EBS 25th ANNIVERSARY MAGAZINE by EBS Sweden AB

Alex Al, the bass player from Michael Jacksonsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; This Is It movie fell in love with the EBS Reidmar amp at the NAMM Show 2012. Photo by Ralf Bjurbo

EBS CEO AND FOUNDER SPEAKS already at a tender age I was interested

EDITORIAL Editor in Chief Bo Engberg

in music, in electronics and in doing business – skills that over the years developed and lead the way to my first enterprise. This was in 1979 and I designed and produced a guitar amp, Halkan´s Model GRA60, which was a seed that eventually grew into EBS – Electric Bass System. It is a privilege that, together with my distinguished colleague and “brother in arms” Mats Kristoffersson, run this company which exists upon developing more or less crazy ideas into something brilliant. From these ideas we design amazing products that it is our pleasure to market and sell to professional musicians worldwide. This process is the lifeblood of our achievements at EBS.

Graphic Design & Layout Ralf Bjurbo

CONTRIBUTORS Photographers Daniel Falk Lasse Eklöf Tina Jeppsson Peter Orevi Hans Brendestam Bo L. Engberg, EBS CEO & founder. Photo by Lasse Eklöf.

Writers Mikael Jansson Ralf Bjurbo Nikki O’Neill Dave Marks

Since the start in 1988 we have worked to create the best products on the market for bass artists – a tremendously inspiring challenge. Perhaps not the most profitable of businesses, but without a doubt the most satisfying. Today, EBS has a skilled and focused team of bass playing employees, all involved in the process of developing and marketing new and exciting products. With the unique smorgasbord of products created over the past 25 years, EBS has successfully established itself on the world market for bassists. Today EBS is represented in more than 40 countries and our products are used by musicians of all genres; by weekend warriors as well as top notch professionals. We also see new target groups develop since an increasing number of guitar and keyboard players have discovered EBS´ various effect pedals. This confirms that the EBS quality appeals to all kinds of instrumentalists. EBS always aims to offer you, the demanding musician, the perfect sound, the best quality and the best support. These are also the most important reasons for top artists to choose EBS Professional Bass Equipment year after year. I am incredibly proud to serve our fabulous EBS Artists as well as all the other musicians who have found their sound by using our products. This is my way of saying my heartfelt thanks to all of you for using EBS Professional Bass Equipment; I look forward to many more years of cooperation. Together we will make music history with the unique EBS products! I wish you much pleasure with the 25th Anniversary Magazine.

CONTACT EBS Sweden AB Grindstuvägen 44-46 167 33 Bromma

ONLINE www.ebssweden.com This publication is an advertising product for EBS Sweden AB to put highlight on the company’s 25th Anniversary. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited. All rights reserved. All content is subject to change.

All the BASS!

Bo L. Engberg

CEO and founder of EBS EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

CONTENT

24 22

36 4 EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

30 CONTENT EBS History – A Quarter of a Century Timeline: 25 Years of EBS Products New Gear: EBS BILLY SHEEHAN Signature Drive Document: EBS Sweden Rocks! Meet Peter Iwers of IN FLAMES New Talent: DIRTY LOOPS ETIENNE MBAPPÉ BJORN ENGLEN on How to Make it In LA! Gear: EBS Accessories Cover Story: TAL WILKENFELD MARCUS MILLER –The Renissance Man Meet EBS Tech Director MATS KRISTOFFERSSON Educational: Lesson’s With DAVE MARKS! Colin Edwin of PORCUPINE TREE WARREN MCRAE – Live with Tina Turner Gear: EBS Effects & Guitar?

CONTENT

6 8 14 16 18 22 24 26 28 30 36 38 44 46 50 52 56

Meet guitarist MIKE SCOTT 54 Gear: EBS Product Guide 2013

EBS Online Resources 80 EBS Artists 2013 82

52 EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

DOCUMENT: EBS HISTORY

EBS – 25 YEARS LOOKING BACK A QUARTER OF A CENTURY BY MIKAEL JANSSON

n 1988, the newly founded EBS Company launched its first product, the EBS-1 bass preamp. This marked the advent of a new high end bass amp manufacturer dedicated to making the best bass equipment available. Finally, the efforts of two young entrepreneurs and electronics designers had come to fruit. Today, Bo Engberg remains the CEO and Mats Kristoffersson is the Technical Director of EBS Sweden. Bo Engberg (b. 1956) grew up in Sollentuna, a suburb north of Stockholm and showed an early talent both in music and selling – he was the number one seller of lottery tickets for the Boy Scouts, which won him a radio! As a teenager he started playing bass in local bands, but also started experimenting with electronics. In the late 1970s, Bo designed and built a series of guitar amps for Swedish guitar dealer and guitarist Jan “Halkan” Hallquisth, and later also a series of effects units for home recording – these were the days of the Portastudio cassette recorder! By then, Mats Kristoffersson (b. 1965) had joined Bo. Mats, who grew up in the village Rimbo, some 60 kilometers north east of Stockholm, has a similar background as a bass player in local bands and a talented electronics designer. Beside making effect units in the Efekt company, the dynamic duo also made a living from installing equipment in concert halls, arenas, recording studios etcetera, but that was just the means to achieve the goal – making the best bass amps available. In 1988, the first EBS-1 bass preamp saw the light of day in the EBS basement facilities in central Stockholm. Bo and Mats took their first preamp to the Frankfurt Musik Messe, in hope of making the music world realize 6 EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

The EBS-1 logotype, drawn by hand, was the model for the current company logo.

that they were on to something really good for bassists. And luckily enough they ran into an American gentleman in a cowboy hat, Hershel Blankenship, who ran an exclusive business in L.A. assembling advanced electronics rack systems for some of the most prominent concert and recording artists on the American West Coast. Through Blankenship, the first three EBS bass preamps were delivered to three excellent bassists: Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Jimmy Earl (Chick Corea Band), and Billy Talbot (Neil Young & Crazy Horse). Some start, right…? Several well known Nordic bassists joined the EBS roster: John Leven of US chart toppers Europe (“The Final Countdown”), emerging fusion star Jonas Hellborg, session bassist Stefan Brolund, perhaps Sweden´s most recorded bassist at the time, later an Associated Professor at the Swedish Royal College of Music, and Finnish fusion bassist Jan-Olof Strandberg, to mention just a few. And of course, as EBS expanded, international bass artists also became endorsers. In 1990 EBS added power amps and speaker cabinets – one 1x15” and one 4x10” box – to the product range, and the company continued to grow – although it was far from being a money maker; you could still find CEO Bo Engberg driving cabs at night in Stockholm, in order to make ends meet… The power amps were dropped from the line a couple of years later, but instead came the first EBS pedal in 1993, the OctaBass. The steadily increasing line of effects pedals has also made new groups of performers aware of the EBS products – more and more guitarists and keyboard players now go for the EBS sound.

EBS CEO and founder Bo Engberg. Picture from 1991.

Mats Kristoffersson, EBS Technical Director and co-founder. Picture from 1992.

EBS-1, the original preamp introduced in 1988.

DOCUMENT: EBS HISTORY

Since the mid-1990s, EBS has added several new products to the line: combo amps, beginning with the Taurus 240 in 1993, separate amp heads beginning with the Fafner valve/tube amp in 1996, various new lines of cabinets, amp heads, combo amps, and pedals – most recently the Session series combo amps, the Reidmar lightweight amp head, and the Stanley Clarke and Billy Sheehan signature effects pedals. Today, EBS still has Bo and Mats at the helm. Bo remains the talkative, extrovert leader of the organization while Mats seems to be more happy pondering new designs and thinking over technical or electronic problems to solve. EBS has its modest but adequate headquarters on the outskirts of Stockholm, manned by Bo and Mats and a small staff of dedicated employees – all of them bass players, of course!

This is where all the design and development of new products still are performed, as well as quality check before being shipped to distributors in more than 40 countries all over the world. Assembling is outsourced to vendors in Sweden and Asia these days. The list of EBS artist endorsers is as long as your arm and covers styles from hit list pop to progressive, from straight ahead jazz to death metal, from recently discovered talents to seasoned veterans. Some you´ll meet in this magazine, others you’ll see on stage around the world. You also have a total overview of the entire EBS range of products – amplifiers, speaker cabinets, pedals, bass strings and various accessories designed by bassists for bassists – but many of them useful for all kinds of musicians!

Bo Engberg and Mats Kristoffersson at the EBS Headquarters, 2012, with an EBS-1, the product that started it all. Photo by Lasse Eklöf

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

GEAR: EBS HISTORY

25 YEARS OF EBS AN OVERVIEW TIME FLIES FAST! SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO TURN THE CLOCK BACK TO SEE WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED ALL THESE YEARS AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU HAVE ACHIEVED. IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES, YOU WILL GET AN OVERVIEW OF THE EVOLUTION OF EBS PRODUCTS, FROM THE VERY FIRST EBS-1 PREAMP, TO THE MOST RECENT RELEASES. ENJOY THE RIDE AND SEE YOU AT THE END OF THE LINE. BUT HEY, IT DOESN’T STOP THERE, THERE’S A LOT MORE TO COME!

The EBS-1 logotype, drawn by hand, was the model for the current company logo.

1988

1988 In May 1988 EBS introduced the EBS-1 preamp – the very first commercial EBS product! A few months later the ELS-215 and ELS-211(4x10” & tweeter) cabinets and the EPS-600 (2x300 W) power amp were released. Bassists Stefan Brolund and the late Kofi Bentsi-Enchill became the first artists to appear in an ad. To the right is the photo of Kofi and his rig that featured in the ad.

1989 The ELS-411 (4x10” & tweeter), a two chamber mono/stereo cabinet, was added to the program.

1990 Two more power amps were introduced: the EP-200 (2x100 W) and EP-800 (2x400 W).

1991 More cabinets: EBS-210 (2x10” & tweeter), EBS-410 (4x10” & tweeter), EBS-15H (1x15” & tweeter) and EBS-300 (1x15” & tweeter). Also, an updated version of the EBS-1 was launched; EBS-1V2

1992 The company explores two new product segments with the EBS Taurus (240 W) combo amp, that featured onboard effects, and the first stomp box effect, the legendary EBS OctaBass, which was based on one of the effects from the Taurus.

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

GEAR: EBS HISTORY

1993 An OEM product is developed called EBS-P2, which is an onboard preamp. It is still available on request under the name EBS-PRE. The product can be found in some ”boutique” basses.

1994 The last of the EBS power amps, EPX-800 (2x400 W) is launched. The MicroBass preamp debuts, as do the AC cabinets with built-in power amp. The idea was to use the MicroBass along with the AC cabinets, and by using a belt clip literally carry your tone controls with you on stage. This year also marks the introduction of EBS stainless steel strings.

1994

1996

1995 The big news in 1995 was the Fafner 600 watts tube/ solid state amp head. This was the first rack mounted head from EBS. The first edition had a grey line on the front, instead of the blue on later editions, and did not feature a balanced out. EBS-311 (300 W) cabinet is launched, with the unusual configuration of 1x10” and 1x15” speakers and a tweeter in the same cabinet.

1996 A new combo line is introduced; EBS Gorm (300 W). The speaker line is joined by the EBS-15F full size cabinet.

1997

1997 A second pedal is launched, the EBS UniChorus. Another unusual cabinet also appears, the Turbo 18 with an 18” horn design.

1995

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

GEAR: EBS HISTORY

25 YEARS OF EBS AN OVERVIEW

2001

2002

1999 2001

1998

1998 The 10 th Anniversary is celebrated with a number of new products, such as the updated EBS-1 Classic preamp, the Drome combo, a favourite among upright bassists, and the compact EBS-18C cabinet (ready in December 1998 but on the market in 1999). 1998 also marked the birth of the EBS MultiComp pedal – the most sold EBS stomp box to this day!

1999 The EBS Proline 2000 speaker cabinets with the now familiar chromed front grills are released. Three new models hit the market; the 410, 412 and 810. The older existing models are updated to the new look. Fafner comes in a new edition, with a blue line on the front and a balanced output (TD600). The Red Twister chorus effect pedal for guitarists is thrown into the market, but guitarists do not seem ready yet for EBS and it soon left the market with a very limited edition of only a couple hundred units made. It is now a hard-to-find and much sought after stompbox in the secondhand market.

2000 The three existing effect pedals, OctaBass, UniChorus and MultiComp are updated and re-launced under the name Black Label Pedals. The series is extended with another pedal, the famous envelope filter BassIQ. The Gorm combo series comes in a new edition called GormET and is souped up to 350 watts of power.

2001 EBS HD350, a 350 W RMS solid state bass amp, is launched with the help of Marcus Miller. This is the most sold EBS rack mounted bass head to this day. The EBS MultiDrive stompbox is added as part of the Black Label Pedals. The ProLine 212 and 610 speaker cabinets are born.

2002 EBS TD650 tube/solid state amp is launched as a natural step following the HD350, offering 650 W RMS output power and a tube drive. EBS´ first digital effect, the DynaVerb, hits the market as part of the Black Label Pedals. A brand new type of speaker with ultra lightweight Neodymium speakers sees the light in the shape of the NeoLine 112 (1x12” & tweeter, 300 W).

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

GEAR: EBS HISTORY

2006 2004

20 06

2007

2006

2007

2003 EBS MicroBass II, a two channel preamp/DI box, is launched and is described as a multi tool for bass players. Today, it is one of the best selling EBS products. Another NeoLine speaker cabinet is added, the 110 (250 W).

2004 The NeoLine is extended with the 210 (500 W) and 212 (600 W) cabinets and offers an alternative to the ProLine. For the first time EBS can offer two separate speaker cabinet lines at the same time.

2005

2006

2007 The Drome and GormET combos are replaced by NeoDrome and NeoGorm. The new combos are equipped with Neodymium speakers, and weigh less and play louder than the previous ones. NeoGorm also uses a new amplifier section based on the HD350. EBS TremoLo is launched and it is the first Black Label pedal with true bypass. The ClassicLine welcomes two new members, the ClassicLine 810 (1000 W) and 212 (500 W) speaker cabinets. An amplifier with “Classic” look is under development…

A third speaker cabinet line The Drome 12 combo BS PRO DU C launch T C A T A L is Oreleased G 200 6a / Classic 20 07 is E introduced with the in of the EBS ClassicLine 410 appearance with slightly cabinet. The idea is to offer modified amplifier section the EBS sound in a package and a new speaker, simply that appeals to bass players called the Drome Classic. who prefer a vintage look. Two new pedals are The launching is made with released: EBS ValveDrive, an John Calabrese from Danko all tube preamp/distortion Jones as a poster boy. The pedal and EBS WahOne, an same year, the NeoLine advanced wah-wah pedal is extended with the 410 built for bass. EBS Titanium (1000 W) and 115 (300 W) strings are released. speaker cabinets.

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

GEAR: EBS HISTORY

25 YEARS OF EBS AN OVERVIEW

2009/10

2010

2008

2011

2009

2008 EBS celebrates 20 years, and The EBS Classic 450, a 450 W bass head is finally out! The new vintage looking, tube sounding head really opens the door for EBS onto the rock scene, and it is very well recieved at the famous Sweden Rock Festival where it stands the final test when powering a very loud show with classic heavy rockers Saxon in front of 20,000 extatic fans. The Black Label pedals all turn into True Bypass and are launched in new editions, the WahOne also released in an updated version with a black footboard. The ProLine 15F is equipped with a tweeter and turns into the 115.

2009 2009 starts with bass legend Stanley Clarke appearing at the EBS NAMM booth introducing the first ever EBS signature product, the Stanley Clarke Signature Wah. The show also premieres the monstrous EBS NeoLine 810 cabinet. Later in 2009, EBS launches the EBS MetalDrive, a heavy gain distortion pedal, and introduces a new combo series with the Session 60 tiltback bass combo! Right at the end of the year the first units of the first ever all tube EBS bass amp, T90 (90 watts) start shipping.

2010 EBS introduces the new flagship – EBS Fafner II, an extremely powerful bass amp with unique features such as the separate drive channel and dual balanced XLR outputs, pumping out 750 W RMS power at 2 ohms. About the same time, EBS releases the updated TD head, called EBS TD660. A fourchannel footswitch to control functions on the new Fafner II, TD660 and the NeoGorm combos is launched with the heads. Another digital effect, the DPhaser sees the light as well.

2011 After several years of development the cleverly designed EBS Reidmar is launched as the first ever EBS amp with a switched digital power amp. A lightweight bass head! Along with the head, EBS introduces mini size cabinets in the ClassicLine with the 110 and 112 models. EBS reintroduces updated Titanium and Stainless Steel strings.

2012 2012 becomes the year when EBS expands the Session combo family by adding a big brother and a little brother to the Session 60. The EBS Session 120 and Session 30 bass combos follow up the great success with the EBS Session 60. The top selling HD350 head gets the same treatment as the 650 did before, and turns into the HD360 bass head, with the functionality offered by using the RM-4 footswitch added, as well as an improved preamp offering even more headroom and better bass response than before.

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

GEAR: EBS HISTORY

2012

2009

2012

2013

2012

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

NEW GEAR: BILLY SHEEHAN SIGNATURE DRIVE

BILLY SHEEHAN SIGNATURE DRIVE 2013, EBS and Billy Sheehan join forces to release the Billy Sheehan Signature Drive pedal, a signal processing device offering the possibility to achieve the sound of a legend! in A couple of years ago, you contacted us letting us know you’d be interested in making a special effect together with us. How come you choose EBS as a partner to develop this product? Can you roughly describe the idea behind it, and what you hope it will add for yourself as well as what it offers to other bass players?

–I’ve tried several other EBS pedals and I love the sound and quality control. From my observation, EBS seek to innovate and not copy. All the company’s products reflect this. So, I thought they’d be perfect to do a pedal that is somewhat non-traditional, yet useful for many things.

–I have been involved in sound design for bass since 1971. I may have been the first bass player with rack-mount pro-audio components as an amplifier on stage. Not sure, but maybe! Regardless – my goal then was to be able to create a perfect bass tone for myself. Some of the ideas that went into that concept turned out to be useful not only for myself, but for anyone who is amplifying an instrument. I’ve had very many custom design preamps and other components made for me from scratch through the years, so I’m very familiar with the process involved in taking something from concept to performance – sometimes a long and difficult transition.

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

2013

THERE ARE ONLY A FEW BASS PLAYERS WITH SUCH A PERSONAL TONE THAT YOU RECOGNIZE IT IMMEDIATELY. BILLY SHEEHAN IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THOSE LEGENDS WITH A SIGNIFICANT SIGNATURE SOUND. EBS IS PROUD TO PRESENT THE NEW EBS BILLY SHEEHAN SIGNATURE DRIVE PEDAL. DEVELOPED BY BILLY SHEEHAN AND EBS TECH DIRECTOR MATS KRISTOFFERSSON!

NEW GEAR: BILLY SHEEHAN SIGNATURE DRIVE

This pedal is a distillate of several important principles in the signal chain for bass. Distorting a bass is always tricky. You can easily lose note to note differentiation, as well as low frequencies. My solution for many decades has been to run two signals, distort one, and re-combine, mix after. We managed to get this capability into a pedal with EBS. It does all that, plus it allows an unlimited possibility for pre-post mix tone shaping by including a loop for each signal path. The user can insert anything they wish within the loop for unique and personally stylized tonality. The pedal by itself sounds absolutely wonderful, but the feature of being modified by the user’s choice of insert components makes it useful for anyone playing any style. As I understand it, your tone is basically achieved by the combination of heavy distortion, stressing the midrange to the extreme at certain frequencies and adding compression to keep the definition of tone through the distortion and blend with a clean signal. Can you do all this with the Billy Sheehan Signature Drive?

It has a special feature since both the input (clean loop) and the output (drive loop) has an effects loop added to it. What is the intention of having this option, and can you explain how it works?

–As above, this gives the option of adding whatever the user would like within either or both of the individual signal chains. Some extra compression on the clean channel? No problem. A parametric EQ on the distortion channel? Likewise. This allows the player to fine tune the pedal to their own personal liking. It works perfectly. For yourself, what are your current plans for 2013 that you’ll like to share with the readers?

Billy Sheehan with EBS CEO Bo Engberg and Tech Director Mats Kristoffersson at Billy’s Studio in Los Angeles during the process of developing the new pedal. Photo: Ralf Bjurbo

–Busy times! A new Niacin CD entitled ”Krush” is coming, with Dennis Chambers on drums, and a new band I’m beginning with Mike Portnoy and Richie Kotzen that I’m very excited about! – and a dozen other things. I’ll be taking my new EBS around the world this year. Can’t wait! Note: More info and samples can be found at www.ebssweden.com

–Yes! It includes everything necessary for that within itself. Compression, distortion, toneshaping and blending all together.

FEATURES Drive, Tone, Level and Clean controls. Three Compressor Modes - High, Mid, Off Clean Loop and Drive Loop (connect a Y-cable for send and return). Type Analog Effect Mechanical Switching Power 9V DC (Battery or Power Supply) Advanced Options By removing the bottom plate you get access to fine tuning trimmers to adjust Threshold level of compressor (THR.) and the level of Compression when mode switch is set to MID (COMP). Featured 1x EBS Y-cable Optional (not included) EBS AD-9 Power Supply Extra EBS Y-cable

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

DOCUMENT: EBS IN ROCK

THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT EBS IS ROCK'N ROLL! EVEN IF BIG JAZZ AND SLAP BASS PLAYERS LIKE STANLEY CLARKE AND MARCUS MILLER HELPED PUT EBS ON THE MAP, THERE ALWAYS HAVE BEEN ROCKERS AND METAL PLAYERS BANGING THEIR HEADS TO EBS AMPS AND EFFECTS AT HIGH VOLUME. NOW MORE THAN EVER! PHOTOS BY RALF BJURBO

EBS SWEDEN

ROCKS!

e don’t have to go far to find proof. The Swedish metal scene is strong and healthy, and many of the leading bands like In Flames, Soilwork, Dead By April, Katatonia, Entombed, The Haunted and many more use EBS amps. A lot of international artists has started to pick up on the pedals too, an example is Lamb Of God where all bass on the latest album Resolution was re-amped through an EBS MultiComp pedal – a pedal also seen in John Campbell’s tour setup. We’d like to share some of the evidence from behind the scene photos collected in the summer of 2012. Enjoy!

