Latest
Bass Musician Magazine’s Year of the Luthier – Pete Skjold, Skjold Design Guitars
Skjoldslayer with Ramp system, Part of the Classic series
Meet Pete Skjold of Skjold Design Guitars
How did you get your start in music?
I started playing acoustic guitar at age 13 but because it was not a very good guitar (the action was very high) I was able to develop finger strength that later helped me play bass. I had a dream when I was 16 and when I woke up, I was told to play bass, so I got a job at KFC and saved enough for a cheap starter bass. Very soon after I was able to get a better bass and that was the start of it.
Are you still an active player?
Yes, when I can find time I do still play with groups. I have been playing bass since 1987.
How did you get started as a Luthier? When did you build your first bass?
In 1988… I had several very nice, high-end basses at the time, a Pedulla and two original Tobias basses. When Michael Tobias sold the company to Gibson it left me looking for a 6-string I could afford. I designed my first bass in 1992 and had that built for me. I soon started looking into getting more made, but by 1995 I realized I would have to do a lot of the work to keep the cost down, so I started building bodies and had necks made for me to my design and specs. I had my first prototypes by the end of 1997. They ended up failing because of shoddy truss rods and I had to replace them by making the necks myself. This would have been 1998. That was when I decided I would do everything myself and make this into an actual business venture. I started building full-time in 2003 and have been doing this ever since.
Drakkar with Catacomb option, part of the Quest series
How did you learn the art of woodworking/Luthier? Who would you consider a Mentor?
I asked a lot of questions when I met people who built or repaired instruments. I did this only when I was paying for a service though. I never expected free info. One great resource was the articles in Bass Player Magazine, in which Rick Turner discussed many aspects of building and design. I still have all those issues and they were a great source of information at that time; that was well before the worldwide web. Some of the more generous Luthiers I spoke with during that time (1995-98) were Greg Curbow, Rick Turner and Michael Dolan. All answered my questions and gave me suggestions as to how to proceed. Mostly though it was trial and error and constantly trying to improve my methods for producing consistent instruments. More recently, Michael Tobias has been a great friend and true mentor to what I do and that has been really great! He was kind of the catalyst to me designing a bass in the first place. His use of tone woods has totally influenced how I built basses from the very beginning.
How do you select the woods you choose to build with?
I start usually with the top wood, as that is the featured wood, the presentation so to speak. After that everything else has to work together to produce a desired tone, weight and balance. I choose woods based on the densities I like for certain combinations for certain tonal goals. Certain woods have a huge impact on the tone of an instrument. I usually experiment with new woods a little at a time to see what they bring to the table. Some woods will work great together and some not so well, so it is important to know what you are going for and what you will generally get from the woods you use.
Erskine Whaleback Classic series
How about pickups? What pickups did you use in the past? What electronics do you use right now?
When I designed my first bass in 1992 there were only two pickup companies who offered replacement pickups for bass, EMG and Bartolini. EMGs were not what I was after at that time so I ordered a set of Bartolini, but after six months they still hadn’t arrived. I was lucky enough to be referred to another amateur Luthier who put me in contact with Lane Poor. This is before he was offering anything to the public but was very willing to make me these pickups. They worked great and had a very neutral tone, which let the bass’s natural tone really come out. I let a player hear them in my bass in early 1994 and I predicted that when Anthony Jackson heard them he would be getting a set. He did – ha ha! I used those in all my basses I made up until he ceased operations in the late nineties. I then started using EMG, Bartolini and Duncan’s Bassline pickups and all worked very well for different applications.
I was still looking for something signature though and in 2004 I started having Sheldon Dingwall make me a version of his split coils, which were my SC-1s, which are now made for me by Carey Nordstrand and are offered as an option. I also use Aguilar pickups for many of my basses and they work and sound great!! I also have custom Kent Armstrong pickups, which I use on my higher end instruments. Over the years I have found a couple of companies who make pickups for a lot of the bigger companies and they now make a branded version on my custom dual coils. These pickups are as good as anything I use and I really like them.
Who were some of the first well-known musicians who started playing your basses?
The very first customer was Darryl Williams, who was an ace player in Las Vegas where I was living. He has gone on to play with many great bands and musicians and he was very demanding as a customer, which made me a better Luthier right from the start. This was all the way back in 1998.
