ibassmagazine DEDICATED TO BASS | ISSUE 02
WIN !
AGU ILA EFF R BAS S ECT S!
MARCUS MILLER Exclusively shot for ibass magazine
STILL AHEAD OF THE GAME
GEAR ESSENTIALS: THE HOTTEST NEW BASS GEAR
BASS LESSONS: TIPS AND TECHNIQUES FROM THE PROS ON THE RECORD: PAUL TURNER OF JAMIROQUAI www.ibassmag.com
EditorsLetter
EDITOR’S LETTER ISSUE 02
Dubbed the ‘Thumbslinger’ for his unique slap style and astounding technical ability, Marcus Miller remains one of the most recognised bassists on the planet. His credentials have remained unrivalled since he broke into the New York session scene in the late 70s. In addition to his work as a sideman, Miller’s solo career has also yielded several esteemed recordings. In this issue we find out about his muscular bass lines, combined with the secret to his unmistakable signature tone. A true inspiration and a personal hero of mine, we were lucky enough to sit down wth Marcus for an exclusive behind-the-scenes video interview. Elsewhere, we’ll be keeping you up-to-date with all the latest bass gear from the likes of Warwick, Hartke and Red Witch Pedals, and bringing you lessons from the likes of Scott Devine and Stefan Redtenbacher. We’re really excited to bring this issue to you, and promise that after you read/listen/watch you will be PUMPED with inspiration, and armed with game changer advice to really get your bass playing off the ground. Nick Wells Editor nick@ibassmag.com
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ISSUE02
AGENDA THE SMALL STORIES
ON REVIEW
TUITION Ask Scott...
First Look
Warwick Stuart Zender Signature Model
A rock-solid amp that’s versatile enough to handle almost anything.
Made-to-measure for one of the UK’s greatest bass exports.
High Five
Stenback Four
Keep up with all the latest in new gear from the likes of Fender, Markbass and EBS.
Elegant design and impressive craftsmanship make the Stenback Four something truly special.
Bass Invaders
Overwater Scott Devine Signature Series
We talk bass with Paul Turner of Jamiroquai.
The SDS Series is a top-quality
THE BIG STORIES
instrument with sounds to match.
Marcus Miller
Hartke KB12
Everything you wanted to know about one of the bass world’s greatest players.
Rex Horan Meet Rex Horan, bassist with the award-winning Neil Cowley Trio.
This impressive combo features Hartke’s HyDrive technology.
Red Witch Factotum
Stefan Redtenbacher In Session: Con Fusion.
Dan F Owen In the Style of... Stevie Wonder.
END NOTES Beats & Pieces The latest releases from the likes of Ernie Ball and TC Electronic.
The Tweet Life of.. Bryan Beller.
What’s Up?
We catch up with Jools Holland’s This analogue stompbox opens the long-serving bassist, Dave Swift. door into a new perspective on the suboctave pedal.
PUBLISHED BY iBASS MEDIA LTD +44 1353 772183 | info@ibassmag.com | www.ibassmag.com Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. The articles appearing within this publication reflect the opinions of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the publishers or editorial team.
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Your queries answered, with the an Aguilar pedal up for grabs!
Editor: Nick Wells | Cameras: James Cumptsy & Dan Redding Subscriptions: Info@ibassmag.com | Published by iBass Media +44 1353 772183 | info@ibassmag.com No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form – electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise – without prior permission of the publisher. Ibass media ltd does not officially endorse any advertisement included within this publication. The articles appearing within this publication reflect the opinions of their respective authors and not neccesarily those of the publishers or editorial team. All material has been published in good faith as having been supplied for publication. Copyright Ibass Media ltd. All rights reserved.
ibassmagFIRSTLOOK
FIRST LOOK MESA BOOGIE SUBWAY D-800 Mesa’s first lightweight, professionally powered class D bass amp..
Built in California, the D-800 is Mesa Boogie’s first Class D bass amp. Weighing in at 2.5kg (5.5 lbs), the designers set out to produce a portable amp that everybody, from beginners upwards, can enjoy, and in that, it looks as though they have succeeded. In terms of features, there’s a single input for your bass, followed by toggle switches for mute, active/ passive and Mesa’s ‘deep’ function. The remaining controls cater for input gain, variable voicing, 4-band active EQ and master volume. There’s also a balanced XLR DI, line/mic and ground lift, headphone output and aux input, with the relevant sockets positioned at the back, alongside two Speakon outputs. The 1x15 and 1x12 cabinets look compact and solidly built too, with Italian poplar used for the cabs and tough metal grilles protecting the custom neodymium speakers. www.mesaboogie.com www.ibassmag.com
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This month’s most wanted
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THIS MONTH’S MOST WANTED
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EBS Billy Sheehan Signature Drive A whole world of overdrive is on offer with this impressive signature pedal from EBS. There are controls for Drive, Tone, Level and Clean, and a built-in compressor with three different modes: High, Mid and Off. Unlimited pre-post mix tone shaping is also on tap via a clean loop and a drive loop. ‘It’s a distillate of several important principles in the signal chain for bass,’ says Billy Sheehan ‘Compression, distortion, tone-shaping and blending all together.’ www.ebssweden.com
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Fender Pawn Shop Mustang
Ernie Ball Music Man Sledge
While making no bones about its inspiration, the Fender Pawn Shop Mustang incorporates a few updates from the original Mustang of the early 1970s. Features include an adjustable stringthrough-body bridge, 19 medium jumbo frets, a four-ply white pearloid pick guard and an alder body complete with the classic racing stripe and short-scale design. Among other tweaks, you get the huge bass sound of a single humbucker and several classic finish options. www.fender.com
Designed in conjunction with bass legend Tony Levin, the Music Man Sledge range features a custom metallic flake finish that changes colour from silver to blue, green, gold, pink and purple depending on your viewing angle. It’s available with the Classic StingRay and the Classic Sabre models. Best of all, every Music Man Sledge bass comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by Tony Levin. For more info, check out the Music Man website. www.music-man.com
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Warwick LWA 1000
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The LWA 1000 has been designed to combine quality bass sounds with lightweight portability. It’s a two channel Class D amp that offers plenty of options when it comes to tone shaping: independent gain controls with a separate master volume, individual mute switches, compression and 4-band EQ with +/- 12dB over each band. Around the back there are more useful features, including an XLR DI Out and an effects loop. www.warwick.de
Markbass Bass Multiamp
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With the Bass Multiamp, Italian amp experts Markbass have extend their bass range with their most extensive piece of kit to date. Boasting a 500 watt stereo amp and a huge range of virtual bass amps, studio and stomp box effects, speaker cabinets and microphones, this rack mountable unit looks an ideal solution for anyone in need of a one-stop bass shop. www.markbass.it
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ibassmagBASSINVADERS
BASS INVADERS Snapshots of a bassist’s life by players who live it.