Above: EBS Artist John ’JC’ Calabrese on stage with Danko Jones during their show at Sweden Rock Festival 2012. Right: JC and the massive EBS wall before the show, shooting a video for EBS.

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

Right: EBS Pedal Artist Rob Everhart from Rival Sons signed a pedal for a fan giveaway. Below: Rob’s pedal board featuring an EBS MultiDrive and an EBS Dphaser.

Above: John Moyer of Adrenaline Mob’s pedal board with an EBS MetalDrive and a MicroBass II preamp.

Above: Martin Mendez of Opeth’s pedal board with EBS DynaVerb, ValveDrive and MultiDrive effects.

Above: Entombed’s Victor Brandt’s EBS TD660 head marked up with his personal settings. Pedals sticking out are an EBS MultiDrive and an EBS MetalDrive.

Above: Peter Iwers gear on stage at Metaltown with the EBS Fafner II heads and NeoLine 810 cabinets. Right above: Lamb Of God’s John Campbell and In Flames Peter Iwers backstage Metaltown festival. Right: John Campbell’s pedal board with the EBS MultiComp, that was used to re-amp the bass on their latest album.

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

PORTRAIT: PETER IWERS

PETER IWERS INTERVIEW BY RALF BJURBO

This interview is supposed to be about your music and gear, but let’s start with something completely different. You’ve become the coowner of the restaurant ’2112’ with In Flames bandmate Björn Gelotte? What’s that all about?

–We wanted to do something different when not on tour and decided that a perfect mix between a classy rock pub and a nice restaurant was “it”! It’s been a year now and we are doing our best to keep the place as entertaining and pleasant as we would like it to be. Nice food for nice people - lot’s of home cooked burgers ’2112’-style, meat dishes, baked bread and so on. Combine this with close to 50 different labels of beer and great music in the background and there you go! So it’s not you’re planning an exit out of music or anything?

–Nope, just another fun interesting endeavour, that´s what we are interested in. 2112 is not the only business that member’s of the band has invested in. You guys also run your own recording studio - IF Studios in Gothenburg - and there’s some fine Scotch whisky with an In Flames label on it, and Anders has his own beer label too, right?

–This is all true yes![laughs] We all love being creative and making different endeavours along the way. When you spend so much time on the road as we do, you kind of start thinking of stuff to do on the side when back home. Now we have a full blown restaurant that takes up every free minute off touring. In Flames is considered one of the founders of the famous Gothenburg sound that helped shape the whole melodic death metal scene as we know it today. Do you still feel that In Flames is part of the Gothenburg sound, or has the band grown out of it and become something else?

–Before I came into the band I was equally inspired by In Flames as one of the pioneers of this type of music. However I´ve never really thought about it in that way, just that they were a great band that I could really relate to. It was a lot of fun to take on the role as the bass player of this great band and I do feel that we are doing our best to play music and keep the treasure of the Gothenburg sound, the way our version is. I love the sound but at the same time it is weird being part of something that is considered pioneers of the Gothenburg Sound and not having been there from the beginning, so I just try to have fun. © Daniel Falk

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

PORTRAIT: PETER IWERS

IN FLAMES ANNO 2012: Björn Gelotte, Anders Fridén, Daniel Svensson, Peter Iwers & Niclas Engelin. Photo: Patric Ullaeus

the latest in flames album Sounds

So, how do you develop the riffs into songs?

from a playground fading, was the first without former guitarist Jesper Strömblad being involved in the songwriting process. Was it obvious for the band to pass along the torch to Björn Gelotte right away, or were there any doubts about giving him a bigger responsibility? Peter explains: –Björn and Jesper both have written equally much for the whole period I´ve been in the band. Jesper was a huge part of In Flames obviously, but Björn didn´t take over the role, he just kept going on as before and did a great job doing it. I´ve never felt any need to try and write with any of them as I´ve always been happy with playing the ideas that they came up with and doing my parts on it. I´ve always felt I had the freedom to play whatever I wanted and I think that is a major part of why we sound the way we do. Did you see it as an opportunity to take the band in a complete new direction, or where you careful to stay close to the heritage that Jesper left and offer the fans something they would recognize?

–We take all the riffs and ideas that Björn writes and make it into songs, arrangement-wise. We sit down, the whole band, and make it into something that we all feel good about. I don´t write any riffs per se but I am happy coming up with my parts on bass over Björn´s riffs. You’re far from the only acclaimed metal band coming from Gothenburg. What’s so special about the city that makes it being a greenhouse for quality metal acts?

–When we grew up we had a lot of support from the Government as far as rehearsal spaces, Youth Centers to play at etcetera. You could form a group and write down your rehearsal hours and as a sort of salary - for each hour rehearsed, you got money to buy equipment for. And that was very cool when you were a teenager with no money. I think that this and the fact that Gothenburg is relatively small so we all knew each other and got inspired from each other, is a major part of the success Gothenburg has seen as a music city. We all supported each other and if someone made it big time - like At The Gates for instance - we were all just proud of them. In Flames seems to be the metal band from Gothenburg that have reached the biggest worldwide success though, any idea why you’ve reached that level of commercial success over others?

Peter’s restaurant in Gothenburg, named after a classic Rush album. Photo: Oscar Alleby

–I gotta say this once and for all - Jesper was a huge part of In Flames, but it is not as if he wrote everything himself and we just played his songs, nodding on the side. We were and are a band consisting of five people with an equal say. Björn and Jesper composed all the riffs and as a band we put it all together - the five of us. And four of us are still here. So no, we just kept on going - doing what we love the most - play and make music.

–I guess we combined being in the right place at the right time with a certain amount of talent. We worked so hard for many years, travelling all over the world and playing for as many people

CONTINUE >> >> EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

PORTRAIT: PETER IWERS

as possible. We really focused and spent years on the road. I think that this is a major factor behind where we are today. But there are other great bands that made it big; Dark Tranquillity, Hammerfall, The Haunted, to name a few. You even landed the Swedish Government’s Export Price a few years ago. How did that happen? –This is by far one of the coolest awards we’ve

In Flames has been acknowledged for always delivering a good show. Often with creative light shows and pyro added to the experience. How do these ideas develop? Do you come up with the ideas yourself or hire somebody to do it?

ever received! I think a lot had to do with a Swedish music lover who happened to be a member of the Government, the Minister of Export Trades- Leif Pagrotsky. He really loves music and he saw what a lot of other people didn´t - that heavy metal music is one of the biggest export commodities that Sweden has, and he wanted to show that more into the open. We owe him huge thanks! Without fans, no band will be anything, pretty obviously. It seems like In Flames´ fans have always been very devoted and well organized. That might explain part of that success, or…?

–Thank you. A lot of it starts in one guy´s head, usually Anders´s – he then talks to us and our manager about it and then to our light designer. Then they present an idea to all of us and we talk about it some more until we give the go ahead. Usually some stuff changes until showtime and even then it is not always perfect, but it is fun to try and do something different for each show. Let’s move on to gear. You don’t see a lot of amps and speakers on stage on an In Flames show, although it’s there. However, you also use in ear monitoring. Lot’s of bands using in ear monitoring don’t have any speakers on stage. What’s the reason for you to do both?

–Of course. Our fans are the best and we truly appreciate each time we get a chance to meet and hang out with them. Without them we couldn´t do what we do today full time, obviously, so we are eternally grateful. Is there any special fan moment that you remember that was really cool or surreal?

–I use the speakers cause I like the feeling of the bass on stage. I want the whole stage to vibrate from my low end and I love to go back and get close to it during a show to charge the battery so to speak. I also think it is important to have it on stage if that one show where the in-ears stops working happens. You’re using EBS amps and cabinets on stage. Since how long, and what was the reason for the change?

–Every meeting is special, but I remember once in Spain when me and Jesper started talking to a few people, writing autographs and taking pictures. All of a sudden everyone came around like 2,000 people wanting to talk to us. That was very, very cool. Sometimes after a show, we get pushed into a minivan or something, missing out of the chance to meet and talk to people ´cause we have a long ride to the airport or something like that and I always get bummed out cause I so much love talking to our fans as much as I can. After several years playing big stages and massive outdoor festivals you did a smaller more intimate Scandinavian club tour recently. Why did you do that?

–I love EBS cabinets and their Fafner heads. I compared them to a different brand a few years ago that I swore to never leave, but EBS was better - way better, so I switched to them and haven´t looked back since. When something comes along that helps me provide what I would like to achieve, why not listen? So I did, and like I said, I love them never been happier with my sound ever. A lot of other companies talk to me now and then about trying their stuff but I have such perfect sound with EBS and they are so great to me so I have no reason in the world to switch. Plus when they released the Fafner II it got even better. What does your live setup look like now?

–Cause we could [laughs]. It was fun to go into the smaller clubs and do a really intimate tour. I loved every moment of that tour. What do you personally like the most – playing a small club in front of a few hundred people or a big stage with a big full scale production in front of thousands?

–Both. I love a big production and seeing the crowd moving as one, but I also love the sweaty club show where I can touch and feel everyone´s breath, so to speak. 20 EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

–I have a setup with two EBS Fafner II heads, one MXR DI and The Ashdown James Lomenzo pedal put together, I love to go loud and deep on the Fafner and mix that with the low end of the MXR and the High end of the Ashdown pedal. Makes me feel like I am playing like Chris Squier on his Rickenbacker but way more lowend and distorted when in fact I am playing on my own signature basses from Ibanez, PIB1 and PIB2.

PORTRAIT: PETER IWERS

On stage I use two EBS NeoLine 810s, both on my side of stage. Is there any difference in what you need to get a good sound on stage from what you need in the studio? Do the situations call for different needs – different equipment?

Is it important to have many different influences in order to create your own way and develop your own style, or does it matter at all?

–For me it is. I listen to everything from Rival Sons to Cannibal Corpse and I find that each band’s musical style is equally inspiring for me. Any advice for aspiring metalhead’s on how to develop their talent as an individual or as a band?

–Sometimes, yes. It all depends on what I am looking for. I´ve tried the Fafner in the Studio and it is great and I use it with a really old Ampeg SVT-3 head that I bought when I was 19 which gives me the rough edge that I need. That combined with the strength of the Fafner is the solution. You got honored with a signature bass model with Ibanez, that you mentioned, tell us more?

–I have two different models - the PIB1 is the first, a Glossy black 5 string. Made of maple and bubinga, a neck-through with a maple wing body. Medium frets, mono rail bridge that helps keep the tuning in shape, Bartolini Custom neck and bridge pickups with a volume control withPIB Active circuit. The PIB2 is pretty similar but with a Jester (In Flames ’mascot’) inlay over a pearl white finish. Both basses are fantastic for me and I use them on every show we do. I’ve met lots of musicians from well known metal bands over the years, and when it comes to musical influences, most people have a few surprises on their lists. I know you have a few that one might not think of in the first place, like Tom Jones?

–Yes, when that big record company executive comes and tells you to change your sound etcetera - don´t listen. That is the most important decision of your career, because if you stay true to yourself and your own ideas, you´ll always be able to look yourself in the mirror regardless of what happens. Practice, and try and get on as many shows as you can and never let go. Do you practice a lot, or did you do all the homework in the past? How did you develop your playing skills?

–I am a bit too lazy I´m afraid [laughs], I definitely should practice more. But I do get ready well before a tour and on tour I try and play a lot to keep myself going. I always play at home though. I may not do the typical exercises, but just keeping it going is good. Anything you can reveal at this point about what to expect from In Flames in 2013?

–Lots of touring, and then at the end - start making a new record hopefully. Note: Around the time we made the interview, In Flames won the prestigeous Metal Hammer Awards for Best Album with Sounds From A Playground Fading, and about to kick off a massive US tour with Lamb Of God. Find out more at www.inflames.com EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

–Yep, he is probably the best singer in the world and I´ve listened to him since I was a kid. I met him some years ago and he was of course awesome, very cool and nice man. Who are your other musical heroes?

Iron Maiden, Toto, Def Leppard, Slayer, all the 80’s bands etc.

NEW TALENT: DIRTY LOOPS

DIRTY LOOPS

First of all, how did Dirty Loops get started from the beginning?

–We’ve known each other since we’re quite young, going to the same schools and playing on the same sessions. Aron and I practiced a lot together and he came up with the idea of trying to coordinate a trio jam with Jonah who we thought had the same ideas music wise as we did. It was kind of love at first sight and then we rehearsed together as often as we could. Dirty Loops was created to have projects where we could try all the ideas we couldn’t do elsewhere. When did you realize this project could develop to a musical career?

–It was when our manager, Andreas Carlsson contacted us. During the first meeting with him he had so many ideas of how to develop the band. He also convinced us to start writing original material. Although all songs you have covered are different, there seems to be a common thread that instantly tells this is Dirty Loops. Do you have a certain formula or recipe that you follow to turn just about any song into a Dirty Loops song?

–All the songs we’ve covered are pretty basic, both harmony and melody wise. That makes the possibilities almost endless on where to take them. We all share a similar idea of how we want our grooves to sound, but we don’t have a thought out formula. Each cover has been different. Some ideas came up in the rehearsal studio and some from computer programmed sketches; but paying attention to as much detail as possible is probably a great deal of our sound. You’re a three-piece band with bass, keys and drums. Have you ever thought of getting other instruments into the mix?

–We have no plans on adding instruments to the trio. I think a huge part of our sound is being a three piece and still try to make it sound as big as possible. A six or seven string bass gets way more space in a band without guitar. It seems that the big buzz really came after you re-arranged Justin Bieber’s song, Baby, around Christmas 2011. We could tell from the reactions already at the NAMM Show only a couple weeks after, and then you went to LA yourself shortly after. How was that trip?

THE NEXT BIG THING MEET BASS PLAYER AND EBS ARTIST HENRIK LINDER OF THE NEW SENSATION FROM SWEDEN, DIRTY LOOPS! INTERVIEW BY RALF BJURBO

–We went to LA to do showcases to secure a record deal. During that trip is when we first realized we had something going on that was real. The word of where we rehearsed apparently had spread and one of my biggest bass heroes,

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

NEW TALENT: DIRTY LOOPS

Nathan East dropped in while we rehearsed. We met a lot of our musical heroes during that trip and it was an almost imaginary feeling that they knew who we were and liked our music. The showcases went well and as a result, months later, David Foster/Verve/Universal - signed us. Now you guys are surrounded and backed up by big shots like songwriter/producer Andreas Carlsson and legend David Foster. With all their experience from the music business, are there any particular advices they have given you to maintain the success and turn the YouTube success into a long lasting career?

–The thing that’s been interesting to see is how hard these music mentors/legends have been working to get where they are today. We’ve learned so much just watching how they work. They bring very good energy to the project and make us want to go beyond our capabilities - all the time. Your former bass teacher Robert Sundin is also an EBS Artist. What role has he played for your musical development, and do you think it is necessary to have good mentors both when learning to play the instrument as well as when building a professional career?

Check out all the amazing Dirty Loops videos at www.youtube.com/user/dirtyloops

How would you describe your style, as a bass player? What player’s are your influences?

–He is the best teacher I ever had and has a huge part in the direction my bass playing went into. Aron had him as a teacher as well, and thanks goes to him that we started practicing together as much as we did. For me it’s been very important having him as a mentor. I started to develop faster and he showed me things I probably would have never figured out myself. I feel having a mentor is good for most, although everyone needs to find their own way of developing. How do you approach the bass in terms of creating your own unique style, which you certainly have?

–I guess my roots are in fusion, jazz, funk and classical music, so I guess I’m kind of a hybrid of those styles. I’ve listened to tons of bass players so here goes the name-dropping (I’ll probably will forget someone): Gary Willis, Nathan East, Hadrien Feraud, Matthew Garrison, Jimmy Johnson, Flea, Les Claypool, Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, Jimmy Haslip. Jaco Pastorius, Dominique Di Piazza, Anthony Jackson, Tom Kennedy, James Jamerson, Bootsy Collins, Richard Bona, Janek Gwizdala, John Patitucci, James Genus, Jeff Berlin, Pino Palladino. Right now, you’re working on your debut album. What can we expect – more cover songs or only original material? Is it similar in style to the covers you’ve put on the Internet, or do you plan to move into another direction to develop the concept?

–I never really thought about creating my own style. I never transcribed other people except for figuring out what they do harmonically. That’s a way I’ve gone although I know many people that sound very unique that transcribed as well. I think I’ve tried to sound like guitar, piano or saxophone players and then applied that to the bass. If people feel that is unique I’m glad to hear that. Also, Aron and Jonah always want to add to the bass part that’s not in my nature to play, which constantly develops me. If something is hard for me, it’s hard to come whine about it to someone who plays keyboard and sings over the top at the same time . I never want to get stuck and I want to develop my playing for as long as I live.

– It’s only going to be original material. I think the album is going to be more varied than the covers, in other words - all the songs will not be in the same tempo. The main part of our sound is still in the arrangements, which we all feel is a huge part of the Dirty Loops sound. What is your current rig look like?

EBS TD660 amp. EBS ProLine 8x10 cab and various pedals that I still haven’t decided on.

In the time of writing, the band has recorded lots of songs that are now prepared for the debut album and Dirty Loops will follow their mentor David Foster on an Asian tour (fall of 2012), called David Foster and friends, also featuring Chaka Khan, Babyface, Hayley Westenra and Paul Young. Look out for the album at www.dirty-loops.com EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

PORTRAIT: ETIENNE MBAPPÉ

ETIENNE MBAPPÉ IS ONE OF THE MANY OUTSTANDING AFRICAN BASS PLAYERS, WHO HAVE LEFT THE WESTERN MUSIC WORLD IN AWE, SOUTH AFRICAN BAKITHI KUMALO AND MBAPPÉ´ S FELLOW CAMEROONIANS RICHARD BONA AND ARMAND SABAL-LECCO BEING THE BEST KNOWN EXAMPLES. ETIENNE HAS AN IMPRESSIVE TECHNIQUE, BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT IS HIS RHYTHMIC AND MELODIC UNDERSTANDING, ROOTED IN AFRICAN TRADITION. AND OF COURSE THE BLACK SILK GLOVES, BUT MORE ON THAT SUBJECT LATER… INTERVIEW BY MIKAEL JANSSON

ETIENNE MBAPPÉ the 48-year old mbappé has lived in

Paris, France for more than 30 years. But the music he is carrying with him from his native country is strongly influencing his own music.

–I have deep African roots, I grew up with African music, which was always present at home, especially at family ceremonies such as weddings and funerals. And my music is like my cooking; even if I cook French cuisine, I add African spices. Mbappé came to France as a teenager in the Seventies, and had at that time not heard European or American music. –I had never heard of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, John Coltrane, etcetera – all I knew was African music. But he soon became very much involved in the French fusion and jazz scene. He also toured and recorded with major African stars such as Manu Dibango and Salif Keita. For three years, he was a member of former Weather Report leader Josef Zawinul´s group The Zawinul Syndicate, and he also played on soul master Ray Charles very last record. For the last three years, he has been a member of the legendary fusion guitarist John McLaughlin´s band The 4th Dimension. In addition to that, Mbappé has since the year 2000 lead his own band in France, Su La Také, performing his own music, compositions 24 EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

with very strong African influences. The human voice, both Mbappé´s own and vocalist Cate Petit´s, are important elements in his music, and the voices are often used as instruments, beside conveying the lyrics, often in the African douala langague. Especially Petit´s voice –she has been a member of the band ever since the start – is often used more as an instrument, singing in harmony with Cedric Baud´s guitar and Clement Janinet´s electric violin. Drummer Nicolas Viccaro rounds up the band Su La Také. There is no keyboardist, which Mbappé claims is a deliberate choice. –My music does not need keyboards. I want it spacey, clean so that you sometimes cannot hear the harmonies around the melody. Keyboardists like to play a lot and fill all the spaces. With only the guitar as a chord instrument, it sounds more African, less like traditional fusion. Su La Také was about to finish their second album at the time of this interview, and Mbappé likes the more modest settings in which the album has been recorded. The release is planned for March or April 2013. –I wish to have a live feeling, like in smaller clubs, more like we sound on stage. I also hope to play more small club gigs with my band, it is more like just having fun with friends, as opposed to the larger venues I play with John McLaughlin, in front of sometimes thousands of people. I like that, too, of course – it is just two different experiences.

PORTRAIT: ETIENNE MBAPPÉ

Mbappé also teaches on a regular basis at a university in Burkina Faso. –It might be the most important thing I do. Africa has given me so much that I feel I need to give something back to its young. There are so many talents deserving guidance. I don´t do it for money – it´s good enough for me to get food and accommodation while I´m teaching. Even when I go home on vacation I try to take a couple of days to give seminars. –Conveying knowledge to the next generation is probably the most important thing in life, and I try to not only teach music, but also teach about life itself, to give my students more self confidence. Africa´s problems must be solved by Africans, and if I can contribute to only one of them being successful with his or her ambitions, then I´m satisfied. But he has not only taught African students; Etienne´s 20-year old son Swaéli is an up and coming bass talent already getting attention from the music industry. –I taught him some parts, but he is beyond that now. Soon, he´s going to be better than me, ha ha! And I don´t have a problem with that, I am just a very proud father. Swaéli has been with me to music shows such as NAMM, and he is already an EBS Artist like me. But he´s doing his thing, playing pop and jazz in clubs in Paris, which has also made me go back to the smaller clubs. And I like clubs, there is so much closer contact between the musicians and the audience. And it´s a blessing to be able to share the music with your family! Etienne Mbappé´s basses are hand made by French luthier Noguera, and he uses the following EBS equipment: EBS HD360, TD660 and Reidmar heads, EBS ProLine cabinets and EBS Black Label Pedals. And the black silk gloves?

