Latest
Bass Musician Magazine’s Year of the Luthier – Marco Cortes, Marco Bass Guitars
Meet Marco Cortes of Marco Bass Guitars…
How did you get your start in music?
I started to take acoustic guitar lessons when I was 16 but after a year or smy church needed a bass player and I switched instruments from guitar to bass.
Are you still an active player?
Yes, I continue to play bass. It’s for sure one of my passions, and especially with my type of work. I play it every day, one way or another.
How did you get started as a Luthier? When did you build your first bass?
When I started to play bass, I didn’t have money to buy a good one. I was about 17 when I decided to build a bass for myself..
How did you learn the art of woodworking/Luthier? Who would you consider a Mentor?
I pretty much learned by myself. I went through several magazines, books and had to do a lot of trials and errors. In Brazil, at that time, the resources were very scarce. It was very difficult to buy tools, and I had to rely on some woodworking shops for the initial cuts. I had to do a lot of the work manually, with very few tools, which also forced me to learn how to make my own tools and develop the whole process literally from scratch. At some point, I was making everything – not only the woodworking part, but also the hardware – tuners, bridges – and that’s how I started to make my own pickups too.
How do you select the woods you choose to build with?
Usually, I select the wood by weight, species and sound. I buy it already pre-dried and finalize the drying process in my shop, kind of seasoning the wood for my specs. But I have fun in doing so. I live in an area that has beautiful types of wood, and every time I go to the suppliers, I select them personally, already envisioning the next instrument.
How about pickups? What pickups did you use in the past? What electronics do you use right now?
I make my own pickups, which helps me, since I can play with them and have a greater variety of tones.
I have used all kinds of brands in the past – EMG, Bartolini, DiMarzio, but since it was too expensive and very difficult to buy them in Brazil, when I started making basses, I had to learn to develop and make my own pickups. I guess that the difficulties at the beginning of my career forced me to learn all kinds of trades in this profession, including making pickups.
Regarding the preamps, I have also used most of the ones in the market, but recently I have been using more Noll Preamp because they are very clean, not very voiced. Because I use my own pickups, I can develop my own tones for the basses. I don’t want an overly voiced preamp as to not clash with the unique sound of my pickups, but, I am always trying out different preamps.
Who were some of the first well-known musicians who started playing your basses?
The very first one was Nico Assuncao, one of the greatest bassist in Brazil, a true legend, and Claudio Beltrami, also in Brazil.
Here in the America, one of the very first ones was Abraham Laboriel.
I’m very blessed to have a great variety of talented musicians that play with my basses, like Matt Kirkwood, Chuck Jacobs, Dwayne Mono Neon, Ariel Garcia, Chris Mercedes, Todde Funk, Nick G, Pepe Bao, Claus Nauer Reher-Langberg, Caleb Gonzales, etc., just to name a few. There are so many good players and I truly appreciate all of them for their artistry.
How do you develop a signature or custom bass for an artist?
First of all, I listen to the artist; he or she needs to be the first one to be in love with the bass, otherwise, they won’t play it. So, I try to get all the details, tones, preferences, etc., and from there, we go together in this building process, which is a partnership.
What are a few things that you are proud about your instruments and that you would consider unique in your instruments?
One thing that always concerns me the most is the action – and my basses have a really good action, but also my pickups – they are pretty unique.
Which one of the basses that you build is your favorite one?
I think my favorite one is usually the most recent I build.
But, there is a specific model, called VD (Victory Day), which is a model that I’ve put my heart and soul on it, meaning that it incorporates the best of the best that I have learned about the art of building basses all these years… all the aspects of the best characteristics from wood selection to the architecture of the construction of the blanks, how to position them with the right combination of each wood, to get the best reverberation, the best sound. Every single detail was meticulously thought through. I don’t even build them commercially, because they require a lot time and effort. I just use them to exercise and improve my techniques, and what I learn from these models, I apply in my other models, that are more commercial.
Can you give us a word of advice to young Luthiers who are just starting out?
Yes, my advice is don’t build instruments for your own taste, but listen to the musicians and what they want. However, take some time to develop your own style, exercising your creativity.
What advice would you give a young musician trying to find his perfect bass?
First of all, you need to find a bass that will be an extension of your voice as an artist. Sometimes, people go just for the looks, the visual, but you need to feel the instrument, if the action is good, if it feels comfortable and can help you to become a better artist too.