PAUL TURNER
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BASS INVADERS
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In the hierarchy of Jamiroquai bass players, Paul Turner has been acknowledged by many as being a true pioneer, the first player to fully revolutionise the bands funky old-school bass sound since Jay Kay began a new chapter without the magic touch of Stuart Zender. ‘The essence of the band is to always change things up,’ says Paul, ‘Sometimes Jay will want to play a track like it is on the record, or he might want to play the whole tune against another groove, and he’ll decide while we’re on the gig, so there are always different versions going on.’ Outside of Jamiroquai, Paul has enjoyed an incredible career as a first-call session player, providing the low-end for the likes of Take That, Annie Lennox, Omar, Ruby Turner, Bryan Ferry, Kylie Minogue and Tom Jones. Recently, he’s been keeping busy with UK funk outfit, Brother Strut. For the majority of his time onstage, Paul will call on his vintage Fender Jazz or Precision. ‘I love to play a Jazz Bass on a gig as I find them easier to fly around, but a P-Bass always fills out the note nicely without losing the essence of the track. It’s about understanding different combinations.’ Aside from his Fender basses, Paul has recently acquired a Stenback 5-string and uses Aguilar amps. www.ibassmag.com
BASS INVADERS
ibassmagINTERVIEWS
INTERVIEWS Marcus Miller Rex Horan
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MARCUS MILLER www.marcusmiller.com www.ibassmag.com
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Has there been a more influential bassist in the past thirty years than Marcus Miller? Having demonstrated his skills as a writer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist, most notably with David Sanborn, Luther Vandross and Miles Davis, he has since focussed on his own solo career. Subsequent albums have established Marcus as one of the most important players to pick up the instrument since Jaco. Inspired by his role as spokesman for UNESCO’s Slave Route Project, his 2015 release, Afrodeezia, also demonstrates his abilities as a leading modern jazz composer. It was recorded with musicians from West Africa, South America and the Caribbean as well as the USA. ‘When I became a solo artist I kind of narrowed it down for a while in terms of who I am as an artist,’ says Marcus. ‘It’s funny because some people say, “Oh man, I really love the stuff you did with Scritti Politti,” or with this artist or with that artist. I try to explain that I can help Scritti Politti do their thing, or I can help Aretha Franklin do her thing, but when I’m the artist I have to know who I am at my core.’
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SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY MARCUS MILLER: THE SUN DON’T LIE STANDOUT TRACK: MOONS
‘That song is cool because people discover that song late; they say, “Oh, Marcus can only play with his thumb,” and then they will listen to ‘Moons’ and readjust their opinions!’ LUTHER VANDROSS: NEVER TOO MUCH STANDOUT TRACK: NEVER TOO MUCH
‘Luther and Nat Adderley Junior arranged that track. I told them I liked the bassline, but it was kind of weird, and they just told me to shut up and play! I played a couple of my own lines and that demo ended up being the actual record; we never recut it.’ DAVID SANDBORN: STRAIGHT TO THE HEART STANDOUT TRACK: RUN FOR COVER
‘I was probably 18 or 19 when I wrote ‘Run For Cover’. I had just got a 4-track, reel-to-reel tape recorder and that was a big deal back then! I had this bassline and I programmed the beat on a little drum machine.‘ MILES DAVIS: TUTU STANDOUT TRACK: TUTU
‘Tommy LiPuma, who was an executive at Warner Brothers, called me to say that Miles had signed to Warner Brothers, so I offered to write something. I hung up the phone and instantly in my mind was the riff for Tutu, I mean instantly.’ www.marcusmiller.com www.ibassmag.com
REX HORAN www.neilcowleytrio.com www.ibassmag.com
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Having cemented his position on the Neil Cowley Trio’s magnificent 2012 album, The Face of Mount Molehill, Rex Horan has made an impression few newcomers could dream of. Does Rex have any advice for our readers, we wonder? Oh yes: ‘Sometimes I’m inclined to play the first thing that comes to mind,’ says Rex. ‘I tend to hear basslines in my own way, so I’d say that it’s important to just play what seems right if it turns out not to be then you can move on to something else.’ Horan’s expansive playing style has taken him in many directions since his arrival in the UK and runs in parallel to his interest in all kinds of music. Prior to landing the bass slot with Neil Cowley, Rex performed with artists ranging from the avant-garage band Cinema Prague to Ed Sheeran, Emeli Sandé and Mama’s Gun. He has performed with the Neil Cowley Trio since 2011, making a return to the double bass and recording their critically acclaimed 2016 album, Spacebound Apes. The new album marks an exciting chapter in the trio’s history, with Rex’s accomplished performance worthy of the hype that surrounds its launch. www.ibassmag.com