–Going out playing smaller clubs will also give me a chance to meet a lot of new friends I have made on the internet, on Facebook and other places. To me, it is important to meet the audience, who give me a lot of important feedback on my music. I love to talk about my music with the fans. Etienne’s latest solo album Su La Také (2008).

When the interview took place, Mbappé was preparing for another long European tour with John McLaughlin, for whom he has been a sideman for the last three years. –Playing with John is such an experience, both on a musical and a human level. He is one of the masters, one of the creators of the entire fusion movement! His music is so demanding, both technically and intellectually, and every show is a new challenge. But I like that, even though I´m actually quite tired after a tour…

Hear Etienne on the latest John McLaughlin album, Now Here This (2012).

But playing with John, with very strong Indian rhythmic influences in his music, isn´ t that quite different rhythmically from your African roots?

Etienne with Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin at the Montreux Jazz All Star Opening concert in 2011.

–No, not really, it´s just another way of thinking. African music is often played for dancing, while Indian rhythms often have long bars with accents on, say, 9, 11 and 16 in each bar. And there is so much going on rhythmically all the time. But the new drummer, Ranjit Barot from Mumbai in India, and I talk a lot about the rhythms, and he has helped me a lot. Indian rhythms are something you must study, and I have asked him a lot. But it is very fun playing them!

–Ha ha, they are almost more famous than me! It has nothing to do with allergies or skin problems. I tried it once because I wanted a sound that was softer, bigger, smoother. It was not easy to start playing with gloves, but now I´m used to it and I like the sound. EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

PORTRAIT: BJORN ENGLEN

BJORN ENGLEN INTERVIEW BY RALF BJURBO. PHOTO BY LASSE EKLÖF

Although it’s probably the worst place in the world for a band to perform in or try to build a following, it can be a great place for a freelancing musician. Get some kind of formal training, but remember - playing live in different bands and different styles is going to be your best teacher. Don’t move here with your band unless you are successful or have at least secured a major record deal. What is the first thing to do when arriving in Los Angeles?

MANY ASPIRING MUSICIANS DREAM OF MOVING TO LOS ANGELES AND MAKE IT IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS. SOME TAKE THE CHANCE, AND FOR MOST OF THEM, IT BECOMES A BRIEF ADVENTURE BEFORE THEY GO BACK TO THEIR REGULAR EVERYDAY LIVES AGAIN. SWEDISH BASS PLAYER BJORN ENGLEN IS AN EXCEPTION.

–Find an inexpensive place to live, in a decent neighborhood that makes geographical sense. Avoid roommates. Get a car! How has your career developed since you came to Los Angeles? Were there any key events that opened new doors for you and any special occasions that you have learned from the hard way giving you experience?

HOW TO MAKE IT IN LA! You followed a dream and moved to Los Angeles long time ago. What was it that made you do it, and what was it like to move from a small Swedish town to the “slightly bigger” Los Angeles?

–It was a natural decision as I wasn’t surrounded by any serious opportunities or musicians. I started playing at the age of 13 and when I was 15 I already knew that I wanted to be in a successful band and tour the world. The move wasn’t strange at all, just exciting. Los Angeles immediately felt like home. The city has more to offer than any other city in the world. I love it. Did you have any plan on how long you were going to stay and how to make it over there? Or did your career just happen by co-incident?

–I have learned a lot from experiences. I don’t necessarily think mistakes or bad experiences are good for you. Trusting your instinct is the most important. It will save you a lot of time. I got the Quiet Riot gig early on, like after 18 months. After I left the band I started Soul Sign and also decided to work as a session bassist, which I learned a lot from. My career didn’t really start taking shape until I started working with MSG/Survivor vocalist Robin McAuley. He proved to me that true greats are often the most respectful and humble. This helped my self esteem a lot at the time. I have learned that if you are good opportunities will come, but you have to always play your ass off for new doors to open. Playing for guitar icons like Yngwie, Tony McAlpine and Uli Jon Roth makes it obvious you are a highly skilled bass player. Do you practice a lot of technique, and do you have any advice on how to prepare and develop your skills?

–I sure was lacking a game plan and I certainly have never been good at networking or schmoozing. I have made many terrible mistakes which most likely set my career back at least a decade. I think my musicianship and personality had to speak for itself, and unless you play bubble gum or flavor of the week music that’s what it essentially boils down to. I’m happy now and I use whatever I’ve learned all these years whenever I teach clinics and master-classes. What advice would you give to kids thinking of taking the chance and try to make it in LA?

–Don’t be distracted by all the parties and entertainment. Balance your time. Get your work and practice done first, then play. It’s a great town to be in as far as healthy food, fitness, weather and nature, so take advantage of that. 26 EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

–I think I got all those gigs based on style, feel, musicality, tone and personality. I developed my technique naturally through the years mainly from playing songs and jamming. Of course knowing the neck, scales, arpeggios etcetera is important and practice them slowly. But without tons of live experience and a natural feel it’s tough to cut a gig like that. Knowing the songs perfectly before you go into rehearsals (if there are any) is the key as far as preparation goes. What’s the most important lesson to learn to become a great bass player?

–The bass player is an extremely important component of a band. It’s the glue between the

PORTRAIT: BJORN ENGLEN

drums and the melody. You’re representing chords, rhythms and progressions by playing one note at a time, which means that you have to have great understanding of theory. Don’t start playing bass because you think it’s easy. Practice with a drummer as much as possible. What tools do you use to get the sound you want?

–I have played EBS amps for 10 years. They give me a natural and neutral sound response with lots of punch and clarity. There is no other amp that gets even close to it. I have used mainly the HD350 for sessions and it’s amazing and easy to dial in. Live and in the studio I now use Fafner II with NEO 8x10” cabinets. The Fafner II has great versatility with its two channels and it really gives the overdrive a lot of room and possibilities in the tone. The NEO cabs are loud and warm. They look good and project the sound really well on big stages. I use the EBS MultiComp most of the time, MultiDrive a lot for added drive and DynaVerb for solos. Great pedals that resemble the circuits of the EBS amps really well. I have played Carvin basses exclusively for almost three years. I’m very happy with the design and craftmanship of these instruments. All made in the USA. Does your setup look similar in the studio and live?

–Yes, pretty much, except I use the NEO110/112 for miking the signal in the studio, and for a lot of sessions I just bring The MicroBass II and my pedals, mainly MultiComp and MultiDrive. In 2012, you released the debut album with your own band, Soul Sign. Tell us more about that and what the plans are for the band in 2013?

–It’s a strong and versatile album. Its available worldwide at most digital outlets incl. iTunes, Google Play etc. The physical album is available through Amazon.com, Ginza.se and can be ordered at any record store through Super D. We have the most amazing and perfect line up now with Mark Boals (Uli Roth, Yngwie M.) on vocals, and we’re heading out on a European Tour in April of 2013, so watch out! We have a lot of new slamming material written for the next album which will be released in 2013!

Note: Follow Bjorn Englen at bjornenglen. com and keep updated about Soul Sign at www.soulsign.us Shortly after this interview, Bjorn also joined the Dio Disciples for a major US tour, featuring members of DIO as a tribute to the late singer Ronnie James Dio. EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

GEAR: ACCESSORIES

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE AND THE EBS ACCESSORIES GIVE YOU ALL THE ESSENTIAL EXTRAS TO KEEP GOING.

EBS ACCESSORIES THE ESSENTIAL EXTRAS EBS Triple ‘S’ Speakon Cable. Speaker cable with Neutrik® Speakon contacts for professional use.

Rack Cases. Matching rack cases t EBS for ProLine/NeoLine and ClassicLine in 3-4 U height.

EBS Stainless Steel and Titanium Nickel Strings are quality bass strings for professionals, available in a wide range of gauges ranging from Medium Light to Heavy Bass. Titanium Nickel strings are based on a steel core of US quality steel while Stainless Steel use Swedish quality steel. All strings are Long Scale to fit most basses.

The EBS RM-4 footswitch add value to the Fafner II and TD660 heads, as well as the NeoGorm combos!

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

GEAR: ACCESSORIES

DC-6 DC-6/90

EBS DC Split Cables. Split cables for DC power. Available in 2, 4 and 6 split contacts configurations. Choose between straight or angled contacts.

AD-9 Excellent hum t EBS free 9 V DC power supply. Uses 2.1 mm, center negative connectors. Available for EU, USA and Japan and power up to 20 pedals!

PL-20

EBS PL Connectors. Connect your pedals in the tightest possible way using EBS PL-10 (straight) or PL-20 (koncentric) connectors and save up space on your pedalboard!

PL-10

EBS 25 YEARS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2013

COVER STORY: TAL WILKENFELD

AFTER PLAYING THE BASS FOR ONLY FOUR YEARS, SHE GOT A GIG WITH CHICK COREA. SINCE THEN, HER REMARKABLE JOURNEY HAS INCLUDED RECENT TOURS WITH JEFF BECK AND HERBIE HANCOCK; RECORDING SESSIONS WITH PRINCE, AND A SOLO DEBUT WITH BAND MATES LIKE KEITH CARLOCK AND WAYNE KRANTZ. WE MET TAL WILKENFELD TO DISCUSS HER PHILOSOPHY OF TRUE IMPROVISATION; PRACTICING THROUGH COMPOSING; HER COMING UP SOLO ALBUM AND CHANGE OF FOCUS FROM SIDE PLAYER TO SOLO ARTIST. INTERVIEW BY NIKKI O’NEILL

at a comfortable distance from the sonic

zoo of the NAMM show, we met up with Tal Wilkenfeld at a quiet hotel lobby, ten minutes away from the crowds. Once she selected the lobby’s fire place as our chatting area, we sat down to discuss her past, present, future and gear. Friendly and in great spirits, the 25year old musician/singer/composer elaborated on our questions, speaking with an earthy Australian accent still intact after living in America for nine years. Let’s start by talking about your next solo album, which is a follow-up to your 2007 debut, “Transformation.” It’s said that you’ll be singing on it, and that you’ve been writing songs with Jackson Browne and former Journey-singer Steve Perry. What stage is it at now?

...I PLAYED THE EBS AND WENT: “WOW, THIS IS THE ONE.”

What does it feel like to be singing as opposed to writing all-instrumental music?

–Quite frankly, it’s a relief, because I’ve been hearing it that way all along. But I did want to go down the instrumental musician route for a while, and so I explored that territory. But I’ve always wanted to sing. It was a great experience singing in public for the first time ever on Herbie Hancock’s tour at Carnegie Hall [laughs]. A pretty scary vocal debut, but… I grew a lot on that tour as well as in the studio. Are there any musicians who are currently inspiring you?

—Right now I would say it’s definitely Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. The whole thing about them inspires me. Jeff Buckley as well. Herbie Hancock once said that the most important quality he seeks in his musicians is intuition. Tal Wilkenfeld has had a remarkable career for playing the bass for only a few years, and she’s already been playing with artists like Hancock, Jeff Beck, Vinnie Colaiuta and Wayne Krantz, whose musical intuition obviously is top-notch. We asked her if there was any way she could explain how she was able to develop her improvisational abilities and knowledge of her instrument in such a short time. —I think knowing the instrument and having abilities is completely separate from intuition. It’s like the difference between education and wisdom. In terms of the intuition, I think that’s just something that you have or don’t have. You can probably develop it somewhat, but I think in the end you’re just naturally expressing what you hear in your head. Skill just takes practice, depending on what you choose to practice and how you choose to practice it.

—It’s changed a lot. That’s because I’d write five songs, have my favorite song, like the direction and then write more songs in that direction. And then I’d discover a new lynchpin and go with that. But now I’ve finally found exactly where it’s going to go after doing a series of experiments like that. Now I’ve got eight songs that are working together nicely, so I need to write another four. I’ve been recording things that I’m either keeping or not, but it’s all been constructive since I’ve learned a lot as a singer and a writer. Will the co-writes with Steve Perry and Jackson Browne make the cut?

—Possibly. There’s one where I co-wrote the lyric part with Jackson that’s probably going to make the record. The songs I wrote with Steve happened real early on, so I’m not sure they’re going to match for this one, but I’m sure we’ll do something again. As a singer, he’s been like a mentor and I’ve learned a lot from him. He was the first person who egged me on as a singer and urged me to do it because he liked my voice. Both of them have been great supporters. 30 EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

CONTINUE >> >>

COVER STORY: TAL WILKENFELD

This interview was originally published in Swedish in Musiker Magasinet 2012.

Tal Wilkenfeld captured at the 2012 Namm Show at her signing/performance at EBS booth. Photo: Tina Jeppson.

EBS 25 YEARS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2013

COVER STORY: TAL WILKENFELD

She continued to say that she’s never been a huge “practicer” in the traditional sense. —Some people can go in and practice five, six hours a day, and I’ve never been one to do that. Do you use composing as your vehicle of practicing?

—Yes, definitely. I was just about to say that. I can easily sit down for five hours a day and write. Writing is a pretty broad term, but when I write, I sit down and play whatever comes to mind. And in that process, you come across something that you can’t play. You try to play what’s in your head, fumble, say ´hey, what was that?´, work it out, do it again and then you move on. I think there’s a problem with having exercises that you do every day, because you’re never challenging the relationship that you have between your head and your fingers. You’re just turning the stuff into muscle memory, and at that point it’s become a physical thing, like doing weights. But if somebody goes and plays tennis every day, that’s a little different from doing weights. There’s interaction going on, and you’re using your brain. So that’s kind of what I’m doing… playing tennis on the bass every day. And the more you do that, the easier it becomes. You fumble less and you get to the point where you rarely ever do it at all. And I think that (interaction) is what true improvising is. When Tal was 14 years old, she picked up the guitar. Two years later, she dropped out of high school and left Australia to pursue guitar studies in the United States. But within one year, she switched to the electric bass. Word spread quickly about her talent, and a few months after graduating from the Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music in 2004, she was offered an endorsement from Sadowsky Guitars. 18 years old, she moved to New York City, focused on composing and forming her own band. She had only been playing bass for a year when she started attending jam sessions at the city’s jazz clubs. Many people, especially less experienced players, find jam sessions at clubs intimidating. Don’t you think that your lack of fear also helped develop your talent?

—I definitely was very fearless. Still am. I just have no fear [laughs]. I don’t know what I would or should be afraid of. I would be more afraid of not expressing myself creatively, because I would regret that later. So — no fear!

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

COVER STORY: TAL WILKENFELD

What do you think spurred the switch from guitar to bass for you?

Can you elaborate a little more on how the two compliment each other?

—I just had this natural attraction to the bass that I didn’t have with any other instrument. I enjoy playing drums, and I love writing with the electric guitar more than any other instrument… but I don’t like playing it as much. Maybe a fair amount. But I’m in love with the electric bass. We’re married. Do you ever play double bass?

—Hmmmm…. We don’t have that same kind of vibe. There’s just something about the electric bass that feels like me. I don’t know why, but we have this relationship going on. With that being said, we moved on to discuss gear in greater detail. Wilkenfeld has been a longtime endorsee of EBS, playing the HD350 heads and ProLine 410 cabinets for years.

—I can get a lot of great mids out of the EBS gear. It also has this kind of snap, so when I dig in really hard on the Sadowsky, I almost get a slap sound and the EBS is able to articulate that properly. I think the EBS is great for people who play a lot of slap bass, which I don’t. But when I dig in really hard, I get a pretty similar effect. It’s also good for playing fast as well as slow. I find that some bass amps are great for playing “groove bass” — they have a real nice bottom end, but when you play other things, they don’t respond quick enough. The EBS has a good balance between the two. Do you use any effects at all?

—I have the EBS OctaBass, which is the best octave pedal I’ve ever played. Then I have this synth bass type of distortion effect with a

—Around 2006, I was asked to do a clinic in New York at a convention similar to NAMM, and I wanted to check out amps there. At that point I didn’t have any endorsements, so I was just going to pick my favorite amp and do the clinic with it. I went around with my Sadowsky bass to try amps, because sometimes you need to find an amp that complements the sound of your bass and gives you what your bass doesn’t give you, or vice versa. The Sadowsky is my main bass, and I want to use it as much as I can. So I played the EBS and went: “wow, this is the one.” The two of them work really well together. Have you modified your Sadowsky bass in any way, or is it pretty much a stock model?

name I can’t pronounce…[laughs] it’s called the “B:Assmaster” (Malekko Heavy Industry.) And I’ve got an old MuTron from the 70’s. Delays are up in the air right now (pauses to think)… I’ve got three different kinds that I go between. In the studio there’s more experimentation. Do you use different setups for live and studio situations?

EBS high definition (hd) bass heads is Tal’s choice of amps, and EBS most widely sold amps over the last decade. Here in the new 360 edition, released in 2012.

—It’s stock… but it’s been beaten up a lot (laughs.) It’s become kind of like a vintage bass… it looks like it.

—No, but in the studio it’s more like an open book. I’ll want a sound and then figure out how to get it. But that might involve a mic or bass change… there are so many possibilities in the studio. On the last Jeff Beck record I played on (“Emotion & Commotion”,) I think I used a different bass on every song. It’s whatever the song calls for. Unfortunately you don’t have as many options live. I mean, you could, but I find it a bit annoying to switch instruments for

CONTINUE >> >> EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

COVER STORY: TAL WILKENFELD

every song. But I think on my next tour for my new solo album, I’ll need to do some instrument changes. Do you have any bass guitars besides your Sadowsky, that offer other sonic possibilities?

Selected discography:

writing things that matter to you, and playing things that you hear in your head. And that could be an influence of many, many people, which becomes a melting pot and your thing. What are your thoughts about transcribing the works of other musicians in the process of learning your instrument and developing your own identity as an artist?

—I have some old Fender Jazz basses that sit at home, and I pull them out once in a while. But I use the Sadowsky for songwriting and everything… I’m addicted to that bass. We have a special connection (smiles.) You recently got endorsed by Kala and you’re playing their California U-Bass model, which is as tiny as a ukulele, but it’s a solid-body, 21-inch scale bass. How did you get into them?

Tal Wilkenfeld - Transformation

—I got to try one at the last Bass Player live show of 2011… they looked real cute. Before I played it, I thought: “perfect to take to the beach.” I always fantasize about taking a bass to some random place to write music, like we all do and sometimes follow up on (laughs.) Once I played it, I realized that you can’t really travel with it because it has very floppy strings, so you have to play lighter. It’s not meant to be amplified well acoustically — you have to plug it in. But once you do, it sounds great… like a mixture between an upright, a Hofner and a Gibson EB2. So I thought: “I gotta have one of those.” We asked Tal if she has any advice to share with younger (and older) bass players. Just to get thoughts going, does she do any kind of warm ups before a show, for instance? —Maybe a couple of seconds of chromatics and that’s about just as much as I’ll do. But if I’d have any advice for anybody, it would just be to play what you hear in your heart and soul. Everybody is trying to copy so and so. We all have our heroes, and that’s good, but they wouldn’t want you to sound like them. They want you to be yourself. I think the most important thing in music is to have your own voice, sound, goals and songs. —I feel that everyone should be writing songs. Everyone has something to say, a life story to tell. And music is such a beautiful way to tell your story, or anybody’s story. Often I write songs that seem like they’re coming from me, but they’ll be about my best friend that just got into a crisis, and I’ll write the song as if I’m that person. It’s just a good way to help people and to help yourself… to understand situations, you know? It’s a good way to grow psychologically and philosophically. So I would say develop your inner voice and express who you are. That includes finding the right instrument for you; 34 EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

Wayne Krantz - Howie 61

Trevor Rabin - Jacaranda

—A tiny little bit, but you definitely shouldn’t get too stuck in that. Transcribe for the right reasons. Back in the day, I’d transcribe maybe a couple of lines from, say, a Coltrane solo, and do no more than two bars. It can open up the fretboard and your mind for you, because maybe you never would have thought of this one particular approach. But that’s enough, and then you want to forget that. You don’t want to learn the lick and start playing it in your (improvisation)… no. Be yourself. You can learn it to understand where that artist was coming from, and that might turn on a light bulb in your head. If you’re annoyed with your playing and feel stuck, it might help break that cycle for you. But the best thing to do is the first thing we talked about. Just truly improvise. Fall on your face a few times, and then fix that, and next time it won’t happen. That’s the part where many people get scared and don’t want to expose themselves to that possibility…

Lee Ritenour’s 6 String Theory

—But you can do this in the comfort of your own home. Start by doing that. No one can hear you. And that’s why I choose to live alone, so I can do it at all hours of the day and night. I need to have that “fortress of solitude” to be able to do that, because you can be as vulnerable practicing as you are being in the shower. That is, if you really are practicing. I’m into falling on my face. Just not in the shower! (laughs) You’ve got your second solo record in the making, as mentioned. What other things are you working on?

