LEARN TO PLAY KILLER TAPPED DOUBLE STOPS | PLUS!

NEIL MURRAY REVISITS CLASSIC WHITESNAKKE

INTERVIEWS
YOLANDA CHARLES
Robbie. Weller.
Hans Zimmer. Squeeze! YEARS SI
TOMMYNCE
JOO NNN Y GOOODD !
Rocking the Super Bowl
with Lady Gaga

ALL TIME?
STAR BASS
JOHN PAUL JONES
Leed Zeppelin and
beyond: the maestro's
career highlights REVIEWED
ESSENTIAL
NEW BASS GEAR
Yamaha, Strandberg,
Fender and Eastcoast
 CONTENTS here were you when

ISSUE 383 JUNE 2019

W John Entwistle passed
away in 2002? I hope
you had a bass in
hand, because most of us owe
Entwistle a favor. Ever stood
Gear
50
Yamaha TRBX600 and TRBJP2
$970, $5,100 (MSRP)
quietly at the back while your Jonathan Herrera gets to grips
band showed off? That was with two very different beasts
his MO half a century ago. Do from the East
you play fast, melodically, and
Editor Joel McIver
loud? He was the king of all that. Did you record a pioneering, Fender American Performer
[email protected]
Managing Editor Jacob Barlow genre-shaping rock bass solo? Probably not—but Entwistle 52 Mustang $1199.99
Technical Consultant Stuart Clayton did. In this issue we salute the quiet legend, 50 years after The Mike Brooks casts a
Contributors to this issue Antonio Angotti, Silvia Who released the epoch-shaking Tommy album, with a look sportsman’s eye over Fender’s
Bluejay, Mike Brooks, Chris Charlesworth, Stuart Clayton, Hywel
Davies, Rob Elrick, Daniel Firth, Chris Fitzgerald, Ruth Goller, back at his life and work, from writer Chris Charlesworth. new thoroughbred
Stuart Hamm, Jonathan Herrera, Kevin Johnson, Rob Laing,
Steve Lawson, Phil Mann, Michael McKeegan, Nik Preston, Kev We strive to cover the whole bass world, so this month
Sanders, Joe Shooman, Dave Swift, Freddy Villano, Ray Walker
we’ve spent time with low-frequency stalwarts, ranging Strandberg Boden Prog 4 and Boden
Advertising Sales Guy Meredith
Graphic Designers Rosie Webber, from veterans Yolanda Charles and Neil Murray, via 54 Original 5 $2,995, $3,195
Mixie Von Bormann stadium-fillers Derek Frank (Gwen Stefani), and Matt Headless and polygonal of neck
Cover image Getty Willis (Busted), to headbangers David Vincent, and Becky profile, these Swedes are good
Studio Photography Future Studio Baldwin—not to mention the only former police officer to do for you, says Kev Sanders
Advertising Sales the splits at the Grammys: Jonny Goood of Lady Gaga’s band.
ȳ !ǝǣƺǔ «ƺɮƺȇɖƺ …ǔˡƬƺȸ Luke Edson Looking for killer gear reviews? We’ve tested kit to suit all Eastcoast GB210FL-NS and GTB055-N
[email protected]
Advertising Director Jonathan Brudner
pockets, from a $119 effects unit and a $220 Eastcoast bass, all 56 $220, $450
[email protected], (917) 281-4721 the way up to Yamaha and Strandberg instruments costing How low (in price) can you go,
Advertising Director Mari Deetz almost 20 times more. And if you want to improve as a player, asks Mike Brooks, plugging in
[email protected], (650) 238-0344
say hello to our bass teaching dream-team of Stu Hamm, Joe two value-heavy basses
Advertising Director Jason Perl
[email protected], (646) 723-5419
Hubbard, Steve Lawson, Phil Mann, and Stuart Clayton.
Enjoy this issue—but before I go, stick 21 and 22 September MXR M280 Vintage Bass Octave,
Advertising Director Scott Sciacca
[email protected], (646) 723-5478 in your diaries. That’s when the 2019 London Bass Guitar 58 Emma Electronic DiscumBOBulator
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Joel McIver, Editor nøisy? That sounds like us. The
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004
 f/bassplayermag o/BassPlayerNow cONTENTS

18
John
42
Jonny Lessons
Entwistle Goood Frontline
62 Working bassists share
their tips for road and studio

BEGiNNER
Steve Lawson
66 Plant the seeds of
proficiency with Steve Lawson

iNTERMEDiATE
Phil Mann
70 Nurture your growing
talent with Phil Mann

ADVANcED
Stu clayton
76 Bloom into awesomeness
with Stu Clayton

Columns
subscribe now 24 07 Low Life
Tax The Heat bassist and

Details page 28
BIMM UK tutor Antonio
Yolanda Angotti advises on stagecraft
Charles
Getty

Getty
Woodshed
08 Rob Elrick discusses the

Bassists 40 Peter Ljungberg, Rough Rockers

Born to rock, alive to play
intricacies of shielding

10 Bass Of Tomorrow
John Entwistle
18 Fifty years since The Who released their landmark album
bass—that’s Peter Planet Earth’s most
forward-thinking bass-makers
Tommy, Chris Charlesworth looks back at his friend, the late John
Entwistle, and puts the case for the great man being the most 42 Jonny Goood, Lady Gaga
Behind the scenes of
interviewed by Hywel Davies

Forums
accomplished rock bassist of all time. Do you agree? the world’s biggest pop-rock-
electronica gig with the Goood, 11 News from online bass
Yolanda charles
24 Session ace Yolanda returns to her roots after a unique career.
the fab, and the funky communities—No Treble,
Basschat, and Talkbass
Mike Brooks asks the questions
44 Derek Frank, Gwen Stefani
Theory Of The Month
Matt Willis, Busted
A frank talk with Derek
12
30 The man-band shall inherit the earth, says Rob Laing
about the fine art of playing
stadiums
Nik Preston tackles the
Dorian mode in fourths

Becky Baldwin Ally Einbinder, Potty Mouth Technique Of The Month

33 Rock is immortal, says Becky: Hywel Davies throws the horns 46 Punk rock and proud 14 The great Stu Hamm’s
essential techniques column
colin Edwin
34 challenges and inspires

46Ally
“Odd time signatures—not just there to make everything
Star Bass
difficult!” We wish all prog-rock bass players were as cool as Colin
16 We celebrate the work
Neil Murray
36 Mr Murray takes Freddy Villano back to the glory days of Einbinder
of a bass star. This month: the
peerless John Paul Jones
Whitesnake in the 1980s Bass Player (ISSN 1050-785X) is published 13 times
a year, monthly plus a Holiday issue to follow the
Low End Of Love
David Vincent, Vltimas
December issue, by Future Publishing Limited, 11 West
42nd Street, 15th floor, New York, NY 10036. Periodicals 82
38 The former Morbid Angel bassist considers a range of creative
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Joe Shooman worships
an iconic bass. This month: the
options, from outlaw country, to ear-bleeding extreme metal Langhorne, PA 19047-9957. Danelectro Longhorn
005
 LOWDOWN GLAM ROCKS
THE
Sometime Prince bassist Nik West is having one of her basses
customized by a firm called Fernandes Exquisite Creations,
who have individually applied over 12,000 Swarovski crystals
to one of her Fender basses. “The original bass was black, but
because we know Nik loves
News and views from the bass world, collated by purple, we transformed it
into a stunning purple shade
BP’’s team of intrepid newshounds to complement the shade of
Swarovski,” says the company’s
Rebecca Fernandes. The

SLAY RIDE
Everyone’s favorite thrash metallers Slayer are calling it a day, and
company guarantees that the
crystals won’t come unstuck
unless the item, in this case
to make this already significant event slightly surreal, Primus are a bass, is used in an extreme
slated to support them on some of the last dates of their world tour. manner, so if you choose to get
If you know these bands, you’ll know that the combination makes this done, don’t throw your
about as much sense as mixing bass into the crowd.
Guinness with chicken soup.
Talking to comedian Bill Burr,
Primus frontman and Greatest
Living Bass Player™ Les Claypool
said “[It’s] kind of a secret but
maybe I can tell you now… it looks
BASSWATCH
Every month, keen bass-spotter Ray Walker
like we’re confirmed, we’re gonna brings us an online bargain
play the very last run supporting Hofner 500/5 Stuart Sutcliffe Brunette Bass $2,200
Slayer’s very last tour…It’s starting
at Madison Square Garden and Welcome back low-enders! On the
ending at The Forum, that’s the block this month is the wonderfully
rumour.” More to the point, it gives vintage Hofner 500/5 bass. It’s not quite
us an excuse to run this picture of the same model as the one that Stuart
Getty

Les in concert a while back. Sutcliffe, of Beatles fame, played, but

this bass is inspired by the models of the
50s and 60s. From its fully hollow, 16.5”-
LOW-END LEARNING wide body to its Hofner control panel,
JONAS ALMÉN, ROYAL REPUBLIC this beauty delivers that unmistakable
“There is a saying that goes 60s sound. Comprising a flame maple
practice makes perfect, body with a spruce top, as well as a
and I do believe this to be maple/beech/maple neck, this bass certainly delivers on
true. But for me, it’s not about its vintage promise. From the close-spaced original German
Jaro Suffner

practising scales up and down Hofner Bar pickups to its 30” scale, this instrument is an
the neck to a metronome excellent nod to an unforgettable era in bass.
all day. Sure, that’s fine, if
that’s the way you prefer it, but the best way to become better
as a bass player, in my opinion, is to play with others and be
consistent about it. You get more comfortable in your role as a
bass player and you learn so much on the fly. That would be my
BROOKS ON BASS The importance of warming up and warming
number one piece of wisdom to teach. Just keep on playing and down is overlooked by many bassists, and it doesn’t
don’t forget to have fun. I mean, we’re the ones who bring the have to apply only when it’s cold. Warming up your
low-end to the show!” wrists, forearms, shoulders, and neck, as well as your
fingers, can provide significant benefits without
COLIN PARKINSON, TEMPLE OF ONE you even knowing it. Not only does it reduce the likelihood of
“A piece of advice I’d give to anyone is to tweaks and sprains, it can actually make you feel better about your
love what you’re doing. Stop it if you don’t. performance and it gets the blood flowing. If you have the time,
Staying healthy and hydrated is essential, warming up your whole body, especially for outdoor gigs where
especially on the road. Plenty of water each temperatures can fluctuate and big stages are the order of the day,
day and a multivitamin work wonders. can be worthwhile.
Learn about those midrange ‘no-man’s land’ HOT TIP! Stretching seems to be the buzzword in exercise and it’s
frequencies. They’ll open your sound up relevant to the musician too. Nothing too physical is required,
and help you to cut through a mix. Never but some gentle stretching of your arms warms up the tendons
become too comfortable. Always challenge and muscles. Post-gig, the reverse is true—so gentle stretching to
yourself. A P-Bass just works. Get one.” warm down, particularly the hands and wrists, is advisable.

006
 BIRMINGHAM

LOW
Live performance expert at BIMM UK andd
Tax The Heat bassist Antonio Angotti on
playing with confidence
elcome back to Live Performance 101! This time around, I’m

W going to be exploring how we as bass players can be effective

communicators on stage. This is often a skill that is taken for
granted, as we communicate all of the time in everyday life
and, therefore, we assume we’re pretty good at it. However, in a
live performance context, we need a heightened awareness of our
surroundings to be able to connect with the rest of the band as well
as with the audience. This will in turn lead to a more engaging and
cohesive performance overall.
Firstly, let’s address connecting with an audience. It’s surprising
how many performers put all of their attention into watching their
fretboard or looking aimlessly at the floor. The former may suggest
a lack of confidence in your part, while the latter comes across to an
audience as if you’re disinterested or introverted. My first piece of
advice here is to project outwardly. This starts with good posture,
making sure your shoulders are rolled back whilst employing a
confident stance. Bassists such as Duff McKagan, Nik West, Tim
Commerford, Jennie Vee and Gene Simmons are all great examples of
musicians who exude that charisma—jump on YouTube and you’ll see
what I’m talking about.
Another approach to becoming an engaging performer is making
eye contact with the audience. I appreciate that this can be quite an
off-putting experience if it turns into an intense staring competition
with people in the front row, so to avoid any awkwardness, I find
that targeting several spots on the back wall just above the audience’s
heads is a good way of coming across as a confident performer.
The other side of being an effective communicator comes
from our interactions with the rest of the band. Just as with an
audience, if we’re not looking up and giving our full attention, we
risk disconnecting ourselves from the performance altogether. For
instance, the more improvisational or spontaneous moments within
your set will always need to be directed or led by someone, so
watching that person will be crucial to making sure that everyone
stays on the same page.
Your guitarist might decide that they want another 12 bars of solo
(not again!) and if you’re not observing, you’ll end up plowing straight
into the next section in contrast to everyone else. As bassists, having
a hand in both rhythm and harmony, we’re well positioned to lead or
MD ourselves—so nods, gestures, and mouthed directions can help to
get our intentions across. It’s also worth noting that having a dialog
with your band before the performance will help to set contingencies
as well as firm up any special arrangements such as specific endings,
transitions, or other arrangement considerations.
Most of all, though, look like you’re enjoying yourself and really
sell the performance to the audience through your ability to connect.
Cherish those moments on stage with the rest of the band; for a lot
of us it is an opportunity to play with our friends on a regular basis
or with musicians that we really respect. Use it all as an opportunity
to take the lead, to be led and to form an engaging experience for
everyone involved.
www.taxtheheat.com, www.bimm.co.uk
007
 THE WOODSHED
Ace luthier Rob Elrick explains that your bass is also your antenna...
ello and welcome! Let’s consider field that, when disrupted by the a mesh of conductive materials. There

H shielding, the shiny metallic bling

inside your guitar that provides
just enough false confidence for
you to plug in anywhere without fear of
rebroadcasting local radio programmes.
movement of a string, changes.
The changing magnetic field creates a
current in the pickup coil, but a changing
magnetic field creates its current in
exactly the same manner as an antenna.
is, unfortunately, a shortcoming to
this method. While a Faraday cage is
capable of blocking EMI noise from other
sources, the shielding materials used in
guitars is not particularly effective in the
The protection which internal shielding Installing shielding behind a pickup frequency range below 1 kHz. Despite
promises to provide is a bit of a only blocks noise from behind the the fact that it is generally thought of as
contradiction. Manufacturers showcasing instrument—noise that would also have having the ability to block noise, to be
their shielding practices via social media to travel through your body; it provides effective, shielding actually needs to act
have, in recent years, contributed to no protection from interference at the more as a reference than a shield.
some one-upmanship among builders. front of the pickup. Not surprisingly, Every electrical current has a
Unfortunately, the implementation of this is the direction from which external mirrored current at a reference voltage.
copper foil often appears to have its noise is most readily received. For electronics in a guitar or bass, that
foundation in “monkey see, monkey do”, Now, this is where things get reference voltage is usually ground.
rather than actual engineering principles. interesting. If that shielding does not The closer the ground reference is to
To investigate the growing practice of provide a good connection to ground, the audio signal, the more immune it
over-shielding for this page, I consulted it will actually behave like a satellite is to EMI. In most instances a guitar’s
two engineers currently working in dish and reflect noise directly into a shielding is really acting as a ground
the music products industry (MI), Clyde pickup coil. Most quality pickups are reference. It is not absorbing noise so
Clark and Larry Pollack. Both have manufactured with internal shielding much as acting as a reference, impeding
engineering backgrounds from outside
MI. Larry is an electro-mechanical
designer and has acted as a director “TO BE EFFECTIVE, SHIELDING ACTUALLY NEEDS TO
of engineering, specialising in sensor
and low-noise circuit design. He now
manufactures music-related electronics
ACT MORE AS A REFERENCE THAN A SHIELD”
and pickups as Aero Instrument. Clyde
has worked in high-tech engineering, and reference voltage, and also provide the signal conductors from acting as
designing ICs, boards, and systems. Much a direct path to ground in order to antenna. To successfully accomplish this,
of his career was focused on ensuring keep noise out of the audio signal. any shielding needs to be well connected
that critical-use devices such as mobile When installed behind a pickup with to ground and between the noise source
phones are protected from interference, a ground reference, supplemental and the instrument’s electronics. That
and he is now the owner of Bartolini shielding will almost always make any ground connection needs to terminate
Pickups and Electronics. noise problem worse. For this reason, on the sleeve of the output jack so that it
Shielding is generally thought of installing shielding behind a pickup is may drain into the amplifier ground.
as something intended to block noise not recommended in the majority of It seems that the common presumption
from outside sources, like an amplifier, applications. that shielding inside a guitar acts as a
lighting, or other electric devices. This For control cavities, a shield against EMI or RFI is not
noise is called EMI (Electromagnetic common practice is to enclose entirely accurate. And while
Interference) or RFI (Radio-Frequency the compartment with a there are unquestionably
Interference). Not long ago, it’s likely that Faraday cage or shield, named benefits to following
any conversation about shielding would after the English scientist common shielding practices,
have been limited to the control cavity Michael Faraday. These types it is also possible to introduce
of an instrument. Today, however, it’s of enclosures are intended to noise by over-shielding. In the
become common to see builders lining block electromagnetic fields. end, as in life, the best results
pickup routes with copper foil. In many In guitars Faraday enclosures are achieved by staying well
instances, this can be the beginning are often constructed as a grounded.
of one’s problems. You see, a magnetic continuous covering of www.elrick.com
pickup is, in essence, an antenna. A conductive paint or
conventional magnetic pickup creates copper foil, or
an electrical current that corresponds in the case of
to the movement of a string. This is a Faraday
accomplished by providing a magnetic cage,

008
 Bass Of Tomorrow
andreas Neubauer has been putting his clients before his ego for the past 35 years. Hywel Davies chats with the
Viennese master about his bass-building philosophy
Words: Hywel Davies

I
f you want a job done right, you have
to do it yourself. For a lot of musicians
turned luthiers, this is more of a
mantra than a throwaway phrase.
As a plucky 16-year-old bassist, Andreas
Neubauer of Neubauer Guitars took this
to heart, taking matters into his own
hands—literally.
“Back in 1980, I was in a band, and
played a 1978 Precision,” recollects
Neubauer. “I loved that bass, but I was
looking for a different sound, so I bought
a Gibson EB-2 semi-acoustic bass with
completely worn-down frets. I brought it
to a Viennese repairman, but he was doing
a hack job, so I decided to do it myself.
This was the very beginning of Neubauer
Guitars. I gradually taught myself to
become a luthier over the next six years.
At the same time, I started a four-year
vocational training course to be a dental
technician! I worked 24/7, all year round
in both professions. Eventually, I built my
very first professional bass in 1988 for the
Vienna Art Orchestra bass player, Robert
Riegler. It was a six-string with a super
long scale. I’ll never forget it.”
Neubauer’s philosophy is clear-cut: to
create the best possible instruments for
and by musicians. His understanding of
his clients’ needs cannot be understated,
and it’s as much a part of the creative
process as the materials that go into each
instrument. As he says, “My philosophy
is simple: perfection in ergonomic design,
playability, versatility, and to create
something truly beautiful. Being a bass
player myself helps a lot, but what’s more
important is empathy for your customer
when you’re a bespoke luthier.”
Working as closely as Neubauer does
with his clients, no two of his instruments
the same. Handcrafted from a range neck joint, which combines all the positive just tells me his ideas, like the number of
of local Austrian tonewoods, two of features and sounds of a neck-through frets and the color and so on, and after
his models stand head and shoulders and a bolt-on neck.” that, the rest is my business. I always have
above the rest. “The Phoenix six-string One such happy customer has stuck by complete freedom in how I build basses
contrabass and the Pegasus five-string his side through thick and thin. Colombian for him. In other words, I always did what
are my latest models, and they are very bass wizard Juan Garcia-Herreros, aka I wanted and he trusts that, because Juan
important to me,” he explains. “They have ‘Snow Owl’, is a proud Phoenix owner. “The isn’t just a celebrated endorsee—he’s my
a unique way in which the neck bolts thing about working with Juan is that he’s brother, and a part of my family.”
onto the body. I called it the T- Profile highly professional,” says Neubauer. “He www.neubauerguitars.com
010
 FORUMS
No Treble, Basschat and Talkbass