I was very lucky in 2004 to be introduced to Michael Dearing, who was a local Nashville based player. He is also left-handed so he was my first ‘Lefty’ bass and a 6-string at that. He received his first bass just a couple of weeks before he got the audition with Gretchen Wilson and soon after that he was touring the world with country music’s top star for several years. That was quite a thrill to see my basses on all the award shows and the Super Bowl half-time performance they did.
Soon after that I was able to add David Dyson to the players roster and now I have people like Damian Erskine, Chris Buck, Rob Smith, Al Caldwell and Alex Ryan as prominent players using Skjold basses to make their music. Alex Ryan, you may not have heard of, but he is in a little band called Hozier – ha ha!
92 offset classic series Dyson signature
All of my players, well known or not, have one thing in common, they rely on a Skjold bass to deliver their signature tone or offer superior versatility to what they do.
How do you develop a signature or custom bass for an artist?
First I have to know what the Artist does and what their requirements are. Then I have to understand their technique as best I can. This is where being a bass player myself helps tremendously. We talk a lot about what they like and what might be lacking in their favorite current bass. All these things have to be distilled down to an actual instrument. I also generally will let them borrow a bass for a short time to see what they like about it or what they might change about it. Then I can hone in on what the specifics are. I have been very lucky that I get it right and can improve on it with my artist. If I don’t hit it the first time we revise.
What are a few things that you are proud about your instruments and that you would consider unique in your instruments?
I don’t like the word proud, but instead satisfied or content because I can’t be proud of anything if I am not satisfied with it. So I would say the things I am most satisfied/content with. Those would be my ability to shape the tone of the instrument by using tonewoods. To make basses where customers get a desired tone goal from our collaboration.
Unique items would be my ramp system, not that I am the only one doing this type of thing but the execution is fully realized and I think it is the best version of the idea out there. Others have done the same thing but I offer mine as a standard upgrade. The ramp system came about because of my collaboration with Damian Erskine and his use of the ramp between the pickups.
The other unique aspect of my basses I think is my ability to use several different types of pickups or electronics for a desired function. That being said I love making passive basses. I love the pure tone of the woods working together.
Some things you would think are not that unique, until you play many different basses, and realize it is unique to Skjold basses would be a lighter weight bass with great balance. I am amazed at how many heavy unbalanced basses exist.
The other unique quality is the tone from using resonant tone woods, which sustain and are not lacking in the lows, mids or treble range. All of this has taken decades to master and I am not there yet. I am always looking to improve my skills and knowledge so let’s just say for now I am content but I don’t know if I will ever be totally satisfied.
Which one of the basses that you build is your favorite one?
They are my children ha ha! They are all my favorites – ha ha!
Firedrake Quest series
Can you give us a word of advice to young Luthiers who are just starting out?
Don’t do it!!! Ha ha! Stay in school!! That never stops them so I would have to say keep growing and never give up if this is what you truly want to do. Don’t expect monetary rewards for your efforts though. You will work long hours for little pay. This is not a short-term investment. Like playing music, it is a lifelong commitment if you want to excel at it and an even bigger commitment if you plan on making any kind of living from it. Always be honest with yourself and look for your areas where you can improve. Take the time you need to really develop your ability before you try to go out and sell anything. When you first start out you should be burning more basses than you sell. In other words really refine your work every time you make a bass. It is the only way you will get to a point where you can sell your product and have happy customers.
On a more practical level, start by buying parts basses. Learn the art of sanding and finishing and learn to do fretwork well. Learn to do a proper set-up and install hardware properly. These are the fundamentals before you build anything. Work for an experienced Luthier; learn everything you can from everything you can. Most of all enjoy the process, that is the biggest reward I can think of.
What advice would you give a young musician trying to find his perfect bass?
Take your time and really understand what it is you need from a bass. As you get better your needs will change. I was lucky enough to purchase pro-level basses when I was first starting out and they did make a difference, but I could have had lesser quality basses, and did, and I still improved. You don’t have to have a very expensive handmade bass to be a good playing/sounding musician. Find a mentor or teacher to consult about getting a new bass but give it some time. Play and try as many quality basses as you can. One will speak to you and when it does it won’t matter if it is $500 or $5000. Don’t buy a bass simply because your favorite player plays one. His needs and taste might be completely different from yours. Don’t buy a bass because of status or vanity. Buy what works for you and the task at hand but don’t waste your time on crap either (smile).
Firedrake Quest series 2
What is biggest success for you and for your company?
