a
rhythm and interval inversions. This actual phrase appeared as example 7 in my column in BGM 124. Bar dramatic flourish and subsequent
32 is comprised entirely from 6th intervals built on each degree of the scale. However, the 1st interval is harmonic chord in bar 51.
ascending from low to high, but the second 6th is inverted, i.e. it is descending from the 6th to its root. The Using the entire scale, the
third 6th in the same bar is, like the first, ascending too. Each of these 6ths appear at consecutive scale A11b13 arpeggio, which starts on
degrees. Bar 33 uses the same idea, only this time with 7ths, and also highlights the fact that there are four the and of beat four in bar 51,
minor 7th intervals a whole tone apart in succession. Bar 34 highlights the two different tritones inherent in culminates with a low A and its
the scale, which is part of what gives the Mixolydian b6 its unique flavour. 3rd and 5th in the high octave,
There is no let-up of the tension in bars 35 to 40, where some arpeggiated chords are rendered with quaver creating a simple, happy, A major
triplets. Rather than create suspense as in bars 28 to 31, which use the whole tone scale, these bars use triad which lets you know that
tension instead, by employing voicings that feature tritone intervals and semitone clashes. Many musicians everything has turned out fine in
will be aware of the fact that the restless tritone interval was regarded as the devil in music (diabolus in the end. Until next time

Bass Guitar Magazine October 2015 81

080-081 Franc_Rev2KP.indd 81 23/03/2016 10:37

 SUBSCRIBE
TODAY TO
PLUS FREE FAT-BEAM STRINGS SAVE
Stainless Steel Bass Strings wound on round cores, Fat-Beams are
compression wound to produce fat mids, bright highs and that distinct,
OVER edgy Fat-Beam sound. Hand-made with the finest American stainless
53%* steel available, wound on round cores for increased flexibility and tone.
DR Strings are handmade (not machine-made) because our expert
string-makers are capable of making micro adjustments needed
through the winding process for the best sound and feel possible.
The Difference is Real.

*savings are based on a comparison against cover price, p&p and gift
RRP. Offer open to UK subscribers only and while stocks last. Publishers
reserve the right to offer an alternative gift.

BASS GUITAR MAGAZINE PRIORITY RENEWAL FORM

WHICH PACKAGE WOULD YOU LIKE? 129
(OFFICE USE ONLY) PAYMENT OPTIONS
Please start my NEW Subscription to Bass Guitar Magazine from issue: 3 DIRECT DEBIT - Get 13 issues, Annual DD 43.75

Please renew my EXISTING Subscription to Bass Guitar Magazine

SUBSCRIPTION RATES LTD

Please TICK the appropriate box below Direct Debit Instruction to your Bank or Building Society to pay by Direct Debit
UK: 43.75 Europe: 68.25 Rest of World: 69.75 Service user Number 2 5 4 3 8 9 ref. No. (For official use only)

Please fill in the form and send to: Blaze Publishing Ltd, Lawrence House, Morrell St, Leamington Spa, Warks. CV32 5SZ

YOUR DETAILS Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society
Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS. All information is private and will never be disclosed.
To the manager (Bank Name)
Mr/Mrs/Miss Forename
Surname Address
Address

County Postcode
Postcode
Daytime Phone Mobile
Email Year of Birth Account holder(s) name(s)

CHEQUE/CREDIT CARD
Branch sort code
1 I enclose my cheque for the above amount made payable to Blaze Publishing Ltd Bank/Building Society account No.
2 Please charge my Visa Mastercard Maestro Delta with the above amount (Please no Amex)
INSTrucTIoNS To your BANk or BuIlDINg SocIeTy. Please pay Blaze Publishing ltd Direct Debits from the
account detailed on this instruction, subject to safeguards assured by the Direct Debit guarantee. I understand
Card number Security code START DATE EXPIRY DATE that the instruction may remain with Blaze Publishing ltd and if so, details will be passed electronically to my
Bank or Building Society.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Signature Date
Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit instructions for some types of account.
SIGNED TODAYS DATE

RETURN TO: BLAZE PUBLISHING LTD Lawrence House, Morrell Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 5SZ

bass subs 129.indd 82 23/03/2016 15:54

083.indd 83 23/03/2016 16:29
 app ExTRa
Download the Bass app
for extra content

rhythm is commonly associated with Iron Maidens veteran bassist Steve Harris). Initially the movement
can feel a little awkward and cumbersome under the hand, but with a little patience and perseverance youll
master it soon enough. If your reading skills arent particularly strong, try saying and playing the syllables
black-cur-rant on each beat of the bar to help produce the desired rhythm.