NO TREBLE
Kevin Johnson reports from the bottom end Silvia Bluejay opens up a can of WPAS

N A
o Treble readers were on a gear high this month, with loads recurring topic on Basschat is that of PA systems. Most
of new equipment hitting the market. The most talked- of these threads appear in the Accessories and Misc
about piece was the freshly unveiled Ernie Ball Music Man subforum, which gives the wrong impression given the
Joe Dart Signature Bass, which was opened to pre-order on critical importance of PAs for bands who gig in small
March 1. It’s something different from the company in order to venues that don’t have their own. It’s often the bass player
suit the Vulfpeck bassist’s ‘less is more’ approach to his rig. who owns and sets up the PA, probably because few others
Based on the Classic Sterling, the bass has an ash body in a are willing to spend half an hour plugging cables and adjusting
natural finish and a beautiful flamed maple neck complete with levels before each gig. Or maybe it’s because we can go on
a figured maple board. It’s simpler in looks as well as function, Basschat to vent, complain, and look for advice.
because the bass is fitted with a custom passive MM humbucker There’s plenty of debate on all aspects of a PA. Is hoisting huge,
and just a single volume knob. That means no active preamp, heavy speakers onto stands really necessary, or are linear arrays
usually a hallmark of Ernie Ball basses. Dart certainly doesn’t need with subwoofers at floor level good enough? Do we prefer real
it, as we can attest that any bass will sound funky in his hands. knobs, or are we happy with facsimiles on a computer screen?
While bridges may be an afterthought to some, the new bridge If we already use a wireless system for our bass, should we also
from Ray Ross Basses shocked many with its saddle-less design. consider a wirelessly-operated desk, and do the soundcheck
Each string is held up by a tone pin that streamlines its plane from out front, or would that be asking for trouble?
and keeps it completely straight from the bridge to the nut. ‘This I’ve been directly involved the discussion about wireless PAs.
concept removes the ‘kink’ from the string, providing increased I am the ears out front at soundcheck and during gigs for the
vibrational energy through the strings and into the body of the bands I work with. In other words, I’m the woman shouting
instrument,’ Ray Ross founder Aaron Ross writes. ‘This feature and gesticulating at the guys on stage: ‘That needs to come up!’,
allows maximum transference to the instrument so you can ‘Turn that down!’ and so on. Surely there’s an easier way… Cue
get the most of the bass itself, not solely the color of the bridge.’ some Wireless PA Acquisition Syndrome, and I’m now the non-
A healthy debate on the merits of the design swept No Treble’s shouting, non-gesticulating woman out front with a tablet. Not
Facebook page, so we’re interested to see it used in the wild. a proper sound engineer, y’understand, at least not yet.
No Treble also remembered the amazing Jeff Andrews, who I’m currently negotiating my way around volume, gain, EQ,
passed away at the age of 59. Andrews was a mainstay of the New and effects, which are operated differently on a tablet and on
York City jazz scene and one of the most swinging electric bassists a laptop—all that with advice and encouragement from more
of all time. His work with artists like Mike Stern, Wayne Shorter, experienced Basschat members, and closely watched by others
Vital Information, Michael Brecker, and more cemented his place thinking of joining the club. The obligatory scary story involves
in the history of the genre. His dedication to educating up-and- the wireless system conking out mid-gig. Should we be seriously
coming bassists was just as important to him. His impact will concerned? How many belts and braces can be applied to this
surely be felt on the music scene for generations. Until next time, case, before it all gets ridiculously over the top? Follow the drama
keep grooving! unfolding in Accessories and Misc, and join in if you like!
www.notreble.com www.basschat.co.uk

TALKBASS Chris Fitzgerald considers constructive criticism

T
here are many opportunities to learn as part of an online bass I realize now that these relationships were essential to my growth
community, from gear options you wouldn’t otherwise hear as a musician. These generous people taking the time to review
about, to philosophical ideas about music—and everything in my playing in all aspects—good, bad, and ugly—had become online
between. But in my 19 years as a member of the double bass mentors, digital Yoda figures whose words echoed in my head when
forum at Talkbass, one of the most useful aspects of the interaction has I approached bass practice and performance. Their critiques of my
been the chance to receive constructive criticism from others who see playing went well beyond ‘Man, you sound really great’ and into areas
things from perspectives other than my own. like ‘Next time you are in this kind of situation, try this and see what
My online education began in the early 2000s when I was a much happens’, or questions like ‘How does your role as a timekeeper change
less experienced bass player. While posting on the forum, I happened when the soloist does this’?
to interact with more experienced players who challenged me on These extraordinary people challenged me to challenge myself to
various subjects and made me question things in ways I had not yet become a better musician. In the process, they showed how to critique
thought about. I was fortunate to develop relationships with a few of without deriding, to question without insulting, and to confront
these people that involved sharing and critiquing recordings of each without trolling. For this, I am eternally in their debt, and I hope to
other. Since this was back in the days when bandwidth was not so help spread their message in my next 20 years online.
copious, much of this was done via snail mail and email. www.talkbass.com

011
 THEORY MONTH
OF THE
Dorian In Fourths? No, not a Smiths song but Nik Preston’s latest essential theory

H
ello! By now, most of you will be Corea really helped to popularize quartal considerably faster than they will need to
aware that I’m not a great fan of harmony and phrases made up of fourths. in most contexts. However, they may not
practising scales purely for technique. Our example this month is just the D know their scales and modes in fourths,
I spent way too much time doing that Dorian mode, explored predominantly fifths, sixths and sevenths.
in my teenage years, but soon realized from the perspective of fourths. From a If we want to take this idea further still,
that it was actually hampering my ability technical perspective it requires a lot of I would practise it slow enough so that
to create lines unless I practised with a string-crossing. That’s an important skill, we can name the interval that each of the
context in mind—for example, how scales but the primary goal here is fretboard notes is giving us, relative to a D minor
and modes relate to chords. familiarity. If we can become fluent in the chord. This obviously helps our fretboard
Sure, scales and modes can be great construction of scales and modes with all familiarity and knowledge of harmony,
technique-builders, but obviously they intervals (fourths and fifths are a great but can also help our aural skills too.
have other uses as a harmonic and melodic
resource. In order for us to go on and

“BY APPLYING THIS CONCEPT TO ALL SCALES AND

create lines, we definitely need to have
practised the technical aspects of scales
and modes, but many players practise
stepwise (running up and down the scales
in ascending and retrograde form) and MODES, IN ALL KEYS, WE CAN UNLOCK THE FRETBOARD”
maybe sometimes in thirds. They often
don’t progress to larger intervals and as start to help us progress past stepwise and As is often the case in this column, this
such, don’t develop the facility to create thirds) then we have a far greater array of example is really just a taste of a concept
more angular lines. options at our disposal. that you can use to create your own drills
Anthony Jackson is a great example of By applying this concept to all scales and exercises over a range of different
technical and stylistic versatility, and is a and modes, in all keys, we can unlock the chords and contexts. Scales and modes
real exponent of lines made up of larger fretboard at a far greater rate than we can need to be practised, but they need to be
intervals. Scott LaFaro and Gary Peacock by playing stepwise scales at break-neck practised in a variety of ways and nearly
both developed styles that exploit larger speed. Don’t get me wrong, we need to always with the chord(s) in mind that
intervals, more so than a lot of their be able to do that too, at least to a certain they can be played over.
predecessors, and soloists such as Wayne extent, but many aspiring bass players As always, take it slowly, have fun, and
Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Chick that I know can already play scales let yourself be inspired to create!

Example 1

012
 TECHNIQUE M
OF THE
Welcome back once more to Stu Hamm’s essential techniques page.
Let’s play some country, part 2!

Ecki
H
ello again, fellow bass clef
enthusiasts! I trust that you’ve been
hard at work on last month’s lesson?
Great! Let’s move along and finish
what we started, because this month
I want to show you how to play the
complete head, or melody, of one of my
first recordings, a song called ‘Country
Music, A Night in Hell’.
I heard a lot of bluegrass music growing
up in the heartland of the USA, and
when I was a kid I used to watch a TV
show called The Beverly Hillbillies. At
one point during the opening credits,
the soundtrack went into a double-time

“I’VE NEVER BEEN ABLE

TO GET THAT NOTE… IF Learn Stu’s dark bass secrets, but remember: with great

YOU CAN DO IT, THEN MY bluegrass licks come great hordes of hillbillies in pick-up trucks

HAT IS OFF TO YOU” been the basis of my previous set of

lessons. As I did so I heard the similarity
month, and then we do another walk-up
to get to the second main riff in the key
to banjo picking, and the seed of an idea of A minor.
banjo riff, and, depending on how much was planted, recorded and released on You’ll notice that I don’t tap the low
sugar I had eaten that day, my folks my first CD, Radio Free Albemuth in 1988. G on the second beat of bar 2. I’ve never
would have to peel me off the walls or Heckling ensued… been able to get that note to articulate
the ceiling as I tumbled around the room. If you’ve mastered last month’s clearly at a tempo to make it worth
I was so excited. technique, you’ve already learned the the effort, as the other fingers are now
When I started slapping and popping most difficult part, so all we have to do outlining a C major triad, whereas before
on the bass—and back in 1975, believe now is fill in the blanks. It starts with they had just been playing the F#/G/G/
it or not, not many bassists did—I came a simple walk up from G to C, then we open G riff. If you can do it, then my hat
upon the fretted G/open G riff that has play the main riff that we worked on last is off to you.

Example 1

014
 THE LOWDOWN
Technique of the Month

It can be helpful to bar across two strings, but it might take

you some time to develop the necessary strength

Example 2

“TAKE THE TIME TO

PRACTISE AT WHATEVER
TEMPO YOU’RE
COMFORTABLE WITH”
Example 3

The second main riff of the melody wrist nice and relaxed. The right hand strings ring true without being muted by
outlines an A minor triad, from high is also doing something interesting here, your hand or fingers.
octave to low. There are two tricky bits as I’m using a technique that I often use The rest is easy [For you, maybe!—Ed].
here, one with the left hand and one with when playing two notes at once. What I We finish up with the main riff, this time
the right. All of the notes except the first do is fret both notes with the same finger, ending with a chromatic walk-up to the
high A are all struck with the thumb of making my finger a sort of capo. This key of G. Then the final variation of the
your right hand. takes some getting used to if you’ve never main theme takes us back to the start.
This happens rather quickly, so take the tried it before. The technique takes real Now put it all together, have fun,
time to practise at whatever tempo you’re strength to bar half of the fretboard like amaze your friends... and play something
comfortable with until it feels and sounds that, and also requires precision to do we can dance to!
good and clean. Remember to keep your it cleanly enough so that the rest of the www.stuarthamm.net
015
 Star BaSS
Each month we celebrate the great—and rather less great!—work of an acclaimed bass player.
This month: John Paul Jones
Words: Joe Shooman Image: Getty

bona fide rock god, Led Zeppelin’s John Paul influence is mighty; everyone from John Deacon to Gene Simmons

A
Jones is also a legendary session player, with has given him props, and he was given a Gold Badge Award by the
collaborations with REM, Peter Gabriel, Paul British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in 2010
McCartney, Heart, and Brian Eno under his belt. for contributions to the UK music industry. Outside Led Zep he’s
The multi-instrumentalist and producer can turn released several solo albums, worked with Josh Homme and Dave
his hand to mandolin, pedal steel, keys, guitar, Grohl in Them Crooked Vultures, and played with Seasick Steve on
and crazy hybrids like his three-necked mandolin monster. He’s two albums and many live appearances. But it was those enormous
also a brilliant arranger—consider his orchestra-conducting with Zeppelin bass-lines that first introduced us to his skills—and it’s fair
Foo Fighters at the 2008 Grammys, for example. As a bass player, his to say that they left an indelible mark on musical history.

016
 star Bass
MuSt-Have alBuM
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II (1969)
F
izzing with pent-up energy, largely written between sold-out concerts and
recorded mostly live in often-ropey studios along the way, Led Zeppelin II
could have been a disaster. That it is one of the greatest rock albums of all
time is testament to a group both hungry for mega-success and battle-hardened
by constantly being on the road. John Paul Jones was using Rotosound flatwounds
on his Fender Jazz at this stage, playing the strings hard and hefty with his fingers
or a pick depending on the song. The iconic ‘Whole Lotta Love’ riff features open D
and E to bolster the meat, possibly (as he did live) through an Acoustic 361 with an
18” folded horn enclosure. This is the heavy blues sound that finally killed off the
Sixties; Jones, along with the rest of the band, absolutely nails it throughout. His
signature low action can create a rattle, but he’s said on more than one occasion that
this is an occupational hazard. Jones would subsequently go on to use Rotosound
Swing Bass roundwounds, and even Piano Bass Strings with an exposed centre core
for his later multi-stringed basses—and a coin-thick 2mm pick!

WortHy Contender Cool GrooveS

Them Crooked Vultures John Paul Jones
Them Crooked Vultures (2009) The Thunderthief (2001)
T J
his is a three-piece at the top of their game. Take ‘Mind ones treated his second solo album as chance to play as many
Eraser, No Chaser’ for example. An itchy, syncopated guitar instruments as possible, and took on production duties too.
riff with doubled root note bass allows Homme and Grohl It’s great fun trying to identify all the basses being used. We
to share vocals before the pre-chorus, where a bubbling bass-line reckon these include JPJ’s own Fender VI, plus 10 and 12-string
rises and falls. It’s exciting as hell. Of course, Jones also brings custom variants, probably made by luthier Hugh Manson, a long-
his keys, vocals and other instruments to the fray, and his old time associate of his. The album ranges from beautiful folk (‘Down
favorite, the Jazz, reappears after 35 years on the bench. The To The River To Pray’) to rumbling swamp-rock like the title track,
innovator didn’t stay old-school for long; in live appearances he where the bass is locked in on the root with a DOA-esque riff. It’s
played the Lapaphone—an eight-string, three-octave lap steel doomy and dark, with Cardiacs-esque time signatures and cross-
bass with a Fernandes Sustainer and a Hipshot tuning system rhythms. The Middle East-meets-Ireland ceilidh of ‘Hoediddle’
switching between three tunings at the press of a lever. Over the eventually slides into a basic, rhythmic bass-line under strings
top, arguably unnecessary, and inarguably amazing. Check out and synths. ‘Daphne’ brings Delta blues and a great middle eight
the 2010 Fuji Rock performance of ‘No One Loves Me, Neither Do where Jones briefly cuts loose on what could be an upright bass.
I’ to see JPJ and his latest toy in full flow. ‘Angry Angry’ uses an electric bass mandolin. Astonishing.

Wild Card avoid at all CoStS

Seasick Steve Led Zeppelin
Hubcap Music (2013) Presence (1976)
S B
teve Wold, a sessionist of some repute, hoodwinked a willing efore we get lynched by irate Zep fans, let’s explain ourselves:
world into believing his persona as a dustbowl hobo under Presence isn’t a bad album. It rocks in a straightforward, in-
his Seasick moniker. He gets away with it because people love yer-face way that recalls the band’s debut. But it was born of
Cover art © Led Zeppelin, Seasick Steve, John Paul Jones, Them Crooked Vultures

it: JPJ is no exception, playing on this and also the 2011 LP, You difficulties: Robert Plant was injured in a car accident in Greece,
Can’t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks. Jones’s signature four-string forcing the cancellation of a planned tour. Plant and Jimmy Page
E-Bass was created by Manson in 2010; the bassist always loved decamped to Malibu to write instead, and the resulting LP was
up-to-the-minute gear, and as an arranger/producer is bang up bashed out in two-and-a-half weeks. So far, so punk rock, although
for the possibilities of new technology. In his earlier session days the 10-minute ‘Achilles’ Last Stand’, with Jones on his Alembic
he’d be happy with an Ampeg B15 and his Jazz, as on Donovan’s eight-string, was longer than many punk bands’ careers on its
‘Hurdy Gurdy Man’. Hubcap Music harks back to those stripped- own. The stories are often better than the songs; ‘Royal Orleans’
down times, Jones keeping it relatively simple. Check out ‘Keep on had its genesis in an incident where JPJ shared a spliff with a drag
Keepin’ On’ for some great little glissandi and high-register soloing, queen, only to fall asleep and set his hotel bed on fire. Had that
and head toward ‘The Way I Do’ for a pulsebeat underneath guest fateful crash not intervened, it’s likely Zep would have gone into
guitarist Jack White’s minor seventh-heavy lead, brought to you stratospheric exploratory territories—instead, the group suffered
from a midnight crossroads in a parallel-universe 1924. through a terrible last few years, personally and musically.

017
018
 BASSISTS
John Entwistle

An Oak Tree
In The Middle
Of A Tornado
The greatest rock bassist of all time? Quite possibly—but don’t take
our word for it. Ask Lemmy, ask Rick Wakeman, ask the readers of
this and many other magazines, and definitely ask Chris Charlesworth,
chronicler of The Who and friend of the late genius, who pens this
tribute on the 50th anniversary of Tommy
Photo: Getty

bout ttime too.” of Rolling Stone overwhelmingly voted him

J
John Entwistle could be the greatest bass player of all time. Today, of

“A
fo
orgiven for thinking such course, it’s widely acknowledged that John,
oughts when, in 2000, who died in 2002, was the best rock bass
sician magazine named player ever to plug in and shatter eardrums,
m its ‘Bassist of the but it was his misfortune that during the
illennium’. time when The Who were performing
A sshame, then, that The Ox regularly, from 1964 to 1983, his skills were
wasn’t around 11 years later when readers largely overlooked.

