1.Why Bass?
To bring the low-end frequencies. Music without bass sounds incomplete and even irritating at times. To my ears, it sounds best with a full range of sound. The complete package.
And that sums up why I am playing bass in Murder Van, it needs it. We play old school thrash and death metal, with very few opportunities to walk scales, I am really just playing guitar on bass for the most part.
2.Do you think it is unfair or just lack of knowledge bass gets so little credit?
I wasn’t really aware of that. It might be relative to the genre more in some cases. Our fans, in particular, have a tendency to have a solid knowledge base in music, and the majority also play instruments on their own and in bands. I guess for the rest of the people out there, it would be a lack of knowledge.
3.What kind of bass do you use? Model , color , year , And why
I am currently using a late-model Ibanez Soundgear Gio series 5 string with active pickups. It is a deep orange color. I purchased it from Tommy Stewart who used it in the last culmination of thrash legends Hallows Eve. My main reason for this particular bass is that it feels more like a guitar in my hands, and I’m really just a guitar player. I’m even contemplating switching to a short-scale bass to improve accuracy when shredding. It’s kinda tough moving extremely fast on the low side haha. This also seems like a good time to add that I use a pick. I am a full-time picker, no finger playing.
4.Tell us about your amplification
I am currently running a Hartke LH1000 through a Decibel Sound Implements 212 cab. It’s loaded with Italian-made Faital PRO 12s. It sounds amazing and can get into the ridiculous sound pressure levels. It is the smallest loudest thing you’ll ever stand in front of. We call it “Mini-Monster”. As I recall, I told Jerimy at Decibel, that I wanted to see the audience puking when I crank it past 5. Mission accomplished!
5. With all of that being said do you feel tone is an important thing for bass?
Yes, absolutely. Bass tone will completely change the sound of a band. For some quick, easy reference just listen to Motorhead and Iron Maiden. They are very different yet give each band a very distinct character. My preference is for a clean, tight tone, that rattles your eyeballs while maintaining a brightness and clarity that defines every note.
6.Do you prefer 5 strings over 4 string?
For bass I definitely prefer the extended range of the 5 string. Although, anything beyond that and you are either entering the guitar frequency or just muddying up your sound. I don’t want to have to rely on a sound engineer to bring out my frequency because I’m going into mud-range or crossing into guitar territory. I wasn’t a fan of 5 strings to begin with either, I switched because I’m playing a C# standard tuning and needed my strings to be tighter and not flop around when playing fast. Over time I found that the extended low frequency on a 5 string can add a heaviness that is otherwise not achievable.
7.Who is your favorite bassist?
The “favorite whatever” questions are always a tough one for me. I don’t have an absolute favorite and the answer might be different next week. That being said, Cliff Burton has been blowing me away since the early 80s. I can definitely relate to playing bass like it’s a guitar, which he does. And he also displays some prowess in composition, which impresses me as well.
8. Who is your least favorite bassist?
I don’t know. Sid Vicious sucked real bad haha!
9.Why do you think women seem to be attracted to playing bass?
Are they really? It must be because I’m secretly just an Okish guitar player that they leave me alone haha….Now that I’m thinking about it, it might have something to do with the long reach of our fingers and/or the tendency for bass players to have a soul patch or sport some other chin hair without a mustache.
10. What bassist dead or alive would you like a private lesson with?
I could probably benefit from a lesson from anyone since I’ve never had any. I’ll go with Cliff again on this one, he’s just a badass. Forever.
11. Bonus question
Bobby Doll , Nikki Sixx , Les Claypool , Billy Sheehan which is more ridiculous and why
To my knowledge, Les Claypool has done the most off-the-wall stuff out of that list. Ridiculous is a fitting description, at times. He’s just all over the place, tapping, mixing styles and genres. I have a lot of respect for the guy, and have some of his music in my collection.
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