THE OBLIGATORY GEAR PAGE

BASSES

• Cort Curbow six string - My main fretted bass these days. This is a great bass to play. After playing the Washburn for so long, it took me a while to get used to. The sound is very consistent from the open low B right up to the 25th ( yes, 25th!!) fret on the top C string. It has a Bartolini humbucker and 3 band EQ plus a "slap switch" which gives you an instant bass and treble boost.

• NS Wav electric upright - My lovely "pretend double bass". Bought in Oct 2007 and used on various jazz gigs since. It's got a great double bass tone, even with a bow, and also a pretty nice modern fretless tone which is great for ballads.

• Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass - My main four string bass (for gigs where a six string isn't required or appropriate). I love the look of maple neck/block inlay 70s Jazzes but as I mainly play six string have never been able to justify paying huge amounts for one (especially as 70s Fenders can be a bit hit and miss), so I was intrigued when I saw that Squier had brought out a version. I know some people write off Squiers as Fender's poor relations, but they have come out with some great instruments, this being one of them. It looks great and the sound is great too, from a really dubby neck pickup/tone on zero thud to the Jaco back pickup tone and a great slap sound.

• Washburn MB6 six string - My main bass for many years, and now defretted by Cranes Music in Cardiff. It's fairly battered and worn (the mark above the rear pick up in the close up shot is where my thumb nail has worn a hole in the body) but incredibly comfortable to play. I bought it about nine years ago when I was looking to replace my long standing four string.I was considering a five string and I saw this second hand so I thought "if I'm going to get used to one extra string I might as well get used to two" and so my battle with six strings began.
  Structurally and mechnically it's original but the electrics have been changed out of necessity when the original circuit died. The main difference is that the old circuit had a toggle switch for the pick ups and the new one has a pan control which allows a wider range of sounds. I've also had a pull pot installed for the treble control which allows me to bypass the active circuit altogether ( very handy when I forget to change the battery).

• Alden Violin Bass- These basses get a bit of an indifferent review from a lot of players but I must have got lucky with this one as it sounds and plays really nicely.It only has a 30 1/2" scale and, now I've restrung it with "Beatle Bass" flatwounds, it has a great 60's style sound. Recordings and pics hopefully coming soon

• DeArmond Ashbory - This bass is a real oddball - 18" scale length, fretless and rubber strings ( and dubbed "The Electric Radish" by sax player Alan Barnes).The sound is similar to an electric upright and it's a great alternative to carrying a real upright.I use it on quite a few gigs and I've had a lot of positive comments about the tone ( once they've stopped laughing at its appearance that is).The intonation is a little tricky as the notes are so close together, but it is such fun to play. The only downside is that the G string has a tendency of snapping very quickly and DeArmond don't sell individual strings. This problem has been made easier since I discovered Mike Tavener who can supply the G string by the metre (enough for four strings). He's UK based and dispatches very quickly,contact him for prices.

• Aria MAB10 Fretless - A more sensibly proportioned fretless than the Ashbory. This is a really nice bass but has recently been overshadowed by the Ashbory and Washburn for fretless work.It still sounds great and is used on "Moon On The Water" on Panic Room's "Visionary POsition"
  This bass has a fair number of scars after a keyboard riser ( complete with keyboards and keyboard player) fell on it several years ago.

• Aria SLB2 - my first bass (apart from a Marlin Sidewinder which only worked for about a month) and still sounding great.In fact it was only replaced by the MAB10 because I became paranoid about taking it on the road.

STRINGS

AMPS

EFFECTS

• Ibanez PD7 Phathead distortion- the best bass distortion I've found.Covers everything from slight edginess through Chris Squire to out and out death metal.Also has great basic EQ so you don't lose any bottom end.
  
  
• Electroharmonix MIcro-POG - a great new pedal that allows you to blend your direct signal with a signal an octave above and/or below. Used live with Panic Room for "Endgame" to give a huge John Paul Jones like 8-string bass sound.
  
  
• Zoom B2.1u multi-effects - a fantastic, and amazingly affordable, multi effects unit.
  
  
• Danelectro Backtalk Reverse Delay - wacky backwards echoes.Not always practical but great nonetheless.
  
  
• EBS Multicomp compressor - a fantastically subtle compressor