Dave Ellefson at the Mayhem Festival, Pittsburgh PA July 2011

There were many bass players that influenced me as a young player growing up in the 80′s, but few who could stand the test of time. Of of those few is David Ellefson, bassist for Megadeth. From the instantly recognizable opening riff of “Peace Sells”  and the rhythmic battery of “Holy Wars, The punishment due”, to the relentless driving bass lines on Megadeth’s latest release “Thirteen” David Ellefson has more than stood the test of time, he has left a permanent mark on the metal world.  Like any true artist however, Dave’s reach extends beyond Metal and Music and is extending into new territory. We recently caught up with Dave to ask him a few questions about his latest endeavors. Here is what he had to say:

Megadeth has been busy supporting their latest release, “Thirteen” first with “Gigantour” and now with Rob Zombie. How has the tour been going and where is Megadeth headed next?

In June we head to Europe for festivals and some headlining shows along the way, too. We are also announcing dates for South America in September as well. That trek will feature the band performing live for the first time, the ‘Countdown To Extinction’ album in it’s entirety.

You have a very distinctive Bass sound that is almost instantly recognizable. What goes into achieving this sound live?

I must say, it is really in the hands! A lot of it is me using a pick and how I strike the strings with my right hand, as well as the muting that I do with the palm on that hand, too. I play up on my fingertips on the fingerboard, as the less skin that touches the strings produces a very clean and unobstructed tone. From there, I’ve found a great combination in Jackson bass guitars, Hartke amplification and speaker cabs with my SIT nickel wound signature strings and Jim Dunlop tortex picks. First I hear the tone, then seek out the pieces of gear that best compliment what I’m hearing…and those components do the trick for me.

What led to your return to Jackson basses?
When we set out to do the 20th Anniversary ‘Rust In Peace’ tour I wanted to have the exact look and sound of that album for the fans to really take it all in.  I wanted the same clothing style, wrist bands, basses, amps…everything! To me, that was a trip down memory lane for the long time fans and a great way for the younger fans to experience the majesty of Thrash Metal from that era for the first time, too. The Jackson basses are the best they’ve ever been now that they are made in the USA Custom Shop in Fender’s facility in Corona, California. The same luthier who built my original Jackson basses still works for the company, so he knows my style and preferences yet, guitar-manufacturing technology has progressed a lot since those earlier days and we can now harness those features, too. It’s like the ‘best of the best’ for me at this point to create the ultimate Thrash bass.

Is there anything in particular you do to keep your chops up while touring?
I try to warm up slowly each day, just running through random little lines to start. From there, we usually run through the entire set list back stage before each show so we are fresh with the songs each day. We change up the song list each night so it’s a good way to keep musical camaraderie within the band, too.

You did an instructional video for www.rockhousemethod.com, do you have any plans to do any other videos?
I actually just did a video teaching series for www.jamplay.com. That should be live sometime this summer.

Your latest venture is your own iPad app that was designed in conjunction with Pocketlabworks. How did this partnership come about and what was your goal in creating this app?
They sent me one of their iPad/iPhone interfaces to try with a simpler version of guitar amp software they already had at that time. I really liked it because it allows you to simply plug your guitar/bass and headphones right into their App and start playing your instrument, much like you would with a stand-alone guitar amp device.

They really liked my “Rock Shop” teaching videos so we discussed a way to brand an App accordingly. My “Rock Shop” App allows you to not only plug and play some great bass and guitar tones but also bring my Rock Shop You Tube videos right into the App, too. I think we really created a cool all inclusive App for musicians of any level to be able to practice and play from anywhere, be it at home, in a hotel room, back stage, studio and so on.  That’s how I roll so I wanted something that could work for beginners and professionals alike.

How did you choose the sound set ups for this app?
I’m always asked “how can I get your bass tone?”. So, when you first plug in to the bass part to the App you are automatically dialed in to my exact tone from about circa 1988-93….a classic Thrash metal bass tone.  From there, you can tweak the parameters to your own liking, and to any style of music and bass tone. On the guitar amp side, I thought of the presets I normally default to when playing guitar; clean with some effects, dirty hard rock and then full on distorted metal sounds, too. So, we included those basic tones with parameters that can be tweaked to the user’s liking.