Herbie Hancock Imagine Project

Jeff Beck Emotion & Commotion

—I’ve just played on a couple of people’s records this year: some tracks with Vinnie (Colaiuta) on Wayne Krantz’s album, which is coming out in 2012, and a track for Trevor Rabin (Yes). I’m also about to play on a track or two for Lee Ritenour’s new album. After recently coming back from the road with Jeff Beck and Herbie Hancock, Wilkenfeld has decided to take a pause from touring as a side player. —Touring takes up a lot of time, and I want to put focus into my own music again, which I’ve

Jeff Beck - Live at Ronnie Scott’s CD & DVD

kind of neglected for so many years. I worked on my last record in 2006… that’s quite a while ago. Eventually, I will go back to touring. But right now I’m trying to stay at home. I do some sessions, but only with music that I really enjoy playing. When I was writing a song with Jackson, I got to work with drummer Jim Keltner for the first time, which was awesome. I also got to play with James Gadson (drummer) for the first time. Like Vinnie, they are legendary drummers in their own right. It’s such a great experience to play with all these guys, you know! Tal Wilkenfeld hasn’t only collaborated with jazz musicians: she’s also guest-performed with The Allman Brothers and Susan Tedeschi; played bass on a Macy Gray album; sat in with hip hoppers The Roots on the Jimmy Fallon talk show, and been in the recording studio with Prince. As we discussed whether her recording preference is analog or digital (she uses ProTools at home,) she recalled the Prince session, which happened when she was 22. —It was my first experience recording to tape and playing with a pick. It was very educational to work with Prince. He knows what he wants and how to get it quickly. He’s just got that down. It was very cool to see how he went about asking the musicians to do what they did. You wouldn’t exactly know what he was picturing until you’d hear the end result. He’s a great composer and visionary, and he knows so much about the studio. People probably ask you a lot about the dynamics of being young and female playing with more seasoned male musicians. Do you still notice any differences or is that something that happened in the past? Maybe you even find the whole question irrelevant?

have a good answer. I definitely know that it’s apparent to everyone that I’m a girl (laughs.) But I don’t think about it ever. With people’s reactions, it’s hard to see what is for what. Is it because I’m young? White? A girl? But I really don’t care either, and I choose to not acknowledge it. I mean, you can be treated differently just for being a woman, regardless if you’re a musician or not. If you’re a woman walking into a coffee shop and there happens to be twenty men there, they’ll all react to you differently, just because you’re a woman walking in, you know? If you’re a musician and people would stand in front of you with their eyes closed, they’re still going to have different tastes in music. There are just too many factors involved. And if anyone has a weird attitude, well, then I guess they’ll just have to deal with it. I’m lucky to have been playing with such great musicians and great people that I’ve been in good company for the most part. —As far as the age thing goes, when I was nineteen to twenty-one, guys like Jeff, Herbie and Vinnie, who are so much older than me, almost became like mentors/father figures. Now I consider myself an adult and they can see that I’ve grown up a little bit, so we have an adult-to-adult relationship. After all, there’s two hours of playing, eight hours of sleep and then the remaining fourteen hours of humanto-human interaction when you’re touring. Where do you see yourself going in your career now, besides continuing to compose your own music?

Tal Wilkenfeld and Steve Ferrone jamming at the EBS booth at the NAMM Show 2012. Photo: Ralf Bjurbo

Latest news about Tal and updates on the release of her new album available at her website. Scan for info

—I get asked this all the time and I never really

—Starting a solo career, with all that it entails, including a lot of touring and making records. Basically growing as a solo artist. But I love doing some collaborations here and there where I’m playing on other people’s stuff too, because it keeps your mind open and things interesting and different.

www.talwilkenfeld.com

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

PORTRAIT: MARCUS MILLER

MARCUS MILLER´S CAREER AS A BASSIST, REED AND KEYBOARD PLAYER, COMPOSER, ARRANGER AND PRODUCER HAS BEEN LONG, SPANNING OVER MORE THAN THREE DECADES, AND OUTSTANDING, PERFORMING ON MORE THAN 500 ALBUMS – INCLUDING MORE THAN A DOZEN UNDER HIS OWN NAME. HE HAS WON GRAMMIES, GOLD AND PLATINUM RECORDS AND IS CONSIDERED AMONG THE MOST INFLUENTIAL ELECTRIC BASSISTS, NOT JUST FOR HIS VIRTUOSIC SLAP AND FRETLESS PLAYING BUT FOR HIS COMPLETE MUSICIANSHIP. INTERVIEW BY MIKAEL JANSSON

MARCUS MILLER THE RENAISSANCE MAN his achievements include sessions with

such diverse artists as Donald Fagen, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Frank Sinatra, George Benson, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Paul Simon, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, rappers Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z and even opera soprano Kathleen Battle. He has worked in small jazz combo settings as well as with symphony orchestras, he has scored for movies and television. The list goes on and on. But more than anything else, his collaborations with jazz icon Miles Davis on the 1986 album Tutu will forever remain an important part of modern jazz history. Miller not only played on the album, he also composed most of the music and produced the album. (Miller also played on another five Miles Davis albums.) The New Yorker´s latest solo album Renaissance is a very personal tribute to the Seventies jazz, soul and funk music, and a collaborations with a number of younger, extremely talented musicians, many of whom were not even born when this music first appeared. Some of these musicians are also Miller´s sidemen on a “Renaissance” world tour promoting the album. The man with the trademark pork pie hat, kindly took some time off during the tour to speak with the EBS 25th Anniversary magazine. You have had a long and outstanding career in music – how do you keep the hunger? What makes you go on developing artistically instead of just “resting on laurels”? In short – how do you stay motivated? Do you still keep a regular practice regimen?

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

PORTRAIT: MARCUS MILLER

–I practice regularly, especially when I´m touring. I try to get in about 30 minutes a day. If you add in sound check and the show, that comes to about three hours of playing a day. I have to make sure I don´t overdo it so that tendonitis doesn´t become an issue. What keeps me hungry is recognizing how incredible it is to have the opportunity to make music. It´s truly a blessing. I feel like in order to justify that blessing, I have to continue to improve and evolve. Where do you find inspiration in music today? Any particular artists or genres?

–I like to listen to classic Fifties jazz, hip hop from artists who really have an important message, like Mos Def, Common, and Q-Tip. I´ve been listening a lot to contemporary Flamenco music recently. Your recent album Renaissance is a tribute of sorts to the music that influenced you early on – CTI Seventies jazz, artists like War and The Jacksons, but with a 21st century approach. Can you elaborate on how it came about?

the electronics. Sounds kinda familiar... In the end it´s up to us to make sure that technology is used to enhance creativity, not to diminish creativity. There are some people who are doing really great things with technology. I don´t think it can ever by easy to create truly meaningful music. That comes from your soul. I do think technology sometimes makes it easier to get to a finished product but that doesn´t always mean it´s good. I do think it´s harder to convince a kid nowadays to spend years of their life developing a sound on an instrument when they can have a whole band at their fingertips with a computer. But there will always be people who see the value of dedicating their time to create a musical personality on an instrument. And those people will always be seen as special. You have acted as kind of a mentor to some younger talents such as Tal Wilkenfeld, Brandon Rose, and Dwayne Thomas Jr – all of them extremely skilled and talented. What do you offer – tech talk or more of the philosophical side of music and the music business?

Marcus latest solo album Renaissance (2012).

–A lot of my previous recordings had been big productions with lots of guest artists and a pretty involved sound. For this Renaissance album, I wanted to get a more organic feeling. I´m very happy with the sound of my band and wanted to simply capture the sound of the band with some new compositions and new arrangements of tunes that inspire me. Tunes like “Slippin Into Darkness” and “Mr. Clean”, which are from the Seventies, seemed like great launching points for organic performances. I also liked the CTI recordings from the Seventies for that same organic quality so I wrote a tune with that feeling too. But although I´ll do a tune from the Seventies, I try to use it simply as a starting point in order to create something new. The current computerized music technology offers an endless number of opportunities, perhaps sometimes making it almost “too easy” to create. Back in the days, learning to play jazz bass (on the upright) forced you to learn not only proper technique but also to develop a personal sound by means of fingers interacting with strings and the instrument, and even down to finding where the beams under the floor were, so that you could use them to enhance the sound of your bass. What do you think are the pros and cons of modern technologies? Can it stand in the way of learning how to master the instrument?

–I offer a little bit of it all. It´s all part of being a musician. Most young players do concentrate on the technical aspect so I do try to balance that out a little with some advice on business and the art of listening. But I´ll throw some technique stuff in there too. Do you have any advice or tips for the aspiring bassist on how to develop artistically?

–Keep your ears open. Close your eyes and try to hear music, don´t rely on visual learning (Youtube) completely, develop your hearing, work on your ability to imagine something, then play it. How did your association with EBS begin and what attracted you to EBS equipment? What EBS equipment do you use – live and in the studio?

–I first listened to EBS around twelve years ago. I liked the natural sound of it. I started off as a studio musician, my sound has traditionally been a direct sound so I was looking for an amp that didn´t change the color of my sound so much. EBS felt very close to what I´m used to hearing in the studio. I used a TD650 with two ProLine 4x10´s for a long time. Now I´m playing the new Fafner II head and I´m really enjoying that. What are your musical plans for 2013?

–Technology is a tool like everything else. Bass players from the Fifties and early Sixties complained that the technology of the bass pickup made it “too easy” to play the acoustic bass and that players weren´t really developing a sound because they were relying too heavily on

–I´ll be touring Renaissance through the summer of 2013. Also I’ll start to write some new music. Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and I will do a “Tribute to Miles” concert in Los Angeles in the spring that should be nice.

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

EBS TECH TALK WITH MATS KRISTOFFERSSON

Mats Kristoffersson at the desk in his secret chamber in the Stockholm suburbs where all the magic is made. Photo by Lasse Eklöf

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

EBS TECH TALK WITH MATS KRISTOFFERSSON

MEET THE WIZARD EBS TECHNICAL DIRECTOR MATS KRISTOFFERSSON SPEAKS MATS KRISTOFFERSSON IS THE ENGINEER BEHIND THE FABULOUS EBS BASS PRODUCTS. HE HAS BEEN INTO ELECTRONICS SINCE THE AGE OF TEN, AND HOOKED UP WITH EBS CO-FOUNDER BO ENGBERG ALREADY IN 1985, HELPING IN DEVELOPING EFFECTS FOR HOME STUDIO USE. INTERVIEW BY MIKAEL JANSSON

the ebs technical director and head

designer is a soft spoken guy who seems to spend a lot of not only his working hours but also spare time brooding over possible solutions to new bass amplification challenges. Mats, now 47, was born in a small village, Rimbo, some 50 kilometers north of Stockholm. Besides dabbling in electronics as a teenager, he also played bass in local bands, and already then had the urge to improve the amps he used. Mats and Bo began developing the first EBS product, the EBS-1 preamp in the summer of 1986, with an ambition to make the best bass preamp on the market. Modular, rack-mounted bass rigs were not that common at the time, but the concept was rapidly spreading, and an increasing number of professionals began using racks with separate preamps, effects units and power amps. The EBS-1 preamp was built in attempt to improve sound quality and performance by using quality components normally found in industry standard studio equipment. That Mats had a background as a service tech for a major manufacturer of professional studio desks probably helped.

–That job gave me valuable insights and influences in how to use high standard components, Mats says. Mats and Bo first brought their new product to the Frankfurt Musik Messe in 1988, and although the first success was fairly modest, it gave valuable experience and valuable contacts, and EBS was on its way. The first EBS amp head, the tube/solid state hybrid Fafner was introduced in the fall of 1995, but Mats had been working on the design since long before. (The Fafner, by the way, is named after a dragon in Nordic mythology.) –We had influences from a lot of different places. We had already launched the first power amps in 1990, using borrowed designs. But we wanted to improve the power amp performance, so we redesigned the power amp stage for the Fafner. And the basics of that redesign are still found in many of our products, Mats says. The Fafner head soon became a success since the market at the time was big for hybrid tube/ solid state amps.

CONTINUE >> >> EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

The year 1993 saw the introduction of the first EBS effects pedals. They came as a spin-off from the Taurus combo amp which included an octave and a chorus unit, which were separated and repackaged to become the OctaBass and UniChorus pedals. The MultiComp pedal, the most sold EBS pedal came from the Gorm combo amp (Gorm being another creature in Nordic mythology, a giant). Mats designs an increasing number of effects pedals, the latest being a Billy Sheehan Signature overdrive pedal. –Billy wanted a pedal that enabled him to mix a clean signal with a distorted or overdriven, and it will be launched in 2013.

Mats has yet another couple of pedals on the drawing board, but he thinks it is still too early to disclose details about them. –They have to be tested and tried, and we have to be sure that the components available will work all the way and also be available for a long time to come. The most successful and most sold EBS amp, the HD350, launched in 2001, was EBS´ answer to an increasing demand for a middle range alternative. It immediately became popular among professionals such as Marcus Miller and used the amp concept from the previous combo amps, but in an amp head package with an additional drive module, a tube emulator that

Mats and Bo at Billy Sheehan’s studio in Los Angeles in January 2011, discussing the design of the new signature pedal. Photo by Ralf Bjurbo.

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

later became the MultiDrive pedal. Recently, an updated version of this amp was launched as the HD360. But Mats does not only design amps and pedals, he is also the man behind the EBS speaker cabinets. And speaker cabinet design is an art unto itself. –The crucial component is the loudspeaker element. And once you have found a good speaker, the secret is in designing a cabinet that makes it sound good. A good speaker does not in itself mean that the cabinet will sound good. You have to carefully calculate parameters such as sensitivity, frequency range, and the ability to withstand high power, especially power peaks. Our most popular cabinet is the ProLine 410, which came in the late Nineties and basically looks the same now as it did then, says Mats. The latest EBS amp, the lightweight, Reidmar head, marks another step in EBS amp designs. (Reidmar is an evil midget in Nordic mythology – you can see a clear name line here…) –I think of it as a successful compromise, with an analog preamp based on the HD360 concept, with a digital Class D power stage. It took us some time to make the Class D amp behave in the way we wanted it to. A problem with many digital lightweight amps is their tendency to clip on high sound volumes. Some manufacturers have solved the problem by including an automatic limiter, which makes the sound compressed. The secret is to make the power amp perform linear, Mats says.

Today, EBS Premium products, including the EBS flagship amp Fafner II and the workhorses HD360 and TD660, are made in Sweden while the Classic Line and the pedals are manufactured in Asia. Mats says that an EBS normally needs two years from the first idea to the final, marketable product. That means a lot of negotiations with the subcontractors and partners, and a vast number of quality control efforts. Being the EBS Head Designer also means that Mats has to keep himself up-to-date on new developments in electronics and components, analog as well as digital. –I read the trade magazines and I go to some of the major electronics shows. The most important thing is to keep a steady eye on the components industry. You have to find component suppliers that are stable and will be on the market for a long time. But it is also necessary to keep in touch with the players´ demands, a feedback that comes from meeting professionals at music shows and concerts. As of this writing, Mats keeps himself busy with working on new amp head designs, some new speaker cabinets, some components and even loudspeakers of his own design. He spends a lot of time in his workshop testing components, building and evaluating prototypes, discussing production procedures with the manufacturing subcontractors and so on. Be sure that in the coming years, you will see a number of new and thrilling EBS products for the benefit of musicians worldwide!

EBS speaker cabinet NeoLine 410 was nominated for the 2012 MIPA Awards for Best Bass Cabinet. Designed by Mats Kristoffersson.

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

MEET & GREET

THE BIG TRADE SHOWS ARE LIKE FAMILY REUNIONS. MANY OF THE FINE ARTISTS WE WORK WITH COME TO THESE SHOWS TO DO SIGNINGS AND DEMO’S OR SIMPLY TO SHOW THEIR GRATITUDE. HERE ARE A FEW OF THESE GREAT MOMENTS...

Above: Mats Kristoffersson, Bo Engberg, Ralf Bjurbo and Michael Stolt with Stanley Clarke at the release of his Signature Wah pedal at NAMM 2009.

The guitarist & bass player from Justin Timberlake’s Future Sex Love Tour, EBS Pedal Artists Mike Scott & Kevin Walker playing together at EBS NAMM booth 2011.

Marcus Miller, Bon Jovi bass player Hugh McDonald & Victor Bailey at EBS NAMM booth, 2002.

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

Mats, Ralf & Bo from EBS with Slipknot guitar player & EBS Pedal Artist Mick Thomson, NAMM 2012.

Bo with Kern Brantley, currently with Lady Gaga & Alex Al, featured on Michael Jackson’s movie This Is It. Picture taken at EBS NAMM booth 2007.

EBS Artist Tal Wilkenfeld signed a rare Rickenbacker that had been signed by more than 150 legendary bass players before her at her EBS signing at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, January 2012.

EBS Pedal Artist and famous bass player and producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen with Ralf from EBS during a signing at the EBS booth, NAMM 2011.

Guitar legend John McLaughlin with his current bass player, EBS Artist Etienne Mbappé at Frankfurt MusikMesse 2012.

Rocker’s Cometogether at EBS with Halford’s Mike Davis, Yngwie’s Bjorn Englen, Mats and Bo from EBS and legendary James Lomenzo. Taken at NAMM 2011.

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

EDUCATIONAL

DAVE’S LESSONS HERE ARE SOME ESSENTIAL BASS LESSONS FROM EBS ARTIST DAVE MARKS. DAVE IS A BUSY FREELANCE MUSICIAN BASED IN LONDON. HE WORKS AS A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN, PRODUCER, WRITER, ARRANGER, TEACHER, GEAR DEMONSTRATOR AND MAGAZINE WRITER. DAVE IS ALSO A FREQUENT BLOGGER AND ALWAYS KEEPS HIS YOUTUBE CHANNEL STOCKED UP WITH FRESH BASS-RELATED CONTENT. 01 Master your fret ting hand

ere’s as single exercise that expands into 24. This is, without doubt the best exercise I’ve ever seen for waking up all of the fingers in your fretting hand, developing control, coordination and independence. You can start it anywhere in the neck – I recommend around the 7th fret so that your hands don’t get too tired. If we take the fingers on our fretting hand and number them 1 – 4, there are 24 permutations

possible. This example shows permutation: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4.

the

first

Here’s a grid with all 24: 1234 2134 3124 4123 1243 2143 3142 4132 1324 2314 3214 4213 1342 2341 3241 4231 1423 2413 3412 4312 1432 2431 3421 4321

02 Controlling your plucking technique

he single biggest problem I come across with the plucking hand is a lack of discipline. Many players combine single finger plucks, alternate plucking and raking to great effect, gaining speed and precision. However, if you do not have a conscious approach, you can use techniques at the wrong time, making some basslines even more difficult to play!

The key to this line is following the fingering provided for the plucking hand. You need to use alternate plucking and lead from the second finger in order to make the octave leaps at the start. At the end of bar 1, raking will make the movement across the strings much more fluid and the combination of alternate plucking and a little slide will help you reconnect the end of the riff to the start as it repeats.

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

EDUCATIONAL

03 Creativity through limited options

mprovising can be a bit daunting. With so many options, it can be hard to create ideas that make sense. Many players either freeze up or simply try to play fast licks without any regard to form or cohesion. One of the best ways to work on creating coherent, musical ideas is to limit the number of options that you have. Try taking three notes: In this case, Bb, C and Eb, and create a solo using only those three notes. You can play them in any octave, with any technique. The key is to try and create phrases. Think of how language functions - we link together words 04 Know your fretboard

to express ideas and concepts. We group these words into sentences and paragraphs, creating small, well-formed pockets of information. They make sense on their own and function well in expressing the overall idea. Aim to make your improvisation like this: small melodic phrases that sound sensible in isolation but that make sense when grouped together. Try and think of how your melody tells a story. As the story develops, try adding in the note G, then perhaps F. By now, you have a whole minor penatatonic scale to play with and you can begin expanding your ideas.

he most widespread problem I see among bassists is a lack of basic fingerboard knowledge. Lots of guys play licks, riffs – some even learn to shred a bit, all without being able to locate a C# quickly and easily. If you want to really master your instrument, start at frets 1 - 4 and play the Major scale in all twelve keys. Ordinarily, we learn the Major scale in one octave, so C Major usually looks like this:

However, if we take the notes of C Major and play them from the lowest note available in frets 1 – 4, we’d start on the note E and end with C on the 5th fret of the G string. (I’ll let you add that 5th fret note, but only on the G String) When we change to F Major, we still start on the low E. (This note is contained in F Major – in fact, the only difference between the C and F Major scales is that F Major contains a Bb) I’ve written out the first four flat keys here to get you started:

Visit Dave Marks blog www.davemarks.com for more lessons, updates and insights.

C Major (no sharps or flats)

F Major (Bb)

Bb Major (Bb, Eb)

Eb Major (Bb, Eb, Ab)

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

PORTRAIT: COLIN EDWIN

PORCUPINE TREE IS A GRAMMY AWARD WINNING BAND FROM THE UK, WHICH OVER THE YEARS HAS BECOME A GREAT INSPIRATION FOR BANDS AND MUSICIANS ALL OVER THE WORLD, GATHERING FANS FROM ALL KINDS OF MUSICAL BACKGROUNDS. HERE’S AN INTERVIEW WE DID WITH BASS PLAYER COLIN EDWIN AFTER HE’D BEEN MORE THAN A YEAR ON THE ROAD IN SUPPORT OF THE BAND’S LATEST ALBUM, THE INCIDENT. INTERVIEW BY RALF BJURBO. PHOTO BY DANIEL FALK

COLIN EDWIN The solid bottom of Porcupine Tree 46 EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

PORTRAIT: COLIN EDWIN

People call Porcupine Tree’s music a lot of things when trying to put a label on it, and they usually end up with “progressive rock”. How would you describe Porcupine Tree yourself for those who are not familiar with the band?

have discovered for themselves. The internet has meant that we’ve also been to some places that other bands rarely visit, such as India and Mexico, and we find that we have a sizeable audience who all know the music really well. After the successful albums In Absentia and Deadwing, not many expected the turn that the band took with the album “Fear of a Blank Planet” – a dark, serious and ambitious concept album without songs suited for radio airplay. What made you take such a bold step where many bands had played it safe and went in a more commercial direction to repeat the success?

–I always used to feel the “progressive” label had a lot of negative connotations--it certainly didn’t help us get any exposure early on!--and I thought it was generally applied to bands that were either a spent force, or else quite retro and not very forward looking in a musical sense, but over the last few years, it’s become less of a dirty word. I guess this is because there are currently a lot of great artists who’ve made the label seem more appealing: Tool, Opeth, Mars Volta, Radiohead, to name a few that spring to mind. So although I really prefer to leave the labelling job to journalists, I’d have to say that “progressive” isn’t far off! The band has been around for quite some time, but it seems you had a sort of breakthrough with the album In Absentia (2002), and you have gained a lot of new fans with every new album ever since. When did the band actually start, and do you have an idea of what boosted the success after all these years being a band not that well known known to the masses?