To me the biggest success is that I am still here building full-time and for my company that it is still growing and gaining new customers every year. That is the most I think I could hope for. Another big success/reward is all the great people I have met while doing this; it really enriches one’s life experience doing this for a living.
Are you preparing something new, some new model or new design? Or maybe some new gear amps, etc.
I am just now finishing up the last of my newest series called the Quest Series, I am also adding in a few new models as standard offerings. All in all there has been a ton of new product and designs coming out of the Skjold Shop for the last 13 years; 2017 will be a very busy year.
What are your future plans?
I am concentrating on building up my stock offerings and shortening my wait times and increasing my output. This is a very big time here at the shop. It is a ton of work but very exciting too!
Is there anything else you would like to share that we have not included?
Only that I feel very grateful to be doing what I do and very thankful to all my great customers who make it possible. I love being a part of this great community we call bass.
Visit online at skjolddesign.com
Gear News
New Gear: Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass
Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass…
Esopus Guitars is proud to announce the new “Tailwater” bass guitar, from legendary bass luthier Stuart Spector. This 32” scale bass is handcrafted by Stuart using the only finest woods and components at the Esopus Guitar workshop located near Woodstock NY in the Catskill Mountains.
From its fully carved spruce top (the top is carved on both its exterior and interior surfaces) with a thumb rest that is elegantly carved into the top, to its custom-made Fishman piezo pickup and super hard Carnauba wax finish, every detail of the Tailwater is part of creating the ultimate playing experience.
The Tailwater bass features a fully chambered spruce over alder body (15.5″ lower body bout width, 2.25″ body thickness measuring from the peak of the carved top) that delivers a super comfortable tonal tool for all your low-end needs.
Each Tailwater bass is hand-signed and numbered on the back of the peghead by Stuart Spector. A very limited number of Tailwater basses are handcrafted each year at the Esopus workshop.
“I am proud to present the Tailwater bass, a bass that I have spent the last three years perfecting. The Tailwater is a culmination of all of my 45 years of experience, knowledge, and passion for bass guitar crafting. I am so eager to hear what fellow musicians create with this exciting new instrument.” -Stuart Spector
Direct Pricing : $4995.00 plus options.
For more information about Esopus Guitars and Stuart Spector’s handcrafted instruments, visit www.EsopusGuitars.com.
Bass Videos
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
Ian Allison Bassist extreme…
Most recently Ian has spent the last seven years touring nationally as part of Eric Hutchinson and The Believers, sharing stages with acts like Kelly Clarkson, Pentatonix, Rachel Platten, Matt Nathanson, Phillip Phillips, and Cory Wong playing venues such as Radio City Music Hall, The Staples Center and The Xcel Center in St. Paul, MN.
I had a chance to meet up with him at the Sellersville Theater in Eastern Pennsylvania to catch up on everything bass. Visit online at ianmartinallison.com/
Latest
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Check out our top 10 favorite basses on Instagram this week…
Click to follow Bass Musician on Instagram @bassmusicianmag
FEATURED @officialspector @bqwbassguitar @brute_bass_guitars @phdbassguitars @ramabass.ok @tribe_guitars @woodguerilla_instruments @mikelullcustomguitars @jcrluthier @elegeecustom
Features
Interview With Audic Empire Bassist James Tobias
Checking in with Bergantino Artist James Tobias
James Tobias, Bassist for psychedelic, Reggae-Rock titans Audic Empire shares his history as a musician and how he came to find Bergantino…
Interview by Holly Bergantino
James Tobias, a multi-talented musician and jack-of-all-trades shares his story of coming up as a musician in Texas, his journey with his band Audic Empire, and his approach to life and music. With a busy tour schedule each year, we were fortunate to catch up with him while he was out and about touring the US.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Dallas, Texas and lived in the Dallas area most of my life with the exception of 1 year in Colorado. I moved to the Austin area at age 18.
What makes the bass so special to you particularly, and how did you gravitate to it?
I honestly started playing bass because we needed a bass player and I was the one with access to a bass amp and bass. I played rhythm guitar and sang up until I met Ronnie, who I would later start “Audic Empire” with. He also played rhythm guitar and sang and we didn’t know any bass players, so we had to figure something out. I still write most of my songs on guitar, but I’ve grown to love playing the bass.
How did you learn to play, James?
I took guitar lessons growing up and spent a lot of time just learning tabs or playing by ear and kicked around as a frontman in a handful of bands playing at the local coffee shops or rec centers. Once I transitioned to bass, I really just tried to apply what I knew about guitar and stumbled through it till it sounded right. I’m still learning every time I pick it up, honestly.