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Fresh from rehearsals at West London’s Survival Studios, Rex talks us through his approach to building basslines. A bit of jazz, a bit of motown, a bit of the classics; that’s not a bad menu for any bassist to tackle and, hopefully, enjoy. ‘Think less about wrong notes,’ smiles Rex. ‘And more about opportunity!’ All personal playing styles are like that and though some prefer to adhere to one particular musical style, it’s always healthier to pull as much as you can into your playing arena from anywhere you possibly can - there are no limits to this, as Rex aptly demonstrates with this A Minor workout. ‘I always try to be generous with my bass playing,’ he tells us. ‘Always give and always listen to others. I even stop playing occasionally! I think a lot about tone and about exploring the dynamic capabilities of the instrument. I’m thrilled when what I hear in the room is reflected on tape.’ It’s just as well: with Neil seemingly wanting to return to subtler sonic textures, the objective of the trio’s most recent album was to capture the spirit of the band playing together – which should tell you all you need to know about the calibre of musicianship he requires… www.ibassmag.com
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ON REVIEW Overwater Scott Devine Signature Series Warwick Stuart Zender Signature Stenback Four Hartke KB12 Red Witch Factotum
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WARWICK STUART ZENDER SIGNATURE Made-to-measure for one of the UK’s greatest bass exports.
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Warwick Stuart Zender Signature www.warwick.de SPEC POINTS Built in: Germany Scale length: 863mm (34-inches) Body: Swamp ash with AAA flamed ash top Neck: Ovangkol, neckthrough-body Fingerboard: Ebony Pickups: 2 x MEC, active
Controls: 1 x stacked push/pull volume, blend and EQ bypass, 3-band active EQ Machineheads: Warwick, enclosed Bridge: Warwick, 2-piece solid brass Weight: 3.7kb (8.1lbs)
Design
Sounds
Widely regarded as one of the UK’s greatest bass exports, Stuart Zender’s funky basslines with Jamiroquai in the 1990s inspired a generation. His long-standing association with Warwick has seen Stuart take full advantage of the company’s custom shop, and his signature model is no exception. The neck-through-body design means sees ovangkol neck wood extend the entire length of the bass with two pieces of swamp ash glued to either side of this central section and a layer of AAA-grade French flamed ash on top. The double-cutaway coupled with the lack of any heel join means that the upper register is easily accessible. We liked the ‘SZ’ inlay at the 12th fret and the pearl fingerboard inlays that pay homage to Stuart’s Iroquai Rug bass. The gold hardware also looks great, and various time-saving gadgets make any necessary adjustments quick and easy. Like many Warwick basses, the bridge and separate tailpiece are set slightly into the body and securely anchor the strings in place, while the company’s Just-A-Nut III nut can be easily lowered or raised to accommodate a change in string gauge. The active MEC P/J-style pickups should also ensure plenty of punch. They’re wired to individual EQ controls for bass, middle and treble. A fourth stacked control caters for volume and pickup blend, and when pulled away from the body, bypasses the active EQ.
The MEC pickups are full and punchy and, thanks to the active EQ, you’re able to call upon a huge range of well-defined bass tones. The active circuit gives the dry sound a real boost, making the Stuart Zender Signature ideally suited to the cut and thrust of modern styles, while bypassing the EQ with the push-pull volume knob produces a range of very natural-sounding tones that excel in more traditional settings. Either pickup can be selected independently by turning the pickup blend control to either extreme, so it’s up to you to find your preferred combination. The snappy attack of the tigerstripe ebony fingerboard acts as a perfect foil for slap techniques and makes for a pretty hardy instrument too. This bass can comfortably handle punchy slap sounds, mellow lead lines or low-end rumbles. The contemporary design together with Warwick’s trademark tone, will undoubtedly strike a chord with today’s bassists, and while the modern aesthetic may be a step too far for more traditional players, it’s easy to see why the sleek, flowing curves and big punchy sounds of instruments like this hold such appeal. There’s no escaping the fact that the quick attack makes it far more suited to funk and rock styles than anything else, but it is Stuart’s signature model after all. If you’re in need of a bright and funky bass sound, this could just be the instrument that you’re looking for.
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SONIC BOOM A New Range of Overwater Basses…
Since founding Overwater in 1979, Chris May has established a fine reputation for making hand-built custom instruments for the bassist with an eye for quality. Now, with a new partner in Scott Devine, Overwater is set to expand its production by offering a new range of instruments, the Scott Devine Signature Series.