–The band, as a live entity, started in 1993. Steven had previously made the first two albums all on his own – although me and keyboard player Richard Barbieri both guested on the second album, Up the Downstair. We were lucky enough that very early on, a few territories really got into the band, so we were doing some quite big shows in places like Italy and Poland, whilst still playing tiny clubs in the UK and elsewhere. But the level of interest was always slowly growing everywhere, and this gave us the confidence to keep going where I think a lot of bands would have given up. In Absentia was our first major label album with a decent budget, and at that time, we had the benefit of tour support and promotional activities that weren’t available to us when we were on smaller labels, so we made a lot of headway then, especially in the USA. But I still feel that we’ve built up our audience mainly by touring, and getting a reputation as a good live act to go and see. The current musical climate has favoured live music and especially bands like us who go out and put on a good live show, and we put a lot of energy and effort into making our shows as good as they can be. That and the combination of word of mouth recommendation built up over the years means we have now become what agents refer to as “a solid live draw”. The internet has helped us as well, with the culture of people sharing and recommending what they like or

–One thing I’ve learned is that it’s really impossible to second guess what people will like, so catering for what you think your audience will like is really a mistake. We’ve never been a radio friendly act and have never had a hit single or done much on TV, so we weren’t worried about trying to be commercial. I actually felt really confident about Fear of A Blank Planet, since we took the unusual step of playing most of it live before we recorded the album, so we got to “road test’” a lot of the material in front of an audience, just like bands used to do before everyone got really paranoid about internet bootlegging. We asked our audiences to refrain from recording and sharing material we were testing out, and amazingly, they all seemed to respect that. “Fear Of A Blank Planet” and the latest album “The Incident” both are concept based albums and seems to have had a big impact on your live shows, since the stories are illustrated effectfully by video art (by Lasse Hoile) and have turned your concerts into a great experience both musically, emotionally and visually. When you went in this direction with the music, did that create an opportunity to work more with synchronised video or did the idea to incorporate video actually inspire the songwriting to fit into that concept?

—The visuals follow the concepts and themes of the albums, rather than the other way round. We’ve always considered the lighting and visual aspects of the live show to be very important parts of our live presentation. Before “In Absentia” with the more psychedelic type music we were playing at the time, we had a lightshow, Fruit Salad Lights, that was very “trippy” and really fitted what we were doing musically. As the music changed, we got more interested in having a different type of lighting concept, and also having films that actually ran in synch to the music, Lasse came along at just the right time with a lot of ideas, and after a few failed attempts we were technically able to implement them.

CONTINUE >> >> EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

PORTRAIT: COLIN EDWIN

Frontman Steven Wilson said in an interview that there isn’t a lot of stuff in Porcupine Tree’s music that is very hard to play--except for the drum parts which are really on the edge at times--and what makes it sound complex are the thoughtful arrangements rather than technically advanced parts. Do you agree with that, and how do you approach to the music when it comes to create bass lines? The Incident Tour was captured on the 2-Disc Live CD ’Octane Twisted’, released in November 2012.

indispensable for me. Later on, when Porcupine Tree started doing fly-in gigs, I got to try out many different amps, and I always found it easy to get a good sound whenever I used an EBS. Later still, after using the gear on different tours, I found it absolutely reliable, consistent, clear, powerful and flexible too. I like to use the EBS Microbass in the studio, I can use it a number of different ways, sometimes just as a straight DI, other times I use it to split a signal so I can feed one through some effects or a Line 6 POD. For the special Porcupine Tree shows at Radio City in New York and the Royal Albert Hall, where we did an “all-acoustic” part of the show, I played my upright bass through a Session 60 and a NeoDrome 15 combo, both of which impressed me and my tech. Your pedal board has an impressive switch station, can you tell us a little about that and how it works?

–Porcupine Tree music isn’t necessarily difficult in a technical sense, and certainly not compared to some bands, but it can still be a challenge to play something that’s both appropriate and also interesting for the listener. The music is generally quite dense sonically speaking, so more often than not, as far as the bass goes, a simpler more economical bass line frequently has more power and is more fitting than something busy. I have to be careful sometimes about going out of the bass register, as the overall sound of the ensemble demands a solid bottom end. Feel, space, dynamics, length of note and of course sound and tone are all very important too. Recording a lot has also taught me the importance of space. And I am also very aware that the bass line is kind of like the “glue” that holds a lot of the other parts together, so small variations in a part can sometimes make a big difference. For me, when a bassline is “right”, it’s when you can really hear it as an integral and essential part of the whole piece. You seem to be a band that put a lot of efforts in getting the sound right, which naturally leads to ask you about the gear you are using. What does your setup on stage look like, and what is your impression of using EBS gear? Any particular favourite items that you think are significant for your sound?

—I use a Gigrig Pro 14 switching system, which enables me to keep a lot of pedals in line without degradation of tone and gives me a huge amount of flexibility in combining the sounds of different pedals without having to do a complex series of foot movements on three or four pedals at once to access a sound quickly! I can set which pedals I want to use on a certain patch, and only need to do one stomp to get a particular sound that might be made from a three or four pedal combination. It also means I can keep the pedal board neat and tidy, something it never used to be! Since you started to use EBS pedals, it seems to have spilled over to some of the other guys in the band since both Richard Barbieri (keys) and John Wesley (tour guitarist) have started to use some of the pedals as well. Any ideas why these pedals, made for bass, seem to work just as good for guitar and keys too?

HEROES & INSPIRATION There’s a few of my early influences I never tire of hearing: Chic, The Police, Killing Joke, Gong, Weather Report, John Paul Jones, Tackhead, Frank Zappa, Brian Eno, John Martyn, Jah Wobble and various dub records. I also love jazz, especially Charles Mingus, Roland Kirk, Jim Hall, the Esbjorn Svensson Trio, Ahmad Jamal’s 1950’s trio and Oscar Peterson. Recently I’ve been listening a lot to Karnivool, Nick Bartsch’s Ronin, Me’shell N’degeocello and Foals. As for other sources of inspiration, travelling around places like Morocco and India really made a big impression on me, as well as opening my ears to things I would never have heard otherwise.

—Throughout the Incident tour, I’ve been using mainly four basses: two Wal basses, a fretted, and a fretless, (both made in the early ’80s and fitted with Hipshot D-tuners) a Spector Euro 435LX, (tuned to low C) and a Basslab fretless, also fitted with a D-tuner. I’ve been using the following pedals through the Gigrig system: Valvedrive, Multicomp, UniChorus, Multidrive, Tremolo, Octabass, BassIQ, and a Boss tuner. I’ve also just got a D-phaser which you’ll be hearing more of too. All this goes into a TD650 Head and two Neodymium 4 x 10″ speaker cabs. I first discovered EBS gear through Pete the Fish at Wal many years ago, when he lent me a Multicomp pedal which quickly became

—John Wesley bugged the hell out of me to get in touch with you for a BassIQ, I think he’d heard another guitarist use one and was knocked out with it. Richard has always used distortion pedals with his keyboards and was keen to use a Valvedrive, as it seemed ideal for him, given the range of tones that are possible. Actually, I think more people have asked me about the Valvedrive pedal than anything else, including Tony Levin, and Jamie Cavanagh, the bass player from Anathema, who told me that it had the sound he’d been looking for for ten years.

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

PORTRAIT: COLIN EDWIN

Apart from Porcupine Tree, you have some other musical projects running as well? Do you approach that music any different with these projects than with Porcupine Tree?

—In 2011 I started working with Italian musician Eraldo Bernocchi and this collaboration has grown into a band, Metallic Taste of Blood, with the addition of drummer Balasz Pandi and keyboard player Jamie Saft. Our first album came out on Rarenoise records earlier in 2012 and has been very well received. The music all instrumental and it’s pretty hard to classify, neither jazz nor metal but with elements of both, as well as dub, ambient and (so-called) ”noise” music textures. That might sound like a disasterous recipe, but I am very pleased with the results. We are making plans for live dates in 2013, which is something I am really looking forward to. In December 2012 myself and US based experimental guitarist Jon Durant will be putting out our co-operative album ”Burnt Belief” on Alchemy records. Jon has a guitar style which is very textural, somewhere in the realms of Micheal Brook, Brian Eno, David Torn and Robert Fripp, but it’s all his own. I played bass on Jon’s previous album ”Dance of the Shadow Planets” last year, but ”Burnt Belief” is really an equal co-operation. I’ve contributed bass, programming and electronics as well as compositional elements too. Another thing I’ve recently started working on is the second album for (No-Man vocalist) Tim Bowness’s new band Slow Electric, with whom I performed earlier in 2012. Slow Electric’s format will give me the chance to play a bit more double bass for a change, as the music is very ambient, minimal and spacious. I also have a long standing and ongoing duo collaboration, under the name Ex-Wise Heads, with multi-instrumentalist Geoff Leigh and various guest musicians. Working with Geoff involves a lot of improvisation, and draws on a

good deal of non-Western musical influences, like Eastern scales and odd-time rhythms. The music is completely different again, and I enjoy the contrast. A concert Ex-Wise Heads played in Kiev last year has led to me working with two fantastic Ukrainian female folk singers. I have no formal idea or background knowledge about the music, but I am fascinated by the harmonies, vocal interplay and rhythmic structures of the traditional Ukrainian and Russian folk songs we’ve been ”updating”, there’s a small sample of our work together available as a download here: http://astartaedwin.bandcamp.com/album/ kalina ....and more to follow. I find that in any given situation, one of the things that is endlessly fascinating about being a musician is how, in the process of interaction, different people can bring various aspects of one’s own musical personality out into whatever you are playing. This is especially true as a bass player, which of course normally finds you in a supportive, rather than lead role. I did however, enjoy making my solo albums ”Third Vessel” and ”PVZ”, where I consciously decided to not get anyone else involved, bass playing being something I normally do with others, just to see what I came up with left to my own devices. However, I’ve been working steadily on more solo material but with the additional input of a vocalist, so the material is much more song oriented than my previous solo albums, I hope to have something new out in mid 2013! What music/musicians do you listen to for inspiration, and where else do you get inspiration for your music?

ONLINE SOURCES Scan for Porcupine Tree

News and updates on Porcupine Tree at www.porcupinetree.com Scan for Colin’s blog

Info about Colin’s various side and solo projects to be found at colinedwin.blogspot.co.uk

—I’ve always considered it important to have a big pool of things to listen to and draw from so I keep my ears open as much as possible. Finally, any last words to the bass players out there?

I’d like to share one piece of advice that I continually discover to be true: Don’t neglect the basics!

BASS AMPS: EBS TD650/660 and Fafner II (depending on situation) SPEAKER CABINETS: EBS NeoLine 410 (or ProLine) cabinets. PEDALS: EBS MultiComp EBS MultiDrive EBS BassIQ EBS OctaBass EBS TremoLo EBS ValveDrive EBS MicroBass II (for recording) The pedal board as it appeared on the incident tour

COLIN EDWIN – EBS GEAR-WISE...

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

PORTRAIT: WARREN MCRAE

WARREN MCRAE For how long have you been with Tina Turner, and how did you get the gig in the first place?

end is round and punchy without being muddy. The mids and highs are just right, not too bright (so you feel like your playing guitar) and not too dull (so you can’t make out what your playing). You get a great bass sound from them. The heads deliver great EQ, so you get the exact sound you need, without having to read a phone book to figure it out. They’re really user friendly. You can use the DI output from the head and send it to the front of house, without need for external DI box. Really well thought out… You are using pedals as well; are there any certain concerns about using pedals with bass, and how do you use your pedals?

BASS WITH TINA TURNER

–I joined Tina’s band in 1997 and I’ve played bass for her ever since. We met while I was playing with Joe Cocker in Europe in 1996, so when the opportunity to change bass players came, I got the call. What´s it like to be in the band of one of the biggest rock artists of all times?

- It’s an amazing feeling. I get to listen to her sing her heart out every single night. She only asks that you do your best, and she brings the best out of you every night. She is one of the biggest rock acts of all time and it’s by far the best gig I’ve had.

What other gigs do you see as highlights in your career so far?

–I got one of the Stanley Clarke Signature wah wah pedals, which I used for the European leg of the tour. It was a great addition to the show. I use different pedals for different songs during the set. The MultiDrive can help to give you that real old school, distorted sound. The UniChorus can give you a very wide sound, great for ballads. The thing I love most about the EBS pedals is no matter which one you use, they never drop the bottom out when you kick the pedal in. So many times in the past, with other companies’ products, you kick the pedal in and the bottom drops right out. With EBS, you get the effect your looking for and keep your sound, and most important, your bottom! Do you have any certain advice how to develop as a musician and how to success in the business?

–Playing for Joe Cocker was also amazing. He just gets out there and sings. A real grass roots act and he’s a true English gentlemen. I learned a lot working for Nona Hendryx and Little Steven Van Zandt. They both have great discipline and stage presence. Lionel Richie was a blast. He just likes to have a good time and also pushes you to do your best. On this tour, you have been using EBS equipment; tell us a little about your setup and how you got in touch with EBS?

–You just have to practice and always be ready. There’s no magic formula or hiding mystery. You never know when the phone will ring and you’ll get your shot. You only get one time to make a first impression. Make sure it’s a good one. What are your plans after this tour?

–I’ve been using all EBS equipment for my rig. It consists of two EBS ProLine 4x10 cabinets (with black custom grills), two TD 650 Heads and all the Black Label pedals. I also got one of the Stanley Clarke Signature wah wah pedals. I knew about EBS equipment from watching Marcus Miller. I’ve always loved his sound at his live shows. So I gave the guys at EBS Sweden a call and they came thru´ big time! What are your impressions from using EBS on stage for the Tina Turner world tour?

–I’m going to open a recording studio in NY, to do some production. Play on some jingles in New York, TV commercials. Then I’m going back on the road. I’m not sure with whom yet, but I’m sure it’ll be another great artist. I love the road! Finally, any last words for now?

–I recommend all EBS products to everyone. They are made by bass players, with bass players in mind. You can’t ask for anything better. The products stand up over time and that’s really important. I’m really happy to play and endorse your products.

–The cabinets and heads are just true work horses. I’ve never had a problem with them while on tour and they sound great. The bottom 50 EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

Read more at: www.myspace.com/blackopalentertainment www.tinaturneronline.com

WARREN MCRAE IS THE TOURING BASS PLAYER FOR TINA TURNER. HE IS A BASSIST, WRITER & PRODUCER THAT GREW UP IN QUEENS NYC, WITH THE LIKES OF MARCUS MILLER, OMAR HAKIM AND LENNY WHITE. APART FROM TINA, HE HAS WORKED WITH JOE COCKER AND LIONEL RICHIE, TO NAME A FEW. SEE AND HEAR WARREN AND THE EBS RIG ON THE LIVE ALBUM AND DVD, TINA LIVE! (2009)

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

DOCUMENT: EBS EFFECTS & GUITAR

IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A BAD SIGN WHEN A PLACE IS REALLY HARD TO FIND, AND YOU CAN NEVER GUESS WHAT’S GOING ON BEHIND THE DOOR EVEN IF YOU STAND RIGHT OUTSIDE IT. DAVE PHILLIPS BUSINESS, LA SOUND DESIGN, IS ONE OF THESE PLACES.

EBS EFFECTS & GUITAR CAN A BASS AMP COMPANY OFFER ANYTHING GOOD FOR THE GUITARIST?

W Dave Phillips at LA Sound Design with his favourite EBS pedal for guitar - the DynaVerb

hen we stepped into their workshop in Los Angeles, one of Def Leppard guitarist Viv Campbell’s guitar rigs had just arrived for some treat, while some rigs for Steely Dan just went out the door prepared for a tour. Dave knows his stuff and that’s why he has a constant flow of high profile guitarists lining up to get their pedal boards and rigs put together and made ready for the road. “The EBS Dynaverb is the best reverb pedal I have heard. It sounds like a rack piece. Spatially beautiful”, says Dave when explaining why he recommends a pedal made for bass players to most of his guitarist clients. What first caught his attention was the benefit of having stereo input, as well as stereo out, which is rare on reverb pedals. He never really cared that it was a pedal made for bass, it’s just a great reverb. Sometimes what seems like a turn-off for some can actually be what others are looking for. When we got the chance to meet Slipknot guitarist and EBS pedal fan Mick Thomson backstage at a festival in Sweden, he revealed he and Jim (Root, the other guitarist in Slipknot) had discussed bass effects in general and figured out they might actually be better suited for their drop-tuned seven string guitars than most traditional “guitar” pedals? It makes sense to believe a pedal that is made to handle low notes without breaking up or losing low end should be great to use with that kind of instrument – and they were right! Mick explained that he simply loved the EBS pedals once he tried them, since they matched very well his signature pickups that have an extremely high output which makes a lot of other effects choke; but the EBS pedals never fail to deliver. “Even if some of them got the word ´bass´ in the name, they still sound killer with the guitar, especially if you play droptuned!” Mick said before the band went on stage to rock the 20,000 people in the audience.

“I refuse to play without the EBS MultiComp in my pedalboard. It is essential to my tone” says another great guitarist, Mike Scott, who has been landed high profile gigs ever since he got the chance to play with Prince and his New Power Generation in 1996. He got introduced to EBS by bass player Rhonda Smith, and after we hooked up with him at a Justin Timberlake show in Stockholm, he incorporated more EBS effects into his guitar rig (read the interview with Mike in this magazine for more details). The MultiComp, by the way, seems to be that of all EBS effects that has been most widely used by guitarists to this day. It’s been seen with country star Brad Paisley, who also mentioned it in an interview. It is a constant fellow to Beck and Sting guitarist and also Hollywood movie score composer Lyle Workman, who made the following statement: ”EBS MultiComp is my favorite compressor - having tried so many for guitar. The pedal is on all my pedal boards, and I love it!” Recently, EBS pedals have been spotted in pedal boards with Primus guitar player Lar LaLonde (EBS OctaBass) and country star Vince Gill (EBS UniChorus), both documented by Premier Guitar magazine. It’s great to see more and more guitarists daring to discover the secrets of EBS ”bass” effects!

EBS PEDAL ARTISTS & GUITARISTS: Mick Thomson Slipknot Mike Scott Prince etc John Wesley Porcupine Tree Roy Z Halford Jeff Pevar David Foster etc. Kevin Eubanks Independent Joel Whitley Stevie Wonder Jamie Mooses Queen Rob Math Soul Sign, Player Frank Romano Rob Thomas Lasse Johansson Candlemass Matti Norlin Badge etc. Reno Schnell Final Virus Jón þor ’Jónsi’ Birgisson Sigur Rós

Mick Thomson - Slipknot Photo by Paul Brown.

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

DOCUMENT: EBS EFFECTS & GUITAR

ma ke it big ger, ”EB S ped als gra b my sou nd tand sib le. ” wid er and dee per in the bes wa y pos for d - Roy Z [pr odu cer and gui tar ist wit h Hal and Bru ce Dic kin son ]

”I refuse to play without EBS MultiComp in my pedalboard. It is essential to my tone.” - Mike Scott [guitarist with Timbaland, Prince, Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey etc.]

”EBS Mult iCom p is my favo rite comp ress or is l peda The r. guita for many so havin g tried on all my peda l boar ds, and i love it!” - Lyle Work man [guit arist with Sting , ding Beck and comp oser of film scor es inclu ’Yes Man’ and ’The Good s’, etce tera]

”The BassIQ is amazing and the DynaVerb is the best reverb pedal I have ever used!” - John Wesley touring guitarist with Porcupine Tree

Where to start? Although most EBS effects work great with guitar, the EBS MultiComp is perhaps the best to get started with. A smooth working compressor that will improve sustain and overall tone, and inspire you to experience what all these other EBS effects can do to enhance your sound! Online...To inspire guitarists to check out EBS effects, we have set up a dedicated blog where we collect as much material as possible that is related to using the effects with guitar, including video demos, hints and feedback from guitarists. Find it at www.ebssweden.com/guitarzone

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

GUITARIST: MIKE SCOTT

THE FIRST TIME WE MET GUITARIST MIKE SCOTT WAS BACKSTAGE ON THE JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE FUTURESEX/LOVESHOW TOUR BACK IN 2007. INVITED AS GUESTS BY THE BASS PLAYER AND EBS PEDAL ARTIST KEVIN WALKER, WE GOT THE PRIVILEGE TO SEE BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE TOUR BEFORE THE SOLD OUT SHOW IN THE MIGHTY GLOBE ARENA IN STOCKHOLM. IN ONE OF THE AISLES WE GOT INTRODUCED TO SOME OF THE OTHER BAND MEMBERS, AND AS SOON AS MIKE HEARD WE WHERE FROM EBS, HE LET US KNOW HE HAD AN EBS BASSIQ ON STAGE, USING IT WITH HIS GUITAR! INTERVIEW BY RALF BJURBO.

MIKE SCOTT GUITAR ’KING’ WITH PRINCE How did you discover the EBS BassIQ worked for guitar in the first place?

–At the time I started with Prince´s New Power Generation back in ´96, Rhonda Smith was using the BassIQ and I was a freak for the envelope filter sound on guitar. The BassIQ was the best sounding envelope I had ever heard, and this was before I even tried it on my guitar. The shape and tone of the filter blew me away. The word “Bass” is in the name, but what is your impression from using it with guitar? EBS BassIQ – the pedal that first caught Mike’s attention to use EBS pedals with guitar.

some of the EBS pedals. I use the MetalDrive, TremoLo, OctaBass in my rig when needed. The MultiComp, DynaVerb, MultiDrive and BassIQ are always in all of my pedal boards. I also use the EBS MicroBass II preamp in my home studio, that pedal is a beast! Is there anything special that you have discovered with EBS pedals that other guitarists can also learn from?