You are also a songwriter, recording engineer, and a fantastic singer, did you get formal training for this?
Thank you, that means a lot! I had a couple of voice lessons when I was in my early teens, but didn’t really like the instructor. I did however take a few lessons recently through ACC that I enjoyed and think really helped my technique (Shout out to Adam Roberts!) I was not a naturally gifted singer, which is a nice way of saying I was pretty awful, but I just kept at it.
As far as recording and producing, I just watched a lot of YouTube videos and asked people who know more than me when I had a question. Whenever I feel like I’m not progressing, I just pull up tracks from a couple of years ago, cringe, and feel better about where I’m at but I’ve got a long way to go. Fortunately, we’ve got some amazing producers I can pass everything over to once I get the songs as close to finalized as I can.
Describe your playing style(s), tone, strengths and/or areas that can be improved on the bass.
I honestly don’t know what my style would be considered. We’ve got so many styles that we play and fuse together that I just try to do what works song by song. I don’t have too many tricks in the bag and just keep it simple and focus on what’s going to sound good in the overall mix. I think my strength lies in thinking about the song as a whole and what each instrument is doing, so I can compliment everything else that’s going on. What could be improved is absolutely everything, but that’s the great thing about music (and kind of anything really).
Who were your influencers in terms of other musicians earlier on or now that have made a difference and inspired you?
My dad exposed me to a lot of music early. I was playing a toy guitar while watching a VHS of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble live at SXSW on repeat at 4 years old saying I wanted to “do that” when I grew up. I was the only kid in daycare that had his own CDs that weren’t kid’s songs. I was listening to Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, and The Doors when I could barely talk. I would make up songs and sing them into my Panasonic slimline tape recorder and take it to my preschool to show my friends. As I got older went through a bunch of music phases. Metal, grunge, rock, punk, hip hop, reggae, ska, etc. Whatever I heard that I connected to I’d dive in and learn as much as I could about it. I was always in bands and I think I kept picking up different styles along the way and kept combining my different elements and I think that’s evident in Audic’s diverse sound.
Tell me about Audic Empire and your new release Take Over! Can you share some of the highlights you and the band are most proud of?
Takeover was an interesting one. I basically built that song on keyboard and drum loops and wrote and tracked all my vocals in one long session in my bedroom studio kind of in a stream-of-consciousness type of approach. I kind of thought nothing would come of it and I’d toss it out, but we slowly went back and tracked over everything with instruments and made it our own sound. I got it as far as I could with production and handed it off to Chad Wrong to work his magic and really bring it to life. Once I got Snow Owl Media involved and we started brainstorming about a music video, it quickly turned into a considerably larger production than anything we’ve done before and it was such a cool experience. I’m really excited about the final product, especially considering I initially thought it was a throwaway track.
Describe the music style of Audic Empire for us.
It’s all over the place… we advertise it as “blues, rock, reggae.” Blues because of our lead guitarist, Travis Brown’s playing style, rock because I think at the heart we’re a rock band, and reggae because we flavor everything with a little (or a lot) of reggae or ska.
How did you find Bergantino Audio Systems?
Well, my Ampeg SVT7 caught fire at a show… We were playing Stubbs in Austin and everyone kept saying they smelled something burning, and I looked back in time to see my head, perched on top of its 8×10 cab, begin billowing smoke. We had a tour coming up, so I started researching and pricing everything to try and find a new amp. I was also fronting a metal band at the time, and my bass player’s dad was a big-time country bass player and said he had this really high-end bass amp just sitting in a closet he’d sell me. I was apprehensive since I really didn’t know much about it and “just a little 4×10” probably wasn’t going to cut it compared to my previous setup. He said I could come over and give it a test drive, but he said he knew I was going to buy it. He was right. I immediately fell in love. I couldn’t believe the power it put out compared to this heavy head and cumbersome cab I had been breaking my back hauling all over the country and up countless staircases.
Tell us about your experience with the forte D amp and the AE 410 Speaker cabinet.
It’s been a game-changer in every sense. It’s lightweight and compact. Amazing tone. And LOUD. It’s just a fantastic amp. Not to mention the customer service being top-notch! You’ll be hard-pressed to find another product that, if you have an issue, you can get in touch with the owner, himself. How cool is that?
Tell us about some of your favorite basses.
