GALLIEN-KRUEGER: BEST. AMPS. EVER!
Long before Bob Gallien had any idea that I even existed, I was already in love with the wonderful Gallien-Krueger 800RB amp. I played one very happily for 15 years in many punk-rock bands, drove it over the Rockies in winter, lent it to NOFX at an all-ages show in San Francisco, and generally beat the hell out of it. I could NOT have been more thrilled when I got the Moby gig, and Bob not only gave me a whole new rig for stage, but even came to a show in person to bring me the fabulous MICROBASS unit to try. This thing is amazing. At 150 watts, it sounds just like a regular grown-up GK amp, but it's only a little bigger than a breadbox, weighs only 26 pounds and fits in an overhead bin on an airplane!
Besides all the free treats, I also got to be featured in a couple of GK ads in bass-oriented magazines. How much more could I love G-K? NONE MORE!
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Here's
me in the back of the tour bus with Bob, and the ad designer at the
time, David Wyffels,
and David's lovely wife Alissa. Marvel at the MICROBASS
unit's compactness and sleek design! |
This is
the ad that David designed, which appeared on the back cover of BP magazine
a few times. Click the image for a bigger version. |
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After
David left the company to pursue his career as an artist, Dan Elliot
became the artist rep/graphic designer/tech support/wearer of many hats.
I LOVE this guy! Here we are at NAMM. |
Dan designed
an ad featuring me and the RB1001, which is also a great amp, but I
still always default to the 800RB. |
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Here's
me with Crazy Ace, formerly of Richmond, VA, now of Niagra Falls where
he is the owner/curator of the "World's
Strangest Museum". This fake tattoo of the G-K logo
was an idea for an ad that didn't quite pan out, but I thought it was
cool. |
And here's
the fantastic rig that I used for the Moby tour and TV appearances. |
GHS STRINGS:CHEAP AND GREAT
Like the wonderful GK amps, I have also always used GHS strings. Why? Because when you are young and poor, they are the cheapest and last the longest. Even after they wear out, you can boil them and get another couple of shows out of them. Also, thay are made in America (Michigan to be exact) and are a family-owned business. I couldn't have been more thrilled when this ad stayed on the back cover of bass Player magazine for about TWO YEARS, making me feel like an "official spokesmodel"! The strings? Clear, bright, sometimes a little metallic-sounding, and DURABLE! This photo and the action shot above are by RUSS BRYANT, a supremely talented, tireless ball of enthusiasm! |
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CARVIN: BUY ONE NOW!
| CARVIN is another American, family-owned company based in California. The interesting thing about CARVIN is that they are not available in stores, only mail-order (except for a couple stores on the West coast). This makes some people nervous; who wants to buy a guitar that you never even held in your hands? But I'm here to say they ROCK. The neck of my LB70 is smooth and delicious, it stays in tune like you can't believe, and they will do whatever custom wierdness you want. Then, if you get the guitar and find you don't care for it after all, they have a full refund policy, and it's not like those bogus mail-in rebates, where you spend 6 years trying to get your money back. These guys are the real thing. |
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 These guys make a really, really good, nicely padded guitar case that has a special built-in separate backpack for your laptop. Traveling musicians, take note! |
