THE DEEP SERIES : Lars "Larza" Skjuttorp / CHUGGAR

 

1.Why bass?

 

Well, me and my twin brother Eric first got in to the local music school at age 6 or 7. I was put on playing bass and I wasn't happy from the start - I wanted to play drums. But a friend of mine introduced me to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and I was blown away. I'd never imagined someone playing a bass like Flea did and from that moment I was in love with my instrument. The more I learned about playing bass the more obsessed I became - especially when Eric was hitting the drums. We jammed A LOT and trying to find the perfect groove and awesome rhythms. I've never regretted choosing bass.

2. Lack of knowledge or unfair that bass gets so little credit?

I think it's lack of knowledge - if we talk about non-musicians. I'd say that the bass is more or less taken for granted more than anything else. The bass is always there and together with the drums making that solid foundation of the music. You can take almost any song and if you mute the bass the song would just fall apart because of the lack of bottom and deepness. People probably would give more credit to the work behind being a bass player if they understood how important it is in any music. Does anyone not love when your chest is vibrating when the bass drops? Would anyone go to a disco and dance if it weren't for that deep bass making everything big and groovy?
I know I play an instrument that doesn't always get the credit for the important work that it does, but that doesn't really bother me. I do what I like and making sure that the guitarists have a good foundation to build their sound upon and that the people can groove along with the drums.

3. What bass do you use?
 I use a 5-stringed Yamaha RBX765a. This is actually my first bass ever (yes, I owned a 5-stringed before a 4-stringed) and I absolutely love it. It's from the early 2000s and I bought it from a pawn shop. This bass is an absolute beast and does anything I want it to. I can use this bass for any genre.  

I use it when I play covers, funk, rock, pop, metal - It has a broad variety to it.  Every song I've ever recorded in any studio has been with this bass and every producer have seemed to love it. There was one producer who didn't want me to play on a Yamaha, though he didn't like the brand, but I told him to give this one a chance. It all ended up with that he wanted to borrow my bass to record his own band, haha! Aswell as it sounds lovely it also have a special place in my heart because it's the first bass I ever bought. I will never get rid of this bass.
I also have a Dimavery bass.

I don't know much about it and it's really not easy to play on that thing. It sounds good but it's really heavy and I only use it for gigs that isn't over 30 minutes or it'll kill my back haha. It looks sick and sounds pretty nice but I want to perform at a high level and I try to use my Yamaha as much as I can.

4. Amplification.

I don't use any amp when I play live actually. Since I almost always play with my Yamaha which has active pick-ups I don't really need it. I use my SansAmp to get a good boost to the bottom end and still get that awesome attack on the strings. I use a Ashdown overdrive pedal to complement my SansAmp. I'm not very fond of a bass that sounds fuzzy and since the SansAmp has a very fuzzy distortion I use my Ashdown to do the distortion for me. It goes very well together. I also use a compressor from Mooer to stabilize my sound. I use a lot of different techniques when playing live and need it to sound solid and consistent. It works great when switching from slapping to pick to fingers. 

I do have an old Peavey 120 series century in our rehearsal room. I only play on it when we're rehearsing and it does what its suposed to do - no more no less. But it's not something I bring with me to a show.
     5. Is tone important to bass?

Is tone important to drums, vocals or guitars? -Of course it is!
Since the bass is the foundation (Along side the drums) it's super important to find a tone that mixes well with every other instrument that is playing. It's always important for me to talk to the guitarist on what type of sound they aim for so that we can work together to find the sweet middle. Tone is important if you want to have a well-balanced sound. If you have too much bass it could drench the song and if you have too little it would sound small.
 If I didn't think that tone was important I wouldn't change playing styles that often now, would I?

6. 5-Stringed or 4-stringed?

5-stringed all day long. I love having the option of putting an even deeper end to the sound and more strings to play with.

7. Favorite bass player?

Ohh, that's a hard one... It's not easy picking a favorite among so many great bass players. I mean I've been influenced and amazed by so many different bass player - all from Marcus Miller, Paul Gray (Slipknot), Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne), Adam "Nolly" Getgood (Periphery), John Myung (Dream Theatre) and Justin Chancellor (Tool). But I'd say the one who really stuck with me since I was little is still Flea. I love the way he plays. His endurance is just unbelievable! That sound he gets when slapping and playing with his fingers are just amazing. I owe him a lot of gratitude for making me choosing bass and still being able to love this wonderful instrument.

8. Least favorite player?

I've never actually thought about any bad bass players. I mean, I listen to a lot of different bands and I only listen to music that I feel sounds good. And if I feel that it's good music then there's no bas bass player there, right? Sure, maybe someone isn't as talented as the next one but it doesn't make someone else a bad bass player because I only listen to music I enjoy. But then again - I've never really liked punk so I'd say Sid Vicious if you really need an answer.

9. Why are women attracted to bass players?

I guess they like someone who knows how to use his fingers, haha!
Well actually I don't know. I guess anyone playing music gets enhanced by the opposite sex. Maybe because they have the guts to preform on stage or maybe because they have put a lot of work trying to learn and having determination. Music is as close as you can come to express your feelings (In my opinion) and that may attract someone who likes to share these emotions with you.

10. Lesson with a bass player?

Argh... Though one. I'd say Paul Gray. I'd love to understand how he played to make Slipknot so f*cking good with their two first albums.

11. Booby Doll, Nikki Sixx, Les Claypool, Billy Sheehan?

I'd say Billy Sheehan. That's some next level stuff he's playing - so incredible. The speed he has in his fingers are just ridiculous.

Best Regards!

Lars "Larza" Skjuttorp