019
 The golden era for The Who coincided
with the release of their rock opera
Tommy, 50 years ago this month. Although
they’d already distinguished themselves on
the concert circuit in both the UK and the
US, this was the group’s breakthrough in
terms of record sales. In many ways it was
a showcase for John, who not only played
bass throughout but also contributed
vocals, including lead on two ‘nasty’ songs
that Pete Townshend requested he write
for his rock opera, as well as French horn,
trumpet, and flugelhorn.
John soon makes his presence felt. In the
‘Overture’ to Tommy, his French horn—the
first solo instrument to be heard—takes
on a melodic role in place of absent
vocals, while in the indistinguishable
instrumentals ‘Sparks,’ and ‘Underture,’ his
repeated descending bass figure defines
the structure, the rigid staff around
which Townshend and Keith Moon
can improvise. On stage ‘Sparks’ would
become a pièce de résistance of ensemble
Who playing, with the band’s three
instrumentalists reaching higher and
higher, towards block chord climaxes that
characterized their style: The ringing open
notes, the octave drops, and wave after
wave of escalating, bass-driven crescendos.
In ‘Pinball Wizard’, the best known
song from Tommy, Townshend’s furiously
strummed intro is punctuated by the
thunderous boom of powerful guitar stabs
that John famously reproduced live by
hammering down on his bottom string.
The finale to Tommy, ‘See Me Feel Me’ with
its turbocharged ‘Listening To You’ coda,
is driven by rousing major chords, while
John’s relentless, twangy bass acts as the
foundation on which his three colleagues
could rip yet another stage to pieces.
All of this, coupled with increasingly
earnest accolades from his peers, ought to
have raised John’s profile as a bassist par
excellence but in the period after Tommy’s
release other players—most notably Jack
Bruce, Chris Squire, and Greg Lake—
received many more votes in the ‘Top
Bassist’ category of readers’ polls conducted
by Melody Maker, then the benchmark
by which instrumental prowess was John during the final Who ‘Lifehouse’ concert at
getty

London’s Young Vic Theatre, May 5, 1971

measured. Indeed, in the 1973 MM poll

John doesn’t even make it into the top 10

“John goT ATTEnTion simpLy bECAusE hE sTood so

bass players.
Why was this? Well, despite my efforts
as MM’s unofficial Who cheerleader, the

sTiLL, his fingERs fLying LikE A sTEnogRAphER’s, paper gave far more coverage to Yes and
Emerson, Lake & Palmer than it did to

ThE noTEs A mAChinE-gun ChATTER” my favorite band, and Jack Bruce’s stint
with Cream gave him an edge that never
went away. Furthermore, despite his

020
 bassists
John Entwistle
solo recordings John had the lowest of
profiles within The Who. Overshadowed
by the wayward but fearsome intellect
of Townshend, the lunatic exploits of
Moon, and the craggy good looks of Roger
Daltrey, John early on realized the futility
of competing, of doing anything other than
simply stand there and play, a low-key
approach unlikely to earn him votes from
magazine readers.
But I think there was more to it than
that. John can best be thought of as a bass
guitarist, perhaps even a guitarist who
played bass, rather than a bassist. This
distinction—which he made himself—is
important. “I found bass very boring,”
he once said. “I wanted to turn it into a
solo instrument and the only way to do
that was turn up the treble.” In another
interview he even went so far as to say
The soft-spoken star on the recording
that The Who didn’t have a bass player.
session for ‘The Seeker’ with The Who,
So it was that audiences never really IBC Studios, London, January 19, 1970

getty
appreciated what John was playing,
because the sounds that came from his
speaker stacks appeared to come from drums, they were augmented by a further and he took compliments like a pinch of
Townshend’s guitar, or even a pre-recorded 12 musicians, all to compensate for John salt, wryly amused by his reputation as
low register synthesizer. Coupled with the turning down. “The only way we could a disciple of the macabre; “big bad black
guitarist’s attention-grabbing style—the add [John’s] harmonic richness,” said Johnny Twinkle,” as Moon once yelled on
leaping around and windmilling—not to Townshend, “was to add brass, second stage, to which Townshend added, “with
mention the antics of Daltrey and Moon, guitar, acoustic guitar, two keyboards, the flying fingers”.
no-one paid much attention to the chap backing vocals, and people banging gongs, John and his wife Alison welcomed me
on the left in the brightly colored jackets because that’s what John used to replicate.” into their home. It was the kind of house
who simply stood there and played. What “He had a technique that was light years you might expect a moderately successful
they missed was a display of extraordinary ahead of everybody else at the time,” said businessman to occupy with his family,
but inconspicuous fluency, a player whose keyboard player Rick Wakeman, who comfortable but not ostentatious, perfect

“hE EmpLoyEd vibRATing TRiLLs And unExpECTEd

technique involved not just plucking his
strings with his thumb and every finger
of his right hand, but also tapping them
and switching periodically to a plectrum,
bending, hammering on, and pulling off bELL-LikE hARmoniCs, gLissAndos ThAT TRAvELEd
ThE LEngTh of his EnTiRE fRETboARd”
notes. He employed vibrating trills, and
unexpected bell-like harmonics, glissandos
that traveled the length of his entire
fretboard, parts that echoed or reinforced
lead riffs and vocal lines, and even chords
strummed across two or more strings, that studied at the Royal College of Music. for the character in The Kinks’ song ‘Well
created an all-enveloping wash of low- “Nobody played like John.” Respected Man’. Some wags within the
frequency resonance. What’s more, he “Best bassist in rock’n’roll,” added Lemmy. Who camp were suggesting John should
made it look easy. “No contest.” run for Mayor of Ealing.
“John got attention simply because The house was full of curios: “Part
he stood so still, his fingers flying like a *** museum, part instrument store, part studio
stenographer’s, the notes a machine-gun and part home,” I wrote in MM. He had just
chatter,” wrote Townshend in Who I Am, In the third week of December, 1972, I bought a table lamp with those swishy
his 2012 autobiography. “And through it all, visited John at his semi-detached house in frond-like tentacles that lit up at the ends
as if to anchor the experience, John stood the west London suburb of Ealing in the and I’d never seen one before. Nowadays
like an oak tree in the middle of a tornado.” UK, ostensibly to interview him for Melody they’re a bit kitsch but I was fascinated
After a break of seven years Townshend Maker about his second solo album Whistle by it. Even more impressive was the first
agreed to tour again with The Who in 1989, Rhymes. By this time I had edged myself video recorder I’d ever seen, a contraption
but he stipulated that because loud noise into the role of MM’s unofficial ‘Who the size of the average microwave with
had damaged his hearing he would do so correspondent’ and charmed my way lots of dials, and cassettes like cigar boxes.
only if John significantly reduced his on- backstage at several concerts, so I knew John demonstrated it for me, and then
stage volume, a condition that required The him reasonably well. He was a friendly, took me upstairs to admire his collection
Who’s stage personnel to be substantially down-to-earth man, quite softly-spoken of guitars and basses. Outside of a music
reinforced. With Simon Phillips now on and reserved when he wasn’t performing, shop, I’d never seen so many guitars in one

021
 answer questions about his equipment,
his playing style and The Who, and sign
autographs for one and all. I cannot think
of any other rock star of his stature who
was more gracious to fans, the lifeblood
of the music industry after all, than John,
nor fans who appreciated this princely
attitude so much.
The last time I spoke to John was
backstage at Wembley Arena after a
Who show on November 15, 2000. The
hospitality area was crowded with men
and women far younger than me or the
group and there was no sign of Townshend
or Daltrey but, as ever, John was in the
midst of the throng. Grey-haired and
looking older than his 56 years, he was
A rare moment with John front and center on a photo shoot with slightly tipsy I think, and when he saw me,
The Who in the Hollywood Hills, California in 1968. Behind him (L-R) he offered a warm smile of recognition.
are Keith Moon, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend

getty
“I don’t know a soul here apart from
you,” I said to him.
place. He told me he had 32, which was father loved the house and Stow,” says “Neither do I,” he replied, laughing.
nothing compared to the number he would John’s son Christopher, who put the house
eventually amass. and most of its contents on the market ***
In 1975, flush with funds accrued from after his father’s death. “Everyone knew
the Who’s US success, John and Alison him there but they gave him plenty of Thanks to the miracle of modern
moved to a preposterously large mansion privacy and he was never bothered by technology it is now possible for fans to
on the southern outskirts of Stow-on-the- anyone.” watch John playing on two Who’s Next
Wold in Gloucestershire, about 85 miles About 90 of John’s bass guitars, songs, ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ and ‘Baba
west of London. Approached by a winding among them several instruments that O’Riley’, and hear his bass-lines isolated
from the vocals, guitar and drums. These

“LoyAL fAns dEEpLy AppRECiATEd noT JusT John’s

extraordinary clips, made available for the
first time on a bonus disc with the 2004
reissue of the Who documentary film The

immEnsE skiLLs As A musiCiAn buT ThE TouChing Kids Are Alright, can now be found on the
internet and have, at the time of writing,

ALLEgiAnCE hE hAd ALWAys shoWn ToWARds ThEm” attracted nearly two million views for
‘WGFA’ and well over a million for ‘Baba
O’. John’s now famous solos in The Who’s
‘Dreaming From The Waist’ and ‘5.15’
drive through trees and shrubbery, he had played onstage with The Who, can also be viewed, as can bassists who
Quarwood was a gothic Victorian hunting were sold in 2003 at Sotheby’s Auction demonstrate John’s techniques.
lodge completed in 1859, with 42 acres Room in South Kensington, along with Finally, a full length biography of John
of land, seven cottages, and 55 rooms, a similar number of guitars and many is due to be published by Constable in
its cantilevered staircase leading to a brass instruments. The sale, which also October. Written by Paul Rees, a former
gallery where gold and platinum records included Who memorabilia, stage clothes, editor of Q and Kerrang! magazines, The
were displayed floor to ceiling. Many of antique chandlery, and casts of game fish, Ox: The Last of the Great Rock Stars: The
the bedrooms housed John’s instrument raised about a million pounds. Authorized Biography of John Entwistle
collection which, in the fullness of Watching the auctioneer’s hammer is sanctioned by John’s estate, and
time, would grow into one of the largest come down alongside me were grieving features contributions from Alison and
guitar collections belonging to any rock fans eager to bid for a little piece of John Christopher, his cousin and stepbrother,
musician. Another was given over to his Entwistle. In the last decade of his life and John’s second wife, Maxene, along
electric train set. Medieval suits of armour they had seen him performing not only with many from the Who camp, including
stood in the hallway where, dangling with The Who but also with bands of his manager Bill Curbishley and Who
from a noose, was a stuffed effigy of own, and the lack of renown he’d suffered soundman Bob Pridden who operated
Quasimodo eyeing the skeleton that in the early part of his career was now a John’s studio at Quarwood. Rees also had
reclined in an armchair. thing on the past. These loyal fans deeply full access to John’s archives, including
Unlike the semi in Ealing, it was the appreciated not just John’s immense several chapters of an unpublished
epitome of rock star indulgence, and skills as a musician but the touching autobiography that John had completed.
although it seemed to me as it if it was allegiance he had always shown towards About time too.
permanently in need of a coat of a paint them. Within the Who fan community it
and a bit of building work, the master of had become well known that after both Chris Charlesworth is the co-author, with sleeve designer
the house was as proud of his chattels as his own and Who shows, John would Mike Mcinnerney, of tommy at 50, published by apollo on May
any 18th Century Lord of the Manor. “My remain behind to socialize, happy to 21, for which Pete townshend has written a foreword.
022
 Forward
Thinking
After her stellar career with Robbie Williams Paul Welle Hans Zimme Squeeze and many other projects
Yolanda Charles is returning to her funk-heavy roots
Interview: Mike Brooks Images: Tina K, Maria Zhytnikova

e last met you at the scene, shall we say—and that has meant one-to-one teaching, and I had a nice

W
Warwick Bass Camp in I’ve been able to meet, play, and hang out run of private students. Then in 2006, I
the UK, Yolanda. How with musicians of a caliber that I admire was invited onto a popular music course
was it for you? and respect. to do a masterclass, which I had never
It was really fun. I done before. It was terrifying, but I’ve
wasn’t sure what to You were teaching at that event—is that progressed from there over the past 10
expect, although I’ve something you do a lot of? years to doing, for example, a three-hour
been around trade events before. They I did my first bit of teaching back at solo masterclass at the Royal Northern
can be quite draining, and although it college, I stood in for the bass teacher College of Music, UK. Nowadays I’m
was full-on, it was still fun. It’s such a couple of times. Then I found myself absolutely comfortable doing that.
a privilege to hang out with people in the position where I could do some That Warwick session was great
like Dennis Chambers and Alphonso because I offered to do some sessions

“I Was alWays told

Johnson, which, I have to say, I never on syncopation, beat placement, and
imagined would happen in my life. When timing, and incorporated all three things
I was younger, it was like climbing Mount into my classes. I’m going to develop my
Everest, a different universe, and you
could never imagine rubbing shoulders that you can’t teach masterclasses now to incorporate all
of this. I was always told that you can’t
with the likes of these people. But over
the years, as my career has progressed,
I’ve become more qualified on the ‘muso’
feel, but you can” teach feel, but I think you can, and I’m
trying to formulate a way to convey it
through exercises and approach.

024
BASSISTS
Yolanda Charles

025
 A growing number of high-profile female
bassists are coming through. Is that
because any boundaries that existed for
female bassists are being removed at last?
No, I don’t think they are being removed.
The reason that someone like Divinity
Roxx, Nik West, and a few others are
getting more of a profile is because of the
amount of work they’ve put into their
career. A musician may get breaks and
get to work on great gigs, but after that
things can slow down again if you don’t
do your own thing, because there is so
much competition. All bass players need
some kind of angle other than just being
a good bass player, and the women you’re
referring to need to be very high-profile
to be recognized over other bass players.
They put a lot of work into their fanbase,
making records, being seen, putting videos
up and really putting some effort into that.
The women have done great to get to that
place and forge a career.

Are women being offered sessions, tours,

and recording work as often as the guys?
I don’t think they are. I think it’s still a
man’s world in that respect. The way that
female players are perceived—as not as
good as the guys—hasn’t changed.

Do people appreciate what you’ve done,

career-wise?
It depends. In the world of bass, people
may know who I am—but outside of that,
not many people know who I am or what
I do. I was around doing the UK music
programmes on TV before it all started
dying out, but I wouldn’t say that being on
TV helped me to get recognized. In session
situations where I’ve been brought in by
somebody, maybe the artist knows me, but
the MD doesn’t. I still find myself having to
qualify my position, and they reserve their
judgement until I’ve played the notes. But I
don’t care if I have to justify my role. I don’t
agree with musicians being set up as deities
or put on pedestals, because I’ve known
too many musicians who haven’t had the
opportunity or been in the right place at
the right time to get those gigs which can
make your CV look amazing. If I judge a
musician at all, it’s by how they play. If it’s
rocking and in the pocket, I’m happy. It’s
not about what’s on your CV, it’s about
touch, tone, and good taste.

“I don’t care If I have to justIfy my role. I In recent years, you’ve toured with Hans
Zimmer and joined Squeeze.

don’t agree WIth musIcIans beIng set up as Working with Hans is absolutely fantastic.
I was reading and working with clicks that

deItIes, or put on pedestals”

had tempo changes throughout. If you can’t
play in time with a click, you can’t do a gig
like that. And for Squeeze, Chris Difford

026
 bassists
Yolanda Charles
dropped me a direct message on Twitter,
and asked if I’d like to play on a new album,
The Knowledge, that they were going to
record. I assumed that that was a session,
so I said yes—I say yes to every session!
Then management contacted me, and
Glenn Tilbrook came down to watch me
sit in on a gig with Alex Skolnick at Pizza
Express. He enjoyed my playing in that
fusion setting, which I’d thought might be
a deal-breaker. The next thing we were in
the studio; they sent a few demos through,
some had lyrics, some didn’t. We went
through these tunes and came up with our
parts on the fly and recorded it live.

What gear did you use for The

Knowledge?
Mentally I put my Paul Weller hat on
and came down with my ’65 Jazz bass,
because it’s the sort of bass that nobody
seems to refuse—but I’d just got my Fender
American Pro five-string and I’d been
using it on the Hans Zimmer shows so I
ended up using it for the whole album.
Glenn said he thought the bass sounded
incredible, and it did, plugged into my
800 watt Class D Fender amp and a 4x10
cabinet. They were happy so I was happy!
Then for the live shows, I used my Super
Bassman amp and an 8x10 cab. I’m a full
Fender endorser and I also use D’Addario
NYXL 45-130 strings. Once I was booked
for the gigs, I realized that they don’t really
use session players—and then I realized
that I was in the band!

You recently lost a lot of equipment in a

fire at a storage facility in North London.
I lost both of my blue Levinson Blade
basses, which hurts—but those basses
were superseded by my active Fender
Dimensions, which is why they were in
storage. Thankfully, all the basses that I All that creativity has to go somewhere! developing a project that’s a bit different
use were at my house, so I still have my I’ve found that people don’t have time to for me, involving my new band, Project
Mayones Jabba which I use a lot and meet up and be creative, but I’m lucky PH, which has London dates coming up. I
sounds amazing, and all of my vintage enough to know a bunch of musicians love my jam sessions at the Spice Of Life
instruments. My 65 Jazz, I picked up two who are willing to explore music with no in London: Musicians get up and jam songs
days before the fire. I lost five in total— outside pressures or financial incentives. from a prearranged list. I’m also working
the two Blades, my four-string Fender

“once I Was booked for the gIgs, I realIzed that

Dimension, my Sei bass that Martin
Petersen made for me in 1993, and my
semi-acoustic Fenix, which I had had for
20 years—and which, having had 20 years
of work on it, had started to sound so squeeze don’t really use sessIon players—and
awesome.

How is the world of bass developing?

then I realIzed I Was In the band!”
There’s a lot of focus on playing abilities
now, with lots of videos of chopsy playing What does the future hold for you? with the guitarist and composer Phil
which have, for me, less emphasis on I don’t really want to be another female, Braithwaite. There are Squeeze and Hans
beautiful, tasteful bass playing. This is singing, slapping bass player, as it’s got Zimmer shows on the way too. There’s still
probably a reflection of popular music to a point where I’m less interested in plenty of creativity in me.
Getty

having less bass guitar in the recordings. singing and playing as a challenge—so I’m www.facebook.com/yobasscharles
027
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 “There’s someThing ThaT
happens when The Three of
us wriTe music TogeTher”

Matt Willis (right) with bandmates Charlie Simpson and James Bourne

030
 bassIsts
matt willis, Busted

Matt The Man...

...not the bo because no longer are the returning pop trio Busted a boy band. How exactly does a band—any
band—make a successful comeback after a decade out of the public eye? Bassist Matt Willis lets us know
Interview: Rob Laing Photo: Olly Curtis

rom 2000 to 2006, Matt couldn’t believe what was happening. getting sounds up… it’s hard work. So I can

f
Willis was a big deal in That something could be so big that could understand why people are doing that in
the world of pop music. come from three kids. I can understand the current state of what music is. But I
A very big deal indeed. why because if I saw something happen personally feel that I don’t relate to any
His band Busted, a trio I’d be very sceptical. And I am sceptical music on the radio whatsoever. I can’t listen
also featuring Charlie of certain things. But it was real and it to the radio because I can’t get anything
Simpson and James was happening. It was just really f*****g from anything. I don’t feel anything when I
Bourne, released a couple of albums and successful and people couldn’t really wrap listen to the radio at all. I feel like we need a
a lot of singles, and sold a ton of records, their heads around that. It was a weird Nirvana now more than ever.
getting it all done just in time before the thing and it almost became a bit of a dirty
music business sank feebly to its knees word at times, Busted. It was awful to be in It’s good that Ed Sheeran is encouraging
and expired. After they called it a day in the band and have that. young players to pick up acoustics, but
’06, Willis played in various bands and it feels like there needs to be an electric
acted in Eastenders, as well as winning I’m Is it fair to say you’re the punk element of guitar and bass equivalent.
A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Busted Busted? It really does. We need a Nirvana now. We
reformed in 2015 and their third album, Yeah, I’d say so. Charlie was definitely all need something. I don’t know who they are,
Half Way There, has just been released. about metal when we met him, but he wherever the f**k they are—maybe they’re
What has Willis got to say about all this? loved some of the American pop punk stuff reading this magazine and forming bands in
as well. James has such an eclectic, weird their garage. I really hope that they are. For
It’s good to hear how high your bass is in taste but it’s all really cool. If we write instance I bought my son his first bass for
the mix on the new album, Matt. songs without the other two, it becomes his birthday in November. And it was the
Totally! Gil [Norton, producer] is a real about that person rather than about most amazing experience I’d had as an adult.
bass guy. I had a separate room next to the Busted. We’ve all done stuff separately It really was. I chose it and I tried really
studio that I had a little rig in, because I and without saying anything, none of hard not to buy him a good one, because it’s
had to practice. Without giving too much it’s worked in the same way. There’s like, you can’t have a good one yet. So I had
away, in the past we’ve been a bit, ‘That’ll something that happens when the three to buy him a cheap s******r one! I thought,
do, we’ll touch it up in the mix. We’ll nudge of us write music together and it becomes this is killing me but it’s a rite of passage. But
that into place, that’s a bit sloppy’... Gil’s like, Busted. It’s just something that happens actually I played it a lot and it’s quite fun to
‘No f*****g way. It needs perfect takes.’ It’s and that’s what I think this record is. play. But he wanted a bass because his dad
like the [new single] ‘Nineties’ riff, I played plays bass, which is cool but it’s still in the
36 times. Take thirty-f*****g-six. I’d never Are you worried that guitar music is corner of the room and I’m trying not to be
played anything more than five or six being pushed out of the mainstream for a pushy. But I found a kid locally who’s going
times and my fingers were coming apart! new generation? to give him lessons. Because I can’t teach
He’s old school, I love it and he doesn’t I’ve written songs with other producers for him. I don’t want it to be like that, I want
f**k around. He wants feel and attitude. other artists, but the thought of having to him to have his own thing. But he picks it
He doesn’t want to hear any computers plug a guitar in, ‘F**k that—it’s way hard!’ up, he’s only seven so he has no concept of
anywhere. That was really different to And they’re right! When you can pick it, but I really want him to take it up and
anyone I’d really experienced before. up some sample sound if you’re making love it. But I don’t want to put him off by
a track, it’s a piece of p**s, right? You being too strong.
If you say ‘Busted’ to people, they have don’t even need to play it, you can bring
preconceptions. something in, press some buttons and it’ll He has to want to play it.
It’s very f*****g weird. First of all there’s work. But it won’t sound the same, feel the He’s got to want to do it, but then that
a perception that it wasn’t real. I think same, and it has no soul and no heart. But it worries me because I think about him; who
that was the perception. And I think does what they want it to do. If you plug a in your world is influencing you to want
that was very strong and that people guitar in you’ve got to worry about tuning, to do that? Apart from me because I’m his

031
dad, obviously. He doesn’t see anything
that will make him want to do that. I was
watching a BBC 4 documentary about the
Clash the other day and I had it on. There
was no interest from anyone else in my
house in watching it. It made me so angry—
watch this! This is amazing—you need to
watch this!

