Hey Mark! Have you tested the Gallien-Krueger MB115-II 200w 1X15 Ultralight Bass Combo Amp? I need a new amp and this one looks amazing and it's not that expensive... Also do you think it's better to get a head and a cab or do you like combo amps too. I will use it to study at home only!

May 05, 2014

I have not tried that one. I'd recommend doing can and head versus combo; gives you more freedom to try different combinations of each versus being exclusive to whatever the combo has. Also easier to repair if anything happens since they're separate.

Mark, I just purchased the GK1001RB and The Neo 410. So far everything is set flat and really doesn't sound that bad! But still, is there any chance you can give me your settings so I can use it as a benchmark?

May 04, 2014

Here you go! Just remember that the bass will be more of a variable to the sound than the settings will be, by far. So what works for me may not work for you. Good luck!

Mark I just purchased the GK1001RB and The Neo 410 So far everything is set flat

you are awesome... no need to question that!

Scott Fernandez

May 04, 2014

Whoa...thanks Scott! *_* - you're one of few that got me into extended range bass playing!

Liked by: Scott Fernandez

Hey Mark! I will buy Gallien-Krueger MB 500 500 Watt Bass Amplifier Head since I saw that you got the 800W version. What kind of cab do you recommend me for that model? I want a GK cab too. Greetings from Colombia, hope to see you playing on South America someday!

May 03, 2014

Great choice! You won't be disappointed. I'd recommend the one I use, the NEO 4x10. It's been perfectly suitable for any live setting I've ever been in, and the NEO series are extremely lightweight compared to their other cabs. Any of the NEO ones would be great, even the 2x10/2x12. And of course, definitely hope to play in South America soon!

What is your favorite band?

Slipknot †

May 02, 2014

My Top 10 Artists list constantly changes, but as far as all-time favorite, timelessly, will always be either Metallica or Dream Theater. Both of those bands just hit me the right way at the right time growing up and while I was getting into playing music. Both are totally responsible for what I'm doing today.

Liked by: Rick Thatcher DJ Shilajit Das Mahapatra Guillermo Jurado

Why don't you create a Twitter account?

May 02, 2014

The band has one already and it's just another thing for me to keep up with. I may one day still, we'll see.

what do you think of dingwall basses? especially that they have 37" scale on B string :D

May 02, 2014

Pretty awesome, one of my students had one at an on-tour lesson, the fanned frets felt surprisingly natural!

Liked by: Rick Thatcher

could your sight reading for bass book be applied to guitar? or is it heavily tailored to basses?

May 02, 2014

Technically you could I guess, but it's written all for bass clef so obviously bass is what it's meant for.

What will be different about your new custom Warwick, compared to your thumb?

April 30, 2014

That fact that it will be a custom bass and not a stock model bass. Tee heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee heeee! But seriously, almost everything as far aesthetics go, spec-wise, the same.

Liked by: Guillermo Jurado

What's your opinion on the state of the music industry, first-hand?

April 30, 2014

It's changing quicker than ever, and those who don't embrace the changes and strive to stay a few steps ahead will be left in the dust. I think the constant griping from musicians about not making money from album sales is just a waste of time; with new streaming services and record sales across the industry at an all-time-low, it's not going to change any time soon. Your music should now be looked at as your business card, and your live show should be the product. As abundant as bootleg YouTube videos and live albums are, you will never quite be able to cheat the experience of being physically at a live concert, which I think will always be a fine line that can't be crossed. You also can't download t-shirts and other tangible merchandise, so this is what keeps bands going and always will.

Liked by: Clay Lindstrom Mitch Baker Slipknot †

Any love for Ryan Martinie of Mudvayne? Your playing reminds me a lot of his (meant as a compliment!) with the jazz influence aggressively and tastefully mixed in. He's a Warwick Thumb player as well if I'm not mistaken.

April 30, 2014

Cool! He's a killer, very innovative player for sure. Before I really played bass and knew much about tone, I always thought his was so unique, come to find out he plays the bass I have now!

will you be posting any more videos soon? lessons, play-throughs, etc.

