Thursday, December 12, 2019

THE DEEP END BASS INTERVIEW : jC Croizet / HIGHFRONT

 
Bass interview... jC Croizet, Highfront bassist. Formerly with Stillborn and Antix .
 


.Why Bass?
1. I started playing bass at 16 as my best friend was playing guitar. He told me to focus on keeping the music flowing and rythmic while we jammed with no drummer.

 


Do you think it is unfair or just lack of knowledge bass gets so little credit?
2. Actually in the last couple of years bass has been highly 
recognized and respected as a major instrument and factor in bands . Players such as Billy Sheehan and Steve Harris have been some of the players responsible to bring bass to the front.


What kind of bass do you use? Model , color , year , And why
3.  I currently play a Warwick 4 string and Iam planning to swap out the pick ups to EMG’s to give a better midrange tone. Iam also in the market to replace my 1985 US Spector which was one of kind build in New Jersey .

Tell us about your amplification
4. My amplification is all Markbass with the 800 watt head driving two 4x10 markbass cabinets.  Markbass has been extremely reliable for me. In the past I was using SWR amplification driving Hartke cabinets . I also had acoustic 370 head with two 301 cabinets .

With all of that being said do you feel tone is an important thing for bass?
5. Tone for me is the MOST important factor for being heard . If you take this seriously it will pay off especially for live gigs . Large stages demand proper tone especially when you play close to your drummers kick. My preference for tone goes to spector . It is an ultimate weapon of tone where your midrange is simply top notch and the bass frequency clear and tight. Most sound men and studio producers love the spector as it is such a beautiful natural sounding instrument to mix.

Do you prefer 5 strings over 4 string?
6. Right now I prefer a four string as it is habit for me. We have been using multiple tunings so this presents many issues for me. So Iam planning to incorporate a 5 string to my arsenal to give me flexibility.

Who is your favorite bassist?
7. My favourite bassist was Jack Bruce. When I started I would spend all my time copying him. As I moved into more of a songwriting role I began listening to Jimmy Bain, Chris Squire  and Bob Daisley three of my all time favourites. Those guys developed bass lines that embellished tunes . The right notes and feel at the right time . Many songs they played on actually “made” the tune.

Who is your least favorite bassist?
8. Unfortunately, I don’t have a least favourite bassist on my list . I love all styles of bass playing from the very complicated to the very basic .

Why do you think women seem to be attracted to playing bass?
9. Why do I think women gravitate to the bass?... to me I think it’s because they “listen” to the music then add their magic to make the song complete . Too many players play to get noticed. Bass playing to me is the bridge of melody with rythym and many ladies seem to be quite good at this!

What bassist dead or alive would you like a private lesson with?
10. Bass lesson with Jimmy Bain would be my choice. His playing was to me one of the ultimate rock players . He drove the band with choice notes that would compliment the band .

Bonus question
Bobby Doll , Nikki Sixx , Les Claypool , Billy Sheehan which is more ridiculous and why
11. Nikki SIXX is amazing as his marketing skills “far outweigh” his playing skills . The man has managed to steer a band into super stardom doing what he does best which is marketing . Many players play much better than him,however, have no or lack any marketing skills.
 .
Keep it metal...
jC Croizet


 

No comments:

Post a Comment