What is biggest success for you and for your company?
My biggest success is building basses that everyone else in the entire world are building, which are the classic J and P basses models. Those are my forte. They are very successful and everyone that buys one of these bases, they always come back to buy a second or third bass.
Are you preparing something new, some new model or new design?
I am always trying something new. I have that “craving” not only for continuing to improve my work, but also to continue to be creative. Right now, I am doing some basses, which are a variation of the J Bass model. I am also going back to making my own designs as well and I’m in the process of developing some signature basses for some musicians. I have an extensive line of instruments with single cuts and high-end models, however the market requires the more affordable ones.
What are your future plans?
I just want to continue to establish what I have already been doing but also having my instruments in the hands of more musicians. I also want to move forward with my line of electric guitars.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Just to thank all the musicians for all the support. I couldn’t do anything without them. In this journey of making basses, I am blessed for having made great friends. Most of my clients become friends and some I can even call part of my family too. It has been a great and rewarding ride. I enjoy what I do, but especially for being able to hang out and chat with great people from all over the world. I love what I do!
Visit online at marcobassguitars.com
Bass Videos
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes…
It is always great to meet a super busy bassist who simply exudes a love for music and his instrument. Erick “Jesus” Coomes fits this description exactly. Hailing from Southern California, “Jesus” co-founded and plays bass for Lettuce and has found his groove playing with numerous other musicians.
Join us as we hear of his musical journey, how he gets his sound, his ongoing projects, and his plans for the future.
Photo, Bob Forte
Featured Videos
Visit Online
www.lettucefunk.com
IG @jesuscsuperstar
FB@jesuscoomes
FB @lettucefunk
Bass Videos
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
“These stories from the front are with real-life, day-to-day musicians who deal with work life and gigging and how they make it work out. Each month, topics may include… the kind of gigs you get, the money, dealing with less-than-ideal rooms, as well as the gear you need to get the job done… and the list goes on from there.” – Steve the Bass Guy and Shawn Cav
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This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Check out our top 10 favorite basses on Instagram this week…
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Bass CDs
New Album: Jake Leckie, Planter of Seeds
Bassist Jake Leckie and The Guide Trio Unveil New Album Planter of Seeds,
to be released on June 7, 2024
Planter of Seeds is bassist/composer Jake Leckie’s third release as a bandleader and explores what beauty can come tomorrow from the seeds we plant today.
What are we putting in the ground? What are we building? What is the village we want to bring our children up in? At the core of the ensemble is The Guide Trio, his working band with guitarist Nadav Peled and drummer Beth Goodfellow, who played on Leckie’s second album, The Guide, a rootsy funky acoustic analog folk-jazz recording released on Ropeadope records in 2022. For Planter of Seeds, the ensemble is augmented by Cathlene Pineda (piano), Randal Fisher (tenor saxophone), and Darius Christian (trombone), who infuse freedom and soul into the already tightly established ensemble.
Eight original compositions were pristinely recorded live off the floor of Studio 3 at East West Studios in Hollywood CA, and mastered by A.T. Michael MacDonald. The cover art is by internationally acclaimed visual artist Wayne White. Whereas his previous work has been compared to Charles Mingus, and Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet with Charlie Haden, Leckie’s new collection sits comfortably between the funky odd time signatures of the Dave Holland Quintet and the modern folk-jazz of the Brian Blade Fellowship Band with a respectful nod towards the late 1950s classic recordings of Ahmad Jamal and Miles Davis.
The title track, “Planter of Seeds,” is dedicated to a close family friend, who was originally from Trinidad, and whenever she visited family or friends at their homes, without anyone knowing, she would plant seeds she kept in her pocket in their gardens, so the next season beautiful flowers would pop up. It was a small altruistic anonymous act of kindness that brought just a little more beauty into the world. The rhythm is a tribute to Ahmad Jamal, who we also lost around the same time, and whose theme song Poinciana is about a tree from the Caribbean.