April 29, 2014

Yes, huge agenda planned with videos I'll be putting into action the rest of the year. I would have started already but Chris went surfing in Cozumel with my GoPro and I forgot to put it in the waterproof casing before he went in the water and it ruined it. Currently waiting on a new one to arrive. That was my idiot moment of 2014.

any plans for a custom bass through Warwick?

April 29, 2014

Yes, I finalized my specs for a custom shop 6-string a few weeks ago and it's in production now! Not sure if this is real life still!

Liked by: Rick Thatcher Kabloogadie

what made you choose Gallien-kreuger amps and cabs? I don't see a lot of rock/metal guys playing these brand

April 29, 2014

I used to be an avid poster at TalkBass forums (still am occasionally), and they received lots of praise over there. I was upgrading from "practice amp" to "real amp rig" status back in 2009, and my (at the time) girlfriend got wind of it and got me that as a present (GK amp + cab...same cab I still use today). I just sort of dove into something I had never played and learned to love it. However, over the years, I've tried so many other brands and none of them really stick with me like GK has. I've played tons of killer, legit Ampeg rigs and I just don't dig the sound, just sounds kind of muffled like it's in the other room with the door shut, where the GK sounds like it's right next to me. Just has a certain type of "hot" quality with a quick response from the full EQ spectrum. A little bit of bite, can't really put my finger on it. I've loved them and stuck with them for the last 5 years exclusively.

My kid wants to learn bass. Please give me some tips on getting started (bass types/costs/books/lessons).

April 29, 2014

There is a lot of value in having someone who has never played before starting lessons immediately when first learning the instrument; not necessarily just to learn what to do, but also to learn what not to do. I see tons of students who are self-taught coming to me with very flawed technique, in the sense that it can lead to injury later down the road (even though they may already be fantastic players). Lessons this early on will help set the player down the right path and develop healthy practice and technique habits. Books are great for students who may have irregular schedules and may not be able to commit to consistent, scheduled lessons. This will allow them to work at their own pace. This is the exact reason I decided to release my books. As far as the instrument, in my experience, new players who have a GOOD quality instrument are more likely to want to practice and play. It's a psychological thing.

Liked by: Yaresh-Bartholomeus Soekhlal

Hey Mark, huge fan of you and your playing, I caught you guys in Seattle on your last tour, you guys are insane live. I have to ask, what's it like touring as often as you guys do, being away from home for so long? I dream of doing that with my band some day.

April 28, 2014

Every career field has pros and cons, and touring's biggest con is obviously being away from home and family for a greater part of the year (in the last 12 months I've been on tour for over 6 of them) - but touring comes with a rewarding "pro" of being able to do what you love each night, and to make others' nights great when they come to see you play. It's a balance, and a give-and-take. I worked a warehouse job driving forklifts and unloading 18-wheelers for 3 years before I joined the band; yeah, I got to see my family each day, but was exhausted, dirty, and beat by the end on many days, so my time at home was not really that quality when I finally got home; I just wanted to sleep! Whether it's 40 hours a week at a job like that or a full month gone then a full 2 months at home, I feel it evens out at the end of the equation. Things like Skype and Facetime make it much more manageable, and you just have to do your best to not let that part of your life go on standby and ensure that you nourish it as often as possible. It's also a feat in itself to be on tour for 5-6 weeks and come home and have to completely flip a switch back to another lifestyle, takes a few days to get back into each time, going and leaving. Always work to keep a nice balance and consistency between both.

Hi Mark! I was wondering whether you have any experience with Jazz or Blues? I'm thinking of trying to learn some but don't know how to walk a bassline without it sounding like a scale run.

April 28, 2014

Yeah! I played in the jazz band in high school for 4 years and 3 in college, probably the biggest contributor to my playing experience today, and unbelievably fun during those years. Playing those genres make you learn about your instrument quicker than ever, while teaching you the essentials of improvising, theory, and really forcing you to tune in to every other musician in the band or else you'll be left in the dust.