ExamplE 1

pHIl maNN

Double popping? The

great Mann has to be
having a laugh... Wait.
Hes not?

T
raditionally, a high
percentage of slap bass ExamplE 2
players predominantly use This months second example combines elements of the double thumbing technique acquired in last months
just their index finger (p1) to column along with this issues subject area. On every other beat youll notice rhythmical similarities to those
pop the strings. Although this found in example 1: however, on the adjacent beats youll be required to play all four sixteenth notes. The
is a very effective and efficient first two pitches are produced via a down-up movement from the thumb, the second two notes are then
approach to the technique, produced via two pops in succession, one from your index finger (p1) and one from your middle finger (p2).
it is possible to develop the
methodology further to include
other digits. This month well
be taking a look at the inclusion
of a second finger to the mix by
introducing double popping.
Conventionally, you will be used
to pulling the strings with your
index finger (p1). Double popping
is really just an extension of
this, introducing a second pop
additionally produced by the
middle finger (p2).
The first of our exercises is
designed to develop your basic
understanding of the double
popping technique. Rhythmically,
its quite straightforward to
perform and shouldnt cause you
too much trouble. On each beat
youre required to play an eighth

INITIALLY THE MOVEMENT CAN FEEL A LITTLE AWKWARD UNDER

note followed by two sixteenth
notes: use your index finger to
pop the first octave note of each
beat and then your middle finger
to pop the second (this galloping HAND, BUT WITH PATIENCE YOULL MASTER IT SOON ENOUGH

84
84 BASS Bass
GUITARGuitar
MAGAZINE
Magazine October 2015

084-085 Mann_rev3KP.indd 84 23/03/2016 15:06

 tuition
Advanced Techniques

Example 3
Playing three evenly spaced
sixteenth notes within the same
value as an eighth note produces
a semiquaver triplet. Youll notice
the inclusion of this rhythm
in the third beat of bar four of
example 3. Again, a simple way
to interpret the rhythm with ease
is to articulate tri-p-let on each
eighth note of the beat and play
its syllables. As there are two
eighth notes in every crotchet,
repeat the methodology twice
to produce the desired pair of
semiquaver triplets.

Example 4
The continued occurrence of both
double thumbing and plucking
does make example 4 a little
tricky to play in time with a
metronome. Initially, always try
to work through newer and more
complex patterns out of time
first as this will allow a period
of processing time to learn the
phrase. Once under hand, you
can then practise the phrase to a
timekeeping device.

Example 5
Focus your attention on the first
beat of bar one in this months
final example: hopefully youll
be able to decipher the quaver
followed by a semiquaver triplet.
First, strike the low E string with
your thumb then simultaneously
mute all four strings with your
left hand while performing a
semiquaver triplet with your
right hand. In order to execute
this cleanly, your thumb will
need to strike the E string once
again (while muted by the left
hand, dont forget!) and then be
succeeded by two pops one
from your index finger (p1) and
one from your middle finger (p2).
Once overcome, the remainder straightforward. Ill leave you to try and conquer the rhythm in bar four by yourself for now as a bit of
of the exercise is reasonably facilitated learning and a teaser for next month! Until then, practise hard!