–That’s the trick; I never tried EBS pedals, because I thought they were exclusive to bass! Once I tried the IQ I was curious to try the other products EBS had to offer too. On the guitar, the pedals offer the same high quality tone as when plugged into a bass. The frequencies are quite responsive on guitar. Slipknot guitarist Mick Thomson said when I met him that the EBS Pedals are excellent for droptuned seven-string guitars, which makes sense since they are intended to handle low frequencies better than the regular guitar effects, but you come from a totally different musical context, do you still think there are any advantages that these pedals have over guitar specialized effects?

–I find the pedals to be very rich and full sounding on guitar. You don’t lose any tone quality or natural eq shape of your guitar tone. I’m sure it has to do with the fact that the pedals are designed with bass guitar in mind. The gigs I do cover many musical styles - rock, funk, pop, r´n´b, reggae, blues, jazz, metal, whatever and the pedals are dependable and responsive, no matter what style you play. Since then, you have added a few more EBS pedals to your setup. Which ones do you use now, and for what purposes?

–All of the EBS pedal should be explored by guitarists to find the sound that suits you best, but I use the following pedals for specific purposes that may be useful to other guitarists as well. The MultiComp is great in front of your distortion pedal for adding more body and sustain to your lead or crunch tone without a lot of compression,”breathing sound” and unwanted noise ...The DynaVerb is the lushest sounding stereo reverb I know. I use it all the time under solos – awesome sound! – and on ballads playing rhythm guitar parts and on clean funk stuff. With the right blend, it adds a beautiful dimension of sound to your existing guitar tone. The MultiDrive is great for pushing the front end of your amp to get a little more fire out of it and add more natural sounding tube overdrive. The BassIQ … well I don’t have to explain that one, you just have to plug it in. I run this pedal along with a clean tone from a second amp; the two sounds together are funkier than a duck. That pedal quacks! The MetalDrive gives you all the high gain shredding power you need . The TremoLo and OctaBass sound awesome alone or with distortion running through them - huge sound, huge tone. How do other guitar players react to the fact you are using bass effects?

–Depending on the gig, I may add or take away

–The initial reaction is usually the same: ” I thought those pedals were for bass only”, but they are always blown away from the tones coming from the pedals.

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

Speaking of approaching and incorporate the use of effects in general, do you have any advice to guitarists on how to develop their tone using effects?

MIKE ON HIS SIGNAL CHAIN: I run the guitar into a rotovibe and a wah wah so the signal is true into these pedals and undistorted by any other gain. Next it goes into an EBS MultiComp, MultiDrive and MetalDrive (or another distortion depending on the gig). The MultiComp is before the distortions to add gain and sustain. Next, into EBS DynaVerb, BassIQ and/or TremoLo (the order of these does not matter they sound good in any order but always after the distortion section). Then into a stereo volume pedal and last into a stereo delay. The volume is before the delay pedal so as not to affect the delay trail off while doing volume swells on solos. This setup keeps the gain structure as true as possible and allows me to alter the tone of the guitar rather than the pedals taking away gain or tone when engaged.

–I think using pedals will greatly influence any guitarist´s creativity and they will open new ideas on how to approach their own sound in a unique way. I suggest always trying pedals in extreme settings and moderate settings and record them and listen back. Distinguish the differences in the sounds and playing technique they applied while using the pedals. Don’t get caught up playing the pedals instead of playing the guitar. The pedals need to create different templates or colors for the player to paint with. Don’t be shy to try something completely different with the pedal engaged than what you would normally play if the pedal was turned off. Experimentation is the key. You have tried EBS combo amps with guitar as well, how did that work out really?

Finally, you have had some really high profile gigs over the years, including playing with Prince, Mariah Carey and Justin Timberlake. What are the most memorable gigs, and what are you currently up to?

–EBS combos will surprise many guitarists. Though they are not tube amps, they have a warm, punchy sound that can be overdriven to create a tube tone. They have a wide variety of tone choices and are pretty loud to be in such a small package. Great amp for guitarists to jam with at home, in a band at rehearsal or at a live gig.

–I must admit it has been a blessing to play with some of the artists I have encountered in my career. I had a few dates with Rihanna a couple of years ago, before Nuno Bettencourt took over. I had an audition with Michael Jackson before he died and I did a couple of tours with his brother Jermaine Jackson in tribute to Michael after his death. I toured with producer Timbaland last year on his solo project and did a tour earlier this year with an amazing Italian artist named Giorgia. I am currently back with Prince recording and rehearsing with some new artists for an upcoming tour. In between all of this I am releasing my own music. I currently have a song out called ”Come On” and I am also co-producing and writing for others like this new dance artist named UNyX from my home studio in New Jersey. Keep your ears and eyes open for new projects and go to iammikescott.com for updates and new releases. Note: Find video samples by Mike Scott and more on EBS pedals and guitar at EBS Guitarzone: www.ebssweden.com/guitarzone

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

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COMBINING AN UNRIVALLED TONAL QUALITY WITH ROBUSTNESS MAKES EBS PRODUCTS PERFECT FOR PROFESSIONAL TOURING AND STUDIO SESSIONS. EASY TO ADAPT TO CHANGING CONDITIONS AND DESIGNED TO SUIT ANY VENUE, THE EBS PRODUCTS WILL LET MUSICIANS BRING THEIR DISTINCT SOUND TO THEIR AUDIENCE IN ITS PUREST POSSIBLE FORM.

EBS PRODUCTS THE TOOLS FOR PROFESSIONALS

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

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PREMIUM GEAR EBS AMPS

BASS AMPS

CABINETS MADE IN SWEDEN

THE EBS FAFNER II DUAL CHANNEL BASS AMP IS A REAL MONSTER. LEARN HOW TO MASTER IT AND YOU WILL NEVER WANT TO BE WITHOUT IT! RAW, PURE TONE AND POWERFUL TO THE EXTREME!

EBS FAFNER II THE EBS FLAGSHIP the ebs fafner ii uses a two channel

preamp. The bottom channel is for a Clean sound and the top channel is for Drive, both with tone controls to shape the frequencies exactly as you want them. The channels can run in parallel mode. That means that the signal splits in two after the input Gain and Character filters – one goes through the Drive channel and the other goes through the Clean channel. At the end of the line, there’s a level control for the Drive channel (LEVEL) to control how much distortion you want, and a level control for Clean channel (CLEAN LVL) to set the balance between the distorted and clean channel. From there the signal goes to the main Volume control. In this setting, you will leave the bottom clean and defined, while you add as much distortion as you like on top. 58 EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

You can also run the channels in a serial mode. Then you can apply all tone controls to shape a clean sound, or you get the Drive to affect the whole tonal spectrum. In this mode, the signal goes through the Clean channel filters and then into the Drive channel. If you add a footswitch, such as the EBS RM4, you can kick in the Drive when you need it, offering extended flexibility on stage. The same footswitch can be used to kick in the Character Hi and/or Lo pre-shape filters, and bypass the EQ as well as mute the amp. The advanced Drive has some optional Boost and Tube modes too. Boost mode simply boosts the whole frequency range as you turn up the Drive level control. The Tube mode sends the signal through a 12AX7 (ECC83) tube adding tube character and compression to the clean channel.

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EBS PREMIUM

MADE IN SWEDEN

The Fafner II offers a Hi and a Lo boost character filter. Both engaged at the same time create a mid scooped, pre-shaped sound character. They can also be used one at a time to boost just the lows or highs. The famous built-in compressor adds a smooth and seamless level of compression to your sound, just as much (or little) as you like. On the Fafner II it compresses the clean channel only, leaving the drive channel as wild as you want it unless you are using the amp in a serial mode.

A unique feature is the TWO balanced XLRoutputs on the front. These can send out a preand a post-EQ line signal – at the same time! This is great in the studio or on stage and gives the sound engineer two different signals to blend together. Individual effect loops for each channel and a common loop with a mix level control provide maximum flexibility when hooking up your effects.

EBS FAFNER II Type Solid State/Tube Hybrid with 2-channel preamp Unique Features Two Channel Preamp with separate Drive Channel, possible to run in parallell or serial mode. Individual Fx-Loop for each channel. Common Fx-loop with mix level control (0-100%). Tube Mode. Built-in Compressor. Hi and Lo-boost character filters. Filter Remote Inputs. Double Balanced XLR-Out (post & pre). Line Out, Amp Input, Lo-Z Input and Tuner Output Power 750 W RMS @ 2 ohms

SIGNAL CHAIN SERIAL MODE Gain Comp

Drive Channel Filters

Level

Input

Clean Channel Filters

Clean Lvl Level

VOLUME

Drive Channel Filters PARALLEL MODE Gain Comp

Input

Clean Channel Filters

Clean Lvl

VOLUME

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

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PREMIUM GEAR EBS AMPS

BASS AMPS

CABINETS MADE IN SWEDEN

EBS TD660 & HD360 THE PROS’ WORKHORSES they have served big productions such as

EBS TD (TUBE DEFINITION) AND HD (HIGH DEFINITION) BASS HEADS HAVE EARNED THEIR REPUTATION AS TRUSTED “WORKING HORSES” BY YEARS OF TOURING.

world tours with Bon Jovi, Kid Rock and Tina Turner, intimate tours with demanding bass players like Marcus Miller, Victor Bailey and Tal Wilkenfeld as well as loud and rough tours with hard working bands like The Haunted (with well over a 1, 000 gigs on EBS TD heads) or Danko Jones. Just being reliable is not enough. These heads also offer incredible tone; natural and true to the character of the instrument and personality of the musician using it. The EBS TD660 is the powerhouse. With 660 W RMS pure output power it will always rock the house. It is a Tube/Solid State hybrid bass amp. The tube in the Drive section warms up the sound and adds a nice natural compression and character of a tube amp. The tube can be easily bypassed with the Tube Mode-button, which means if the tube breaks suddenly, you can use the amp safely by just disconnecting it. That gives you the option to run the head completely Solid State whenever you want too. The TD heads are very well suited for major tours and are the most common EBS amps with backline rental companies. 60 EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

The HD360 is completely based on Solid State technique. The HD heads have become favorites among studio session players, offering an exceptionally good and thought-out EQ that has been tuned-in carefully to cover all the frequency ranges that you need to optimize your tone. With a 360 W RMS output it offers enough power for most of us, and is slightly smaller and lighter in size than the TD head. Common features. There are a lot of similarities between the HD and TD heads that will make you feel at home with one if you know the other. The basic layout of the control panel is almost identical. First there is a Character filter, for a quick fix to a decent sound by offering a mid-scooped overall tone. Then the input Gain control that should be set so it flickers when you play your instrument hard (which is important with all EBS heads). The Filter Active button to activate the EQ filters, then the shelving Bass filter, the advanced Middle filter where you pick the frequency range you’d like to adjust with the right control and cut or boost in that range with the left control. Don’t forget the clever “Notch” function. When the Cut/Boost control

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EBS TD660 Type Solid State/Tube Hybrid with 4-band EQ EBS PREMIUM

MADE IN SWEDEN

Unique Features Advanced Drive with optional Boost and/or Tube Mode. Effects Loop with Mix Level Control (0-100%). Built-in Compressor. Character Filter. Filter Remote Inputs. Notch Filter to prevent feedback. Bright Filter. Phantom Power Out. XLR-Out with Speaker Simulation. Output Power 660 W RMS @ 2 ohms

EBS HD360 Type Solid State with 4-band EQ

is set to “Notch” you can identify and scoop out frequencies causing unwanted feedback with the Frequency control. It is very useful in rumbling venues that may pick up certain frequencies, or when you get feedback from an instrument, such as an upright bass. Next control is the shelving Treble filter and then the unique Bright filter, which is almost like a volume control for the cabinet’s tweeter. When turned up it opens up the sound and makes the tone huge and alive. The Drive is the only difference on the front panel, where the TD offers the extended options Tube Mode (to connect the tube), and Boost Mode. Boost Mode boosts the whole frequency range when turning up the Drive, adding distortion to the whole spectra. Finally there’s the balanced XLR output, that lets you send a perfectly balanced line signal to front of house or in the studio without the need of an external line box. You can choose between post/pre EQ, with our without Speaker Simulation and Ground lift. The input jack has a special feature since, if used with a stereo cable, it offers 9V DC Phantom Power output, that can be used to power a single 9V DC EBS pedal or an active bass.

Sexy back. If you take a look at the back panel, you’ll find all the extras you cannot be without! There’s the Effects Loop, featuring a Mix level control that lets you blend in all effects hooked up through the loop with your sound, from zero to a hundred percent. Effect Return also offers the same Phantom Power function that you find on the Input jack at the front. There is a Tuner output, for connecting a tuner rack unit easily. You have a Line out, in case you need the power from another amp to drive a second pair of cabinets, and finally the Filter Remote Inputs to connect the RM-4 footswitch that lets you switch on and off Character, Filter Bypass, Drive and Mute from front of stage.

Unique Features Effects Loop with Mix Level Control (0-100%). Built-in Compressor. Character Filter. Drive. Filter Remote Inputs. Notch Filter to prevent feedback. Bright Filter. Phantom Power Out. XLR-Out with Speaker Simulation. Output Power 360 W RMS @ 2 ohms

The EBS RM-4 footswitch works with the TD660, HD360 and Fafner II heads, and NeoGorm combos.

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PREMIUM GEAR EBS AMPS

& 1

AMP SPECIFICATIONS

CABINETS MADE IN SWEDEN

EBS FAFNER II 1 Post loop situated after Volume control. Use Line Out to connect to another amp via Pwramp Input, in order to use two Fafner II amps together. 2 Clean Channel Loop. Only active for the clean channel. 3 Drive Channel Loop. Only active for the drive channel. 4 Effects Loop. Common loop for both channels. Situated after the individual loops. 5 Lo-Z Input. A low impedance input for connecting wireless device. When connecting to the input on the front panel, this input is disabled. 6 Tuner Out. Low impedance output suitable for tuners. The signal from this output is identical to the instruments output. 7 Filter Remote. Remote jacks for the EBS RM-4 footswitch to control Character Filters (on/off), Filter Active (on/off), Drive Channel (on/off) and Mute. 8 FX Mix Level Control. Blend the effects connected through the common effects loop (4) with the amp sound. 0% (off), 50% (parallel), 100% (serial). 9 Post AND Pre EQ Balanced XLR-Out. Equal to a high end line box to connect to PA mixing consoles or studio broadcast units, with high noise immunity. With Gnd Lift and Pad switches. Pad sets the option of either studio standard level or microphone level. Post and Pre XLR-out can both be used at the same time.

Front panel

EBS TD660 & HD360 1 Phantom Power control. Switch on or off Phantom Power from the instrument input on the front panel and/or the Effect Return on the Effects Loop on the rear panel. Phantom Power offer 9 V DC power to drive an active instrument or a single EBS Black Label Pedal using a stereo instrument cable. More info about this feature in the manual. 2 Filter Remote. Remote jacks for the EBS RM-4 footswitch to control Character Filter (on/off), Filter Active (on/off), Drive (on/off) and Mute. 3 Tuner Out. Low impedance output suitable for tuners. The signal from this output is identical to the instruments output. 4 Use Line Out to connect to an extra power amp to extend the rig, driving more cabinets. Or use the Line Out to connect to your computer sound interface for home recording. Line Out is located post EQ, post Volume. 5 Effects Loop. Gives you the option to connect your effects through the loop instead of between instrument and amp. 6 FX Mix Level Control. Blend the effects connected through the effects loop (5) with the amp sound. 0% (off), 50% (parallel), 100% (serial). 7 Balanced XLR-Out. Equal to a high end line box to connect to PA mixing consoles or studio broadcast units, with high noise immunity. With Gnd Lift, Speaker Simulator and Post EQ switches.

Front panel 1 2 3 5 6

Front panel

EBS 25 YEARS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2013

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MADE IN SWEDEN EBS PREMIUM GEAR

TECHNICAL INFO - EBS FAFNER II Input Impedance: 2 Mohms Frequency Response: 20 - 20.000 Hz Gain Range: -oo - +30 dB Compression Ratio (max): 3:1 Clean Channel EQ: Bass +/-18 dB @80 Hz Middle +/- 15dB @100 - 4.500 Hz, Q=0.7/1.8 Treble +/- 15 dB @10 kHz Drive Channel: Gain Range: 0 - 40 dB Drive Type: Tube (ECC83) Post Drive EQ: Middle +/- 15 dB @50 - 2.000 Hz Edge +/- 12 dB @ 6 kHz Speaker Impedance: 2 - 8 ohms Continuous Output Power: >600 W RMS @ 4 ohms, 750 W RMS @ 2 ohms Dimensions, W x D x H: 48 x 36 x 13 cm / 19” x 14” x 3U Weight: 16 kg / 36 lbs.

EBS PREMIUM

MADE IN SWEDEN

TECHNICAL INFO - EBS TD660 Input Impedance: 1 Mohms Frequency Response: 35 – 20.000 Hz Compression Ratio: 3:1 Tone Controls: Bass +/- 15 dB @ 100 Hz Mid +/- 12 dB @ 50 –3.000 Hz, Q=0.5 Treble +/- 15 dB @ 6 kHz Bright -0 / +12 dB @ 10 kHz Drive Section: Gain: 0 – 34 dB Drive type: Solid State or Tube (Groove Tubes®) Speaker Impedance: 2 -8 ohms Output Power: Continuous 540 W RMS, Dynamic Output Power 660 W RMS Dimensions, W x D x H: 48 x 36 x 13cm / 19” x 14” x 3U Weight: 12 kg / 27 lbs.

TECHNICAL INFO - EBS HD360 Input Impedance: 2 Mohms Frequency Response: 20 - 20.000 Hz Compression Ratio: 3:1 Tone Controls: Bass +/- 15 dB @ 100 Hz Mid +/- 12 dB @ 50 –3.000 Hz, Q=0.5 Treble +/- 15 dB @ 4 kHz Bright -0 / +20 dB @ 10 kHz Drive Section: Gain: 0 – 30 dB Drive type: Solid State Speaker Impedance: 2 -8 ohms Output Power: Continuous 300 W RMS, Dynamic Output Power 360 W RMS Dimensions, W x D x H: 48 x 33 x 9cm / 19” x 13” x 2U Weight: 9 kg / 20 lbs.

Even more details about the products can be found in respectively Product Manual. Go to www.ebssweden.com and download the manuals. Link can be found under each specific product page.

Specifications are subject to change without notice.

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PREMIUM GEAR EBS AMPS

RIG GUIDE

CABINETS MADE IN SWEDEN

EBS PROLINE FEATURES Cabinet Specifics 13-ply Birch & Lightweight Spruce plywood covered with resistant felt. Protective woven steel grill wich chromed look. Deep Dish Handles. Heavy-duty back wheels with top and side handles on 810 & 610 models. Speakers & Connectors 2x Neutrik® SPEAKON connectors for input and link through. Conventional speakers selected & optimized for each model. Adjustable 2” tweeter. Optional Matching rack cases available in 3 & 4U height. Warranty Five year limited warranty.

EBS PROLINE NATURAL SOUND DEVELOPED THROUGH EVOLUTION. BUILT WITH THE FINEST QUALITY 13-PLY BIRCH AND LIGHTWEIGHT SPRUCE PLYWOOD, THESE SPEAKER CABINETS RADIATE THE NATURAL TONES CREATED BY THE TECHNOLOGY THAT PRECEDES THEM. transparency, balance and natural warmth characterize the

EBS ProLine speaker sound. Five different cabinet models allow optimal combinations, making it easy to create your own ‘signature’ sound. Sturdy construction with roadworthy protection features such as the woven steel grill, resistant felt and heavy-duty wheels on the 610 and 810 models.

EBS ProLine 210 Configuration: 2x10” + 2” Power handling: 400W RMS Impedance: 4 ohms Freq response: 70 -18.000 Hz Sensitivity: 99 dB Dimensions 23” x 17” x 15” (W x D x H): 58 x 44 x 39 cm Weight: 22.3 kg/49.2 lbs

EBS ProLine 410 Configuration: 4x10” + 2” Power handling: 800W RMS Impedance: 4 ohms Freq response: 70 -18.000 Hz Sensitivity: 102 dB Dimensions 23” x 17” x 27” (W x D x H): 58 x 44 x 69 cm Weight: 36.1kg/77.4 lbs

EBS ProLine 115 Configuration: 1x15” + 2” Power handling: 400W RMS Impedance: 4 ohms Freq response: 35 - 3.000 Hz Sensitivity: 100 dB Dimensions 23” x 17” x 27” (W x D x H): 58 x 44 x 69 cm Weight: 27.1 kg/59.7 lbs

EBS ProLine 610 Configuration: 6x10” + 2” Power handling: 900W RMS Impedance: 3 ohms Freq response: 70 -18.000 Hz Sensitivity: 103 dB Dimensions 23” x 17” x 37” (W x D x H): 58 x 44 x 95 cm Weight: 52 kg/114.6 lbs

EBS ProLine 810 Configuration: 8x10” + 2” Power handling: 1200W RMS Impedance: 4 ohms Freq response: 70 -18.000 Hz Sensitivity: 105 dB Dimensions 23” x 17” x 49” (W x D x H): 58 x 44 x 124 cm Weight: 60 kg/132.3 lbs

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MADE IN SWEDEN EBS PREMIUM GEAR

EBS PREMIUM

MADE IN SWEDEN

EBS NEOLINE FEATURES Cabinet Specifics 13-ply Lightweight Spruce plywood covered with resistant felt. Birch in baffle. Protective woven steel grill in black. Deep Dish Handles (except on mini size cabinet) Heavy-duty back wheels with top and side handles on 810. Flip Handles on Mini Size cabinet on both sides and bottom for tilt-back option. Speakers & Connectors 2x Neutrik® SPEAKON connectors for input and link through. Third generation Neodymium light weight speakers selected & optimized for each model. Adjustable 2” tweeter. Optional Matching rack cases available in 3 & 4U height. Warranty Five year limited warranty.

