Bassist Tom Garnett – Bass Musician Magazine Q&A

Bassist Tom Garnett – Bass Musician Magazine Interview… Get to know Bassist Tom Garnett from the Oceanics in this Bass Musician Magazine Q&A!

Name:
Tom Garnett

Born In What City:
Bangkok, Thailand

Current Band(s) I Play With:
Oceanics

Former Bands I Have Played With:
Formerly played as a fill-in bassist for whoever needed one and also a variety of Australian independent artists including Kym Campbell.

Describe The Way You Play Bass:
I like to think that I’m a pretty chilled out kind of player. I’m not really one for the spotlight, so I like to stand close to the drummer and play as tight and controlled as possible. I used to be a strictly finger player but I’ve started using a pick to get some dirtier tones

What Made Me Decide to Play Bass?
I started playing bass when I was about 12 when all my friends growing up started playing guitar. I guess I’m not too competitive so I picked up the bass instead and it kind of stuck.

Musical Influences:
My musical influences range anything from classical era orchestral to heavy metal. I grew up listening to punk and rock and my taste has kind of progressed more towards Indie rock. But I dig old blues and jazz records just for the quality of musicianship.

My (Basses):
I currently play a Fender Jazz bass and think I always will. Love it. It’s so versatile and always seems to punch through a mix.

My Amps and Other Gear:
My rig is an Ampeg 8×10 cab powered by an SVT 3 pro. You really can’t go past Ampeg for bass amps in my opinion. I don’t even run any pedals except a pitch-black stomp tuner… However, I’d love an SVT classic head and my cab is also looking pretty worse for wear.

Best Bass Advice You’ve Ever Received:
I think the best bit of advice I’ve received in regards to bass playing is that ‘less is more’. Having really solid, tight timing is the most vital asset of a good bass player in my opinion.

One Piece Of Advice For Other Bassists:
I think my advice for any beginner bass players would be to work on getting your timing and groove solid. You’ll get way more gigs with good groove and timing then you will with heaps of chops.

Favorite Tip to Share on Traveling With Your Bass:
Best advice for traveling with your bass is to keep a folded towel in your case over your bass. It adds extra support and stops the bass from moving or shaking in the case during rough travel. And you never know when a towel will come in handy.

What Would You Be Doing If You Weren’t A Musician?
If I weren’t playing bass as much, I’d probably be doing more audio engineering and producing, which I also love.

Dream Gig:
My dream gig would probably be on the main stage at Coachella or Glastonbury. The crowd would be going off and the vibe would be ridiculous.

What You Can Look Forward From Me in 2012:
In 2012 I’ll be playing a few tours with Oceanics and hopefully be recording some new stuff towards the end of the year.

Find me online:
www.Facebook.com/Oceanics.music