Looking at your rig, you’ve also switched

to Kemper like Charlie and James?
Yes, only recently. I used amps for as long
as I could but the last album we made was
quite different sounding, and we were
travelling around Europe loads and it just
made sense. I don’t really know much
about Kemper but I find it really great for
what it is. If I’m honest I miss having an
amp onstage. Really miss it.

So there is something for you in the need

to feel an amp onstage? Put aside your preconceptions; this man’s veins run hot with molten rock
Yes, there is a feeling. And I don’t get that—
my ears feel very disconnected, it’s taken a me. We took that sound and it’s the only Then we met Charlie who was better at
lot of getting used to. And actually I strap a sound I use now live. I don’t want to worry guitar than both of us by a long way, and
sub under me, under the stage built in under about creating too many sounds. I want the we thought, well we can’t be the three
where I stand, so at least I get some feeling. bass to sound solid all the way through—I amigos. One of you has got to play bass—so
Because I miss that, otherwise I feel I don’t don’t even change guitar very much, so I it was like, right, the worst player has got
really know where I am. It helps but when try not to change basses in the set. I’ve got to play bass. They gave me a bass. So that’s
we play festivals I don’t have that, it’s only at a spare that’s a copy of my main bass but it how I started playing bass but I didn’t like
our gigs that I get that. I don’t know what I’m doesn’t sound as good. It’s exactly the same playing bass at first—it was hard. It was
going to do about that. But I might just put a in every possible way but it doesn’t sound really hard. I found it so hard to sing and
cab there. We’ll work something out. the same. play. When Busted first started I’d only
been playing for bass like four or five
What were you using on the album? What is that main bass? months and I was really bad, it was really
Gil was quite annoyed because I had loads It’s a Fender Precision I had custom made. hard to play and sing—but we wrote all
of amps and never used them any more, so I played a Jazz for a while because I really these songs and everything was going
I brought them with me. I got the gear van liked the neck, it’s really easy to play. And really well. I was 17 and had only been
to bring them all up, so I had three cabs and with a Precision neck I just found it made playing guitar for three years. Then we
four amps. But it was a bit like, ‘We don’t my hands really sore. But this was back in were playing the Hammersmith Apollo.
need to be clogging up the studio!’ I had to the day in 2002, and I’ve probably got better
get rid of loads of stuff. For some of it we technique so I should be using a Precision That must have been crazy.
used a Mesa head, and the Fender Bassman neck now. But I just got used to it. I like the It was mental. I was really stumbling along
for a bit of it and I think we used an old Precision sound so I have a Precision body with this instrument, really. It’s only over
Ashdown. with Seymour Duncans in and a Jazz neck. the last kind of six years that I really took
If I’m writing riffs, I’ve got a Fender acoustic practising seriously, and warming up. That
Are any of those profiled on your bass in my house which I try to practise on made such a difference. I never would
Kemper? because it’s hard to play on, so when I put have thought that warming up would
For The X Factor in the UK we had to go my electric bass on it’s easy. make such a difference to my playing. I had
on and they wouldn’t let us play live. We loads of people help me and in [short-lived
had to play [the 2002 hit] ‘Year 3000’ with How would you describe your core bass supergroup] McBusted, me and Dougie
some contestants, so we went to the studio tone? [Poynter, McFly bassist] both played bass
to record us playing it like we do now, We call it ‘butter’—on my Kemper it’s in that. Which was f*****g weird—you don’t
because we couldn’t bear to play the old programmed as butter. It’s very smooth, need two bass players in a band, ever! We
version on television. So we went to the very solid. Then I’ve got a distorted sound had to work out a way of us both playing,
studio and used an old Ampeg head and which I use very rarely, that’s much more and we spent quite a while working on
Ashdown cab going through an Audio aggressive and very pick-heavy. I used a Big that. But that was really good because
Kitchen preamp. We modelled that and Muff on the record for a distorted sound. having another bass player around all the
it sounded f*****g amazing. I used Audio time really pushed me as a player. It made
Kitchen a lot. We were with a guy called Bass is your one love, then? me feel I really want to be as great as I
Carl Bown at that point, who does a lot Yeah—but it took me a long time to love possibly can be.
of metal stuff but is an all-round amazing it, if I’m honest. When we formed Busted
producer. He got the sound up and PJ, my me and James played guitar. I was terrible. Half Way there is out now on East West.
guitar tech, profiled it into the Kemper for I learned to play ‘Wonderwall’ and stuff. Info: www.busted.com.
032
 bassists
Becky Baldwin

Star Destroyer
What do you get when you mix a punk, a metalhead, and dangerously high sugar content?
Bassist and devoted headbanger Becky Baldwin reveals the answer
Interview: Hywel Davies Photo: Mike Brumby

y parents bought me which works out better than, say, having

“M
my first bass for my a Big Muff or some kind of fuzz effect
13th birthday. Every that sounds a bit inaudible. All of that
day at school, at every runs into a Sansamp and then into a
break, I would just be GR Bass Pure Sound head. ”
playing bass. It became Although Baldwin is fluent in both
an obsession, rather four- and five-string instruments, it’s
than just an interest, or a bit of fun.” the latter that have proved trickiest to
Sometimes all it takes is one hit of wrangle. “When I first got a five-string,
the E-string and it’s love for life. Using I really couldn’t get on with it. I hated that
the lower register as her own personal low string; I always thought it sounded
punchbag for bands including Triaxis, rubbish,” she chuckles. “If you get a five-
Fury, Dorja, and Hands Off Gretel, it doesn’t string, get a good one, not a cheap one, like
take a genius to guess that Becky Baldwin I did! I got used to it quite quickly because I
is most definitely of the metal and punk had previously played some electric guitar,
persuasion. This is reinforced by her but it still felt as if that low string should
affection towards Rickenbackers, itself the be an E. Once you flip that around in your
choice of the two greatest metal icons to head, then it starts making sense and will
have ever played the instrument. feel pretty natural.”
“Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead and IDestroy’s video for their single
Cliff Burton of Metallica are the reason ‘Lemons’ showcases Baldwin in full
why I started playing Rickenbackers,” she rock mode. Although she’s since moved
on from the trio, this two-and-a-half-

“don’t get a cheap

minute sugar rush of soft drink carnage
is a fond memory. “That was a really fun
shoot!” she says. “We bought a few bottles

five-string like i did!” of lemonade and said, ‘We’ll drink it in some

of the shots,’ but then we were like, ‘Nah,
we should pour it over someone’. The guy
who ran the studio said it was cool, so we
says. “I saw their playing, and straight thought ‘Let’s just do it, leave a big mess,
away they became my favorite players. I and see if anyone complains!’ Who said
didn’t really know a lot about tone back rock’n’roll’s dead, eh?”
then—I just thought that Rickys looked On top of her three bands, all of which
cool, and I loved the people playing them. have new music out, Baldwin is a co-
My other bass is a Fender Jazz, and the founder of the Bristol Rock Center in the
tones are different, but you can get a good UK. The most important lesson she can
punch from both. I use D’Addario NYXL teach us today is to keep an open mind
strings on both of them.” when it comes to bass and to music as
On that note, her sound has an a whole. “Metal is my favorite music,
uncompressed bite. How does she cut and I love getting involved in those gigs
through the blitzkrieg of guitars in her because they’re my favorite type of people,”
various bands, we wonder? “For my latest she says. “But as much as I love all that, when
project Hands Off Gretel, I use an MXR you’re looking at joining a band, you should
overdrive pedal, which is actually a guitar streamline yourself for what you’re best at.
overdrive,” she explains. “It brings in more Always keep your ears open!”
of the top end and the sound as a whole, www.beckybaldwinbass.com
033
 Ork Talk
Colin Edwin, formerly of progressive types Porcupine Tree, is a busy man, with several bass-heavy projects on
the go at any one time. We catch up with him as his band O.R.k. return with a new album
Photo: Al Peck

ell us about O.R.k., What basses are you using these days? What other gear have you got?

T
Colin. In my basement I’ve got 10 or 12 bass I’m a long-time EBS user, and I’m taking
O.R.k. is an acronym, guitars. There are three or four that I use out a Reidmar amp on this tour. It’s very
although everyone a lot for recording, but live I’ll be using my simple and reliable, with a classic sound
pronounces it ‘orc’, like US-made Spector fretless. It’s a four-string that works great with whatever bass I
Tolkien! The band is with a Hipshot detuner—pretty much all put into it. I used an eBow on the ‘Kneel
made up of myself, Pat my basses have those. I’ve always preferred To Nothing’, the first single from our new
Mastelotto of King Crimson on drums, them to playing a five-string. Mine is a album; it sounds like a keyboard. I use a
and a couple of guys from Italy—Carmelo really nice, expressive instrument. If I’m bit of delay on a fretless to get that swell. I
Pipitone on guitar, and Lorenzo Esposito not using that, nine times out of 10 I’ll use investigated that sound a lot.
Fornasari, also known as LEF, providing a fretted Wal. I have a couple of them from
the vocals. He was also in another band, Do you still enjoy touring?

“I’ve always lIked

Obake, with me. That was a much heavier Yes. Playing live is where it’s at. I do a lot of
project, in which I was exclusively playing recording, so playing live gets me out of the
a downtuned bass. Lorenzo is a great studio and forces me to think differently
singer, not least because he’s extremely
versatile. playIng lIve—IT’s In for a while. I’ve always liked playing
live—it’s in my blood, I guess. For better or

Do you also sing?

A bit. I do backing vocals live, but I’m
my blood, I guess” worse, you’re in the moment, and it’s really
satisfying when you have a project like this
one—where everyone pulls together—and
never going to be Geddy Lee—singing you see it all come to fruition.
and playing at the same time is way too the early Eighties, and I alternate between
challenging for me. You have to split your the two of them. I’ve used them both a hell What else are you up to?
brain into two and it’s painful. of a lot, but they still do the job. I have the Twinscapes band with Lorenzo
Feliciati, and I’m doing an album with Inna
As you live in different parts of the These basses have relatively modern Kovtun, one of the singers from Astarta,
world, rehearsal must be tricky. tones. Do you ever feel the need to ‘go a folk duo from Kiev, which is interesting
We all have scheduling issues, so we do Motown’? music with fascinating harmonies. The
it whenever we can. I remember the first Absolutely. I never used to believe it when time signatures are unusual, but they’re
time we went on tour, we hadn’t been in people said you couldn’t get a traditional part of the music, rather than just being
the room together playing the material, so passive tone from a modern bass, but it’s there to make it all pointlessly difficult. It’s
we did a quick two-day rehearsal. But that at least partly true—so recently I’ve been very bass-centric, because I really have to
sort of thing doesn’t faze me any more, investigating the Ovation Magnum bass. think about the voice and how to support
because I’ve realized that nothing moves I have a couple of vintage models that the phrasing. I don’t speak the language, so
you on faster than a deadline. It’s best to are really wild. They wouldn’t be cost- I don’t understand the words, which means
just jump in and do it. Musically it always effective to make now, because they’ve got that there’s a real connection between the
works, as long as you’re playing with huge great lumps of metal on them and bass and the voice.
people who know what they’re doing— enormous pickups. Their design was of its
it’s just logistical things that are the real time, but they have a passive character that The new O.R.k. album Ramagehead is out now on Kscope.
problem. you can’t seem to get from anything else. Info: www.orkband.com
034
bAssIsTs
Colin edwin

035
 Snake Charmer
Neil Murray is a hero in bass world, having laid down the low end for Kingdom Of Madness,
Snakecharmer, Whitesnake, Gary Moore, and Black Sabbath, not to mention the small matter
of 2000 performances of the We Will Rock You musical. Here we look back at his stellar
performance on Whitesnake’s Live… In The Heart Of The City from 1980
Words: Freddy Villano
ecorded live on
gear
R
June 23, 1980 at the
Hammersmith Odeon
Bass | Sandberg California VM-4
in London, UK, Live…
Amp | Aguilar Tone Hammer 500
In The Heart Of The
Cabs | Barefaced Bass Big Twin II &
City captures the pre-
Big Baby II
MTV-era Whitesnake
Strings | Dunlop DBS Stainless Steel
at their incendiary best. Featuring former
(.045-.105)
Deep Purple members David Coverdale
(vocals), Jon Lord (keyboards) and Ian Paice
(drums), along with the twin-guitar attack
of Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden, it’s
evident that Whitesnake’s southern-tinged
blues-rock swagger was a key player in
the development of what is now known as
glam-metal.
Anchoring all of that testosterone with
sexy, serpentine bass lines is Neil Murray,
the journeyman bassist who has since
played with Gary Moore, Black Sabbath,
Brian May, and countless others. Murray’s
playing on Live… represents the indelible
imprint he’s made on the canon of rock
bass. He provides the songs with an air of
improvisatory excitement that is perhaps
most completely realized on the track
‘Fool For Your Loving’, which originally
appeared on the 1980 studio album Ready
An’ Willing.
Murray drives the piece with
adventurous walking lines and killer, in-
the-pocket grooves, and his tone—with a
little more midrange growl than is usual
in hard rock or metal, maybe with a nod
Virginia Turbett/redferns via getty

to Jaco Pastorius or Jack Bruce, two of his

biggest influences—is emblematic of his
highly distinct style.
We recently caught up with Murray,
who was at home in the UK gearing up for
a few gigs with his new band, Kingdom Of Whitesnake, 1980, left to right: (seated) David Coverdale, Bernie Marsden,
Madness, which features ex-members of Jon Lord; (standing) Neil Murray, Ian Paice, Micky Moody
Magnum, to talk about his playing on ‘Fool
For Your Loving’. joined on guitar and, originally, they had 1977, Chris Stewart decided to return
“David Coverdale had done two solo the bassist from Frankie Miller’s band, to Frankie Miller’s band—I auditioned
albums with guitarist Micky Moody and, Chris Stewart. They were auditioning properly and got the job.”
in the fall of 1977, they decided to form a a drummer one day and Chris wasn’t In Whitesnake, Murray, a fingerstyle
band, which became Whitesnake,” recalls available, so Bernie called me up to play player, says he would play aggressively
the 68-year-old Scotsman. “Bernie Marsden with them. Not long after, in December with a lot of right-hand attack in order to

036
 bassists
Neil Murray

cut through the twin-guitar and keyboard

triumvirate. “I used La Bella quarter-wound
strings and two-pickup basses, whether
they were Aria or custom Kramers or
Fenders. I sometimes borrowed an Alembic
in the studio, which gave me the idea of
having separate outputs for each pickup to
avoid the mid-cut that you get, for example,
on a Jazz bass.”
On Live… he played a custom Kramer
350B with two DiMarzio P pickups in
reverse configuration, close together, and La
Bella quarter-wound strings through a Sunn
Coliseum amp and an Acoustic 408 4X15
cabinet, though he suspects that only the DI
signal was used on the live record.
The key to Murray’s bass part in ‘Fool’ is
that he plays a moving part, when he could
simply have played root notes, without
copying an exact guitar riff. In the verse
sections, you’ll notice his use of both scale
and chord tones and especially chromatic
passing tones, which demonstrate a
knowledge of harmony and melodic
movement. Also note how the line goes up
at first, then down, then back up in answer
to that. Murray would have played a part
like this in the first position, using open
strings whenever possible.
In the song’s pre-chorus, the melodic
motion keeps going with scale and chord
tones. You’ll dig the prominent 16th-
note octave figure, which is emblematic
of how he and Ian Paice would lock up
together when playing fills. “Apart from
having a great feel and sound, I loved how
unpredictable Ian could be in his drum fills,”
explains Murray. “It was very challenging, Neil with the customized Kramer 350B used on Live... In The Heart Of The City
but satisfying, if I could predict, within a
fraction of a second, what he might play,
and try to echo it if I could. If you play with “neil plays a moving coming from the bass. “I’m trying to get
to the highest note I can by bending up at
people who are better than you, it’s going to
be very stimulating.”
For a part like this, Murray says he
paRt when he could have the highest fret, the 20th, which is almost
a high F,” explains Murray. “It’s not a
harmonic, however. It simply shows how
wouldn’t often use his little finger, but
instead tends to shift position in order
played only Root notes” much force I’m putting into it, plus you
can hear that my Tim Bogert influence is
to use only the first three fingers (index, coming out there.”
middle, ring), with his little finger out of the like the notes of a Gm7, but work because In addition to gigging around the UK with
way against the neck, bringing it in when it’s the natural thematic development Kingdom Of Madness, Murray has been
required for major pentatonic runs. of the first four notes in the bar. Second, proudly championing newly enhanced
“When playing in C minor, I might be there’s a cool chromatic descending line reissues of several 80s-era Whitesnake
in first position,” he surmises, “and then against the F chord. And lastly, there’s a records on which he appears, including the
I would shift on the D minor to third high fill which clearly spells out the D7 eight-times platinum 1987 album.
position, or I might play the Ds and E flats chord with the high F-sharp third, climbing “I always felt that the bass was just
on the A-string. I would probably still use to the high A in the next bar. as important as the other instruments,”
my first three fingers to play C, D, and E flat For string bends, which Murray uses concludes Murray. “In Whitesnake, I
on the A-string.” throughout the tune, he generally pushes wasn’t made to feel like I had to be a
The bass part in the chorus would again up (in other words, towards the ceiling) on very traditional bassist, keeping in the
be played in first position, using open D- and G-strings, and pulls down (towards background with my sound and bass-lines.
strings when possible. Listen closely and the floor) on the E- and A-strings. An Luckily the songs on those first five albums
you’ll note the continuation of the melodic example of this can be heard at about 3:43 allowed me quite a lot of freedom, and I
movement that’s been used all along; the on the track, where there is what sounds always put my own personality into the
non-chord tones against the F look more like a high harmonic of an E natural bass parts which I recorded.”