EBS NEOLINE LIGHT-WEIGHT AND POWERFUL. THE NEOLINE CABINETS ARE CAPABLE OF HANDLING THE MOST DEMANDING LEVELS OF SOUND. THEY ARE FOR BASS PLAYERS LOOKING FOR EXTRAORDINARY SONIC QUALITIES AND POWER. every ebs neoline speaker cabinet is made from truly tonal,

lightweight spruce plywood, with a baffle made of birch. Equipped with 3rd generation Neodymium speakers, these cabinets have superior, dynamic range and an unbeatable power handling throughout the entire frequency spectrum, to satisfy even the most demanding bass player. The amazingly compact NEO-112 cabinet is the lightest in the entire range of EBS enclosures. Offering super versatility, this cabinet has a spring lever fitted to enable the ’tilt’ function, making it perfect for both stage and studio work. Stack them in pairs for a nice and loud little rig!

MINI SIZE

EBS NeoLine 112 Configuration: 1x12” + 2” Power handling: 300W RMS Impedance: 8 ohms Freq response: 50 -18.000 Hz Sensitivity: 100 dB Dimensions 19” x 13” x 15” (W x D x H): 49 x 34 x 37 cm Weight: 12 kg/27 lbs

EBS NeoLine 210 Configuration: 2x10” + 2” Power handling: 400W RMS Impedance: 4 ohms Freq response: 70 -18.000 Hz Sensitivity: 99 dB Dimensions 23” x 17” x 15” (W x D x H): 58 x 44 x 39 cm Weight: 22.3 kg/49.2 lbs

EBS NeoLine 115 Configuration: 1x15” + 2” Power handling: 300W RMS Impedance: 4 ohms Freq response: 35-18.000 Hz Sensitivity: 100 dB Dimensions 23” x 17” x 24” (W x D x H): 58 x 44 x 61 cm Weight: 20 kg/44 lbs

EBS NeoLine 212 Configuration: 2x12” + 2” Power handling: 600W RMS Impedance: 4 ohms Freq response: 40-18.000 Hz Sensitivity: 103 dB Dimensions 23” x 17” x 24” (W x D x H): 58 x 44 x 61 cm Weight: 21.3 kg/46.9 lbs

EBS NeoLine 410 Configuration: 4x10” + 2” Power handling: 1000W RMS Impedance: 4 ohms Freq response: 50 -18.000 Hz Sensitivity: 105 dB Dimensions 23” x 17” x 27” (W x D x H): 58 x 44 x 69 cm Weight: 25.2 kg/55.5 lbs

EBS NeoLine 810 Configuration: 8x10” + 2” Power handling: 2000W RMS Impedance: 4 ohms Freq response: 70 -18.000 Hz Sensitivity: 108 dB Dimensions 23” x 17” x 49” (W x D x H): 58 x 44 x 124 cm Weight: 47.6 kg / 105 lbs

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

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PREMIUM GEAR EBS AMPS

RIG GUIDE

CABINETS MADE IN SWEDEN

EBS RIG GUIDE THERE’S A SAYING IT TAKES 10’000 HOURS OF PRACTISE TO GET REALLY GOOD AT SOMETHING. WHEN YOU HAVE INVESTED THAT MUCH TIME AND EFFORT IN DEVELOPING YOUR SKILLS AS A BASS PLAYER, YOU SHOULDN’T NEGLECT FINDING NON-COMPROMISING GEAR THAT MATCHES YOUR QUALITIES AS A MUSICIAN. ebs has always reached towards the

professional bass player, providing gear that rewards great musicianship. Gear that will make all practice hours and work it takes to become a competent musician worthwhile. To help finding the proper setup to match your style and personality, we’ve put together a few

rigs that work exceptionally well together as a unit, and offer qualities that may appeal to different playing styles and tastes to offer you some guidance along the path to your perfect bass rig.

PERFECT BALANCE EBS HD360 with NeoLine 210 and 212 cabinets creates maybe the most well balanced rig of all EBS setups. An amazing combination of portability, sound and flexibility (three rigs in one, since both cabinets can be used stand-alone too!). Simply a wonderful sounding rig! Budget alternative: Swap the cabinets for a couple NeoLine 112 mini cabs for an even more portable rig, but with a little less power.

PETER IWERS EBS MONSTER EBS Fafner II with NeoLine 810 cabinets is what drives the bass on stage with In Flames. This is simply THE monster bass rig! The versatility with a separate Drive channel and the power and punch offered by the Fafner II and this cabinet is unbeatable! Budget alternative: Fafner II with a ClassicLine 810 or a NeoLine 410

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

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MADE IN SWEDEN EBS PREMIUM GEAR

EBS PREMIUM

MILLER/WILKENFELD TOWER EBS TD660 (or HD360) with two ProLine 410 cabinets offers the sound of slap master Marcus Miller and the thump of bass godess Tal Wilkenfeld. A great all-round rig, with nice balance between lows and highs and a full and rich midrange. To many, this setup best represents ”the Natural EBS Sound”. Budget alternative: HD360 with one ProLine 410

MADE IN SWEDEN

TRADITIONAL TOWER EBS TD660 (or HD360) with ProLine 410 and a ProLine 115 cabinet is a traditional setup that appeals to the conservative bass player. It will make most bass players feel at home. Budget alternative: Swap the cabinets for a ClassicLine 410 and 212.

If you’d like to dig into details about the physics behind bass amps and speaker cabinets a great resource is www.talkbass.com/ampfaq There are some interesting facts about how the human hearing works in relation to bass frequensies.

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

GEAR: EBS PRODUCT GUIDE

PREMIUM GEAR EBS AMPS

BASS COMBOS

CABINETS MADE IN SWEDEN

FEATURES Neodymium speakers Neutrik® SPEAKON connector to attach an external 4 ohms cabinet Compressor/limiter Drive section Powerful EQ with BRIGHT filter Remote connections for drive, mute and filters Effects loop with mix level control Balanced output with speaker simulation, ground lift and post EQ filter 350 W RMS output power Side and top handles and detachable,lockable casters Covers available as an option.

EBS NEOGORM BASS COMBO DELUXE THE EBS NEOGORM BASS COMBO INCORPORATES THE COLLECTIVE KNOW-HOW OF EBS AMPLIFIER AND SPEAKER ENGINEERING IN ONE UNIT. DEVELOPED TO MEET THE HIGHEST DEMANDS FOR THE PUNCH AND POWER OF A BIG RIG, IN A PORTABLE CABINET. THEY WON´T LET YOU DOWN. high performance combo. An amp

similar to the EBS HD360 bass head, coupled with the super efficient 3rd generation Neodymium speakers, creates a high performance combo unit that is hard to beat. The NeoGorm is equipped with an advanced XLR output, EBS´ famous built-in compressor and a tube-like Drive. Add to that the efficient Neodymium speakers, an effect loop mix level

control, a Neutrik® Speakon connector to connect an external 4 ohms cabinet and remote connections to control the drive, mute, character filter and EQ section. This is a bass combo deluxe!

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

E B S P R O F E S S I O N A L B A S S E Q U IP ME N T - D O N’ T P L AY W I T H O U T I T !

MADE IN SWEDEN EBS PREMIUM GEAR

EBS NEOGORM COMBOS TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS NEOGORM 210 Configuration: 2 x 10” + 2” Output: 350W RMS EBS PREMIUM Freq response: 50 -18.000 Hz Cabinet Volume: 59 L MADE IN SWEDEN Dimensions 23”x 15” x 21” (W x D x H): 58 x 37 x 52 cm Weight: 29,5 kg / 65 lbs

NEOGORM 212 Configuration: 2 x 12” + 2” Output: 350W RMS Freq response: 40 -18.000 Hz Cabinet Volume: 86 L Dimensions 23”x 15” x 28” (W x D x H): 58 x 37 x 70 cm Weight: 33 kg / 72.7 lbs

NEOGORM 115 Configuration: 1 x 15” +2” Output: 350W RMS Freq response: 35 -18.000 Hz Cabinet Volume: 73 L Dimensions 23”x 15” x 24” (W x D x H): 58 x 37 x 61 cm Weight: 26 kg / 57.3 lbs

210 212 115 MODELS 4-STRINGS 5TH 6TH +125 +125 +128 +135 +25 +30 Medium Light 40/60/80/100 Medium 45/65/80/100 Classic Medium 45/65/85/105 Heavy Bass 50/70/90/110

EBS TITANIUM NICKEL STRINGS The EBS Titanium Nickel Strings have a soft surface due to the tight wiring that provide extra playing comfort and durability, in combination with a high quality steel core made of American steel.

EBS STAINLESS STEEL STRINGS The EBS Stainless Steel Strings offer a classic steel string sound with excellent sound quality and tuning abilities. The Stainless Steel strings are based on a hexagon core made of finest Swedish steel. All EBS strings are “Long Scale” to fit a wide range of bass guitars and to improve tuning abilities. CHECK WITH YOUR DISTRIBUTOR FOR AVAILABILITY!

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.ebssweden.com EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

GEAR: EBS PRODUCT GUIDE

LIGHT-WEIGHT GEAR EBS AMPS

CABINETS DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED IN SWEDEN

EBS REIDMAR LIGHT-WEIGHT AMP, HEAVY-WEIGHT SOUND! THE REIDMAR IS THE FIRST LIGHT-WEIGHT BASS HEAD FROM EBS PROFESSIONAL BASS EQUIPMENT. A LIGHT-WEIGHT BASS AMP THAT CHALLENGES ANY HEAVY-WEIGHT BOUTIQUE AMP IN TONAL QUALITIES. THE REIDMAR TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF EBS FAMED ANALOG PREAMP TECHNIQUE COMBINED WITH A CLASS-D POWER AMP.

natural sound. The EBS philosophy is to

amplify the character of the instrument and the personality of the musician, to offer a natural sound. The physical aspects of a class-D power amp makes that mission a real challenge. However, the EBS Reidmar shows that anything is possible with clever engineering! Due to advanced soft-clip technology, the Reidmar does not suffer any loss of definition in the low register when the volume is turned up. It does not use a present automatic limiter that kicks in at a certain point and levels out the lows like many other class-D amps do. No, the Reidmar takes maximum advantage of the power offered. That makes it a powerful, great sounding bass amp that is fully comparable with other heads with larger and more expensive power amps - dynamite! The Nature of the Beast. While offering a powerful and defined sound at most levels, when pushed to the limit it provides a natural and useful amp distortion, like the Drive on a solid state amp, This further extends the possibilities to use the EBS Reidmar in different musical contexts.

EBS 25 YEARS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2013

GEAR: EBS PRODUCT GUIDE

EVERYONE DESERVES A GREAT BASS SOUND

Look and Feel. EBS has never had the intention to make the worldÂ´s lightest and smallest amp, but to make a light bass head that looks, feels and sounds like a bass amp while not falling off the cabinet at higher volumes. With the Reidmar that mission is completed! Technically Speaking. Anyone familiar with EBS bass amps will feel at home with the Reidmar. The renowned built-in compressor and the 4-band EQ-section are really intuitive and feature the (for EBS) characteristic Bright and Notch filters and remind you a lot of the layouts of HD360 and TD660. The preamp is analog, and similar to the preamp on HD and TD heads. The amp also features an Effects loop (send and return), Balanced XLR-out for live and studio use (with pre/post EQ switch and Ground Lift), Line out, Headphones out and Speakon speaker output. The amp processes

the sound through an analog preamp with a D-class power amp providing 250 W RMS/470 W Dynamic Output @ 4 ohms load. Weight is 3.2 kg (7.1 lbs). Perfect Companions. The EBS Reidmar matches perfectly well with a couple EBS ClassicLine mini-size 112 cabinets, or the NeoLine mini-size cabinets for more clarity and punch. Or any single full size EBS cabinet of choice rated at 4 Ohms for maximum power and tone quality. With two amps together, connected through the Effects loop (Send from one to Return on the other), you can drive two 4 ohm cabinets, getting a separate volume control for each cabinet while using the EQ from the one you plug in to. Right: The light weight NeoLine 212 (stand alone) or one or two NeoLine 112 cabinets are great optional cabinets for the EBS Reidmar.

EBS REIDMAR Type Analog preamp, Class-D Power Amp with 4-band EQ Features Effects Loop. Built-in Compressor. Character Filter. Filter Bypass. Phones Output. Notch Filter to prevent feedback. Bright Filter. XLR-Out with Speaker Simulation. 120 V/230V switchable Output Power 250 W RMS / 470 W Dynamic @ 4 ohms

Above: Back Panel of the Reidmar with Phones Out, Line Out, Speaker Out, Effects loop and Balanced XLR-Output (Post/Pre EQ). Left: New! Switch between 230 V / 120 V on the back of the Reidmar, for use abroad.

EBS 25 YEARS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2013

EBS PROFESSIONAL BASS EQUIPMENT - DON’T PLAY WITHOUT IT!

NEW EBS CLASSIC HEADS DEBUTS IN 2013 When EBS introduced the ClassicLine cabinets and later the Classic 450 and T90 heads, they soon won popularity among fans of EBS that prefer vintage looks. They also won new fans to EBS since the different looks attracted new customers that never looked in EBS direction before. The dynamite combo of great, natural and powerful tone with the sleek look is definitely a winning concept. The concept has been developed and that’s why we will present two new heads in the ClassicLine in 2013! Stay tuned at www.ebssweden.com for info!

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.ebssweden.com

GEAR: EBS PRODUCT GUIDE

CLASSIC GEAR EBS AMPS

EVERYONE DESERVES A GREAT BASS SOUND

CABINETS DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED IN SWEDEN

EBS CLASSIC LINE BASED ON THE LEGACY OF THE EBS ’BOUTIQUE’ GEAR. DEVELOPED FOR MUSICIANS WITH A LOVE OF THE CLASSIC SOUND AND LOOK, THE EBS CLASSIC LINE GEAR IS 25 YEARS OF BASS EQUIPMENT BUILDING EXPERIENCE PACKAGED IN A VINTAGE OUTFIT. THIS VERSATILE RETRO-STYLED GEAR COMES WITH AN UNRIVALLED TONAL CLARITY AND POWER TO BLOW YOUR AUDIENCE AWAY. the classicline cabinets make the EBS great bass sound available

“Totally versatile and precise, with so much power, topped by a great sleek look” John Calabrese, Danko Jones

to every bass player. Reminiscent of the EBS ProLine cabinets, with a little warmer and rounder character that adds a vintage touch. These are powerful cabinets that will make demanding bass players satisfied. EBSkatalog_ljus2.indd 1

www.ebs.bass.se EBS CLASSIC LINE – COMMON FEATURES 2006-08-28 10:15:35

All cabinets are equipped with a 2” tweeter with a fader included in the cabinet for maximum sound control. The mini size cabinets use an on/off switch to control the tweeter.

Cabinet Specifics Made of multi-laminated plywood covered with vinyl. Cloth front grill. Deep Dish Handles. Heavy-duty back wheels with top and side handles on the 810 model. 410, 212 and 810 comes with a padded cover. Speakers & Connectors 2x Neutrik® SPEAKON connectors for input and link through. Conventional speakers selected & optimized for each model. Adjustable 2” tweeter on 410, 212 and 810. 2” tweeter with on/off switch on the 112 mini size model. Optional Matching rack cases available in 3 & 4U height. Warranty Five year limited warranty.

EBS ClassicLine 112 Configuration: 1x12” + 2” Power handling: 250W RMS Impedance: 8 ohms Freq response: 35 -18.000 Hz Sensitivity: 94 dB Dimensions 19” x 13” x 15” (W x D x H): 49 x 34 x 38 cm Weight: 17,5kg/39 lbs

EBS ClassicLine 212 Configuration: 2x12” + 2” Power handling: 500W RMS Impedance: 4 ohms Freq response: 35 -18.000 Hz Sensitivity: 97 dB Dimensions 25” x 16” x 27” (W x D x H): 64 x 41 x 68 cm Weight: 30kg/66 lbs

EBS ClassicLine 410 Configuration: 4x10” + 2” Power handling: 500W RMS Impedance: 4 ohms Freq response: 55 -18.000 Hz Sensitivity: 99 dB Dimensions 25” x 16” x 27” (W x D x H): 64 x 41 x 68 cm Weight: 34kg/76 lbs

EBS ClassicLine 810 Configuration: 8x10” + 2” Power handling: 1000W RMS Impedance: 4 ohms Freq response: 55 -18.000 Hz Sensitivity: 102 dB Dimensions 25” x 16” x 49” (W x D x H): 64 x 41 x 125 cm Weight: 55kg/121 lbs

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

GEAR: EBS PRODUCT GUIDE

CLASSIC GEAR EBS AMPS

BASS COMBO AMPS

CABINETS DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED IN SWEDEN

EBS SESSION GREAT SOUND, FOR EVERYONE! the session combos are all based on

the EBS Classic 450 bass head, scaled down to serve each context the best. The philosophy behind the concept is to create combo amps with all the essential features to any bass player – a great sound, professional

tools to shape the tone, and a quality XLR output to make use of the great sound for recording or to front of house in a live situation. What makes the combos available in a price range within reach for everyone is that they are stripped off of all the other features not really necessary to get a great tone, and they are made of less expensive materials. All in all, these combos offer great sound at a good price – a bit of the best of both worlds.

“A well-built, affordable and versatile bass combo. Highly recommended” - 5 of 5, Bass Guitar Magazine, UK

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

GEAR: EBS PRODUCT GUIDE

EVERYONE DESERVES A GREAT BASS SOUND

The EBS Session 30 bass combo features an 8” speaker and an effective EQ with controls for Gain, Bass, Treble and Volume. It has a mini-tele Aux input for an external sound source and a headphone output for quiet late night rehearsals at home, and it features a professionally equipped XLR output making home or studio recording as well as front of house connection easy! The little combo offers great tone and can run on full volume and gain without damaging the speaker, still with a nice and defined tone. Although, full gain will add some heavy distortion to the tone! The Session combos are all based on the EBS Classic 450 bass head, scaled down to serve each context the best. Now available in three models! The Session 60 and 120 W tilt-back combos, and the brand new 30 W, small enough to fit in your bookshelf! The Classic Session 60 features a 10” speaker and a tweeter. It sounds great straight from the box and offers controls for Gain, Bass, Treble and Volume to further dial in the tone. Character and Enhance filters allow further adjustments, making it easy to find your own personal sound. The balanced XLR output makes it possible to use it live on a larger stage as well as in the studio. With the monitor RCA input jacks with mix-in filter and stereo headphones out you can practice whenever you want. The EBS Session 120 is the ultimate “weekend warrior” bass combo with excellent tone and all the necessary features to cover any gig. The amp itself is powerful enough to provide great monitor sound on stage and in the rehearsal room, and portable enough to fit in any type of car. It is sporting an easy to dial in, powerful EQ, and a balanced XLR output for professional live and studio use that extends the possibility to use it on larger stages as well.

The EBS Classic Session 120 is a step up compared to the Session 60, although still based on the same concept. This means a tilt-back bass combo with a tone character similar to the EBS Classic 450 bass head. The result is a full bodied, warm bass sound with great punch and bottom. The Session 120 shares all its features with the Session 60. Add to that an extended EQ with Mid control, twice the power, and a 12” speaker fitted in a larger cabinet for better bass response and bigger tone.

EBS SESSION COMBOS TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

EBS SESSION 30 Configuration: 1 x 8” Output: 30W RMS Freq response: 70 -5.000 Hz Cabinet Volume: 13 L Dimensions 12.2 x 13.0 x 9.5” (W x D x H): 31 x 33 x 24 cm Weight: 8,6 kg/18.9 lbs

EBS SESSION 60 Configuration: 1x10” + tweeter Output: 60W RMS Freq response: 60 -18.000 Hz Cabinet Volume: 20 L Dimensions 14.8 x 15.6 x 13.5” (W x D x H): 38 x 39.5 x 34 cm Weight: 16 kg / 36 lbs

EBS SESSION 120 Configuration: 1x12” + tweeter Output: 120W RMS Freq response: 45 -18.000 Hz Cabinet Volume: 35 L Dimensions 17.1 x 17.9 x 15.8” (W x D x H): 43.5 x 45.5 x 40 cm Weight: 21 kg / 47 lbs

30 60 120 EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

GEAR: EBS PRODUCT GUIDE

EBS EFFECTS EBS EFFECTS DESIGNED

BLACK LABEL PEDALS

DEVELOPED IN SWEDEN

EBS BLACK LABEL PEDALS COMMON FEATURES Suitable both for studio and live use Compact, robust and easy-to-use Built for bass, great for guitar, keys etc., supremely adaptable Fine-Tuning options on several Black Label Pedals Preserve the low range True bypass 9V DC

ADD A NEW DIMENSION TO YOUR SOUND.

The EBS Black Label Pedals will add new dimensions to your sound. Designed for bass players but favoured by many guitarists, these pedals work silently while preserving the low range. Studio quality effects in a pedal concept!

EBS MultiComp Analog Compressor The EBS MultiComp is a high performance, analog compressor pedal, with a choice between solid state, tube simulation and multi-band compression, featuring an active/passive switch. True Bypass. Extended fine-tuning options inside.

EBS OctaBass Analog Octaver Effect The EBS OctaBass analog octave divider adds a new dimension to your sound. It creates a single note one octave below the pitch of the played note. Control the level of the original tone and mix in the octave effect. Choose between High, Mid or Low range. True Bypass.