Bass Guitar Magazine October 2015 85

084-085 Mann_rev3KP.indd 85 23/03/2016 15:06

 APP EXTRA
Download the Bass app
for extra content

EXAMPLE 1

EXAMPLE 2

EXAMPLE 3
DAVID ETHERIDGE

Introducing the noble art of

EXAMPLE 4
soloing on double bass, with
David Etheridge

M
any years ago, while
studying at music college,
I was playing folk clubs EXAMPLE 5
in the evenings with jazz
legend Diz Disley. Double bass
players were rather thin on
the ground, so I was interested
to meet one at a club in South
London. What kind of music EXAMPLE 6
do you play? I asked the other
bassist. Im a New Orleans jazz
specialist! he proudly announced.
I was impressed. I hadnt the
faintest idea what one was, but as
a specialist he had to be good. Diz
was a great one for jam sessions,
EXAMPLE 7
so I waited with interest for
this bass players solo: when it
came, it was terrible. A random
series of notes in no particular
key, with no sense of melody or
chord progression or was he EXAMPLE 8
the avant-garde branch of New
Orleans jazz? Once I found out
exactly what that type of jazz
actually was, I never looked at it
the same way.
The point of this preamble but louder, to technical wizardry from the likes of Stanley Clarke and John Patitucci (just to name two) that
is to ask some fundamental leaves one spellbound. If you look at their work on YouTube, youll see that their approach to double bass
questions about soloing on double differs quite markedly from the same players work on bass guitar. Its a truism that you can whiz around on
bass. Over the years, Ive seen a bass guitar far more than on double bass, simply due to the latters sheer size and string weight, so trying
variety of approaches, from guys those Jaco licks on double bass may not be as easy as you think once you get down to trying them out.
who just play the same bass-line When were soloing, were basically providing instant musical composition. Like any language, it will have

086
086 BASS Bass
GUITARGuitar
MAGAZINE
Magazine October 2015

086-087 Etheridge_Rev3KP.indd 86 23/03/2016 16:01

 TUITIONUpright Citizen

the musical equivalent of words Example 4 shows a development of the basic idea: you dont have to start a phrase on the root of the
and sentences, and make sense chord. In this example, every bar starts on the third of the chord and still follows the chord sequence. As
to the listener. Trying to be flash you can see from the fingering, the majority of this example is in half position, only changing for the high C
and play 1,000 notes a minute and D. Example 5 shows a similar riff, but here were starting on the fifths of the chord, and we stay in the
(we all try that sooner or later) same position throughout.
can be wearing for both listeners With example 6 Ive introduced some new ideas: chromatic runs, and triplet crochets (quarter notes) to add
and other players, so contrast rhythmic variation and contrast. Although theres a lot of triplet action in the sequence, Im using it as an
can be the name of the game: fast illustration: the choice is up to you. In practice, on a solo, you might want to stay in one particular rhythmic
bits, slow bits, cross rhythms, groove say swung quavers and only add triplet quavers for a fill at the end of an eight-bar phrase.
syncopations, funky phrases and Example 7 shows the kind of thing you might try. Remember Victor Wootens maxim that just about
even rests and silences can all be anything can be used as a fill at the end of a section of music, from the most subtle to the most flash. Dont
used in solos on double bass. think that you have to fill a solo with notes, either: sometimes spaces in a solo can be very effective.
Lets have a look at some Have a look at example 8 for some ideas, and the syncopations can add to the groove very well by
approaches and see how we can pushing the feel along, particularly if you use them as contrast to more regular phrasing. Contrast is the
get to really express ourselves. The important word here.
road map of a solo will follow the These examples are just basic building blocks for your musical vocabulary, and as weve seen, theyre all
form and the chord sequence of playable in one or two positions. Dont worry about difficult keys either. Just substitute a position shift or
the tune youre playing, so youll two for the open strings and youll see that you have a lot of potential in any key. This month weve only
know where you are at any given looked at basic ideas on chord tones: next month well expand it further.
point, and that gives you the
choice of notes to play. You can
follow various approaches: chord
tones, scales, chromatic runs and
even musical quotes. They all have
their place and the latter can be
great fun.
To start off with, lets have a look
at a basic I-IV-II-V progression.
Keep in mind that in jazz and
blues the quavers (eighth notes)
are always swung. In example 1,
this might be the bass part to the
chords: pretty standard fare. If we
use chord tones only as a starting
point, we might come up with
example 2. Here we have some
syncopation to add to the groove.
This line is easy and can be played
all in half position. Well develop
our line as we go along and try
higher-register work, but a good
rule of thumb is to try and group
as many notes in the same, or
adjacent positions where possible.
In example 3 Ive added some
triplets to break up the basic feel,
and included some scale passages
and semitone runs to add interest.
You can see from the fingering
that this can be played in half
position, moving up to second
position for the high Bb and C in
bar three, and using the open G to
move back to half position at the
end of that bar. At the end of bar
four we move up a semitone to get
the G and Ab at the end.