OVERWATER SCOTT DEVINE SIGNATURE SERIES
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Overwater Scott Devine Signature Series www.overwaterbasses.com SPEC POINTS Built In: UK Scale Length: 838mm (33 inches) Body: American Ash, European Walnut top Neck: Wenge, bolt-on Fretboard: Indian Rosewood Pickups: 2 x Overwater OW5 Controls: 3-band EQ, volume, pickup blend Electronics: Custom John East U-Retro Deluxe
Design
Sounds
Overwater may not presently be a name on the lips of every bassist in the land, but Chris May has been steadily producing instruments that are regarded by many as among the very finest around. This latest signature design has retained the same styling as the company’s Perception bass, although it’s slightly more curvaceous. The body is finished in a satin lacquer and constructed from two centre-joined pieces of American Ash with a European Walnut top. It’s all seamlessly joined together, with a thin veneer of darker wood sandwiched in between the body and the top. A shallow forearm contour reveals the different sections. The wenge neck has a modern feel with a 33-inch scale length and super-slim heel join. 24 frets grace the fingerboard, which has a narrower string spacing than normal (you have the option of 16.5mm or 18mm). The neck also has a very straight profile, which allows for a low action, meaning that you can play with a more sensitive technique. Set the neck too straight though and the strings may start to buzz over the frets, which will require some careful adjustment to the truss rod. The OW5 pickups are Overwater’s own design and are wired to a custom John East U-Retro Deluxe preamp. The ABM bridge is a top-loading unit that allows both the spacing and the height of the individual strings to be adjusted. Lightweight machineheads take care of tuning duties.
The Scott Devine Signature Series impresses in terms of both playability and sound. Chris May has got the overall balance just right. Beyond the variations you can achieve via the custom electronics, the bass responds brilliantly to your playing technique and the high C-string feels right at home alongside the four standard-gauge strings. The Indian rosewood fingerboard lends a natural brightness to the overall sound that really enhances the high frequencies, perfect for adding snap to octave fills and executing lead slides while also delivering a wide range of natural harmonics. Using the EQ, you can gently refine the overall sound without compromising the natural characteristics of the wood. Increasing the bass thickens things up, but the treble control is where the EQ really shines, adding presence to the higher register. The positioning of the pickups also delivers some great overtones and lasting sustain. This is a very natural-sounding bass with an even tonal response and exceptional sustain throughout the two-octave range of the fingerboard. In true Overwater style, the Scott Devine Signature Model is a well-made, beautiful-feeling, woody bass. At a little under £3,000, it’s not exactly cheap, but with well-defined notes and low- and high-end harmonics, along with a polished overall tone, this is a top-quality instrument with sounds to match.
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STENBACK FOUR When it comes to bass guitar building, Tom Stenback is Finland’s best-kept secret. The city of Vasa on the west coast of Finland is home to Stenback Guitars, quite possibly Scandinavia’s best-kept secret. Not for long, though - these beautifully made instruments are gaining more and more recognition outside Finland, where luthier Tom Stenback is afforded the same kind of status as some of the best-known American builders. All too often, hand-made basses can emphasise bling over beauty and good taste. The Stenback Four could not be accused of such excesses. The artistic embellishments do indeed display incredible technical skill, but the whole is unfailingly elegant and pleasing to the eye. More than that, this is a fully functioning bass guitar with a tone as refined and balanced as the instrument’s looks. So what is this signature sound that Tom Stenback talks about?
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STENBACK FOUR
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Stenback Four www.tomstenback.com SPEC POINTS Built in: Finland Scale length: 864 mm (34 inches) Body: Alder Neck: Quarter sawn maple, graphite reinforced Fingerboard: Rosewood Nut width: 37.5 mm Pickups: 2 x Stenback/Lundgren single-coils, passive Controls: 1 x master volume, 1 x tone Hardware: Hand-polished stainless steel
Design
Sounds
The Stenback Four has a familiar body shape that’s reminiscent of the Fender Jazz Bass design. Few bass builders these days succeed in combining such a much-loved classic with truly stunning workmanship and artistry, but we’re looking at a passive instrument that’s nigh-on perfect in terms of construction. To start with, all of the wood has been heat treated to offer more stability and a higher strength-to-weight ratio. The alder body has been made extra special with the addition of hand-polished, stainless steel hardware, an anodized aluminium pickguard and two single-coil pickups that are handwound to Tom Stenback’s own specifications by Swedish pickup guru Johan Lundgren. The aforementioned hardware also includes Stenback-designed strap buttons, ferrules, bridge saddles, a tuned bridge plate and a set of Dunlop’s Super Bright Nickel bass strings. The control knobs offer individual volume control for each pickup, plus a master tone control, while a tuned control cavity can be accessed on the rear side of the body via an anodized aluminium cover. To his credit, Tom Stenback has not once lost sight of the bigger picture, and besides all of these cutting-edge embellishments, the Stenback Four still feels almost instantly familiar. Stenback also offer a fretless model and a 5-string.
Plugging in this bass, we were immediately impressed by the clear and precise sound. It also plays perfectly straight out of the case. The setup and intonation are outstanding, the pickups produce a tone that compliments rather than overpowers and the notes have a very natural attack. The excellent balance between the strings allows individual notes to speak with real clarity and definition – call it what you like, this bass has certainly got it. The sustain on offer is comparable to that of a vintage Fender, so full marks to Tom Stenback on this front as well. The design hints at a touch of class too, and its bespoke nature makes it difficult to make comparisons with other instruments. Unlike many basses on the market, the Stenback Four isn’t crammed with active electronics, and therefore relies on qualities inherent in its construction for its core sound. We couldn’t put this bass down. In fact, it made us re-evaluate some of our old favourites, and that’s saying something. All told a consumate piece of work. Its performance, build quality and materials are up there with the best – so what’s not to like? We suggest you get your hands on one. But if you don’t intend to buy, be sure to leave your wallet at home! For the serious player, a Stenback Four will ensure you are able to deliver the best performance possible.
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STENBACK FOUR
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HARTKE KICKBACK KB12 This impressive solid-state combo features Hartke’s HyDrive Technology.
