COLUMNS:

Metal Bass Tactics

By: Ryan Trujillo

As the NorCal BASSIX column section continues to grow, we've decided to expand in various musical directions in order to provide bassists of all genres information and tips of the trade. We've enlisted Ryan Trujillo as our resident metal columnist. Ryan Trujillo is a bassist in the forefront of the northern California metal scene. Stay tuned to NorCal BASSIX for a series of columns focusing on metal bass.  

 To start with the basics, even the best bass players understand their role and can stick to the root note to keep the song moving along. Many bass players have made careers out of keeping to the basics, and a good player should be able to keep in mind that less can be more given the right situation. One of my favorite examples of stripped down bass playing is Bob Daisley’s bass line during the verse of Ozzy’s “I Don’t Know”. The pulsing eighth notes on every down beat give the song such a driving force without the addition of any flair. And as an added bonus, since he never moves too far from the root note, he gives Randy Rhoads all kinds of freedom as a lead player to do his job. (Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM_faP33xmE) It seems as though many of the players I meet these days seem to ignore the basics and try too hard to skip ahead to more extreme playing, without ever learning how to lay down the foundation of the music by holding a simple groove with a drummer. 

 

Finger picking vs. Pick style bass
by Brad Smith 
　 When I was still a beginner on the bass I would often be forced to use a pick especially in a live situation. Live gigs demand good tone. Before my fingers were strong enough, and my fingering technique wasn't yet up to par, a pick was usually the perfect choice. Not only does a pick make it easy on your fingers, but you can also get a really unique tone that tends to cut through the mix in many situations. Because you are using plastic touching metal, you tend to get a brighter and punchier tone. Depending where you strike the pick to the string, more towards the neck or closer to the bridge or even right in the middle, each location is going to produce a noticeably different tone. Even the angle that you hold the pick to the string will alter the tone. Somehow I got the idea in my mind that pick style bass wasn't cool and that it was frowned upon by some bassists. Now I have come to realize that many great bassists use a pick from time to time: Phil Lesh, Mike Gordon, Bobby Vega, Stu Hamm, Chris Squire and many others. Pick style bass is a very valid and helpful technique to keep in your toolbox. There are many different types of picks to choose from. I prefer the medium to larger size picks, just because you have more to hold on to. The best thing for you to do in selecting the proper pic is just to try different varieties and see which one feels right for you. So if you haven't explored the picking style on your bass, I highly recommend checking it out. You will be amazed at all the different tones that you will discover.

NorCal BASSIX visits Joe Zon of ZON Guitars

i-con/noun/ A person or thing regarded as a representative symbol of something

"A True Bass Icon"

 

In 1981, Joe Zon created ZON Guitars. Using composite and graphite necks in conjunction with exotic woods, ZON Guitars has blazed a path in the bass world as we know it. Not to mention the use of laser pickup technology, Hipshot Bass Xtenders and a choice of body styles suitable for any bassists liking. After spending years repairing basses, Joe Zon has developed a masters level of knowledge in bass design.

Joe Zon and Mark Gullo were kind enough to let us hang out with them at ZON Guitars which is located in Redwood City CA. Anytime I've been given the opportunity to visit a bass manufacturer, I always wonder what I'll see. Is it one man in a wood shop sorrounded by piles of sawdust or an assembly line of machines kicking out basses by the hour. In touring ZON Guitars, I was surprised at the amount of hands on building put into each ZON bass."Over 40 hours of sanding on each bass." says Zon.

The ability to manufacture instruments of ZON quality from one location is impressive. Not only with the woodworking aspect, but the circuitry installation, painting, set up, fretwork and composite necks are also made and sculpted at ZON Guitars. With decades of building and designing state of the art instruments, Joe Zon still looks to create ground breaking instruments to fill every players needs.  

ZON Guitars offers 5 body styles. The Mosaic, Sonus, Legacy, Vinnie (a headless design)and of course the Hyperbass designed with Michael Manring. All of these available in virtually any wood combination. As I've mentioned before, having a balanced bass is very important. Everyone of the ZON body styles balanced perfectly. The combination of composite necks, exotic woods and custom pickups makes for a wonderful, even sounding instrument.  With the addition of the standard series, ZON Guitars offer the Mosaic, Sonus and Legacy models at a lower price point. I can assure you that a lower price does not mean lower quality. Check out the review section for more info.

As we sat in the demo room at ZON Guitars, Joe spoke with us about his approach to building and designing basses with the player in mind."Each of our basses has it's own personality, which allows each player to choose his sound". As Joe was kind enough to let me handle a collection of basses that would make any bassist cry....I couldn't believe how many tones were available in each instrument. The composite necks are unbelievably smooth on the entire neck, yet still hold a great wood tone. No synthetic sounding tones, and all harmonics are true and brilliant. Playing a bass unplugged can really give you an idea of the sustain and resonance. Plugging a ZON Sonus composite 5 string into a stack is something that will change your entire outlook on bass.

As the direction of bass as an instrument is forever evolving, I often wonder what will come up next. Regardless... I'm sure that Joe Zon and the guys at ZON Guitars will continue pushing the envelope in bass design.  On behalf of NorCal BASSIX, I'd like to present Joe Zon as a true "Bass Icon" for his contribution to the BASS WORLD.

 

Michael Manring Masterclass

A very small group of true bass enthusiasts were treated to a masterclass by the one and only Michael Manring at the NorCal BASSIX Demo room. Manring started off the session with a mind blowing set featuring two versions of his signature ZON hyperbass as well as a "Vinnie" ZON bass. The Hyperbass features 4 Hipshot D-tuners as well as an adjustable bridge which provides and endless amount of tunings. Not to mention a fretless triple octave neck. Manring answered questions ranging from his equipment and playing techniques to his choice of music and playing history.

  

Being able to see Manring perform in a small venue is something I would highly recommend. Michael Manring can be seen performing virtually all over the world. Italy, France, Finland and even Redding Ca. Videos of the Manring performance will be posted to NorCal BASSIX T.V. thanks again to ConArtistE Publications.