(bass strumming)
- The Clash, Paul Simonon's bass playing.
That's the way you do it.
Strummer said there's no difference
between you guys and us.
We're on the stage but we're all in this thing together.
That sentence has informed the rest of my musical life.
It really has, and I think of that every time I play,
whether it's a massive place,
like we're all in this together you know,
when you assume you're the most
interesting person in the room,
you know you're always wrong.
As a bass player you've really got to know
what your role is.
- Yeah - You do man,
anybody in a band has got to know
what their thing is and embrace that.
- Uh huh
- Our band had a groove to it.
- Yeah, yeah - It had a little stink to it.
Whenever Slash and I would lay into a riff together,
that's when it got heavy.
- Right.
- Right you gotta pick that you can't do it the whole song.
- Yeah, yeah.
- You pick it for the time's that are right.
- Yeah, yeah totally.
- And then back out of it.
Like, if you wanna play bass to be in a band
so you can show yourself off,
thinking you're gonna be in the spotlight
then it's the wrong instrument for you.
- Yeah
So er, you got a bass.
- I got a bass.
- That's made for you.
When you get to make a bass you're putting
your name on something that's an invitation
for somebody to get into music.
- It is, yeah.
- I really don't know anybody whose intense about music,
who doesn't like playing bass.
(bass strumming)
- We had drop D songs,
like I've learned to play drop D basically.
When you have a drop D,
any new tunings on whether you are on guitar or base.
You'll write nine songs.
immediately right.
- Yup.
- Anyhow, that was my introduction to actually
playing in anger drop D.
- Playing it in anger?
- You know what I mean?
Like playing for real.
- Right, right.
- Instead of switching basses,
like, we were playing in clubs I wasn't bringing
a tech, I wasn't doing anything it was just me.
I'm not going to sit on the stage and do this.
Our sets go too fast.
- Right
- To do that, there's no stopping.
(bass strumming)
- The point is I had the space with this drop D tuner,
you can see the drop D thing here.
- And what do you call that thing,
is there a name for the thing?
- It's called a Hipshot.
- A Hipshot?
- Yes, same pick up configuration as my other bass.
Like this.
- So, there's a toggle on there.
- We all have our little kind of safety things
and my safety things is having both pickups on.
- But the back pickup is a Seymour Duncan, is that right?
- Yeah.
It's a little bit hot rodded up,
it's got the thinner neck which is great for,
like especially if you're just coming in.
You can play around with thicker necks later on
after you learn to play.
Highly suggest a thinner neck,
it's just a lot easier to get around.
This is a little nod to my Seattle Seahawks.
And if you are a fan of the Seahawks you have 12.
- 'Cause?
- 'Cause there's 11 members on the team,
the twelfth member is the fan, it is the twelfth fret.
(laughing)
right yeah. - I think so.
- So, in case you lose count there's that right.
Sometimes you're just shredding so hard you lose count.
- I don't even know what numbers are anymore.
- Don't even know man.
(laughing)
I painted the back of this neck just like my jazz special.
So, any bass that has a Duff signature will have it painted.
- So black neck?
- Yeah black neck.
I got my little, like my pick, my skull and crossbones.
- That's cool
- That's it you know, I mean pretty simply.
You know I mean Fender, these are the gold standard
if you are a bass player these are what you play.
(bass strumming)
I go through these stages where I just get so into the bass.
It's such a cool, cool, f***ing instrument.
You know, I was just a guy trying to figure out
how to play bass and play it right,
and then I have this Fender with my name on it.
And what kind of kid would I want playing this thing?
I don't know man that's a...
Some cool a** mother f***ers and mother f***erettes.
(laughing)
You know, that's what I wanted.
I could see some little punk rock chick.
With this thing on and it's oversized on her,
and she's just killing on it.
(bass strumming)
Punk rock is not just like a title of some category
of music for me, it got me into my car
and head south to L.A by myself
with barely any money just like,
gave me a belief in myself and my thing
and I knew what I was doing.
And even if didn't I'd find it out.
With bass playing that's what it's all about.
It's like I can play what I can play
and that's what I'm going to do.
- Uh huh.
- F*** everyone else.
(guitar music)