One of the best features of this app is the Song Trainer. It has one of the best sounding speed and pitch controls that I have ever heard. What led to the inclusion and development of this feature?
I think all practicing musicians are continually challenged with learning new songs, solos, etc. So, rather than having to leave the App to do this, we thought we should make it an all-inclusive mobile practice studio.  This meant including the tools that are useful for any musician to really wood shed So, we designed it so you can access your iTunes music library and bring songs right to you inside the App. We created a speed control to slow down songs without changing the pitch. We also included a pitch shift so don’t have to keep tuning your instrument to a song in a different tuning.  Then, there’s the looper, which allows you to grab sections of songs so you can woodshed on them without having to manually go back to the section you want to work on in the song.  Once in the looper you can also change the speed and the pitch, if desired, too.

Are there any future feature upgrades to this app planned?
Yes, there is an update coming next week that will feature a brand new guitar and bass tuner right inside the app. Also, there will be hip new feature to allow the user to run the App in ‘background audio mode’ taking full advantage of the multi-tasking features in Apple’s iOS 5.   What that means is that you can now open up other Apps like tablature to practice right inside the App. So, you can access other Apps like Ultimate-Guitar Tabs or iRealbook, which offer amazing tablature for all types of music from rock to jazz and more.

You are an artist that stays very busy, from this latest app to your self published book you have a lot of projects going on. What’s next for you?

I’m just now finishing the audio version of the “Unsung” Words & Images book to place it online in iTunes, etc. It will feature me, and several guests, reading the lyrics and editorial of the book in spoken word. I aim to have a PDF of the book’s lyrics and images downloadable as part of the purchase, the same way you would download the sleeve of a CD booklet.

More than anything, I’m just enjoying the creative journey. To wake up and be inspired is a great thing and all of my endeavors are just letting that energy flow through me. Hopefully, these works and projects inspire others, too.  For me, that is a good day indeed!

It’s been a while since my last episode, but I am Back! Episode Seven features Paul Hanson, Boss Clinician and host of Boss Tone Radio.  Paul is a true musician. He understands and applies music theory, writes and records his own music, and he has amassed a backlog of stories! In one of the most interesting interviews featured on our show yet, Paul talks with us about a variety of topics from working as a guitar coach on the movie “Back To The Future” to the column he wrote for Boss and Guitar World Magazine called “The Pedals That Make The Tone“. Paul was once an instructor for GIT (Musicians Institute for those of you who were not guitar players in the 80′s like me) and has worked with and influenced a lot of the players we know today. Paul also writes and records his own music, the latest of which is available for free on CDBaby.com.

Need your Rock and Metal Fix? Don’t forget to visit www.castironring.com to get the best Rock and Metal shows the net has to offer!

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Zoom H2n

Happy Cyber Monday! I know I am not the first person to offer a holiday gift guide, but I plan on approaching it from a slightly different angle. For starters, ask your self a few questions about the guitarist on your Christmas list. Are they in an active band? What Kind of music do they like to play? Do you ever listen to them and think “That is just noise!”? Are they more traditional? Would you consider them “Artistic”?

Answering these questions will point you on the right track to finding the perfect gift for the guitarist on your list. To help the decision making along a little more I have a few suggestions based on the questions above.

Capturing Ideas -

If the guitarist on your list is in an active band, almost anything from strings and picks

Zoom Q3 HD

to a new guitar strap would be a great gift. But let’s look at this from a different point of view. To be a successful band you need to have great songs and a rabid fan base, so how about a way to record your ideas? Two suggestions come to mind for this. The Zoom H2n audio recorder and The Zoom Q3HD Video recorder.

When you have a band, the best way to improve and write more material is to record yourself. The Zoom H2n is around $199 at most retailers is an updated version the Zoom H2. It is easy to use and has great mics. I use mine to capture ideas on my acoustic or electric guitar. What I have learned to do is talk through what I am doing and how I am playing it so when I listen back, I can reproduce what I recorded. Another way I use the H2 is to record face to face interviews for my podcast. Since the Zoom has multiple mics, you can set it to record from both the front and back mics at the same time and set the reorder between the people who are talking. Once you have your recording you can easily transfer it to your computer (Mac or PC) via USB.

The Zoom Q3HD has the same great audio recording that the H2n offers PLUS it adds HD Video. Street price is normally $299. The bonus to this unit is that you can shut off the video and use it just as an audio recorder. I used one recently to record some video at a guitar show. You can see the videos on my YouTube Channel.

