RUMBLE BASS INTERVIEW : DEVIL IN THE MIST

1.Why Bass?

True story, the suburban 1970s neighborhood that I grew up in, the garage band needed a bass player. So they asked me. 

2.Do you think it is unfair or just lack of knowledge bass gets so little credit?

Bass gets plenty of credit. Try removing the bass from, say, Whole Lotta Love and see what you’re left with. Or dig the bass drop in Dubstep, or Steve Harris’ gallop, and then there’s reggae. Bass is the hip thrust in sex.

  

3.What kind of bass do you use? Model , color , year , And why

Anything Fender, unless It’s Gia, then I gotta go with something else. Lately (before the apocalypse) I was playing my Wolf 5 string on gigs (and The Ladder) but all the other Gia/DIM tracks are my 1989 Carvin 5 string fretless (LB 75) with black nylon tape wound strings. I like the contrast that the fretless and nylon strings brings to Gia’s and Katy’s songs. 

4.Tell us about your amplification

Ampeg SVT 3 Pro into an Ampeg 1 15’ cabinet with an Eminence speaker, so you can actually hear the low B.

5. With all of that being said do you feel tone is an important thing for bass?

Time, tone, and timbre are totally where it’s at. We all pretty much know what notes we’re going to play, so it comes down to where you place the note in the pocket (time), how you’re producing the note (tone), and the quality of how that note sounds (timbre). 

6.Do you prefer 5 strings over 4 string?

I have played 4, 5, and 6 string basses, Champan Stick, Fender six, whatever the music requires. My favorite, my home, so to speak is a fretless 4 string fender jazz bass.

7.Who is your favorite bassist?

 

Paul Chambers and Slam Stewart (LOL). I can’t name just one. I can name the three “roots” of the electric bass tree that most influenced me. James Jamerson, he gave us all our lexicon, and bridged the gap between Upright and electric. Larry Graham, who established slap on the electric bass, and Jaco Pastorius, who brought it all together.

8. Who is your least favorite bassist?

Adam Clayton

9.Why do you think women seem to be attracted to playing bass?

The bass is the parent of any ensemble. We keep things from getting out of hand, we keep the lid on, so to speak. Consider Carol Kay and her playing in the Wrecking Crew, or Tina Weymouth’s playing with The Talking Heads. Both have fantastic time, tone, and timbre, both carried the music on their shoulders. Like a good parent (mom or dad) does with their kids.

10. What bassist dead or alive would you like a private lesson with?

  

Davie 504

11. Bonus question

Bobby Doll , Nikki Sixx , Les Claypool , Billy Sheehan  which is more ridiculous and why

[do you mean Bobby Dall?]

They’re all fantastic, Bobby and Nikki really fit with their bands and they’ve had fantastic careers. Les and Billy both have prodigious chops, I remember seeing Billy in Talas in Upstate NY when I was in high school and being blown away. I think, of the four, I would love to hang with Les and just jam on some old Isley Brothers tunes. That would be ridiculous.