037
 Ultimatum
David Vincent, formerly of death metal pioneers Morbid Angel, returns with a new supergroup, Vltimas.
As he correctly tells us: “There are no rules in music...”
Interview: Joel McIvor Photo: Tine K
orbid Angel have Vincent, who served two tours of duty Mounier of Cryptopsy—deliver a blistering

M
been a huge force in with the group, the second of which melange of riffs and roars. The big question
heavy metal since lasted from 2004 to 2015, now has several for us is where the bass guitar fits in to this
the late Eighties, outlets—a rockabilly band called Headcat uncompromising wall of sound, so let’s
peaking critically in which he replaced the late Ian ‘Lemmy’ jump into the pit and ask Vincent how it all
and commercially Kilmister, a solo career as an outlaw meshes together.
with the albums they country artist, and two extreme metal
recorded between 1988 and 1995 with bands, I Am Morbid and Vltimas. How did Vltimas come about, David?
David Vincent as their singer and bassist. The latter, pronounced ‘Ultimas’, recently I’ve been friends with, and a fan of, Rune
Uniquely among bands of the death metal unleashed a truly stunning debut record, for a number of years. I knew him when
persuasion, they transcended their niche, Something Wicked Marches In, on which he was in Mayhem; he always had a really
becoming the first band of their genre to the trio—Vincent plus sometime Mayhem, interesting touch. In my mind, he almost
sign to a major label, and tour the planet. guitarist Rune Eriksen, and drummer Flo single-handedly defined a particular guitar

038
 BASSISTS
David Vincent, Vltimas
thing sampled on the album was the kick
drums, which you pretty much need to do
with anything that’s fast. Everything else is
natural, with actual guitar amps.

What gear did you play on the album?

I play my signature Dean bass, the
Demonator. Sometimes things just work,
and Dean basses have worked well for
me for 20-some years. Dean have also
made me some nice hollow-body basses
with a traditional body shape for the rock
stuff that I do. My main effects unit is a
Jim Dunlop M80 DI, which has an EQ,
drive, and a few other little tricks as well.
I showed the designer how I set it, and he
said ‘I never intended it to be used that
way, but I totally see how it works when
you do that’. I swear by that thing. That’s
pretty much it; I get my front-of-house
sound through it, and the amps are just for
the stage sound.

How does the bass fit into extreme metal?

I’ve always viewed bass as a tool for
bridging the gap between the drums and
the guitar. Sometimes it leans a little more
towards one or the other, depending on
the particular part I’m working with,
but getting it to have a voice of its own is
more difficult. It’s always easy to overplay,
especially when you have a drummer
who is overplaying—but that’s the style.
Listening to the backbone of a riff, which
may be the kick drum or it may be the

“BASS BRIDGES THE GAP

snare in certain places, is useful, but there
are no rules in music whatsoever. That’s
one of the reasons why I play lots of

BETWEEN THE DRUMS different styles of music.

AND THE GUITAR” Is there ever any room for soloing?

Where appropriate you can step out, but
the fundamentals have to be there. If the
music is as extreme as ours, you have to
style as it relates to what we would consider but we managed to make it work. We find something that is appropriate rather
Norwegian black metal. We had hung out recorded the album in England, and we’re than trying to jam something in there.
a bit over the years, and he called me out of super excited about it. I wrote the lyrics There’s a lot of things not to do. Essentially,
the blue and suggested that we should get and the other guys came up with the music. I try to look at it as a painting. Where does
together and make some music some day. Rune had lots of stuff; he’s a riff machine it need to be blue? Where does it need to be
I replied ‘Why is that day not today?’ He and will just keep going and going. There’s red? What colors need to be where in order
already had this idea put together with our an abundance of material. We’re virtually to complete the spectrum?
label, Season Of Mist, and he and Flo had ready to record another album.
started working on some music. The guys Will Vltimas be touring?
came out to Texas and we started putting Describe the music for us. Absolutely. This is the most lush,
some music together. It’s full of all kinds of energy. There’s not a Wagnerian, misanthropic soundtrack
single song on it that I’m not 100 percent you’ve ever heard. It’s really clear, so
You’re in Texas, Rune lives in Norway, comfortable with. There’s a fair amount there’s no mistaking what I say, with or
and Flo is Canadian. How did you make it of diversity there, too. Our producer, without a lyric sheet. It’s loud and proud
work? Jaime Gomez Arellano, is originally from and there’s nothing bashful. I love this
Obviously that’s somewhat of a hindrance, Colombia, but lives in Woburn in England, record and I can’t wait to get on stage with
not to mention the fact that everybody where we recorded the album. He did it. See you on the road.
has busy schedules. It would be easier if Ghost’s first record, and he did a number of
everyone lived two doors down from one things with Paradise Lost and Sunn O))), and Something Wicked Marches In is out now on Seasons Of Mist.
another, as opposed to in multiple countries, he’s really into analog equipment. The only Info: www.facebook.com/VLTIMAS.
039
 bassists
Peter Ljungberg

Rough Ride
Peter Ljungberg of Rough Rockers looks back at the low frequencies
Image: anders e Skanberg
got into playing bass

I
after I saw the Sweet
live in Stockholm,
Sweden, in 1975. Steve
Priest, the bass player,
looked so cool and
played the bass in an
excellent way. He also did lead vocal on
two songs, ‘No You Don’t’ and ‘Restless’
with such great attitude and feeling. A bit
later I discovered Phil Lynott, bass player,
frontman, and songwriter, all in one.
That’s what I wanted to be too, and with
Rough Rockers it eventually happened.
I hardly remember my first bass,
although I know it was some kind of
beginner’s instrument. After that I got
a Fender Precision and I’ve stayed with
Fender ever since. I use D’Addario strings
and I stick to the classic bass setup of four
strings. It fulfils all my needs. I know
some people want deeper bass tones and
choose five- or six-string instruments; for
that I sometimes play downtuned with
thicker strings.
I see the bass player as the musician
who balances the whole band. You need
to understand the dynamic of a song;
sometimes you just need to stick to the
basic notes in sync with the drums, and
occasionally you should improvise with
more tones. As a bass player you need to
take responsibility for the whole sound of
the band, to keep it together as a unit. If
you do that and don’t put yourself in the
background you’ll be the most important
band-member. My experience is that
guitar players and vocalists sometimes gear
need to be reminded that there is a band Basses | Fender Jazz, Fender
and a song, not a solo performance. Precision
My bass heroes are Bruce Thomas of Effects | Boss ME-208
the Attractions, who played with Elvis Amps | EBS Classic 500 head,
Costello, Geddy Lee, of Rush for his EBS 8x10” cabinet
technical skills, and the aforementioned
Lynott and Priest for their attitude and Rough Rockers started as a songwriting He’s played with Yngwie Malmsteen,
effective playing. When it comes to project; I wanted to create my own songs. Ritchie Blackmore, Michel Schenker and
rock’n’roll, everyone is entitled to have We’re currently preparing for the release many more. His voice is outstanding, and I
their opinion about what is good and bad. of our EP, Smoke And Mirrors, which is had the song written with his voice as an
As a musician who also writes songs, I a set of songs that showcases what our inspiration and role model before I knew
can always find something in every style band is all about. I’m especially happy that he would actually record it with us.
and genre that is genuine and shows that the legendary Graham Bonnet sings As always, he’s brilliant.
good craftsmanship. on one of the songs, ‘Unleash The Beast’. www.roughrockerssweden.com
040
 These Are The
Goood Times
Yes three ‘O’s. As Lady Gaga’s bassist Jonny Goood tells us it’s all about the mind the bod and the soul
Interview: Joel McIver

e watched you play the that came before me. James Brown wasn’t badass. The other one is a customized

W
Super Bowl with Lady getting up in the morning and doing the P-Bass, also with Nordstrand pickups and
Gaga, Jonny. Great job. splits with cold hamstrings—he was an a Babicz bridge. That one was painted by a
Thanks! That was pretty athlete. And Prince was a great basketball great artist named Ron Bass, who’s painted
crazy—it felt surreal to player. I came up playing football and leather jackets for Ellen DeGeneres and has
be up on those stages, running track, and I was also a police done stuff with Jay-Z and Beyoncé. I met
doing splits. officer for a few years, so all that kept me him seven years ago, when I was fresh out
pretty nimble. Life is much better when of being a cop, and I told him one day I’d
I would worry about damaging certain you’re flexible. You can do better dance get this bass into the Rock And Roll Hall Of
sensitive organs, myself. moves for a start. Fame. Back then I did big gigs, small gigs—
Yeah—all my friends bang on me about anything I could to develop myself as an

“While i’m able, i

that! The splits does a number on your hips. artist. I carry his art with me on my bass,
I fully understand what Prince and James because blood, sweat, and tears went into
Brown had to go through. it just as much as it goes into everything I

The crucial difference being that those gotta give it my all, do.

every time i perform”

guys weren’t holding a bass guitar when Do you play five-strings too?
they did the splits. I do, but I wanted to keep the look and
Well, I guess that’s what they say—listen feel traditional—like James Jamerson and
to what people teach you, and then try the Brothers Johnson. There’s something
and take it one step further. I’m from a special about the four-string bass that I
small town just like Prince was, and I spent Your stage performance is full-on, isn’t it? love. We use standard tuning in Gaga’s
the better part of my life studying his A big part of the show is the musicians. band, although sometimes I have some fun
accomplishments. Once I learned how to Gaga wants to feel the energy that and drop down to E flat. The guitarists go
do his moves, I took it a step further and the guitars have. When we played the down to drop-D or drop-C—it’s basically
did it with a bass guitar in my hands. It Grammys, we didn’t use programmed a metal show, merged with pop and
was pretty nerve-wracking doing it on the backing tracks, which is a rare thing these electronics. It’s the craziest gig ever. I play
Grammy stage, I can tell you. days. So I have parts when I run around, synth bass-lines on a Roland ADX8 and a
kicking and splitting, and then dance Moog synthesizer too.
I noticed a bit of headbanging on your moves, and then parts where I have to go
part too. out and give my all and headbang my life How did you first get into bass?
Yes. Ever heard of the band Bad Brains? away. I threw my bass off stage twice— I was a late starter—I was 18. I grew up
They’re one of my favourite bands, and once by accident and once on purpose. around some heavy musical presences. My
that’s just the [Bad Brains singer] HR in me, There’s really no wrong way to rock out uncle was [renowned drummer] Cornelius
man. You gotta have that energy. I’m pretty with her. ‘Cornbread’ Johnson, so I was introduced to
sure my body will be paying for it, 40 years classic rock, and funk, and hip-hop from an
from now, but while I’m able, I gotta give it What are your go-to basses? early age. I was into football as well—some
my all, every time I’m performing. I do a lot I have two babies. My main bass is a 2007 of my cousins played in the NFL—so by the
of stretching before I go on stage, and also Fender Jazz with Nordstrand pickups, a time I was a young adult I had to choose
when I wake up in the morning. Again, Babicz bridge and a Performance preamp between football, and music. I ended up
that makes me really appreciate the greats in it. It weighs about 15 pounds and it is breaking my cheekbone in a tackle, and

042
 bassists
Jonny Goood, Lady Gaga

Khalifa, and after Wiz I took two years

out to work on my own music. I grew up
with him and we went to the same high
school, which is where the hip-hop side of
me comes from. My album Bass Hop came
from that time. Then I got the call to do
the Lada Gaga gig. I remember when I first
met her, I was trying to be professional
so I reached out for a handshake—but we
looked at each other for like, point-two of a
second and then we just both went in for a
hug. I knew it was right. She welcomed me
into her family from that point on, and two
gigs later, I was doing the Super Bowl! I was
like, ‘Are you guys sure I’m supposed to be
here?’, ha ha! It’s been the ride of a lifetime.

“there’s something
special about the
four-string bass”
Tell us about Bass Hop.
I locked myself in a room, taught myself
to rap and wrote the songs. I did it because
I had to do it. My girlfriend at the time
left me because she thought I was crazy,
and I lost all my money. As Jimi Hendrix
said, I had slices of bread but nothing
to put between them! But here I am,
and I’ve been in People magazine and a
whole bunch of other media as well. It’s
been a long journey from when I was
homeless and living in my car—or the
‘age of enlightenment’, as I call it, because
I learned so much and created so much. I
made an album that was new in American
hip-hop and new in bass too. Faith in
yourself is important, no matter how grim
and dark everything looks.

I imagine you’re the only former police

officer to play bass at the Super Bowl and
what’s funny is that I went right back hours a day. I still do that now, even after the Grammys.
into that game and ended up breaking my doing every gig I ever dreamed of. I still Yes, it’s been a crazy 10 years. I can still
finger catching the ball. I think that was the have the same hunger. smell the gun and the badge on me. I’m
universe’s way of telling me that I wasn’t trying to figure out how I got through these
meant to play sports! I ended up getting How did the Lady Gaga gig come about? transitions. I have no clue.
sidelined, and I was bored, so I picked up a I’ve been working with Gaga for three
50 dollar bass and started playing it eight years now. Before that I was with Wiz Bass Hop is out now. Info: www.facebook.com/jonnygoood.
043
 bassists
Derek Frank

Frank Talk
Derek Frank has played the planet’s biggest venues alongside Gwen Stefani, Shania Twain, Air Supply, and other
stellar acts. He takes time out of his hectic schedule to talk about gea gigs and getting the perfect sound
here’s a lot of variety

T
in the bass gear I use,
depending on the gig.
I’ve done a bunch of Las
Vegas dates with Gwen
Stefani this year. For her
show I’m using a Kemper
Profiler; it seems these days that a lot of the
bigger pop tours are going ampless, because
a lot of front-of-house engineers prefer it
that way. We run around the stage so much
that it’s cool to have something that’s MIDI-
controlled and a virtual amp.
Originally I had my tech build me a rig that
was a pedal rack, with a bunch of pedals rack-
mounted on shelves and a MIDI switcher,
and I had that along with my Noble preamp.
Unfortunately, for a show like Gwen’s that
causes problems. There are so many lights and
video screens involved, plus on-stage props—
such as a giant light-up staircase, rainbows
that fall from the sky, and crazy stuff like
that—that my rig and the guitarist’s rig were
creating a lot of issues with buzz.
We kept trying to trace ground loops and
all this stuff, but my analog pedals—as much all the buzz that was happening. In the end like an idiot—it’s really fun. No Doubt were a
as I love them—were acting as antennas for I just got the Kemper, and it’s been amazing. mishmash of punk, ska, reggae, pop… a unique
All the patch changes run via MIDI from thing. I’m a big fan so it’s been so much fun to
the show computer, so I don’t have any kind play these great songs.
of foot controller on stage with me, and it’s When I was with Shania I used a custom
easy. Lakland Decade with Nordstrand Big Blade
I’m trying out a couple of different basses pickups, plus a Lakland Darryl Jones, a
on the Gwen gig. I recently discovered Fano LaBella Olinto P-Bass, and a Martin acoustic.
basses out of Arizona, who put out this There was a Darkglass Vintage Microtubes
instrument called a JM4. It’s basically a Jazz Overdrive as well as a Cali 76 compressor and
bass with Thunderbird pickups and a Jaguar MXR and Radial units on the floor. I also have
body style, and it’s way cool. I’m loving it. a 1976 Fender Precision for the other band I
I use two of those with Gwen as well as a play in, Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers. For
Warwick CV5 passive five-string. all my gigs I use LaBella strings, and when I’m
The setlist is the No Doubt hits, and Gwen’s not using the Kemper, I use an Aguilar DB751
own hits too, which include a lot of great bass- head, with two DB410 cabinets.
lines. The bass is a little more aggressive and On top of all that I did a tour of Asia last
up-front than the parts I played when I was year with Daniel Powter, who wrote the song
with Shania Twain, and from a performance ‘Bad Day’ about 10 years ago. So it’s all busy! I
standpoint, it’s a workout. There’s a lot of should probably clone myself…
running around the stage and jumping around www.derekfrank.com

044
 Mouth For War Potty Mouth bassist Ally Einbinder talks up the low notes
otty Mouth formed worked really hard on over the course PJ bass. I always use Ernie Ball Cobalt

P
in 2011, the year of our time in Los Angeles, and we’re so Super Slinky bass strings. I love the 1960s
after I graduated excited to finally share it with the world. Hagstrom model FB bass I bought at a
from Smith College in I had always wanted to be in a band ever vintage store in Knoxville, Tennessee
Northampton, MA. since I started going to punk shows as a while on tour a few years back. It’s one of
We started the band teenager. When I was in college, I became the most unique looking basses I’ve ever
without any real goals friends with a guy named Marc, and we seen. The front of the body is gold and the
or expectations other than to get together, bonded over our love of 70s and 80s punk
jam, and see what happened. I had only
been playing bass for about a year and a
half, and Abby had never played guitar
and power pop. Marc had an idea for a
project called Outdates. He had already
built up an arsenal of songs; I learned
“The more we wenT on
before. We all came from DIY punk
communities, where it wasn’t a big deal to
bass by teaching myself those songs, and
Outdates became my first band.
wiTh The band, The bigger
just start a band, write a few songs, and
play your friends’ basements. The more
 My first bass was a modified short-scale
Danelectro I bought from a bass instructor our goals became”
we went on with the band, the bigger our on Craigslist. It was a freak show. The body
goals became. was vintage—a semi-hollow, short-horn
After several years of touring and silver body, from the 1960s. The neck was back of the body is covered in red tolex.
releasing material (an EP in 2012, an LP taken from a newer model short-scale bass It’s about the size and weight of a guitar
in 2013 and another EP in 2015), Abby, released by Danelectro in the early 2000s. with a super skinny medium-scale neck,
Victoria, and I knew we were in it for the It was a great first bass for learning how to so you can really shred when you play. It’s
long haul. In 2016, we moved the band play because it was so lightweight. one of two vintage Hagstrom basses I’m
from Massachusetts to Los Angeles. Our These days, I primarily play Fender lucky enough to own.
new album, SNAFU, is something we’ve basses, my main bass being a Fender www.pottymouthworld.com
046
 bassists
ally einbinder

gear
Basses | Fender PJ
Pedals | Boss Bass Overdrive, MXR
M84 Bass Fuzz Deluxe,
Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff
Heads | Vintage 70s Music Man HD
130 Head and Fender Bassman 800
Head
Cabs | Avatar B410 Neo and Fender
Bassman 410 Neo

047
 GEAR
GEAR
Introduction
ehold our world-beating bass gear our tests are independent of the views of

B review section, where we bring

you the crop of each month’s new,
interesting, or otherwise relevant
bass guitars, bass amplifiers, bass cabs, and
bass effects. Occasionally we’ll review a
manufacturers and distributors.
When you read about a product here,
you’re getting a balanced review from an
experienced bass tester. Value for money
is at the top of our agenda in these cash-
guitar effect if it’s useful for bassists, but strapped times, but on the other hand, we
generally speaking, this zone is reserved believe in paying for quality.
for bass-specific gear. Right, that’s enough from me, and
We take our reviews seriously. BP remember, this is just about the only place
has readers all over the world, so we’re that it’s good to have GAS!*
responsible about our conclusions. If a Joel McIver, editor
product is worth your time, we’ll say so; if

REVIEWS
it’s flawed, we’ll make that clear. We’re not *GAS = Gear Acquisition Syndrome
beholden to advertisers in any way, and (a malaise often suffered by bass players)