EBS Bass IQ Analog Envelope Filter The EBS BassIQ is an analog envelope filter pedal that is triggered by the notes you play. The results are the funkiest and most responsive sounds found in a stomp box. The BassIQ features controls for threshold and attack, and runs in three different modes, Hi-Q, Up and Down. True Bypass. Extended fine-tuning options inside.

EBS UniChorus Analog Chorus The EBS UniChorus provide studio quality Chorus, Flange and Pitch Modulation effects. This pedal is built with the best analog processing circuitry available. Stereo output. True Bypass. Extended fine-tuning options inside.

EBS 25 YEARS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2013

GEAR: EBS PRODUCT GUIDE

LISTEN!

SCAN FOR SOUND SAMPLES OF BLACK LABEL PEDALS!

EBS MetalDrive Analog Distortion The EBS MetalDrive delivers high-gain distortion for use in modern metal music, and other music styles that call for a mean distorted sound. It works perfectly well with guitar as well as bass. True Bypass.

EBS MultiDrive Analog Overdrive The EBS MultiDrive is an overdrive pedal. This is the pedal to spice up your sustain! Capable of producing sustain, overdrive and many other useful ”tube amp” distortion sounds. True Bypass.

EBS DPhaser Digital Phaser The EBS DPhaser offers three very distinct and different phaser effects. Select everything from classical 70´s sounds up to hyper modern swirling phasing effects. The pedal is built with the highest quality components and uses 24-bit digital processing circuitry for outstanding performance on stage and in the recording studio. Extended fine-tuning options inside.

EBS TremoLo Analog Stereo Tremolo The EBS TremoLo gives you the choice of the vintage tremolo sound or sweeping filter effects. The sweep character can be selected from a choice of three different waveforms; sine, square and saw-tooth waveforms. The EBS TremoLo pedal uses true bypass techniques and operates in mono or true stereo with auto panning of the tremolo effect.

Did you know that several of the EBS Black Label Pedals have the possibility of being fine-tuned? EBS DPhaser Several adjustment options including centre frequency for the sweep controlled by the width knob and a Gain control, as well as settings for bypass, and types of effects.

EBS MultiComp Threshold fine tuning. EBS UniChorus Effect mix level – decides how much or little of the effect to be blended in with the original tone. EBS BassIQ High-pass filter mix-in, Gain trimmer, Dynamic High-pass filter mix-in. Gain level fine tuning.

EBS DynaVerb Digital Stereo Reverb EBS TremoLo The EBS DynaVerb provides eight different stereo digital reverb effects, from Rooms, to Plates, to Halls. This pedal uses a complete new 24-bit digital processing circuitry for outstanding performance. True Bypass. Extended fine-tuning options inside.

EBS DynaVerb Change to parallel mode (when used as a studio rack effect).

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

GEAR: EBS PRODUCT GUIDE

EBS EFFECTS EBS EFFECTS DESIGNED

SELECTED & SIGNATURE PEDALS

DEVELOPED IN SWEDEN

SPECIAL EFFECTS The extended range of EBS effects and preamps include exclusive sound processing tools for stage and studio use as well as artist co-laborations with some of the greatest bass players around! Expect more effects to arrive under these ’labels’ in the near future! EBS MicroBass II Analog 2-channel Preamp FEATURES The MicroBass II preamp is the bass players ’swiss army knife’. A DI box, pre-amp, A/B switching with pre-selected EQ and level controls. This highly sophisticated toolbox is a guarantee that no matter what playing situation may occur or what other equipment you have to use, your bass sound will not be compromised. The MicroBass II has all your ‘bassic’ needs in a little box. A professional 2-Channel Preamp/DI-box that will secure a great sound on every gig. Two channel preamp Five different filters Tube simulator Balanced XLR-output with speaker simulator Effects loop with mix control Flexible drive control Headphone output Battery low indicator Four different powering modes

EBS ValveDrive Tube Preamp/Overdrive The EBS ValveDrive, class A tube pedal, can be used as an overdrive/distortion effect or as a preamp for warming up a solid state amp sound. This little tube preamp/overdrive can make your bass either glow or growl, whether you want your instrument to sing or scream. The EBS ValveDrive delivers everything, from classic tube warmth to hard and pure tube distortion. The design in steel, chrome and Bakelite is based on a classic concept with an easy dial-in design. NEW EDITION COMING IN 2013! FEATURES Use as preamp or overdrive pedal Vintage or modern tube sound All musical high grade tube design Classic style passive filters Class A tube overdrive pedal

’The ValveDrive is probably the thickest and warmest sounding bass overdrive I’ve ever heard. Very satisfying, and very useful.’ - Justin Meldal-Johnsen

Designed for best bass response 12 V AC Power Supply included True bypass

EBS WahOne Analog Bass Wah Wah The EBS WahOne is a versatile wah-wah pedal designed specifically to enhance your bass groove. Everything from the original classics to the modern wahwah sounds can be created with warmth and depth through the EBS WahOne. With an easy dial-in design the choice is yours – use it as a wah-wah, envelope filter or volume pedal. FEATURES Wah-wah and Volume pedal in one Select wah-wah or envelope filter character Equipped with awarded ”tubesim” circuitry Extremely wide frequency range Possible reversed pedal action True bypass

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

GEAR: EBS PRODUCT GUIDE

EBS Billy Sheehan Signature Drive The Billy Sheehan Signature Drive pedal is developed by EBS in close co-operation with Billy himself. It is based on the concept of mixing together a clean signal with a distorted to be able to preserve low frequencies and find balance between distortion and definition. The option to add compression make possible to keep the note differentiation clearly audible even at heavily distorted sounds. All this in a pedal! If that wasn’t enough this pedal also offers unlimited pre-post mix tone shaping, made possible by including a clean loop and a drive loop. So, the user can insert any other effect they wish within each loop to ’pimp’ the effect into your own signature effect! FEATURES Drive, Tone, Level and Clean controls. Three Compressor Modes High, Mid, Off Clean Loop and Drive Loop (connect a Y-cable for send and return). Advanced Options By removing the bottom plate you get access to fine tuning trimmers to adjust Threshold level of compressor (THR.) and the level of Compression when mode switch is set to MID (COMP). Optional EBS AD-9 Power Supply EBS Y-cable (one included) With the new extended size box from EBS, there are controls for Drive (gain for the overdrive engine), Tone (sets the frequency scoop for the drive), Level (sets level for drive channel post Drive Loop and pre final compressor) and Clean (sets level for the clean channel, post Clean Loop and pre final compressor). The pedal also offers three different compression modes. High, Mid and Off. The Mid setting can be determined by the user through an internal trim pot.

EBS Stanley Clarke Signature Wah The EBS Stanley Clarke Signature Wah is a highly flexible wah pedal made for bass. It does not affect the entire frequency range, like many other wah pedals do, which preserve the bottom of your sound, even when the effect is engaged. It features four different preshape pass modes, with additional controls for the Frequency Range and Band Width that you’d like the pedal to operate in. It also has the option to switch between wah-effect and volume pedal functionality! Stanley Clarke, one of the worlds’ most iconic and innovative bass players think twice before he put his name on a product. Being one of the most demanding players, with a distinctive tone and a clear idea of his sound, it was a real challenge to create a pedal that meet his exacting standards. Enjoy the most delicious wah wah effects for bass imaginable! The EBS Stanley Clarke Signature Wah Wah evolved through collaborative effort with Thomas Lieber of the Spellbinder Corp. USA and Stanley Clarke. .

FEATURES Flexible footswitch for Wah-wah/Bypass or Wah-Wah/Volume control Low-Pass, High-Pass, Band-Pass and Boosted Band-Pass modes Extended frequency range Variable band width True bypass

“An extremely well-built pedal, designed by the best in the business to enhance your creativity and to last forever” - 5 of 5, Bass Guitar Magazine, UK

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

EBS ONLINE MAIN WEBSITE: WWW.EBSSWEDEN.COM The main source for product info and news about EBS and our artists. EBS BLOG(S): WWW.EBSSWEDEN.COM/EBSBLOG The blog is where we post live reports from trade shows and other events, interviews with artists, and promote videos on. WWW.EBSSWEDEN.COM/GUITARZONE The guitarzone is a blog where we collect all information of interest to guitarists. WWW.EBSSWEDEN.COM/TOURBLOG The Tour blog is where we post tour dates and similar. EBS ON TWITTER: WWW.TWITTER.COM/EBSSWEDEN The Micro blog where we post short news, and push for updates on the website and blogs. Subscribe and you will get notified by email when we write something ion Twitter or at the Blog. EBS ON YOUTUBE: WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/EBSSWEDEN Our Channel where we post our own videos. Lots of EBS videos posted by others can be found by searching the Youtube. EBS ON FACEBOOK:

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/EBSSWEDEN Our Facebook page. Like it if you have a Facebook account!

EBS 25 YEARS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2013

In Flames at Metaltown Festival 2012. Photo by Daniel Falk

EBS 25 YEARS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2013

A big thank You to all our Artists around the world representing EBS in the best possible way - on stage and in studios worldwide! Visit EBS website for most accurate info on EBS Artists: www.ebssweden.com

EBS PEDAL ARTISTS, BASS PLAYERS AB Marten Andersson (SWE/US) - Lizzy Borden Patrick Andy (US) - Independent Jamareo Artis (US) - Bruno Mars Al Barrow (UK) - Magnum Adam Blackstone (US) - Kanye West, etc Malcolm Bruce (US) - Independent Sekou Bunch (US) - Independent CD Branden Campbell (US) - Neon Trees John Campbell (US) - Lamb Of God Oscar Cartaya (US) - Independent Al Carty (US) - T-Pain Phil Chen (US) - The Doors Stanley Clarke (US) - Bass Legend Barend Courbois (NL) - Independent Mike D’Antonio (US) - Killswitch Engage Will Davies (UK) - Attack! Attack! UK Michael Devin (US) - Whitesnake EFG Robin Everhart (US) - Rival Sons Francesco Gallo (IT) - Cry Excess Roger Glover (UK) - Deep Purple Pete Griffin (US) - Gryphon Labs, exZappa Plays Zappa HIJ Mr.Hardgroove (US) - Public Enemy Gustaf Hielm (SWE) - Session Bassist Georg ’Goggi’ Holm (ICE) - Sigur Rós Anders Iwers (SWE) - Tiamat Jimmy Jay (SWE) - H.E.A.T. KL Tom Kent (UK) - Independent Tim King (US) - SOiL Jonas Kjellgren (SWE) - Raubtier Fredrik Larsson (SWE) - Hammerfall Bill Laswell (US) - Bass Icon/Futurist Producer Dementerious ’Bear’ Lawrence (US) - Angie Stone Jon Lawhon (US) - Black Stone Cherry Tony Levin (UK/US) - Bass Legend James LoMenzo (US) - HAIL!, ex.Megadeth Dick Lövgren (SWE) - Meshuggah MN Justin Meldal-Johnsen (US) - NIN, Beck Martin Mendez (SWE) - Opeth Marco Mendoza (US) - Thin Lizzy Danny Miranda (US) - Meatloaf Anders Modd (SWE) - Wolf John Moyer (US) - Disturbed, Adrenaline Mob Jonathan Noyce (UK) - ex. Jethro Tull, ex. Gary Moore OP Jerker Odelholm (SWE) - Independent Ingmar Petersen (GE) - Beehoover Rufus Philpot (US) - Planet X George Porter, Jr. (US) - The Meters QR Vivi Rama (ARG/US) - Orianthi, Will.I.Am. Magnus Rosén (SWE) - ex. Hammerfall STU Fred Schneider (FR) - Independent Billy Sheehan (US) - Bass Legend VXYZÅÄÖ Kevin Walker (US) - Justin Timberlake Nik West (US) - Solo & Session Bassist Chico Willcox (BR) - Independent Robin Zielhorst (NL) - Exivious Bob Zilla(US) - Hellyeah

EBS ARTISTS, JANUARY 2013

A Alex Acanda (ES/CUBA) - Jerry Gonzalez Jan Adefelt (SWE) - Independent Alex Al (US) - Independent Miguel Amado (PR) - Fausto Jennie Andersson (SWE) - Spitchic Simon Andersson (SWE) -Darkwater Nic Angileri (IT/SUI) - Independent Marc ”Archie” Arciero (UK) - Independent Christofer Aronsson (SWE) - Intohimo Karin Axelsson (SWE) - Sonic Syndicate Keith Axelson (US) - Session Bassist B Victor Bailey (US) - Solo/Session Artist Jon Bakker (NO) - KAMPFAR Lorenzo Barriendos (ES) - Independent Sandy Beales (UK) - One Direction Alex Bedmar (ES) - Hora Zulu Stephane Beguier (FR) - AKPHAEZYA Carles Benavent (ES) - Solo Artist Johan Bengtsson (SWE) - The Sounds Lewi Bergrud (NO) - Session Bassist Ralf Bienioschek (GE) - Bass Player/Musical Director Jonas Björler (SWE) - The Haunted/At The Gates Andreas Blomqvist (SWE) - Seventh Wonder Kern Brantley (US) - Musician & Producer Filip Brandelius (SWE) - Adept Victor Brandt (SWE) - Entombed Stefan Bratt (SWE) - Atlas Losing Grip Aleks Brdarski (SWE) - Eric Saade/Neighbourhood Victor Broden (SWE/US) - Independent Tommy Brown (US) - Independent Bronxen (SWE) - Junkstars Arnaud Buffon (FR) - Body Fluids C John Calabrese (CAN) - Danko Jones Juan Carlos Díaz (ES) - Fundácion Tony Manero Linus Carlsson (SWE) - Kamchatka Michael Choi (UK) - Frankmusik, ex. MIKA Jackie Clark (US) - Independent Laurence Cottle (UK) - Session Great Joe Csibi (IRE) - Tonight with Craig Doyle D Yuri Daniel (PR) - Jan Garbarek Group Mike Davis (US) - Halford Christoph Deckert (GE) - Jennifer Rostock Vtali Demidenco (RU) - Tracktor Bowling Keith Duffy (IRE) - The Corrs, Ronan Keating E Henrik Edenhed (SWE) - Straight Frank Colin Edwin (UK) - Porcupine Tree Edvin Edvinsson (SWE) - Fibes Oh Fibes Bjorn Englen (SWE/US) - Y Malmsteen, Soul Sign Mats Mackan Englund (SWE) - Independent F Ola Flink (SWE) - Soilwork Frasse Franzen (SWE) - Festingarna Fabio Fraschini (IT) - Il Volo, etc Full (JP) - Nicotine Julia Falthin (SWE) - Independent G Jesús Gabaldón (ES) - Seguridad Social Ronnie Garrett (US) - Tyler Perry Rinus Gerritsen (NL) - Golden Earring Iñigo Goldaracena (ES) - Manolo García, Revolver Lael Goldberg (UK) - Hurts Mikael Redbeard Gustavsson (SWE) - Igneous Human H Rob Hakemo (SWE) - M.A.N. Peo Hallgren (SWE) - United We Stand Chris Fatty Hargreaves (UK) - Dubstep Bass Master Jonathan Harvey (UK) - Independent Mikael Hedlund (SWE) - Hypocrisy Niko Del Hierro (ES) - Saratoga Hidekazu Hinata (JP) - STRAIGHTNENR Nisse Holm (SWE) - The Ryot Bertil BasBerra Holmgren (SWE) - Independent I Omar Ibrahim (GE) - Joe Cocker Mikel Irazoki (ES) - Miguel Bosé Peter Iwers (SWE) - In Flames J Anders Janfalk(SWE) - All Ends Andreas Johansson (SWE) - Raised Fist Bengan Jonasson (SWE) - Dan Reed Pal Johnson (SWE) - Independent Anders Jonsson (SWE) - Independent Julian (GE) - aVid* Aaron Julison (US) - Kid Rock K Joakim Karlsson (SWE) - Her Bright Skies

Nathaniel Kearney Jr. (US) - Taio Cruz Alison Keslow (US) - Independent Oscar Kempe (SWE) - Neverstore Eddy Khaimovich (US/ISR) - Session Bassist L Chris Lemon (SWE) - Badmouth BJ "Berra" Laneby (SWE) - Million Niklas Lennartsson (SWE) - Ape Rape Escape Henrik "Mini" Linder (SWE) - Dirty Loops Jesper Liveröd (SWE) - Nasum, Burst Kristoffer Ljung (SWE) - Kid Down Peter London (SWE) - Crashdiet Salva Lopez (ES) - Complices Freddi Lubitz (AUT) - Session Bassist M Fernando Mainer (ES) - Tako John Marcus (US) - Tim McGraw Dave Marks (UK/IRE) - Session Great Mariano Martos (ES) - Chicuelo Etienne Mbappé (FR/CAM) - John McLaughlin Swaeli Mbappé (FR) - Independent Warren J McRae (US) - Tina Turner Mikael Medin (SWE) - Marrionette Nicolas Mirande (FR) - Thomas Ottogalli Trio Anders Mossberg (SWE) - Independent Roberto Mårdstam (SWE) - Scotts Jesajah Mårskog (SWE) - Veronica Maggio N Andi Nero (SWE) - The Bones Johan Niemann (SWE) - Evergrey Ni~Ya (JP) - Nightmare Tomas Näslund (SWE) - Blindside O Orefo Orakwue (UK) - Anastacia, Sugababes P Carsten Pedersen (DK) - Session Bassist Mason Pitts (SWE/US) - Apollo Drive Lee Pomeroy (UK) - Take That, It Bites etc. R Paul Randolph (US) - Independent Antonio Maca Ramos (ES) - Ketama Bruno Ramos (FR) - Christina Goh Jonas Reingold (SWE) - Flower Kings Samir Remila (FR) - Arkan Marco Renteria (MEX) - Jaguares Lars Risberg (SWE) - Rhapsody In Rock Abbi Roth (US) - Bo Bice, Stealing Angels Simon Rowlands (UK) - MyPassion Ruben Rubio (ES) - Session Bassist S Eric Sainte-Croix (FR) - Banane Métalik Peter Samuelsson (SWE) - Barbados Elin Sandberg (SWE) - Independent Henrik Sandelin (SWE) - Avatar Niklas Sandin (SWE) - Katatonia Ken Sandin (SWE) - K2/Alien Kenneth Seil (SWE) - Scar Symmetry Chyco Siméon (FR) - Independent Chuck Smith (US) - Session Great JJ Smith (US) - Mary J Blige Peter Sonntag (GE) - Final Virus Pat Splat (SWE) - F.K.Ü. Jan Jysky Strandberg (FIN) - Independent Christer Stålbrandt (SWE) - November Rikard Swahn (SWE) - Skiller T Jay-Tee Teterissa (NL) - Independent Dywayne Thomas Jr. (US) - Independent Chris Tilley (US) - The Contortionist Robert Triches (SWE) - Independent Timo Tolonen (FI) - Leningrad Cowboys UVW Peter Uvén (SWE) - April Divine Solomon Walker (US) - Morrissey UFO Walter (GE) - Independent Sola Van Motman (NL) - Independent Mike Van Tine (US) - Session Player Leon Watkins (UK - The Dirty Youth Hazze Wazeen (SWE) - Independent Christian Wendt (AUT) - Taucher Wendt Trio Joey Vera (ES) - Session Great Marcus Wesslén (SWE) - Dead By April Joel Whitley (US) - Stevie Wonder, Everlast Viktor Vidlund (SWE) - Smash Into Pieces Mikael Wildén SWE/NO) - Benea Reach Tal Wilkenfeld (AUS/US) - Session Great ZÅÄÖ Lennart Z Zethzon (SWE) - Clifftones Johannes Zetterberg (SWE) - Solo Artist Zornheym (SWE) - Dark Funeral Thomas Zurmühlen (GE) - James Last Jocke Ågren (SWE) - Hillsong Sthlm Capman Örtefors (SWE) - Freak Kitchen Erkan Özdemir (GE) - Memo Gonzales

EBS PEDAL ARTISTS, GUITARISTS Jón þor ’Jónsi’ Birgisson (ICE)- Sigur Rós Kevin Eubanks (US) - Independent Lasse Johansson (SWE) - Candlemass Jean-Christophe Maillard (FR/US) - Session Guitarist Rob Math (US) - Soul Sign, Session Guitarist Mitch Mills (US) - Sugarwall Jamie Mooses (UK) - rythm guit. with Queen Matti Norlin (SWE) - Badge Jeff Pevar (US) - Session Guitarist Frank Romano (US) - Session Guitar player Mick Thomson (US) - Slipknot Reno Schnell (GE) - Final Virus Mike Scott (US) - Prince, Justin Timberlake John Wesley (US) - gtr, Porcupine Tree/Solo Artist Joel Whitley (US) - Stevie Wonder Roy Z (US) - Halford, Bruce Dickinson

EBS PEDAL ARTISTS, KEYBOARDISTS Tomas Bodin (SWE) - Flower Kings (pedals & amps) Richard Barbieri (UK) - Porcupine Tree

EBS 25 YEARS – 2013

Raised Fist at Liseberg, Gothenburg, Sweden. Summer of 2012. Photo by Daniel Falk

EBS PROFESSIONAL BASS EQUIPMENT - DON’T PLAY WITHOUT IT!

EBS PREMIUM BASS AMPS – THE HEART & SOUL OF EBS EBS Premium Bass Amps are 19” rack mounted solid state and hybrid amps, entirely made in Sweden. These are bass amps for the non-compromizing bass player, equipped for heavy touring and professional recording, and ‘road tested’ on tour with IN FLAMES, TAL WILKENFELD, TAKE THAT, PORCUPINE TREE and TINA TURNER, only to mention a few. All equipped with top notch Balanced XLR-output, Effect Loop with Level Mix-in Control, EBS famed built-in compressor, and the possibility to activate selected features with the EBS RM-4 footswitch. The heart & soul of EBS Professional Equipment are carried by the EBS Premium Bass Amps. Built on the heritage from a quarter of a century of developing bass gear for professional use. The working tools for the most devoted musicians!

RM-4

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