I am interviewing pro bass players to tell us their bass guitar settings.
We are featuring Ari Seder this week.
I appreciate Ari for answering these questions!!
Ari Seder
Originally from Washington, D.C., multi-instrumentalist and composer Ari Seder moved to Chicago in 2001 and has been an active performer on guitar and bass in a wide variety of genres ranging from Blues and Jazz to Klezmer and R&B.
As an in-demand sideman he has performed with artists including Mary Wilson, Von Freeman, Jimmy Johnson, Syleena Johnson, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Big Head Todd, Shemekia Copeland, Colin James, Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell, Guy King, Toronzo Cannon, Kelley Hunt, Dave Herrero, Katherine Davis, and Jimmy Burns.
Ari has performed at venues ranging from Southside Chicago juke joints like Artis’s Lounge to stadiums like Istanbul’s Volkswagen Arena, including performances on two Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruises, Joe Bonamassa’s Keeping the Blues Alive At Sea cruise, the Chicago Jazz Festival, W.C. Handy Festival, Blues From the Top, Cognac Blues Passions, Ottawa Blues Fest, and Efes Blues Festival. Ari has recorded with Guy King, Omar Coleman, Jimmy Burns, Katherine Davis, and Dave Herrero.
Q1. What is your primary bass guitar?
A. 1974 Precision bass
Q2. Do you prefer bass with passive pick-up (s) or active pick-up (s)?
A. passive
Q3. Do you primarily play a 4-string bass or 5 -string or more?
A. 4 string
Q4. What type of strings do you use the most?
A. Flatwound
Q5. What are your preferred Bass String Gauges?
A. heavy gauge 50 -70 - 85 - 110 - (135 Low B) or similar
Q6. How often do you change bass strings? (on your main instrument)
A. less than once a year
Q8. What is your playing style?
A. two fingers, thumb and slap
Q9. Do you use a form mute (that attaches to the strings by the bridge)?
A. use the palm to mute when needed
Q10. How do you usually set up your Neck pickup (P bass pick up) volume?
A. 8 out of 10
Q12. How is your Tone knob?
A. 7 out of 10
Q13. If you have more specific bass knob settings that you would like to share, please write here.
A. I adjust volume to depending on the dynamics of the song and adjust tone depending on the style of the song and how much articulation is needed
Q14. Do you use a pedal (s)?
A. No,
Q15. How do you like your bass neck relief? (The distance between a string and the 7th fret when depressing the 1st fret and the last fret (22 or 24).)
A. 0.005 inch - 0.008 inch (a copy paper thin relief - small relief)
Q17. What kind of bass amp do you usually use?
A. Genz Benz Streamliner 900 with a Bag End 15" cab
Q18. If you get to choose a bass amp for a big festival gig, what types of amp would you request?
A. GK 1001RB or 800RB or Ampeg SVT classic
Q19. How do you usually set your amp? "GAIN"
A. 7 out of 10
Q20. How do you usually set your amp? "MASTER VOLUME" (a big size club gig)
A. 7 out of 10
Q21. How do you usually set your amp? "TREBLE EQ"
A. 5 out of 10
Q22. How do you usually set your amp? "MED EQ"
A. 5 out of 10
Q23. How do you usually set your amp? "BASS EQ"
A. 5 out of 10
Q24. If you have more specific amp settings that you would like to share, please write here.
A. I usually leave the amp EQ flat and use the tone control(s) on the bass
Q25. Who influenced you the most? Please name up to 3 bass players.
A. James Jamerson, Stuart Zender, Johnny B Gayden
Q26. What song or album would you recommend for beginning blues bass players to listen to?
A. Albums: Junior Wells "On Tap" and "Harp Attack"
Q27. Is there anything you would like to add about you and your bass settings?
A. I have two main basses that are setup very differently: a 4 string passive P bass with flatwounds and a 5 string jazz with bright wounds and active electronics -this covers most types of gigs depending on the artist/style.