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HARTKE Kickback KB12 www.samsontech.com SPEC POINTS Type: Solid-state combo Power output: 500 watts peak/250 watts RMS Features: master volume, shape switch, shape control, 3-band rotary EQ, headphone output & balanced DI EQ Centre Frequency: Bass 70Hz, midrange 700 Hz, treble 5kHz
Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.54% (@1dB below rated output, 1kHz typical) Shape Control: 100Hz 900 Hz Speaker: 1x12-inch HyDrive paper/aluminium hybrid Dimensions: 461(h) x 375(w) x 399(d) mm Weight: 12.8 kg (28.2 lb)
Design
Sounds
Having undergone a recent redesign to incorporate Hartke’s HyDrive Speaker Technology, the KB12 certainly looks the part. It’s covered with a tough synthetic material and there’s a large black steel grille on the front to protect the HyDrive speaker, which has been designed to combine the best elements of aluminium and paper-coned drivers. The KB12 is also lightweight and portable for an amp of this size, with a single handle on the top being all that you need to carry it around. The front panel features five black controls laid out in a very logical way, which offers a fair degree of simplicity to the gigging bassist. As well as volume and bass, midrange and treble EQ controls, a fifth control and mini-switch labelled ‘shape’ serves as a notch filter, which applies a 20dB filter to the specified frequency (the filter is applied to a frequency range of 900Hz when turned fully clockwise and 100Hz when turned fully counterclockwise). Other front panel features include a headphone output for practice at home and an XLR direct output. Finally, the KB12 can also be placed in its ‘kickback’ position, which allows you to tilt the combo back at an angle to further project the sound from the speaker, or help you hear a bit more of what you’re doing if you’re standing right next to the amp.
With 500 watts of power and a three-band EQ, the KB12 looks like an impressive all-rounder, and what it lacks in terms of extra features, it more than makes up for in its ease of use. The EQ gives you plenty of options, and it’s well worth spending some time here rather than heading straight to the shape control. Should you require a more immediate solution when tweaking your signal, the shape control will automatically select the frequency range of your set EQ curve. While it’s great to have options when it comes to shaping your tone, it’s also good to know that the fundamental sound is of a high standard to begin with. The HyDrive speaker gives the mid-range greater separation from the bottom end, while the solid-state technology, as well as being efficient, delivers an uncompromising note attack that’s fast and consistent right across the fingerboard. The bottom end sounds deep and solid, with a strong mid-range and a bright, snappy top end. We were already won over by the Hartke Kickback combos, but this updated version is a very welcome development. The KB12 has plenty of punch and projection and remains wonderfully intuitive and easy to use. If you’re looking for Hartke sounds and don’t need masses of volume, this combo is an excellent bet.
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HARTKE KICKBACK KB12
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RED WITCH FACTOTUM In the world of suboctave effects it is rare to come across a new idea. Thankfully, Red Witch are keen to show us what we’ve been missing. New Zealand effects manufacturer Red Witch ticks all the right boxes on the boutique pedal builder check list. High-quality pedals? Check. A fresh take on some classic effects? Check. Whacky product names? A definite check. So what does this company have to offer that others don’t? ‘Digital’ is quite often a dirty word in the effects world, and there are some boutique manufacturers intent on pursuing an analogue way of life. Red Witch are just such a company. The Factotum is 100% analogue and opens the door into a new perspective on the suboctave pedal and one that is fast becoming a bassists favourite. Interested? Well, add to that intriguing suggestion a built-in overdrive effect and independent wet/dry mix controls and you are getting closer to the Factotum.
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RED WITCH FACTOTUM
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Red Witch Factotum www.redwitchpedals.com
Design
Sounds
The Factotum is housed in a sturdy chrome package with two true-bypass footswitches, which means that it shouldn’t interfere with your signal when it’s switched off. The durable nature of the chassis also extends to the input and output sockets, which are firmly fastened to avoid any strain on the circuit board. Speaking of which, a quick voyage into the internals of this pedal reveals a densely populated board that looks skillfully and neatly assembled. The five simple control knobs allow you to tweak the octave and overdrive effects in a number of different ways. Let’s start with the octave mix control, which you can use to blend in as much of the suboctave as you wish. The remaining drive controls are for mix, tone, volume and drive, with the latter controlling the overall effect level. This simple control layout keeps the circuit simple and your tone pure. It also means that you don’t need to spend ages tweaking knobs to get the sound you want. Provision has been made for easy battery access, with a compartment on the base. Of course, you can also use a suitable power adaptor, which is more practical if you’re adding stompboxes to a pedalboard. Red Witch pedals are far from the ‘cheap option’, but they’re also that little bit different from the bog-standard effect blueprints that many manufacturers stick to.
Operating the Factotum is simple and gig-friendly. This means that making subtle adjustments, tweaking and refining as you go is a breeze. Octave pedals that have the potential for as much depth as this can sometimes sound a bit nondescript, but even at its most extreme settings the Factotum retains the core of your tonal character, thickening your bass sound and adding a warm, synthy texture as you blend in more of the octave effect. Being analogue, its range can be a little limited at times, but it will track most notes that you care to play through it. The overdrive works well and proves a useful addition for adding some drive while retaining the low end. It’s voiced with plenty of bite throughout its range and the chunky mids and big bottom end sound fantastic. The fact that you can adjust the levels between each effect makes for plenty of scope in getting that bit extra from your tone. Overdrive effects have been known to suffer one major problem – when you activate the effect your signal level seems to drop. This is partly a design flaw and partly down to the nature of the effect. Setting the unity gain via the volume control, however, removes the need for any extra boosting. The Factotum offers a broad range of really excellent sounds. Our favourite setup was pairing it with a cranked envelope filter.