Walking basslines ARE scales, it's all about arranging the notes to just sound like melodies. It's an interesting challenge, make melodies out of quarter notes. The trick is the stay away from constantly doing arpeggios (sounds way too choppy in the composition) and staying away from just running scales; find a good blend of both. Use intervals and repeating motifs, change the range of the basslines frequently. It's hard to really give you a universal instruction on this, as it strongly depends on the song obviously.

what's your reason for liking Warwick so much? thinking about biting the bullet and getting one myself just because they look amazing

April 27, 2014

Warwick has been a dream company of mine for many years, and finally bit the bullet myself and bought a used FNA Jazzman 4-string 3 years ago. I fell in love with everything about it; tone, feel, aesthetics, etc. I kept the Thumb bass on my bucketlist to own, and now that I do, it's everything the FNA bass had times 10. Seriously a perfect bass, and that alone inspires me to play more. Warwicks not only have a very specific look, but tone as well, and it works incredibly well for the type of music I play. The bass plays itself.

Greek or Indian?

April 26, 2014

Food? Greek.

Liked by: J 'Fanny Surya Ekananda'

Plenty of cats name the "big ones" when listing influences or favorite bassists (Wooten, Miller, Lee, Manring, Hamm, Pastorius, Jamerson, McCartney, etc). Any unconventional influences or favorites of yours that few people would know? (Mine's David J Haskins of Bauhaus)

April 25, 2014

Probably my favorite one is Joe Osborn, he's probably one of the most recorded session bassists in history but hardly anyone really knows about him. Many timeless, classic songs from the 70's or so and forward he is playing on. Check out "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" by 5th Dimension, or Ventura Highway by America...all classic songs. He has such a signature tone and style, and he is a huge influence because he always plays basslines that stand on their own and don't really follow anything in the music more often than not. They're just so prominent in the mix and really draw you in. He uses 15 year old strings (never changes them) and a pick, such a signature tone in my opinion. Some other great ones would be Carol Kaye, Gabe Nelson from Cake (talk about killer lines), Mic Todd (previous Coheed bassist, another example of great, prominent lines that are simple but so musical). Everyone I just named are top notch when it comes to basslines that are 100% the best notes at the best times, that to me is a new revelation with bass playing that I've been working to hone. I find that to be harder than any other aspect, as the bass has to glue the whole band together and technically has the biggest responsibility on the feel of the piece, in my as-unbiased-as-possible opinion.

Liked by: J

The fretsless change a lot the sound?

April 25, 2014

Fretless basses are awesome, and I could shoot myself for selling my last one, because I have recently had so much need for it and miss playing it. I will for sure be getting another one sooner than later hopefully, because you just can't mimic that fretless sound on a fretted bass at all. It's really something else!

Liked by: Kabloogadie

i see you have a few instructional books out...what made you decide to release books like that? i don't see many people in bands doing that these days

April 25, 2014

Books are an extension of my private lessons basically, and just meet the demand for people who are looking to learn bass (whether in general or from me specifically) but don't have the time or money for regular, recurring lessons. Sometimes their schedules are irregular and can't attend weekly lessons at the same time, whether it be work or what not, and just want to practice when they can on their own time. There are usually more people in this situation than not, so it was definitely something to consider.

what do you think about DR.Neon strings?

April 25, 2014

Don't think I've tried them! Used to play the Hi-Beams for awhile many years ago, had a nice tone for sure!

do you or any of the STS guys have side day jobs when not on tour? is it possible to do music only at your point?

April 25, 2014

No, I'm at the point where I do music full-time as a career an am able to make a living from it. It's very possible, it's really just a matter of how hard you're willing to work. I think someone just asked Chris on his Ask.FM this...the music industry is about having your hand in as many pies as possible. Just like he said, I'll say the same...I teach lessons, tour, have merchandise from the band, session work, and biggest of all, my instructional and tab books. It's really no different than starting a small business as an entrepreneur, with you and your name being the product. Perfect analogy. It's been many years of gradually building it. Before I joined STS I was still pushing to this goal, working hard, making videos, networking myself, etc.

Hey man, I'm looking to buy a 6 string bass. Is a Warwick thumb pro series or something worth the extra money over, say, a Spector legend 6? I've also been considering purchasing a carvin bass, have you any experience with carvin basses?

April 25, 2014

Most definitely. Instruments are always a fact of "you get what you pay for", and I've found that people tend to be more inspired and practice more when owning nicer gear; it's a psychological thing. I've owned a Pro Series Warwick years ago, just as good as the one I have now!

Mark Michell

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