BASS GUITAR
Bass Guitar Magazine OctoberMAGAZINE
2015 087
087

086-087 Etheridge_Rev3KP.indd 87 23/03/2016 16:01

 TUITION
Laying Down The Lawson

With any pedal or multi-FX, or preamp or anything I do the same. I (fairly) methodically go through as many
possible combinations as I can. With overdrive pedals, I spent a long time finding out where the break point
is, where they actually start to dirty up your sound. It was this process that helped me find the amazing warm
clean tone I can get from the Markbass MiniDIST. With the dist control off and level control full, it sounds
beautiful, outside of the distorted tone it was built for. Its the same with the new MXR Bass Distortion: the point
where it starts to break up produces some extraordinary sounds, which are unlike any distortion pedal Ive used
before. And its all happening in the first maybe five to 10 per cent of the sweep of the dist control. Tiny tweaks,
technique and volume adjustments to see how it interacts with the rest of the signal chain... explore, modify,
apply, repeat...
Sometimes within that process you discover things that maybe werent planned but are still inherent in the
complex design of the pedal: Ive been spending a lot of time recently with the TC Electronic Flashback delay.
The one control Im most interested in with all delays is the delay time knob: what happens when you turn it?
On some units, it makes amazing spacey bleepy noises the Line 6 DL4 does this, and some analogue and tape-
based delays do too. On others, the delay just resets and starts from scratch. On the Flashback, the material
thats currently repeating gets extended to the length of the new delay time (through multiple repeats, not time
stretching) and the new stuff gets added over the top. If you turn the control down to its shortest delay time, and
STEVE LAWSON turn the feedback and FX level controls up, you get an amazing granular filter sound, which you can then trap
and use as part of a longer delay... Again, this is not something you can do if youve got your pedal on the floor to
operate with your feet, but youve all stopped doing that already, right?
Looking at the big So this month, go extreme. Turn everything up, everything off and everything in between and see what freaky

picture with Dark sonic treasures lie at the boundaries of your favourite toys. You may find something unrecognisable and beautiful!

Lord Lawson

W
eve talked before here
about treating pedals as
instruments: about the
need to see them not just
as an on/off effect, but as a way
of changing how the sound is
produced something that requires
us to modify the way we play, and
often adapt the rest of our signal
chain to acommodate the new
possibilities. The end point of this
is that I dont see the bass as my
instrument and the pedals as some
external boxes that do things to
my sound. I see the whole signal
chain, from fingers to speakers, as
my instrument.
This means that I explore the
possibilities of each pedal pretty
much the same way I do each
aspect of my bass. When Im
working on a new technical issue
on my instrument, I vary every
parameter to see what it makes
possible: I vary how hard Im
hitting the strings, the angle I hit
the strings from, and I move my
hand up and down the neck from
right next to the bridge to right
down over the fingerboard. All of
it to explore the extremes of whats
possible in order to find the bits
that make the sounds I can use. I
dont want to second-guess where
Eckie

those are, so I look for all of them.

88 Bass Guitar Magazine October 2015

088 Lawson_Rev2KP.indd 88 23/03/2016 16:07

 Advertising Index
Advanced Audio Distribution (Synergy)........................73

Allianz Musical Insurance ............................................67

Andy Baxter Basses......................................................31

Barnes & Mullins .............................................15, 35, 51

Bass Centre...................................................................19

Bass Direct......................................................................9

Dingwall........................................................................55

Darkglass .....................................................................39

Chapman stick ..............................................................73

MSL Pro - Markbass ....................................................59

Marleaux basses ..........................................................89

Madison and Fifth - Nemphasis ..................................63

Musicians Union..........................................................55

Promenade....................................................................43

Radial Engineering .......................................................27

Rotosound.......................................................................7