$970 $5,100
(MSRPs) 50 $1,119.99 52 $2,995
$3,195

YAMAHA TRBX600 AND TRBJP2 FENDER AMERICAN PERFORMER MUSTANG STRANDBERG BODENN PROG 4 AND BODEN ORIGINAL 5

$220
$450 56 $228.56
$119, $229 58
GB210FL-NS shown here

EASTCOAST GB210FL-NS AND GTB055-N MXR M280 VINTAGE BASS OCTAVE, EMMA ELECTRONIC DISCUMBOBULATOR AND OKTO-NØJS
049
 Yamaha
TRBX600 and TRBJP2
Jonathan Herrera gets to grips with two very different beasts from the East
Yamaha
$970,
https://usa.yamaha.com $5,100
(MSRP)

A
s passionate bass consumers in a capitalist economy, we’re more interesting than many similarly spec’d basses I’ve played from
usually keenly aware of a manufacturer’s strengths and Indonesia or China. Perhaps it’s the meaty humbuckers, or this bass’s
weaknesses in advance of a big purchase. It’d be easy to dismiss particular wood cocktail, but the TRBX600 spoke with a throatier,
Yamaha as the polar opposite of the boutique bass builders that more complex, and textured sound than I expected.
tend to elicit the most praise. The reason is that Yamaha’s product While not a vintage-style instrument by any stretch, it can
portfolio is not only the broadest in the bass industry, it’s one of the adequately copy Fender-style sounds with careful application of
broadest in all industry. I can’t think of another company that makes the well voiced EQ. Its strengths, though, lie in its clear and mildly
motorcycles, boat motors, and ATVs while also building pianos, aggressive tendencies—well suited to those that like to cut through
basses, and home stereos. Perhaps it’s a particularly Japanese capacity and get noticed in a dense mix.
for corporate multi-tasking, but whatever the reason, Yamaha is a
uniquely impressive business. Given that fact, the two basses I’m TRBJP2
reviewing here, the affordable TRBX600, and the high-end TRBJP2, John Patitucci should need no introduction. One of the instrument’s
are unsurprisingly impressive and remarkably well made. true icons, Patitucci has long been among the bass’s most progressive
practitioners, bringing near unparalleled harmonic and melodic
TRBX600 sophistication to countless jazz and fusion projects, most recently
The moderately priced TRBX600 is the sort of import instrument with the Wayne Shorter Quartet, where he mostly plays upright.
that would have been unheard of 15 years ago. Made in Indonesia, One of Patitucci’s long-time trademarks has been his long and
a country whose bass-building reputation has grown substantially fruitful relationship with Yamaha, who first made him a signature
due to the omnipresence of solid Cort-factory-built basses in model in the mid-90s. That bass has long existed as a unique take on
Western markets, the TRBX600 is designed to convey boutique-style the six-string, with a distinctively bell-like clarity and a 26-fret range.
aesthetics. This means it offers a de rigueur figured-wood top (flame The most recent iteration of that classic, the TRBJP2, is a small, but
maple, in this case), a natural finish, a svelte “mass optimized 3D sonically significant, reworking of his original classic.
design”, and dual-coil pickups that look remarkably similar to those Among the biggest differences the TRBJP2 has compared to
found on many high-end instruments. Its playability is also in line the first signature model is its 35” scale, which makes the already
with its boutique inspiration, with a slim 1.5” nut, and remarkably enormous bass that much more intimidating. The three-band EQ and
shallow neck. preamp has also been re-voiced, as have the impressively wide side-
While the look is certainly expensive, it’s heartening that Yamaha by-side dual-coil pickups. The lumber formula remains the same, a
didn’t skimp on the electronics. A Battery Alert LED indicates when complex sandwich of maple, ash, and alder, for maximum punch, and
it’s time to swap out the included 9-volt battery, and a three-band high-range resonance. The body contour is a holdover too.
EQ with active/passive switching helps wring versatile tone from As one would expect from a high-end instrument, the TRBJP2 is
the platform. The electronics installation is impressive, too, with tidy constructed without any flaws in its assembly or finish. While there’s
wiring for the price and pots that feel well damped and smooth— no disguising that its sheer size and width make it a bear to handle, the
although I did find the EQ pots’ centre detents a bit vague. TRBJP2 carries its weight well, with superb balance and as-good-as-it-
The TRBX600’s construction, while not exactly luxurious, gets playability for a bass with an aircraft-carrier-sized neck.
is faultless. Now that we’re deep into the era of CNC machine In all of bassdom, few instruments have as consistent and distinct
manufacturing, basses like this can be mass produced with a tone as the Patitucci signature bass. There aren’t many rivals when
exceptionally tight tolerances. There’s very little excuse for it comes to string-to-string clarity and note definition throughout
construction and assembly flaws. The fretwork is impeccable; the the range. It’s exactly the sort of instrument you might expect a
neck joint is tight and gap-free; and the hardware installation is first- fusion phenom like JP to play, with the incredible detail and punch
rate. The days of shabby low-end imports are (mostly) behind us, necessary to make burning-fast bebop lines speak with authority.
and companies like Yamaha have long been proving that price and If you were to sum up the TRBJP2 in a single word, it’d be
quality are no longer in direct proportion. ‘evenness’. I rarely made use of the onboard EQ, relying on technique
I found the TRBX600 to be a pleasant and companionable to wring variety from the instrument instead. If you’re an inveterate
instrument, with excellent balance, and fast playability. While I six-stringer, that likes to play fast, and doesn’t mind an unforgiving
prefer a little more meat in my necks, many will dig the Yamaha’s responsiveness as long as the pay-off is a rich and beguiling tone, the
small cross-section and flat radius. The instrument also sounds TRBJP2 should definitely be near the top of your shopping list.

050
 GEAR
Yamaha TRBX600 and TRBJP2 Price $970, $5,100 (MSRP)

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

TRBX600 TRBJP2
Price | $970 (MSRP) $599.99 (street) Price | $5100 (MSRP) $2899,99 (street)
Made In | Indonesia Made In | Japan
Body | Alder with maple top Body | Ash/alder with
Finish | Satin natural poly maple top and back
Neck | Five-piece Finish | High-gloss poly
maple/mahogany Neck | Maple
Neck Joint | Bolt-on (with dual truss rods)
Fingerboard | Rosewood Neck Joint | Bolt-on
Pickups | YGD H5 Alnico humbuckers Fingerboard | Ebony
with quad pole pieces Pickups | Yamaha side-by-side dual coil
Electronics | Active humbuckers with
Controls | Volume, blend, bass, mid, Alnico V magnets
treble (TRBX600, active/passive switch) Electronics | Active
Case/gig bag included | No Controls | Volume, blend,
bass, mid, treble
WHAT WE THINK Case/gig bag included | Case
Plus | Exceptional boutique-style
construction with surprisingly WHAT WE THINK
personable and polished tone Plus | One of the cleanest and clearest
Minus | Not an instrument for everyone sounding basses out there
due to its slimline neck Minus | Its monstrous measurements
Overall | While it occupies the opposite make it an acquired taste, playability-wise
ends of the price spectrum, this bass Overall | Flawless construction creates
still exhibits many of the virtues that we the remarkable consistency and clarity
admire in the pricier TRBJP2 that make Yamaha a key bass builder
BP RATING BP RATING
BUILD QUALITY BUILD QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY SOUND QUALITY
VALUE VALUE

051
 FENDER
Fender American Performer Mustang
What’s this—new pickups, a new passive circuit and through-body stringing? Mike Brooks casts a serious eye
over Fender’s new thoroughbred
Fender
www.fender.com $1,199.99

E
manating from Corona, California, Fender’s new American
Performer bass range comes with several promised changes
and modifications, incorporated into the Precision and Jazz
models alongside this Mustang model. Replicated from the
original 70s design drawings, the short-scale Mustang has long held
a place in bass players’ affections, starting with the playability and
comfort offered by its reduced scale length: Let’s see how the new
iteration holds up.

Build Quality
The Mustang’s rounded body and limited cutaways offer a
characteristic look and although there is no contouring, the
body edges are well rounded. The Arctic White finish, coated in
gloss polyurethane, works very well with the three-ply white
pearloid scratchplate, while the chrome hardware, control plate,
and standard bridge—equipped with a larger base plate than
previously—all project a vintage vibe. This is enhanced by the
silver 70s Fender logo on the headstock, open-gear machine heads,
and the ability to run the strings through the body—although
strangely, having the option to top-load the strings through the
bridge as normal isn’t an option. up and the tone control wide open, the sound is fantastically bright
White dot position markers feature on the front and side of the and sparkly, especially across the D and G strings. Although the
rosewood fingerboard and the satin urethane finish applied to the bass plays very well, and offers some highly usable tones, it has
neck is super smooth. The 19mm string spacing prevents the strings to be said that the low notes on the E string lack some definition
from feeling cramped together, given the shorter scale length, and and sound a touch woolly. Using a pick helps, giving the initial
this—in conjunction with the modern C-shaped neck profile—offers string attack more punch. Of course, the shorter scale will have a
a very comfortable playing experience. significant bearing on the tone and performance of the strings as
The hardware is solid and functional: Both pickups—a single-coil their speaking length has been reduced to 30 inches. This enables a
unit in the bridge, and a split-coil in the neck position—have been very supple neck that is easily playable with no pressure placed on
handcrafted in Corona as part of the new Yosemite pickup range. the fretting hand.
The headstock looks larger than it should be, but that is more to do Playability is very good, effortless in fact, and with no sharp fret
with the body and neck dimensions; there is some headstock bias, ends and a good level of finishing, this is a fine bass. The setup is
rectified once placed on a strap. adequate rather than perfect, and there is some string buzz on the
A string, but this can be easily adjusted.
Sounds And Playability
The Mustang comes with a volume/volume/tone control set, Conclusion
and the passive electronics for this range have been labeled So what do we have here? Short scale basses continue to prove
‘Greasebucket’. In theory, this means that rolling off the tone popular, as they have for several years. What you lose in note
control reduces the highs without adding bass to your signal or clarity, tone, and character with the Mustang, you make up for
losing overall gain. In practice, this works just fine and means there with a very enjoyable bass that ticks many boxes for those starting
is a little less fiddling to find the sounds that work for you. One out—or for those who just find a long-scale bass too much effort.
positive aspect is that all three controls have an effect across the It’s up against some competition at this price but then again, it’s
whole turn of each pot. an American Fender, with all the cachet that that offers. For those
Both pickups offer the traditional tones you would expect from looking for a comfortable, playable bass with great traditional
their location, and it was very noticeable that with both volumes tones, the Mustang fits the bill.

052
 GEAR
Fender American Performer Mustang $1,199.99

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Price | $1,199,99
Made In | USA
Body | Alder
Color | Arctic white, high gloss finish
Neck | Maple, 30” scale
Neck Joint | Bolt-on, four bolt
attachment
Nut Width | 42mm / 1.65”
Fingerboard | Rosewood
Frets | 19
Pickups | Fender Yosemite single-coil
pickup x 1, split-coil pickup x 1
Electronics | Passive
Controls | Volume, volume, tone
Hardware | Chrome hardware, open-
gear machine heads, standard bridge
Weight | 7.9lbs
Left-hand available | Yes
Gigbag/case included | Deluxe gigbag

WHAT WE THINK
Plus | Vibey and a pleasure to play
Minus | Tone can lack ‘oomph’ in places
Overall | Certainly worth checking out if
you’re looking for a short scale

BP RATING
BUILD QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE

053
 STRANDBERG
Boden Prog 4 and Boden Original 5
Two stunning new headless basses from Swedish designer Ola Strandberg. Kev Sanders is impressed
Strandberg Guitars $2,995,
https://strandbergguitars.com $3,195

W
e’ve come a long way since the first Precision rolled off the dots. However, electronics-wise the Prog 4 features Nordstrand
Fender production line. New designs, active electronics, Big Rig humbuckers and the rather brilliant Darkglass Tone
advanced materials, chambered bodies, fanned frets… Capsule EQ and preamp, whereas the Original 5 has the
they’ve all been tried and many have been found to be Nordstrand EQ and Zen Blade pickups.
genuine enhancements—but few designers have been brave Both have a chambered swamp ash body, with a stunning
enough to try all of these new ideas (and throw in a few of their tigerstripe flamed maple top. The unusual shaping of the lower
own) in a single instrument. body means that it’s particularly solid and stable when played
seated, although the payoff is that the bass can’t be leaned against
Build Quality a wall or amp—not necessarily a bad thing. It needs a dedicated
Both of these basses are built on a dedicated line at the huge Cort stand, available from Strandberg for around $80.
factory in Indonesia. This guitar mega-plant also produces basses The roasted maple and walnut necks, with their angular
for Fender, G&L, PRS and many others. It’s a highly automated Endure profiles are fixed to the bodies with five ferruled and
process, but the resulting standards and tolerances are nigh-on countersunk screws and have a perfectly smooth satin finish.
faultless, and the plant’s huge purchasing power means that the The two walnut strips are each flanked by a three-layer laminate
lumbers used are among the very best available. of unidirectional carbon fiber, adding strength and stability.
In terms of construction, both basses are pretty much identical, The fanned fretting is perfect. In fact both these basses arrived
the only real difference being that the Prog 4 has an ebony beautifully set up and ready to play straight out of their cases.
fingerboard with slightly different glow-in-the-dark Luminlay On the back, the black anodized cover for the control cavity also
features the jack socket which is set well back from the edge of
the body. The exclusive hardware is all aircraft-grade aluminium.
th

SSouunds and Playability

Stra ap either of these basses on and you hardly know you’re
wea
w aring them. Both are ludicrously light. Even the five-string,
at juust a smidge over 6.5 lbs is a full three pounds lighter than
my Fender Jazz Elite—itself no porker. When you actually start
m
play
p ying these basses you realize just how much thought has gone
in
nto o the feel and ergonomics.
A good example is the neck shape. The patented Endure neck
profile is a huge departure from the norm. Basically, it provides a
p
flat pivot point for the thumb of your fretting hand on the back of
fl
thhe neck. As you move up the neck, the flat surface moves toward
thhe treble side following the natural position of your thumb. If,
liike many bass players, you tend to play with your thumb over
thhe top of the neck, the angular planes will feel a little odd at
firstt, although the neck’s overall shallow depth make it fairly
fi
c ommfortable however you play.
Acoustically, both basses are loud with a ringing sustain, but
A
plug
p gged in they have subtly different characters. The natural
soonic character of the four-string Prog is aggressive, bright
and d attacking, a perfect match for the Darkglass preamp. Its
EQ particularly emphasizes the warm and harmonically rich
E
frreqquencies. This means that the Prog 4 has a wide range of great
roockk bass sounds—everything from biting modern tones to a
thhicck, fat punch, which just needs a little overdrive from an amp
or processor
o p to create a killer rock sound.

054
 GEAR
Strandberg Boden Prog 4 and Boden Original 5 Prices $2,995, $3,195
Sonically at least, the Original 5 lives up to its name. The
powerful preamp and EQ mean that you’ll quickly find your
perfect sound, but the fundamental tone with the EQ flat is rich
and warm, with a sparkly top, and a full but focused low end.
The sound reminded me immediately of one of my favourite
basses, Sadowsky’s Will Lee signature, perhaps no surprise
given the chambered and resonant bodies both basses have.

Conclusion
Traditionally, some bass players have tended to like things
the way they always were. With these basses, Ola Strandberg
is making a clear statement that things move on and that
this is where we are in 2019, not just in terms of design but
in manufacturing too. However, the price of these basses
demands that we scrutinize every detail, and although they’re
very good, the contouring around the neck joint isn’t perfect,
and the stained finish on the back of the prog 4 is a little
uneven. That said, it’s worth remembering that these basses
are from the first production run. These minor issues may well
be dealt with by the time these basses are available.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Strandberg Boden Prog 4
(Boden Bass Original 5)
Price | $2,995 ($3,195)
Made in | Indonesia
Body | Chambered swamp ash body with
book-matched flame maple top
Neck | Five-piece roasted maple and
walnut with carbon laminate reinforcement
Scale length | 33-34.5” (33-35”)
Neck joint | Bolt-on, five bolts
Nut width | 38mm / 1.5” (44mm / 1.73”)
Fingerboard | Ebony (maple) with
Luminlay dot markers
Frets | 24 (plus zero fret) stainless fanned
Pickups | 2 x Nordstrand Big Rig
humbuckers (2 x Nordstrand Audio Zen
Blade humbuckers)
Electronics | Dark Glass Tone Capsule
(Nordstrand three-band preamp/EQ)
Controls | Master volume (push-pull for
passive/active), passive tone (treble cut)
Bass (± 15 dB @ 50 Hz), Top (± 15 dB @ 4 kHz)
Mid (push-pull for frequency), Down (± 15 dB
@ 1 kHz) Up (± 15 dB @ 400 Hz), pickup pan
Hardware | Strandberg black
anodized aluminium
Weight | 6 lbs (6.8 lbs)
Case/gig bag included? | Yes
Left-hand option available? | No

WHAT WE THINK
Plus | Versatile array of sounds, light
and comfortable to play
Minus | Price is high for an Indonesian
factory bass, dedicated stand is needed,
neck profile may not suit all players
Overall | Truly basses for the modern
professional

BP RATING
BUILD QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE

055
 Eastcoast
Eastcoast GB210FL-NS and GTB055-N
How low (in price) can you go asks Mike Brooks plugging in two value-heavy basses
Professional Music Technology
$220
www.pmtonline.co.uk $450
(approx)

T
he Eastcoast bass brand has recently seen some new
additions, offering features and design elements you might
not expect to see at this price. Here are two ends of the brand’s
spectrum—a four-string fretless at a touch over $200, and a
five-string through-neck bass at around $450. Neither is going to
break the bank and both potentially offer good value. But is there
a catch?

Build Quality
On inspection, the fretless has some fine features: a deep lower
cutaway and contouring front and back for comfort, an interesting
‘transfer’ top, a vibrantly colored fingerboard, and a three-band
EQ with independent pickup volumes. The longer top horn gives
the player something to work against, and the bass sits very well
against the player, despite its headstock bias.
With 20mm string spacing, the slim neck depth accommodates
even the fattest of fingers, and navigating across the entire
amaranth fingerboard is not an issue. The fingerboard is clean,
with no markers or lines to be seen on the front facing: white dot
markers have been used along the side of the neck. The machine
heads feel a little cheap, inevitably, but they do the job while the
volume and EQ controls turn smoothly and operate cleanly. The
neck pocket is well seated, forming a reasonably tight connection
between the neck and body.
The five-string is also pleasing on the eye; the mother of pearl
and abalone position inlays are very impressive indeed. As with the
fretless, the five-string sports a satin finish, although the neck could
have been finished better—I could feel the grain of the rosewood
laminates as I traversed it. Still, the three-piece body sandwich and
five-piece neck laminate make for some strikingly organic visuals.
The deep lower cutaway allows great access to the upper regions of Eastcoast GB210FL-Ns
the 24-fret fingerboard, while the
16.5mm string spacing is a little
constricting on the fretting hand
despite a broad fingerboard and
shallow D neck profile. The angled
headstock helps to improve the
string tone and overall tension.
I couldn’t help but notice that
this bass suffers from a lack
of attention in the finishing
department, with sharp fret ends
on both sides of the full length
of the neck. The machine heads
are also lacking, with one or two

056
 GEAR
Eastcoast GB210FL-NS and GTB055-N Prices $220, $450

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

Eastcoast GTB055-N Eastcoast GB210FL-NS
Price | $450 Price | $220
Made In | Eastern Asia Made In | Eastern Asia
Color | Natural, satin finish Color | Natural, satin finish
Body | Okume, maple veneer, amaranth top Body | Poplar
Neck | Five-piece maple and rosewood, Neck | Maple, 34” scale
34” scale Neck Joint | Bolt-on, four bolt
Neck Joint | Through-neck attachment
Nut Width | 45mm / 1.77” Nut Width | 42mm / 1.65”
Fingerboard | Amaranth Fingerboard | Amaranth
Frets | 24 Frets | 24
Pickups | Humbucking pickups x 2 Pickups | Humbucking pickups x 2
Electronics | Active, 9-volt Electronics | Active, 9-volt
Controls | Volume, pickup pan, bass, Controls | Volume, volume, bass, middle,
middle, treble treble
Hardware | Chrome hardware Hardware | Chrome hardware
Weight | 8.8lbs Weight | 7.5lbs
Case/gig bag included | No Case/gig bag included | No
Left-hand option available | No Left-hand option available | No

WHAT WE THINK WHAT WE THINK

Plus | Substantial; reasonable tones Plus | The price
Minus | Poor fretwork Minus | A better setup is needed
Overall | Has potential; needs a better Overall | A pocket-friendly, entry-level
level of finishing fretless bass

BP RATING BP RATING
BUILD QUALITY BUILD QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY SOUND QUALITY
VALUE VALUE
EASTCOAST GTB055-N

being poorly fitted, and all feel

tight, squeaking when used.