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RED WITCH FACTOTUM
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ANDY BAXTER Bass Notes Tucked away in a built-up part of London’s East End, you’ll find an Aladdin’s Cave for bassists. Andy Baxter has set up shop here and is fast making a name for himself as a reputable dealer of fine vintage basses – a quick look around at the dozens of road worn instruments on display and you sense immediately that this is no ordinary bass store. As well as nostalgic models from Fender and the occasional pre-CBS StingRay, Andy stocks instruments from a number of celebrated builders – Gibson, Rickenbacker and Ibanez among them. Andy is clearly a man happy in his work and his showroom is well worth a visit.
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IN CONVERSATION WITH
ANDY BAXTER, NORMAN WATT-ROY & PAUL TURNER Norman Watt-Roy sits down with Paul Turner and Andy Baxter to talk plectrums, punk and vintage bass gear.
ibassmagTUITION
TUITION Stefan Redtenbacher IN SESSION: CON FUSION
Dan F Owen
STYLE FILE: STEVIE WONDER
Scott Devine ASK SCOTT...
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Bandleader and bassist with Redtenbacher’s Funkestra
Stefan Redtenbacher
IN SESSION: CONFUSION
This month’s track is firmly routed in the jazz fusion genre. The head is harmonically rich and features slash chords (hybrids and inversions) as well as polychords. What’s more, the chart is not a bass chart as such, but an ‘extended’ lead sheet, i.e. a lead sheet with additional guidance for the rhythm section. It’s useful in indicating the rhythm of the chord changes (harmonic rhythm) and outlining the form. Watch out for the 2nd end bar as there is a displaced rhythmic figure in 3 (indicated with brackets above) going across the 4/4 time. The solo section breaks down to a single chord vamp, but repeating
a bass vamp over and over doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be rigid. Of course, you can play variations and let the whole thing breathe and evolve. In the best-case scenario the bassline becomes hypnotic and draws the listener and the other players into a trance-like state of feeling great! This often does not require heaps of chops but a willingness to ‘give it up’ for the funk, ie playing a relatively simple bassline that locks in with all other parts of the band, and the rhythm section in particular. Thank you to Sid Gauld on trumpet, Eran Kendler on guitar, and Francis Merrante on drums for cooking up this ‘fusion-tastic’
track. Have fun with this one! Find the AudioSheetMusic via the KnowledgeRocks store and play along for free on your browser, iPad or Android tablet. www.knowledgerocks.com
THINGS TO REMEMBER… ry to keep things relatively simple T and support the chord movement. Vary your playing technique. Experiment with a chorus, flanger or other modulation effect. Leave plenty of space for the other instruments.
ESSENTIAL LISTENING Chick Corea Elektric Band Got a Match? Tribal Tech Salt Lick Anthony Jackson & Yiorgos Fakanas Inner Power www.stefanredtenbacher.com www.ibassmag.com
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© 2012 Stefan Redtenbacher all rights reserved www.stefanredtenbacher.com
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DAN F OWEN STYLE FILE: STEVIE WONDER
In this tutorial we are going to take a closer look at a true master of synth bass playing. With Stevie Wonder giving a little synth THINGS TO REMEMBER assistance to so many of his classic records, this infectious groove Ensure you establish the groove before you introduce any bubbles along insistently, but what sounds so easy on the ear embellishments. might not be quite as simple for you to reproduce on the bass To absorb this style of playing you guitar. Luckily, like most good synth bass lines, this one works really need to listen to it over and over! well on the bass - you just have to make sure the sound and feel Some things can be trickier to play on the bass than others, so work is powerful and funky enough to take control of the track. Go for a on your technique - especially if warm and smooth bass sound with a bass boost and maybe a little using 4th’s. added mid for extra punch. Leave breathing space between notes and make sure you don’t play anything that’s too staccato. Stevie’s approach to harmony, rhythm and feel really instills the importance of music as a language. If you can sit in the pocket as tight as he did, then you’ll be doing just fine! Don’t forget you can download the PDF score and backing track for this piece from the KnowledgeRocks store. ESSENTIAL LISTENING Stevie Wonder Fulfillingness’ First Finale Stevie Wonder Hotter Than July Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life
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Scott Devine
ASK SCOTT... Imagine having an expert at hand to answer your bass queries and help improve your playing‌ Scott Devine does just that, helping a reader through their bass guitar headaches.
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IBASS MAGAZINE PROUDLY PRESENTS 100 Bass Guitars to Play Before You
“Funny, funky, raucous, genre-bending, there’s plenty of variety for any bass guitar fan.” Within these pages, the iBass Magazine team celebrate the unique brilliance of the most sought-after bass guitars on the planet, charting several landmarks in the instrument’s history along with some of the people who’ve played them. Features include video interviews and behind-the-scenes access with some of the finest luthiers and bass players on the planet.
| Fender | Fodera | Sadowsky | Music Man | Warwick | Alembic | | Lakland | Ritter | Carvin | Ken Smith | Zon Guitars | Mayones | | Dingwall | Spector | Marleaux | Vigier | Yamaha | F-Bass |
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DAVE SWIFT THINK BASS PLAYERS HAVE NOTHING TO SAY? DAVE SWIFT IS ABOUT TO PROVE YOU WRONG. Regular radio and television appearances on shows like ‘Later... with Jools Holland’ have seen Dave share the stage with hundreds of international stars from Sir Paul McCartney and Chaka Khan to George Benson and Kylie Minogue. Yet somewhere in between he is forging his own path.