Sadowsky .....................................................................63

Enfield Basses & Sims pickups ...................................11

Surine Basses...............................................................63

Strings & Things .................................................... OSBC

Stonefield Musical Instrument Company, Ltd. .. 13, 67, ISBC

Swan Song Guitars.......................................................63

Warwick .............................................................3, 21, 66

Willcox guitars (Lightwave systems)........................ ISFC

TO ADVERTISE HERE
CONTACT guy on
01926 339 808
guym@blazepublishing.co.uk

089.indd 89 23/03/2016 16:52

 A brand-new column in which
Mike Brooks celebrates a
classic album. Lets begin by
jumping back 40 years to what is
arguably Queens finest record...
elcome to my new column.
W
Each month Ill be taking
an in-depth look at a
classic album, which may
have broken records
around the world, changed
the course of musical
history or been a turning
point in the history of the bass guitar. Either
way, its all about historic bass!
When Queen began writing material for A
Night At The Opera in 1975, they faced a real
dilemma. Their management were fleecing
them of their royalties, they had to write a hit
single that could improve upon Killer Queen,
a number two hit; and their fourth LP had to
do the business in terms of sales, otherwise
they were facing being dropped by their record
label, EMI. They needed a great album to send
them into rocks stratosphere but nobody
could have foreseen what a milestone the band
would produce in their hour of need, let alone a
magnum opus single that would propel sales to
over 10 million worldwide.
The great John Deacon used his familiar
Fender Precisions for the bulk of the bass tracks,
and although he was using Acoustic 370 amps
paired with Acoustic 301 Reflex cabs and a
HiWatt amp driving Sound City 4x12 cabs at the
time, the album was predominantly recorded
direct via the desk and a DI box, while his basses
were fitted with flatwound strings for less string
noise and a thick tone.
The album opener, Death On Two Legs,
is singer Freddie Mercurys attempt to put
down on record his vitriolic feelings about
the bands ex-manager: check out the smooth
and tasty bass run at 254 that eventually
matches Freddies vocal part. Lazing On A
Sunday Afternoon and Seaside Rendezvous rewind to track 11
were early indicators that Queen might be
pushing the envelope in the studio in much
90 Bass Guitar Magazine April 2015
090 Brooks_Rev3KP.indd 90
the same way as the Beatles had done almost Rhapsody? Indeed, would Queen have become
a decade before: over time, this album has the colossal band they became, and continue to
become Queens equivalent. Deacons bass part be, were it not for Freddies masterstroke, perhaps
and note choices on Lazing are particularly his defining legacy? How they managed to keep
McCartney-esque. a rein on each instrument, with no musician
Youre My Best Friend shows just how standing on anothers toes, is remarkable. As
much this band was a collective of equally for the bass part, listen to the single notes and
talented songwriters, with Deacon (on bass and slides in the first two verses, through to Deacons
electric piano, no less!) chipping in with a song underpinning of Brian Mays guitar solo from
that has become a radio favourite around the 236. Feel the extra weight which the bass brings
world. The staccato runs in the bass-line totally to the operatic section, with its pushes and runs
fit the arrangement. finishing with the pulse and syncopated lines in
39 features our hero on one of his very the rock section up to 450. Finally, theres the
few recorded outings on double bass: when he delicate mid-neck work on the outro. Nothing
played the song live, he resorted to a sunburst would be the same for Queen from this point
fretless Precision. forward. Turn the volume up to eleven, revel in
The Prophets Song features a drop-D John Deacons masterful bass playing and enjoy
tuning and is a feast for stereo lovers. Queen this album loud! Will we ever hear a song like this
essentially made technology work for them again? Possibly not.
and used the studio like an extra
instrument, ably assisted by engineer
Mike Stone and producer Roy
Thomas Baker.
Love Of My Life is draped in
a piano arrangement with guitar
flourishes, while the icing on the
cake is some exemplary, tasteful bass
playing from John, playing exactly
what the track requires, giving
the arrangement some space and
dynamics. With Good Company,
listen out for the part between 109
and 129, where Johns bass part
mimics a tuba. God Save The Queen
brings the album to a close but
Who knows how big this album
would have been without Bohemian
23/03/2016 11:46
091.indd 91 23/03/2016 12:57
092.indd 92 23/03/2016 12:59