Sounds And Playability

The fretless has a natural
vibrancy that serves its tones very
well. If you like your fretless tone
strong and full with a bounce in
its step, this bass may well interest
you. There is a substantial amount
of ‘mwah’ on tap, and adjusting
the individual controls offers
up a good variety of interesting
tones. The three-band EQ gives
the player some extensive options and despite the price, the tonal
quality is very good. Again, this bass could do with a little extra
attention, as the truss rod needs adjusting and the intonation is
certainly out.
The five-string’s through-neck conveys the voice of the chosen
lumbers, and as a result it has an organic woodiness to its sound
that is very much in keeping with this style of design. There are
some pleasing fingerstyle tones and the slap tones are usable, but in
places, the display is a little cheap sounding. It’s difficult to pinpoint
whether it is the circuit or the pickups (or both) that are lacking.
The EQ is responsive, so note your EQ settings when finding a tone
you like. As a five-string, its performance is passable—but it won’t
blow you away.

Conclusion fret ends. As with many basses at the cheaper end of the scale, each
There are certainly some good ideas here, the fretless in particular instrument can differ wildly from another—you may well find
was very pleasing. The five-string could have been a winner had it examples that are better finished. And of course, you can’t argue
not had the potential to slice your fingers off courtesy of the sharp with those pricetags...

057
 MXR
M280 VINTAGE BASS OCTAVE
EMMA ELECTRONIC
DISCUMBOBULATOR V2 AND OKTO-NØJS
Joel McIver brings down his mighty boot on this tasty trio of effects
Jim Dunlop Emma Electronic $228.56 (MSRP)
www.jimdunlop.com www.emmaelectronic.com $119, $229 (MAP)

T
wo manufacturers, three pedals and dozens of different one of a few options. The USA-made M280 offers us the ability to
sounds—all of them available at the flick of a switch. None g
go either one or two octaves down, plus a dry/wet blend, and a
of them are cheap, though, so our reviewing eye is firmly on ccustomizable mid boost. Roll on the dry volume for the most fun,
these units’ value for money. rremaining aware that a blend of your clean and effected tone may
Let’s start with the M280 Vintage Bass Octave from the venerablee be better than the full octaved sound, depending on the situation.
b
MXR range, a slightly less full-featured octaver than the Deluxe Octave 1 is the most usable for bass players, we think. Sure, going
variant also available—and at the same time, way simpler. Plug in, down two octaves has a certain amusement value, but you’ll need
d
admire the petite dimensions and solid build of the unit, and select a
an 8x36” cab and/or the ears of a spaniel to hear anything. If you

058
 GEAR
MXR M280 Vintage Bass Octave, Emma Electronic DiscumBOBulator V2 and Okto-Nøjs Prices $228.56 (MSRP), $119, $225 (MAP)

want to generate bass tones on a guitar or ukulele, of course, this

is the option for you. Played in the midrange, the octaved tone is
excellent, with the dry signal in or out. Use it for a killer synth tone,
and on that subject I find that a result of sounding like a computer
is that you naturally concentrate more on your timing and
intonation—and as such, it’s a useful practice tool. The mid boost
is also a useful option if you want to pull your tone out of the low
end, and you can add up to 13dB to this via an internal trimpot.
The Danish firm Emma Electronic have sent us two of their large,
home-country-assembled range of pedals, the DiscumBOBulator
and Okto-Nøjs (try typing that after a few shots of akvavit). Large,
metallic, and heavy enough to be used in self-defence if your
drummer forgets to take his medication, each comes with an
attachable sticky mat for pedalboard stability.
Let’s step on the DiscumBOBulator V2 first. It’s an autowah,
a variant of envelope filter that I always used to think was
something that people only used if they were too lazy to use an
actual wah pedal. I was wrong, of course: Although the pedal
essentially offers variations on a single theme—the bow-wow,
mwah-mwah you’ve heard on a thousand funky cuts—those
sounds cover a wide spectrum.
The V2 is a second iteration of the original DiscumBOBulator
with an added independent boost of up to 10dB, activatable with
an optional footswitch should you so desire. The idea behind the
addition of this feature is that it circumnavigates an issue often
suffered by filter users, which is that the effect can lead to a
perceived lack of volume. Using the new boost, there’s no need to
deploy a separate booster pedal in your effects chain when your
64-bar bass solo starts...
Modulate the tones with the Width and Attack pots, plus the
unit’s secret weapon, the Sense control, and deploy fingers and pick
wisely, and you’ll be rewarded with a world of funk. Take note also
of that cunning up-down toggle located beneath the main pots,
which allows you to achieve a ‘reverse’ setting reminiscent of a B3
Hammond organ.
Plug in the Okto-Nøjs and tweak the controls for a groovy synth-
like effect. That’s only its starting point, however, and there are a
lot of modulation options here, so make sure that you consult the
manual. The unit’s arguably more important function is a deft
solution to the problem we often face of underwhelming overdrive.
Who among us hasn’t had their bottom end sucked out (steady
now) by a top-heavy distortion?
Essentially, this twin-function
gizmo is the equivalent of two TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
separate pedals: An analog
octaver and a fuzz. This MXR M280 Vintage Bass Octave Emma DiscumBOBulator V2 Emma Okto-Nøjs
allows you to 1) to shape your RRP | $228.56 (MSRP) RRP | $119 RRP | $229 (MAP)
overdriven tone, 2) refine your Made In | USA Made In | Denmark Made In | Denmark
desired octave effect, and 3) Features | Dry, Octave 1 and Features | Boost, Width, Attack, Sense Features | Dry, Gain, Tone, Level, Okto,
combine 1) and 2) to come up Octave 2 rotary controls, Mid boost rotary controls, Boost and True Bypass Tone, Color, Nøjs rotary controls,
push/pull (adjustable up to 13dB by footswitches, 2 x LEDs, up/down switch 2 x LEDs, 2 x True Bypass footswitches
with a proper, bass-heavy grind
internal trimpot), 2 x LEDs, footswitch Dimensions | H 34mm / 1.3” x W 93mm / Dimensions | H 34mm / 1.3” x W 93mm /
rather than an insipid wasp-in-a-
Dimensions | H 34mm / 1.3” x W 37mm / 3.7” x D 117mm / 4.6” 3.7” x D 117mm / 4.6”
tin effect. 1.5” x D 90mm / 3.5” Weight | 12.5oz Weight | 13.5oz
Use the Okto-Nøjs subtly and Weight | 5.7oz Power | 9V AC power supply Power | 9V AC power supply
the tones you come up with are Power | 9V AC power supply (included) (not included) (not included)
very rewarding indeed... and
also useful for scaring unwitting BP RATING BP RATING BP RATING
passers-by, as the combination BUILD QUALITY BUILD QUALITY BUILD QUALITY
of the two effects is genuinely SOUND QUALITY SOUND QUALITY SOUND QUALITY
VALUE VALUE VALUE
monstrous.

059
 Making you a better bass player
B A S S W elcome to our lesson section, in which Bass Player collates
the wit and wisdom of the crème de la crème of the electric
and upright bass world. We’re fortunate enough to have
some serious talent on the team, from world-class music
educators, to experienced touring musicians, who between them

LESSONS
have laid down the low notes in every studio, club, and arena in
the civilized world. Note that we’ve divided the columns according
to Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced level for easy reference.
Whether you’re 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

Kickstart your journey to the top of the Now you’re rolling with theory and Take the bass world by storm with the
bass world here! techniques, it’s time to hit the next level ultimate lesson section
Steve Lawson is the UK’s most Philip Mann studied at the London Stuart Clayton has been a professional
celebrated solo bass guitarist. Across College of Music in the UK, securing musician, writer, and transcriber since
nearly two decades of touring, and a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in 2002, and has worked in function bands,
huge catalog of solo and collaborative performance before studying under Jeff cruise ship gigs, theater shows, and
albums, he’s built up a worldwide Berlin at the Players School of Music more. He spent four years recording
audience for his looping and processing in Florida. Endorsed by Overwater and touring the world with legendary
approach to bass sound. Recent and Vanderkley, he’s now a busy Emerson, Lake & Palmer drummer Carl
collaborators include Beardyman, international freelancing electric and Palmer. Since 2007 Stuart has worked
Reeves Gabrels, Andy Gangadeen, double bassist. His performance and as the Head of the Bass Department
Tanya Donelly, Divinity Roxx, and session credits include work with at BIMM Bristol in the UK, where he
Jonas Hellborg. He been teaching bass double Grammy Award-winning continues to teach all levels of the degree
for over two decades, and lectures at guitarist Albert Lee, five-time Grammy course. In addition, he has also worked
universities and colleges across the Award nominee Hunter Hayes, Deep as the Bass Guitar Technical Specialist
globe. Victor Wooten once commented, Purple’s Steve Morse, Billy Bragg, and for the Rockschool exam board. Stuart
‘Steve Lawson is a brilliant musician. country artist Peter Donegan. He has now runs Bassline Publishing, which
I’ve known about him and listened to featured as a solo demonstration artist publishes transcription books for bassists
him for many years. He may not be one at the London Bass Guitar Show, UK, such as Mark King, Marcus Miller,
of the most famous bassists—but he is every year since 2012, and is currently Stuart Hamm, Bernard Edwards, Stuart
definitely one of the most talented’. Who a member of the visiting faculty at the Zender, and John Entwistle, as well as an
are we to argue? Players School, while also lecturing for acclaimed range of lesson books.
www.stevelawson.net Scott’s Bass Lessons.

STEVE LAWSON PHIL MANN STUART CLAYTON

Beginners 66 Intermediate 70 Advanced 76
060
 lessons

BP Notation Legend
Introduction

The following is a guide to the notation symbols and terminology used in Bass Player
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 advanced slap Technique plecTrum Technique Tapping Techniques
Notes slapped with the thumb Fretting hand slaps are marked Where necessary, down and Fretting hand taps are shown
are marked with a ‘t’, notes ’lh’ and double thumbing upstrokes with the pick will with a ‘+’ in a circle. Picking hand
popped with the fingers upstrokes are shown with an be shown using these symbols taps are just ‘+’. Particular fingers
marked with a ‘p’ upward pointing arrow (down-up-down-up) may be shown with numbers.

Fretting teChniques

hammer-on and pull-off slide (glissando) Trills vibraTo

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

playing harmoniCs bending notes

Natural HarmoNics artificial HarmoNics BeNd BeNd aNd release

The note is played as a Pluck the string while fretting The note is bent upwards The note is bent up to the
harmonic by lightly touching the lower note and touching to the interval specified: ½ = interval indicated then
the string above the fret the edge of the picking hand’s semitone, full = tone released back to its original
indicated thumb to the note in brackets pitch

061
 front line
the The MeTalhead
Daniel FiRth

Tone tips from Cradle Of Filth bassist Dan

For some, the quest for the perfect tone is a never-ending journey.
It’s something you can sink a lot of time and money into, as well as
storage and pedalboard space! However, the exciting thing about
Want to make it as a professional bassist? Listen up the search is there are always new innovations to investigate, as
well as a vast range of classic vintage gear that continues to stand
as BP’s world-class bass team reports back from the test of time.

the tourbus
The Jazz BassisT
Ruth GolleR

Jazz warrior Ruth on ‘studio exhaustion’

It’s been a hectic
couple of months.
Usually I have a
healthy balance
of gigging and
recording, but for
some reason I have
just recorded four
different albums
with different
bands back to
back. It has been
overwhelming
and quite tiring.
I always find
recording very
intense, because

leonardo Treviño
I every take I do
could be the one
that will end up on the album—and suddenly I feel under pressure!
With gigging it’s different, because the music only exists for
a split second and then it has passed. This allows me to be a bit I’ve had a fair few ‘tonal Holy Grail’ moments in my career as
more relaxed and embrace mistakes, so I'm inspired to take more a bassist; you play through a piece of gear for the first time and it
risks. Another thing that I’ve always struggled with in recording instantly raises your very expectations of what’s possible. For me,
studios is getting the bass sound right. Most of the time I have to these moments range from when I first tried a Sansamp Bass Driver
use headphones, so to get a realistic idea of what my sound is like DI as a fledgling player, to cranking an Ampeg SVT with a matching
can be difficult. I spend a lot of time checking the sound of my amp 8x10 on a big festival stage. However, as enjoyable as the latter
in the small booth where my amp sits, and then I make sure all my experience was, the gear that I’ve tended to invest in and stick with
pedals are set up properly, and that I’m happy with all the levels. has been the gear that provides awesome tone with minimal fuss.
Engineers often ask me what kind of microphones I prefer, but That being the case, I’m currently overjoyed with the Darkglass
to be honest I’ve never got my head around that issue, so I usually B7K Ultra, which I’m using on tour at the moment with Cradle
trust the engineer to choose. I always ask them to take a clean DI Of Filth. Combining first-class options for drive, EQ and even cab
from me as well as the amp signal, as my sound can be quite dirty simulation makes it a perfect all-in-one solution for me, and a great
at times—and if I’m wearing headphones, it’s difficult to hear what example of something that can simplify a rig without compromising
it sounds like. With the clean DI, I always have something to fall tone. The cab sim in particular brings extra authenticity to my tone
back on in case my sound is too dirty. I usually ask the engineer to and saves greatly on space and cost. This feature is a huge boon for
record a bit of bass by itself first, so I can check if I am happy. After me when making demos at home, as it allows me to avoid fiddling
that, I check it with the whole band to see if I’m absolutely satisfied. with microphones or disturbing neighbors with loud amps.
It really is worth spending a little bit of time on getting your My current infatuation doesn’t mean my search for the perfect
sound right before starting to record, because even though you tone is over, though. There are so many variables from instrument
might not be able to choose all your favorite takes, you can at least to speaker, and so many innovative designers out there, that you
be happy with the sound you’re making. never know where the next Holy Grail is going to arise from!
www.ruthgoller.com www.cradleoffilth.com

062
 The alTernaTive rocker The Tv sTar
Michael McKeeGan D av e s w i F t

Know your strengths, advises Therapy? bassist Mike New gear is here, says Jools Holland’s bassist Swifty
Acquiring an endorsement deal seems to be a hot topic among
musicians these days, so I’d like to offer a few thoughts from my
own experiences. After using the same brand of amplification for
eight years, I’ve just switched to Bergantino Audio Systems. Due
to growing demands and needs, a change of gear was required, so I
auditioned several well-known brands, but Bergantino impressed
me the most. They’re a perfect fit for me at this stage in my career.
Most bass gear these days is clearly of a high standard—your
choice is largely down to personal preference I’m aware that
many bassists have bought equipment on my recommendation
and I hope they’ve been happy as a result, but situations change,
and everyone needs to do their own research and try as much
gear as possible to find what’s right for them.
Landing an endorsement deal can be highly desirable, but it’s
important that the pursuit of this doesn’t become all-consuming
or detract from the far more essential pursuit of becoming a better
musician. In my case, I began appearing regularly with Jools on
various TV shows from 1992 onwards, backing famous artists,
yet for the first five years, I wasn’t offered—and nor did I seek—a
single endorsement deal. The reality was, I didn’t particularly
think I deserved one. I was buying all my own gear, even picks, yet
there I was on TV with artists such as Chaka Khan, Jeff Beck, Eric
www-ashleybird-com

Clapton, James Taylor and so on. My focus was solely on doing my

job and doing it well.
Integrity is everything, so if you approach a company seeking
sponsorship, do it because you genuinely love and believe in
their gear. Don’t get involved solely because you’re getting a
discount or something for free. It’ll be better for your conscience
and reputation!
One of the most exciting things about being a musician is the www.daveswiftbass.com
feeling of your musical ear developing over time. But without new
challenges your playing can easily get stale. I’ve been asked by
younger players, beginners, and their parents about the best way
to learn bass, and there seems to be a weird idea out there that you
will fall into one of two camps when starting out: Either you will
play by ear, or you will learn to read music.
I’ve never subscribed to this limited outlook. Both of these
approaches are integral to making you a rounded player. If you
can only play what you read or learn then your jamming and
spontaneous composition can end up becoming stilted. Likewise, if
you’ve relied on playing by ear all your life you may well fall short
when it comes to sessions and dep gigs. Theory-wise, you should at
least be able to recognize keys, time signatures, and which notes are
falling where. Sight-reading is something you only can get good at
by practising, but it can definitely bring confidence to your playing.
Ideally, you should be able to draw on both of these disciplines. If
you’re playing off a sheet or a loose brief, then stick to it, but do feel
confident about suggesting some more spontaneous parts. I’ve been
in the position where a song had a very defined bass part, but I was
able to add a different bit of flavor. The songwriter was delighted,
and I was relieved and those ‘on the fly’ parts became incorporated
into the tune, but if I hadn’t been able to interpret the initial idea
then I would’ve struggled to nail the main theme and wouldn’t have
been confident in suggesting the variations.
By all means play to your strengths. If you have perfect pitch, or
you find reading off a sheet a breeze, then explore that in as much
depth as possible.
www.therapyquestionmark.co.uk

063
 Beginners’
steve lawson
Lesson
Percussive muting meets never having to tape up your thumb, says beginners’ guru Steve Lawson

T
his month we’re continuing our how percussive sounds on our instrument It makes most sense to do this through
running theme of looking at can help us fulfil the role of a percussionist your amp, because hitting your strings
different ways that muting affects or drummer. I’ve used this extensively in like this can sometimes produce loud
our sound. We’re going to have a a solo context to add rhythmic interest to thumps through the pickup if your strings
think about it as a percussive effect. The loops. It’s also useful in singer-songwriter are particularly loose, or the pickup
uses we’ve explored so far have been contexts, where being able to take on is especially close to the strings. Your
about stopping strings from vibrating some of the percussive, rhythmic drive adjustments to how hard to bring your
when we don’t want them to, or changing of the music takes a lot of pressure off the hand down onto the strings will have to
the envelope of the note by palm muting guitarist or pianist. take those things into consideration, so
so that the notes decay much faster and Enough preamble. What’s the actual developing a good healthy ‘whack’ on
have far less treble content. technique that we’re talking about? Let’s the strings while unplugged may produce
The variation we’re going to explore start with its most basic form. To begin speaker-worrying clunky sounds when
this month takes muting a stage further with we’re going to play quarter notes you try it plugged in.
and uses it not to only stop the note that on beats 1 and 3 of the bar and bring our Your thumb, as you can see in the
was ringing, but also to create a percussive picking hand down onto the strings to pictures, lifts up as well, and is brought
sound in the process. There are several stop the note on beats 2 and 4. I’m going back down onto the string below the
places where this can be really useful, and to mark it on the score with a crosshead one you’re picking on. Its role as a guide
it ties in with a function that is right at the to denote that the sound does have a for your picking fingers is still deeply
heart of a significant piece of bass history. rhythmic value. It’s not just a rest, but there important here. It’s really helpful not
If you’ve ever looked into the history of shouldn’t be any actual pitch to the sound, to have your thumb anchored on the
slap bass, you’ll know that the man who just a pleasing ‘thunk’ sound. Check out pickup for this kind of technique. You
pioneered it on electric bass was the Example 1, below. may also want to move your hand along
great Larry Graham, who developed the Once you’ve played the first note, lift the length of the neck to find the perfect
technique while playing in a drummerless your hand slightly away from the bass, and percussive sound, and being stuck to one
duo with his organist mother, so the slap bring it down on the beat, so your fingers position over the pickup will greatly limit
and pop (or ‘thump and pluck’ as he calls it) are back in place to play the next note. If your range of possible tones.
allowed him to emulate the patterns and you’re struggling to gauge how forceful When we create sounds like this with
impact of a kick drum and snare. to be, start softly so there’s no percussive our instrument, it’s important to consider
If we draw a line between that and element to it at all, just the note being the way that those who would normally
the pizzicato upright bass technique that muted on the beat. Then gradually increase be playing the percussionist's role think
preceded it in bluegrass and rockabilly the force you apply until the muting sound about their sound. Once we’ve worked
music, we get to a place of thinking about feels balanced with the volume of the note. out how to get a percussive sound from