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The Rhythm & Blues Orchestra’s 2012 album, The Golden Age Of Song, features esteemed performances from the likes of Jessie J, Paloma Faith, Paul Weller, Joss Stone and Gregory Porter. For Dave the record marked a significant milestone in the groups career. Tell us about the album? “The initial idea was to have modern day performers sing classic songs, which is different to anything we’ve done before. Some of the tracks were to be taken from past performances of our annual New Years Eve TV show, ‘Jools Holland’s Hootenanny’, and mixed with new studio recordings.” What gear did you use on the album? “For most of the live shows I used my Yamaha SLB100 electric upright and my Volante Travel Bass. I would of used my Roger Dawson double bass, but there’s not enough space on set and feedback is always a problem. I did re-record my bass parts on the Caro Emerald and Amy Winehouse tracks at a later date. Both were just crying out for a double bass!”
How about bass guitar? “On the tracks with Joss Stone, Jessie J, James Morrison, and Ruby Turner I used my Dingwall 5 Super P and my 5-string Fender American Precision. Those are my two main gigging basses.” How about your backline equipment? “For studio rehearsals I played through an Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 and two Aguilar SL112’s, but for the actual recording I used my Aguilar Tone Hammer Preamp/Direct Box. It’s a great piece of gear that goes everywhere with me.”
How did you set about transcribing the bass parts? “I always go straight to the source and transcribe the original bassline note for note. Then I can then decide what I want to make my own. If Jools What was the most challenging bassline knows I have the bassline covered then he can be that you tackled? much looser with what he’s doing. Perhaps that’s “I got to stretch out a little on the James Morrison why I still have a job with him after 22 years!” track, ‘A Place in the Sun’. I’d listened to the Stevie Wonder version to get a ‘sniff of it’, as Jools likes to say!”
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THE TWEET LIFE OF...
BRYAN BELLER He’s the electric bass star who’s known for some of the finest rock-fusion chops on the planet. Next up on Bryan’s agenda: Led Zep’s Celebration Day, The Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack and, er, inflight wi-fi. www.bryanbeller.com
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Finally watching Led Zep DVD “Celebration Day”. OMG, no words. They should have toured this! I’m in heaven. “They played ‘In My Time Of Dying’, which is my favorite Led Zeppelin song of all time. Yes, really - it’s not the obvious choice, but it’s mine, and it’s on there, and they kill it. Also, they played ‘For Your Life’ from Presence, which is a really odd song, but one they’d never played live before, and one very well suited for the way Jimmy Page plays guitar now, as opposed to the way he played in the early ‘70s, which he really doesn’t do anymore. Wow, there were a lot of commas in that last sentence.”
ryan Beller needs to catch his breath. Currently holding the bass chair with tongue-incheek extreme metal band, Dethklok, and The Aristocrats, Bryan just got back to Nashville after a short tour of the US West Coast, premiering the power trio’s 2012 record, Boing,
We’ll Do It Live!, to audiences in San Pedro, San Diego and San Francisco. Bryan has 3,938 Twitter followers on the day of our interview and has posted over 5,983 tweets. We caught up with the great man who is happy to explain them at lengths greater than 140 characters.
almost everyone’s list. I thought, ‘hmmm, maybe I should buy it?’ Sure glad I did because it’s just epic beyond words. I spend a lot of time at my laptop promoting, organizing and managing things (I’m actually the manager of The Aristocrats). When I’m working on that kind of stuff, and this is playing in the background, I feel like I’m plotting to take over the world. :-)”
doing and start with their debut album, Subliminal Plastic Motives. Funny thing is, the guy who turned me onto them was a 27-year-old Dweezil Zappa, back in 1994. He was like, ‘You’ll love this band, I just know it.’ He was right. Anyway, they played their first show in 7 years recently in Nashville, and I was lucky enough to be home when it happened. So I was tweeting up a storm and geeking out like crazy.”
I’ll stop the set list tweeting, but I have to say it again - Self is one of the best mostly unknown bands ever in music history. “Self is the brainchild of Tennessee native multi-instrumentalist Matt Mahaffey, a genius singer/ songwriter who played in Beck’s touring band for many years, and The Dark Knight Rises, who also wrote material for a lot of Motion Picture Soundtrack. soundtracks, including an original Awesome, inspiring music song for Shrek. His band, Self, is for writing promo copy about exciting things soon to happen. so, so, so freakin’ great, and they just never got over the commercial “I was a big fan of this movie, hump. Almost everyone I know and one of the reasons was who likes the same music as I do the Hans Zimmer soundtrack. I just falls in love with them when I forgot about it for a while, and then I read an article on a metal turn them onto it. Imagine Jellyfish meets Beck meets Nine Inch website about a lot of metal Nails meets The Beatles meets... musicians’ Top 10 Albums of 2012. Sure enough, this was on aw, hell, just stop what you’re
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Frantically charting/learning Guthrie’s & Marco’s new tunes for upcoming @acratsband 2nd album sessions next week. Hard but fun! “After four straight months of touring I had about 10 days to not only learn these songs for the second Aristocrats studio album, but also to write a final song of my own. It always feels like some kind of final exam when I go through stretches like that, but it also propels my playing forward by the time it’s all said and done.”