Creative Ideas -

A new piece of gear can sometimes stimulate the creative process for a musician, even

Spider Capo

a small one. A couple years ago I discovered a few special capos that let you get more than the standard capo. One that I really Enjoyed is the Spider Capo. The Spider Capo retails for around $30, which is pricey for most capos, but not for this one. What the Spider lets you do is Capo individual strings in any combination. Think of it as being able to re-tune your guitar on the fly. Add in some open tunings and the possibilities are endless.

Another capo that I found unique was Bob Kilgore’s Harmonic Capo. What this capo does is play a constant harmonic at the 12th fret. Musically it adds a great ambiance to what you are playing. At $34.95, it is again more than a regular capo, but for what it does musically it is worth adding to the capo collection.

Make Some Noise -

If you have a musician on your list that makes music that sounds more like “noise” to

Boss Feedbacker/Booster

you than music, then a new effects pedal would make a great gift. Boss recently introduced a new pedal that will let you add feedback to your sound at any time called the Feedbacker/Booster (FB-2). I am really happy to see this pedal come to market. The last pedal like this was the DF-2, Super Distortion Feedbacker back in the 80′s. I am on a quest to find one, and the FB-2 just might delay that quest.

For some serious noise and tones that no one will be able to duplicate look to Death By Audio. Death by audio came to my attention through a Guitar World article a few years ago. These pedals are custom made and very unique. Take some time to explore the site and listen to the demos to find that perfect pedal. These pedals are at the top of my wish list.

The Every Day Gift -

My last gift idea is a twist on something that guitarists use every day, the guitar pick. Why not do something unique and get the guitarist on your list their own custom guitar picks from Clayton Custom. A buddy of mine at work ordered custom picks to announce the birth of his son, which I though was a pretty cool idea. You can do everything from simple text to custom graphics.

Happy Holiday Shopping!

How The Fender Bass Changed The World

If you are a regular reader of this blog then you probably already know that 2011 is the anniversary of the Fender Precision Bass. You probably also know that I am bass player and have been playing a Fender P-bass since 1985. With those two facts in mind it probably won’t surprise you that in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Fender P-bass I decided to read author Jim Roberts book “How The Fender Bass Changed The World“.

Jim Roberts is name well known in the bass playing community mostly for the fact that he was the editor of what was at one time the only publication of it’s kind: Bass Player Magazine. The book was copyrighted in 2001, and despite that fact it still remains remarkably relevant. Jim opens the book up with a pre-history of the electric bass, which nicely frames just how important Leo Fender’s invention really was. It also points out that contrary to popular belief, Leo Fender did not build the first electric bass. Leo did however build the first commercially successful electric bass. And as Jim points out, he changed the world with that success.

Until I read this book there were a lot of things I took for granite. For example, I thought that the electric bass has the same long illustrious history as the electric guitar. I did not realize that by the time I picked a P-bass for the first time, the instrument itself was really only 23 years old itself. Which also means that the people teaching me to play, were still learning the instruments capabilities themselves. I also took for granite the freedom I had with the bass, both in a physical sense and a melodic sense.

The book did a great job of tying in the cultural events of each decade that paralleled the development of the electric bass. It did such a great job of breaking down the development of the bass that I have found myself listening to the 5o’s, 60′s, 70′s and 80′s channels on XM and comparing the bass lines. I have heard a majority of the music featured on those channels before, but I never noticed how different the bass sounded in each decade until now. By the end of the 50′s it is almost like a switch was thrown. The bass was all of the sudden in the foreground.

Jim also points out how a lot of the breakthroughs in  electric bass playing were actually made by upright bass players who made the jump to electric because of the freedom of the instrument. One of the most notable players being James Jamerson, who played on countless Motown recordings. His bass lines are infamous among bass players and have been studied the world over.

On thing that fell Jim did not explore was the impact that the Fender bass had on upright players. In the early days of the electric bass Jim talked about how a lot of upright players made the jump to electric. They made the jump because they saw the electric as a more versatile instrument. Something I have noticed in the last two decades is electric players taking those electric techniques (ironically enough, techniques inspired and created by the first upright gone electric players) back to the upright bass. Take for Example Mike Silverman, AKA “That One Guy“. He is an upright Jazz bassists who evolved his instrument to a two string almost sculpture like instrument. A very ELECTRIC instrument. Mike Silverman has been very influenced by the electric players of our time, and he carried that influence into the Magic Pipe.

The bottom line is that this book is a must read for any bassist. It provides a music history lesson as well as an insight into how the instrument has developed over the years. Anyone who plays bass, guitar, or just enjoys the pop music of the last 4 decades will thoroughly enjoy this book.