Example 1

066
 Beginners’ withLessOn
Steve Lawson

After playing the first note, lift your hand away from the bass,
and bring it down with enough force to create a percussive sound.

this technique, it’s important to refine that knowledge to bear on our bass playing the identified in previous columns. These four
technique so it’s the best percussive sound minute we pick up the bass. steps are Imitate, Assimilate, Integrate,
we can make. So while our first task here is to just get Innovate. We start by imitating the
A conscientious drummer will spend a a sound from the technique at hand, it’s technique as best we can. The assimilation
huge amount of time and effort learning also vital that we start to make aesthetic process is what we’re talking about here:
exactly how to hit a snare to get the sound decisions about what we like and don’t like Adjusting the details of how and where
they want. Playing with a drummer who about the application of the technique, and we apply a technique to optimize it for our
just thoughtlessly thwacks a snare like plan ways to fix those issues. Moving our instrument, our hands, and the musical
they’re trying to smash a peanut with a hand along the length of the string to find context we want to play in. 
baseball bat is a horrible experience as the sweet spot for a particular technique Let’s move the notes to a different
a bassist. We expect the person playing is an active demonstration of our respect position. Try out Example 2, overleaf. 
drums to take as much care over their for the music, and by extension for anyone Now we’re having to co-ordinate moving
sound as we do over getting our tone that might be listening to us play!  our fretting hand to different frets while
right, and developing control over it to There are so many things we can adjust keeping track of what our picking hand
make sure it stays right as the music here, such as timing, which is a big issue is up to with the percussive hits. This is a
changes. The same goes for our control of for any technique that starts away from step up in complexity that starts to hint at
a less obvious bass sound like this. the strings. This requires us to anticipate how we can use these hits as the ‘glue’ in a
This brings us back to our running the beat by a tiny amount, and to begin the line. Notice that they’re all on beats 2 and
theme. Being a ‘beginner’ in the sense motion to bring our hand down onto the 4—exactly where the snare would be in a
of not having spent long playing the strings just before the beat. If you find classic straight 4/4 rock drum groove. 
bass guitar doesn’t mean you have to that your timing is off, think about this The next element we’re going to add is
suddenly become a rudimentary listener anticipation and what it’s going to take for to combine the percussive hit with our
too. We all have a lifetime of listening you to be able to land the ‘hit’ right on top picking hand with a muted note in our
to music, of developing opinions about of the beat. Take it slow, stay relaxed, and fretting hand. This simulates and simplifies
music, of cultivating an ever-growing give yourself time to adjust. You can try this the classic bluegrass upright bass slap
appreciation for the exact kinds of technique freehand, or with a click, or with technique. Check out some examples on
production and performance details a drum track: Search YouTube for simple YouTube, it’s a rich and varied technical
that we most appreciate in our favorite rock or country beats to play along with if world courtesy of our acoustic cousin. We
players. We can discern minute details you don’t have access to other drum tracks. have three events that we’re combining
between techniques and styles by ear, and Adding any new technique requires us to here. The first is picking a note as normal
we can start to bring that level of expert go through the four-step process that we’ve on beat 1; the second is our percussive

067
Example 2

“IT’S aLwayS good To make Sure ThaT aS we geT comforTabLe wITh a new
TechnIque we’re noT STuck onLy PLayIng ThaT one Idea In one PoSITIon”
hit on beat 2; the third is the addition of a up, and making sure that at least two sure that as we get comfortable with
muted note plucked on the eighth note after fingers are in contact with the string to a new technique we’re not stuck only
the percussive hit. If we’re using rest strokes prevent a harmonic from ringing out. playing that one idea in one position. The
and alternate two-finger picking, then You can experiment with fretting the ‘integration’ phase of our four-step process
the muting will be assisted by our other note on beats 1 and 3 with either your requires us to look at how this new
picking finger  coming to rest on the string index finger, and therefore adding a element combines with all the things we
in preparation to play the note on beat 3. finger in front of the note when you normally do, so we want to have as many
Example 3, opposite, shows what all this mute, or with your little finger, and ways of connecting it to the rest of our
looks like. adding the additional muting support playing as possible. 
The muted note following the behind the note. We’ve only got three elements here—
percussive hit is plucked as normal with Each will change the way it feels to four if you count the shift from the A
our picking hand, and muted using the play a little, and will offer different string, to the D string—but this is definitely
method we talked about a couple of further combinations of notes in that an exercise that you want to start really
months back—lifting your fretting hand hand position. It’s always good to make slow. Some of you may find that you fall

You don’t have to lift your hand a long way from the bass.
The closer you keep it, the easier it is to stay in time

068
 Beginners’ withLessOn
Steve Lawson

Example 3

“IT can feeL LIke The Snare IS haPPenIng becauSe of whaT you’re doIng,
creaTIng The SenSaTIon of The rhyThm SecTIon PLayIng wITh a unIfIed braIn”

As you bring your hand back down, aim to have it be in the right
position to play the next note

into a comfortable rhythm with it straight When you can, try this with a drummer. because of what you’re doing, creating the
away—if so, that’s great. Run with it and While we’ve talked a lot about how it sensation of the rhythm section playing
see what other rhythmic patterns you can simulates the effect of a snare drum, it’s with a unified brain. That’s the feeling
find that work. If you struggle with it, keep also a very effective way of bedding our we’re trying to generate each time we lock
going back to the simpler version, Example bass-lines in with what the drummer is in with a drummer, so any technique we
2, and revisit the fretting hand muting doing. When our percussive click and can add that helps us to bring that about is
from previous columns to make sure that their snare drum are fully in sync, the a good thing.
each element is comfortable before trying feeling of connection runs pretty deep: It Experiment, take it slow, and have fun.
to combine them.  can even feel like the snare is happening See you next month!

069
 Intermediate
PHIL MANN
Lesson
Slapping in 5/4 is outlawed under the Misuse Of Funk Act 1983, but Phil Mann is just the guy to flout the rules

A
lot of what we do is dictated by time. How much time we distracts from the development of more essential performance skills.
spend with our families, how much time we spend at work, Let’s see if we can give the technique its due this month.
how much free time we have, and how much time we spend This month, we’ll be expanding on last issue’s studies with a
with our basses in the shed! For most of us, time is at a further look at 5/4 time measures. Although we’ll be attempting
premium—so when you practise, the division of the time available to introduce some slap bass technique, notice that its application
to you needs care, consideration, structure, and planning, in order is within the parameters of a II-V chord progression. Thus, all of
to achieve all of your goals. the following melodic content can be performed using either a
An obsession over slap bass is something that concerns me and traditional fingerstyle approach, or with the slap technique. Our
continues to raise a red flag whenever I hear students conversing first exercise targets a minor 7th chord, which naturally resides on
about it. It’s not that it’s not a worthwhile pursuit, but it potentially the second step of the harmonized G major scale.

Example 1
You’ll notice a number of
similarities between the first
two of this month’s examples,
such as the sixteenth-note
rhythm on the first beat in
both studies. Although this
rhythm looks complicated, it’s
actually fairly straightforward
to execute. However, instead
of trying to decipher each and
every rhythmic component,
simply say to yourself the
word ‘blackcurrant’ and then
replicate the rhythm in the
syllables’ delivery. This method
can also help you with the
rhythm on the third beat in
the majority of the measures.
In this instance the word ‘taxi’
serves as a wonderful device.

070
 IntermedIate LeSSOn
with Phil Mann
Example 2
One of the major differences
between the first two
examples is in the final bar.
Here, the ‘blackcurrant’
rhythm has been succeeded
by the pairing of a sixteenth
and an eighth note,
commencing on the second
sixteenth note of beat two.

“AlthOugh we’ve Switched chOrd tyPeS, it’S wOrth nOting thAt the Only diFFerence
between the SPelling OF A MinOr 7th And dOMinAnt 7th chOrd iS the 3rd”
Example 3
Example 3 switches our
attention to dominant 7th
vocabulary. A minor 7th
chord is constructed using the
intervals of a root, minor 3rd,
perfect 5th, and minor 7th.
Now, although we’ve switched
chord types, it’s worth noting
that the only difference
between the spelling of a
minor 7th and dominant 7th
chord is the 3rd.
Notice that the rhythmical
subdivisions used in Example
3 are almost identical to those
found in Example 2, but the
melodic information has
been adjusted to suit the new

071
harmonic environment. Once
again, the final bar may prove
problematic, but it’ll only take
a few moments of practice
to address how the phrase
ascends in octaves to the F#,
before landing on an E for the
end of the bar.

Example 4
Example 4 is our second
study of dominant 7th
vocabulary. Once again, we’ll
be enveloping the principal
chord tones with an array of
diatonic information in an
effort to produce a more taxing
groove. As you transcend the
following measures of 5/4,
you’ll encounter a number of
hurdles such as the physical
requirements of playing two
sixteenth notes in succession
with your thumb in bar four.
The rhythm on the final
beat of bar six can easily
be interpreted by saying
‘lemonade’.

Example 5
In the first four examples
we’ve encountered both
minor 7th and dominant
7th chords individually, but
in the following eight bars
their melodic content has
been combined to allow us
to move through a II-V chord
progression; each chord

072
 IntermedIate LeSSOn
with Phil Mann
type is performed for two
measures. Although many
of the rhythmic subdivisions
you’re going to encounter have
been drawn from the previous
exercises, there are some
important melodic differences.

Example 6
Our explorations have
thoroughly explored the key
centre of G major, but ensure
that you are able to transpose
everything you’ve studied
in this month’s column into
neighbouring keys. Start this
process by examining the
intervals used in each phrase
and then replicating them
in a different position of the
fretboard. Enjoy working
through this final exercise, and
I’ll see you next time!

073
 Advanced
STUART CLAYTON
Lesson
Double your impact with bass samurai Stu Clayton’s introduction to double stop tapping

H
ello and welcome back to my long-running series on the Tapping Double Stops
various forms of the tapping technique. For the past few A double stop is simply two notes played together. In this month’s
issues, we’ve been looking at ‘linear tapping’, the variant exercises, the majority of the double stops that we will be tapping
on the technique often favored by guitarists, which often will be intervals of a fourth, which means that we’ll be tapping
features long sequences of notes on a single string. Last issue we two notes on the same fret, on adjacent strings. To do this, we’ll
adapted this technique to be used across all four strings of the be tapping with the first and second fingers of the picking hand
instrument, with each tapped note pulled off to sound a note from simultaneously. Because we’re now tapping two notes at once,
a chord fretted below. In this month’s instalment we’re going to when we pull off we’ll be hearing two chord tones fretted lower on
continue exploring this idea, but now using tapped double stops. the neck. Let’s look at a simple example of this to start with:

Example 1
Here the fretting hand holds an
E power chord: E at the seventh
fret of the A string and the B and
E at the ninth fret of the D and
G-strings. The picking hand is
tapping double stops above this,
then pulling off to sound the
notes below. If you’ve practised
the chordal linear tapping
technique in recent issues, this
should be no problem.

Example 2
This example develops the
previous one, but now the
fretted chord changes through
the course of the line. Note that
the tapped double stop line
remains the same for most of
the exercise, only changing for
the D chord. Here, the double
stop on the top two strings
becomes a major third (D and
F#). You can continue to use
the same fingers to tap these
notes, although you will need
to bend your first finger a little.
This interval is a little trickier
to tap than the fourths used
so far, so practise this section
slowly to begin with.

076
 ADVANCEDwithLESSON
Stuart Clayton

“we’ll be
tapping with the
firSt anD SeConD
fingerS of the
piCking hanD
SimultaneouSly”

Example 3
In this example, the picking
hand moves between two
double stops: The E and the A
at the fourteenth fret of the
D and G-strings, and the G
and the C at the seventeenth
fret. Beneath this repeating
sequence, the fretting hand
holds down a series of different
double stop chords.

Example 4
This exercise is similar to
the Jeff Berlin composition
‘Motherlode’. The fretting hand
holds an E chord at the twelfth
fret across all four strings.
Above this, the picking hand
taps double stops, pulling off to
sound the fretted chord notes.
Some of the tapped double stop
notes are extensions—the C#
is a major sixth (or thirteenth),
and the F# is a major ninth. The
result of these added notes is a
E6/9 sound. At the end of the
two-bar phrase, a brief melodic
line is tapped between the
two hands, before the phrase
begins again. This idea is then
played over a fretted D major
chord, with the tapped notes
becoming the major seventh
(C#), the sharpened eleventh,
(G#) and the thirteenth (B).

077
“thiS iS Similar
to the kinD of
tapping lineS
that ViCtor
wooten playS”

Example 5
Here we come across an
interesting way to outline
a dominant seventh chord
with the technique: A double
stop G and C are tapped at the
seventeenth fret of the D and
G strings. These are pulled
off to sound the notes fretted
below—E and A#—which in
turn are slid upwards to an F
and B, the seventh, and major
third of the G7 chord. This
idea is then repeated down
on the next pair of strings.
The remainder of the bar is a
simple two-handed tapping
figure, which reinforces the
tonality of the chord. This
bar is played twice, and then
moved down a tone, to outline
an F7 chord. This line is
similar to the kind of tapping
lines that Victor Wooten
sometimes plays.
By now you should be
comfortable tapping double
stop fourths and pulling off to
lower, fretted notes. We’re now
going to look at some examples
that feature a different tapped
interval: The octave.

Tapping Octaves
To tap an octave double stop
you’ll probably find it easier
to use the first and third
fingers of your picking hand “by now you ShoulD be Comfortable tapping
as we’ll be playing on two
non-adjacent strings. Let’s Double Stop fourthS anD pulling off
first work on this idea in the
context of a simple exercise. to lower, fretteD noteS”
078
 ADVANCEDwithLESSON
Stuart Clayton
Example 6
In this example, your fretting
hand is holding down a
root-octave figure: The E at
the seventh fret of the A
string, and the octave E at
the ninth fret of the G string.
Meanwhile, your picking hand
is busy tapping octaves in the
upper register, first B notes,
then A notes. As before, these
notes are tapped, then pulled inevitably be weaker than the sure you are consistently and Nailed the basics? Then let’s
off to sound the lower, fretted second, so you might need to effectively tapping each note put this new concept to work
notes. The third finger will practise this in order to make at the same volume. in a longer exercise.

Example 7
This example uses the same
techniques as the previous
one but moves a little quicker.
The octave notes in the
fretting hand also move
around. You’ll notice that
you also need to tap some
ghost notes with the picking
hand. These are written
for rhythmic effect and are
played in a slightly different
way: When tapping the
string, don’t push it down
so that the notes are heard.
Instead, try to ‘bounce’ off the
strings, after you’ve tapped
them.

W ith this month’s

instalment we’re
bringing our
investigation of the linear
tapping technique to a
close. We’ve covered a huge
amount of ground over the
past few issues, and if you’re
struggling with any parts of
this technique, I recommend
going back a couple of issues
and working forward from
there. All of the examples
that we’ve looked at in this
mini-course have been
cumulative—that is, each
one builds on what has come
before.
Okay, that’s it for this
month. As ever I can be
reached via the mag if you
have any questions about the
column. Next month we’ll be
delving into the world of…
sweep picking and tapping!

079
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.M Y F A V O R I T E M A G A Z I N E S .C O M
 low end of love
Joe Shooman signs off each issue by celebrating an iconic bass guitar
This month: the Danelectro Longhorn

I
nstantly-recognizable for its twin- 1966, and Danelectro subsequently closed
tusked body, the Danelectro Longhorn its doors in 1969.
is one of the quirkier-looking short- One issue with the original Longhorn
scale basses available. The instrument was its light-gauge strings, which in the late
has been a favorite of some huge names, 1950s and through the 1960s were difficult
including Bruce Thomas, Phil Lynott, John to source, and extremely breakable when
Entwistle, and Noel Redding. Positives for you pushed them too far. Famously, our
the Longhorn are its full, thumpy-twangy, cover star John Entwistle was determined
middy sound, light weight, fun playability, to play the solo on ‘My Generation’ on his
and relatively small size, which enables Danelectro, but finding the light strings
it to travel easily. Set against this is the impossible to to buy, it was easier to splash
instruments’ inconsistent build quality out on a whole new instrument instead.
over the years through various factories, Even then he snapped through three
company owners and copyists, plus a fixed instruments’ worth in a row, so had to
bridge and a 24-fret neck that can cause revert to a Fender Jazz.

“WheTher moDern aDDITIonS make a beTTer or

a LeSS auThenTIc Longhorn IS an ongoIng DebaTe”
intonation issues, and you’ve got a rather The story continued, though, with
divisive bass. repairman, designer, and luthier Dan
Danelectro was formed by former Armstrong buying the remaining parts
Epiphone engineer Nathan Daniel in 1946, from the shuttered MCA factory and
initially building amplifiers for the likes of constructing instruments through Ampeg,
Sears, which have come back into vogue; subsequently using acrylic and plexiglass
Jack White often plays through one. and veering off into weird and wonderful
Electric guitars were added in 1954 with a designs. The Danelectro name was not
view to making affordable and accessible heard again until 1998, when Evets
instruments. Experiments Corporation bought the rights to it and
with metal neck ea and China.
reinforcements and a ne e ’58 reissue was
micro-tilt followed, and nstructed between
Getty

the lipstick pickup reduc 98 and 1999,

noise as the company be ing an upgraded
its land-grab of the chea ustable bridge, and
end of the market. The fi ers from 2000 to
six-string electric barito 3 on the Longhorn
bass came in 1956, and which featured can now cope with standard-gauge strings,
two years later it gained ple neck, and and the pickups have also been tweaked to
double-cutaway longhor ood fingerboards. be more responsive. Whether these modern
shape, as did the four- e were further additions make a better or a less authentic
string version. Its cheap es in 2006 and Longhorn is an ongoing debate. As for the
construction in the build quality question, there’s a whole other
initial days was based o is squawky short- set of Dano-inspired basses built by Jerry
Masonite—a wood-fibre ass is loved for its Jones that muddy the waters even more—
molded board—plus a tive sound,” says but that’s another article entirely.
laminated wood frame cial Danelectro In the meantime, just take a look at
and masking tape-style of the iconic those pointy volume pots, and listen to
edging. Nat Daniel sold ent. Thanks to the the distinctive twang and you might just,
the company to MCA in of a truss rod, they despite yourself, fall deeply in love.

082
9000 9001