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Writing final song for new Aristocrats CD. Fastest, angriest, heaviest thing I’ve tried in 10 yrs. Caught me off guard. A bit scared of it! “This song just poured out of me when I was desperately tired, exhausted, and on deadline to have three songs done before the session began. As I said, I’d been on the road for four months and I had 10 days to pull off all kind of impossible shit. Somehow this piece of music came out of me - or rather, through me and it’s now one of the songs I’m most proud of. I ended up calling it ‘Living The Dream’, and we debuted it on the U.S. West Coast during a few shows we did after NAMM. I’m happy to say the audience seemed to enjoy it, even if I felt like smashing things while I was writing it.” When you’re on a roll keep throwing them dice: I stayed up late & finished the song in one shot! I shall call it “Cocktail Umbrellas”. :-) “This was the first song I wrote for the new Aristocrats album. It’s a much more traditional ‘Bryan Beller’ type song, and it kind of got me back in the swing of writing music again. I enjoy fruity vodka drinks, so I thought I’d write a song about that kind of party.”
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I actually fear songwriting like crazy...until the song suddenly comes together and the demo magically comes alive. That just happened. :-) “I think this one is pretty selfexplanatory. :-) “ O.M.G. I have an exit row all to myself, in-flight wifi, and AC power at my seat. I am bursting with happiness. #connectivityforever “For someone who travels as much as I do, to have a major international flight with all of the things described above is as close to heaven as I can get. I spend a LOT of time on my laptop, working and arranging things and answering e-mail and such. I was a corporate management type before I finally quit and went back to playing full-time in 2005, so some of those old habits are hard to break, I guess.” Superior Drummer, I heart you so very much. “For years I made demos exclusively on a BOSS BR1180 Hard Disc Recorder. It was state of the art...for 2002. It had a built in drum machine, very old school. Iwas scared to try anything else until just recently when I started using Pro Tools and Superior Drummer to make demos for the new Aristocrats album. Now I heart Superior Drummer.”
ON THE RECORD
TRACK: See You Next Tuesday ALBUM: View ARTIST: Bryan Beller
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What’s new to ibassmag this month
ERNIE BALL SLINKY FLATWOUND STRINGS These innovative new strings have been designed to create both a vibrant roundwound sound, and the silky smooth feel of traditional flatwound strings. Ernie Ball’s R&D department tested the strings with Matt Mangano, Juan Alderete, Tony Levin, Mike Herrera and Pino Pallandino. “I can honestly say that these strings offer an innovative combination of feel, tone and durability unlike any other string I’ve played,” said Pino. “They’re a real game changer for bass players.” www.ernieball.com
TC ELECTRONIC POLYTUNE CLIP Based-on the Danish company’s polyphonic tuning technology, the Polytune Clip features an ultra-bright display, a chromatic tuner and strobe tuner mode with +/- 0.02 cent pinpoint precision. It also automatically flips the screen to guarantee a perfect readout no matter where it’s placed on the headstock. www.tcelectronic.com
ALUSONIC 112 BASS CABINET For a new twist on the whole 112 cabinet offered by many recent amp manufacturers, check out this upcoming design from Italian-based company Alusonic. It’s housed in aircraft grade aluminium and boasts a power handling of 400 watts @ 8ohms. At the heart of the cab is a 12-inch aluminium cast frame speaker. www.alusonic.com
GRUV GEAR FUMP Behold the Gruv Gear Fump, a muting tool that slides under the strings against the bridge to recreate that old-school muted tone. It’s ideal if you like to mute the strings with your palm, as you can achieve the same effect without sacrificing the articulation of playing with your fingers. It only takes a second to slide on or off, unlike the old cut foam solution, and clips onto your strap or music stand when not in use. www.gruvgear.com
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BEATS & PIECES
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Retro GARY WILLIS www.garywillis.com Track: Change Agent Current Barcelona resident Gary Willis remains the consummate bass master, be it as a tasteful groover, impeccable soloist or fretless virtuoso, not forgetting his sizable talents as a composer and arranger. ‘’The new record is about us playing together,’ says Willis. ‘It’s not about big productions, it’s just Rhodes, bass and drums. It’s a totally different direction from what I did last time (2007’s Actual Fiction). It shows what can happen when you just make it about the interpretation of the material and how we play together.’ There’s no shortage of killer basslines and tasteful solos, yet Willis retains an experimental edge that keeps things fresh and exciting. Drummer Gergo Borlai and keyboardist Albert Bover add plenty of fireworks, embracing their funk-fusion influences – the gloves are off on the uptempo ‘Disconnectivity’ and ‘Move’, with all three burning through a labyrinth of changes and swirling solos.
Fragments SUBMOTION ORCHESTRA www.submotion.co.uk Track: Thousand Yard Stare Fragments draws heavily on a style that blends hypnotic drone tones with a unique sense of space and hook-laden melodies. ‘We wanted to stretch out a bit with this record,’ said bassist, Chris Hargreaves. ‘For me, the main idea has always been to take the production quality of dubstep and recreate that with a live bass guitar and different synth pedals. So, there are new synth textures and a few surprises as well.’ This is an album packed full of sublimely melodic moments, like the sweepingly cinematic ‘Blind Spot’, which showcases the groups expansive live sound, while the growling bass-opus, ‘Thousand Yard Stare’, reminds us that a darker side to this project lie ahead. That said, the collective sense of space steer this band effortlessly through an energised set - as well as a guest vocal courtesy of Rider Shafique – that will doubtless go down a storm at their increasingly frenetic gigs.
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Level 42’s main man lifts the lid on his hard-hitting slap technique.
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