I was always broke and usually working part-time delivering pizzas, so I just played what I could get my hands on. I went through a few pawn shop basses, swapped in new pickups, and fought with the action on them constantly. I played them through an Ampeg be115 combo amp. All the electronics in it had fried at some point, so I gutted it out and turned it into a cab that I powered with a rusted-up little head I bought off someone for a hundred bucks. My gear was often DIY’d and held together by electrical tape and usually had a few coats of spray paint to attempt to hide the wear and tear. I never really fell in love with any piece of gear I had till I had a supporter of our band give me an Ibanez Premium Series SDGR. I absolutely love that bass and still travel with it. I’ve since gotten another Ibanez Premium Series, but went with the 5-string BTB. It’s a fantastic-sounding bass, my only complaint is it’s pretty heavy.
Love your new video Take Over! Let us know what you’re currently working on (studio, tour, side projects, etc.)
Thank you!! We’ve got a LOT of stuff we’re working on right now actually. Having 2 writers in the band means we never have a shortage of material. It’s more about getting everything tracked and ready for release and all that goes into that. We just got through filming videos for 2 new unreleased tracks with Snow Owl Media, who did the videos for both Love Hate and Pain and Takeover. Both of these songs have surprise features which I’m really excited about since these will be the first singles since our last album we have other artists on. We’ve also got a lot of shows coming up and I’ve also just launched my solo project as well. The debut single, “Raisin’ Hell” is available now everywhere. You can go here to find all the links distrokid.com/hyperfollow/jamestobias/raisin-hell
What else do you do besides music?
For work, I own a handyman service here in Austin doing a lot of drywall, painting, etc. I have a lot of hobbies and side hustles as well. I make custom guitar straps and other leather work. I do a lot of artwork and have done most of our merch designs and a lot of our cover art. I’m really into (and borderline obsessed) with health, fitness, and sober living. I have a hard time sitting still, but fortunately, there’s always a lot to do when you’re self-employed and running a band!
Follow James Tobias:
jamestobiasmusic.com
Facebook.com/james.tobias1
Instagram.com/ru4badfish2
TikTok.com/@jamestobiasmusic
audicempire.com
Bass CDs
New Album: Avery Sharpe, I Am My Neighbors Keeper
Avery Sharpe and his Double Quartet to release, I Am My Neighbors Keeper
A new recording will be released on JKNM Records by internationally renowned bassist/composer Avery Sharpe, “I Am My Neighbors Keeper” is scheduled for release in June 2024.
Sharpe has composed a new work that highlights our commitment to one another. Avery initiated the project as a response to the political and racial division that has grown over the past seven years in the country. “The U.S political climate has drastically changed in the past 40-plus years, especially during the last seven of those years. In this age of greed, which Sharpe refers to as “IGM,” I Got Mine, basic human compassion has been eroded. Racial, economic and social strides are being turned back.
“We have food insecurity, the unhoused, pandemics, school shootings, domestic violence, and an opioid problem, just to name some. There is a need to remind people that each of us is here on this planet for a very short period of time. It doesn’t matter if one has a religious approach or a secular approach, it all comes down to concern and compassion for each other. Through these compositions and recordings, Avery’s mission as an artist is to remind us that we all are interconnected and that ‘We Are Our Neighbor’s Keeper.’ When we help to uplift one, we uplift everyone,” Sharpe said.
Each movement in the piece describes the values we should strive for to help one another for this multi-media (video slide show during performance) and multi-discipline performance.
Many of Sharpe’s projects and recordings have been about “standing on the shoulders of ancestors, heroes and sheroes.” Among his recordings and projects, include “Running Man” (celebrating the athlete Jesse Owens), “Ain’t I A Woman” (about Sojourner Truth), and his most recent project “400: An African American Musical Portrait” (marking the 400 years from 1619 to 2019).
Avery Sharpe has recorded and performed with many jazz greats from Dizzy Gillespie to Yusef Lateef. He had an illustrious run of 20 plus years with the legendary Jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, of which he recorded more than 25 records with Mr. Tyner and performed countless worldwide concerts.
Visit online at averysharpe.com/
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
New Gear: Spector Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II
New Gear: The Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model
Interview With Bassist Edmond Gilmore
Have Fret Sprout? Sharp Fret Management… a How-To Video
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
Interview With Audic Empire Bassist James Tobias
New Album: Avery Sharpe, I Am My Neighbors Keeper