“Big Sur Jade” was written on a trip Leckie took with his wife to Big Sur, CA, and is a celebration of his family and community. This swinging 5/4 blues opens with an unaccompanied bass solo, and gives an opportunity for each of the musicians to share their improvisational voices. “Clear Skies” is a cathartic up-tempo release of collective creative energies in fiery improvisational freedom. “The Aquatic Uncle” features Randal Fisher’s saxophone and is named after an Italo Calvino short story which contemplates if one can embrace the new ways while being in tune with tradition. In ancient times, before a rudder, the Starboard side of the ship was where it was steered from with a steering oar. In this meditative quartet performance, the bass is like the steering oar of the ensemble: it can control the direction of the music, and when things begin to unravel or become unhinged, a simple pedal note keeps everything grounded.
The two trio tunes on the album are proof that the establishment of his consistent working band The Guide Trio has been a fruitful collaboration. “Santa Teresa”, a bouncy samba-blues in ? time, embodies the winding streets and stairways of the bohemian neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro it is named for. The swampy drum feel on “String Song” pays homage to Levon Helm of The Band, a group where you can’t always tell who wrote the song or who the bandleader is, proving that the sum is greater than the individual parts. Early jazz reflected egalitarianism in collective improvisation, and this group dynamic is an expression of that kind of inclusivity and democracy.
“The Daughters of the Moon” rounds out the album, putting book ends on the naturalist themes. This composition is named after magical surrealist Italo Calvino’s short story about consumerism, in which a mythical modern society that values only buying shiny new things throws away the moon like it is a piece of garbage and the daughters of the moon save it and resurrect it. It’s an eco-feminist take on how women are going to save the world. Pineda’s piano outro is a hauntingly beautiful lunar voyage, blinding us with love. Leckie dedicates this song to his daughter: “My hope is that my daughter becomes a daughter of the moon, helping to make the world a more beautiful and verdant place to live.”
Bass CDs
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler
In a thrilling solo debut, bassist Nate Sabat combines instrumental virtuosity with a songwriter’s heart on Bass Fiddler…
The upright bass and the human voice. Two essential musical instruments, one with roots in 15th century Europe, the other as old as humanity itself.
On Bass Fiddler (Adhyâropa Records ÂR00057), the debut album from Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and bass virtuoso Nate Sabat, the scope is narrowed down a bit. Drawing from the rich and thriving tradition of American folk music, Sabat delivers expertly crafted original songs and choice covers with the upright bass as his lone tool for accompaniment.
The concept was born a decade ago when Sabat began studying with the legendary old-time fiddler Bruce Molsky at Berklee College of Music. “One of Bruce’s specialties is singing and playing fiddle at the same time. The second I heard it I was hooked,” recalls Sabat. “I thought, how can I do this on the bass?” From there, he was off to the races, arranging original and traditional material with Molsky as his guide. “Fast forward to 2020, and I — like so many other musicians — was thinking of how to best spend my time. I sat down with the goal of writing some new songs and arranging some new covers, and an entire record came out.” When the time came to make the album, it was evident that Molsky would be the ideal producer. Sabat asked him if he’d be interested, and luckily he was. “What an inspiration to work with an artist like Nate,” says Molsky. “Right at the beginning, he came to this project with a strong, personal and unique vision. Plus he had the guts to try for a complete and compelling cycle of music with nothing but a bass and a voice. You’ll hear right away that it’s engaging, sometimes serious, sometimes fun, and beautifully thought out from top to bottom.”
While this record is, at its core, a folk music album, Sabat uses the term broadly. Some tracks lean more rock (‘In the Shade’), some more pop (‘White Marble’, ‘Rabid Thoughts’), some more jazz (‘Fade Away’), but the setting ties them all together. “There’s something inherently folksy about a musician singing songs with their instrument, no matter the influences behind the compositions themselves,” Sabat notes. To be sure, there are plenty of folk songs (‘Louise’ ‘Sometimes’, ‘Eli’) and fiddling (‘Year of the Ox’) to be had here — the folk music fan won’t go hungry. There’s a healthy dose of bluegrass too (‘Orphan Annie’, ‘Lonesome Night’), clean and simple, the way Mr. Bill Monroe intended.
All in all, this album shines a light on an instrument that often goes overlooked in the folk music world, enveloping the listener in its myriad sounds, textures, and colors. “There’s nothing I love more than playing the upright bass,” exclaims Sabat. “My hope is that listeners take the time to sit with this album front to back — I want them to take in the full scope of the work. I have a feeling they’ll hear something they haven’t heard before.”
Available online at natesabat.bandcamp.com/album/walking-away
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
New Gear: Spector Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II
New Gear: The Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler
