The main guitar is a 1959 Les Paul Standard . Theyre really consistent. A big chunk of foam being used on this tune (1:51.) He played the ES-345 with the volume fully up on the bridge pickup. As a comparison, I recenly picked up a Johnson Viola bass to donate to my daughter's school auction. Born in Los Angeles on April 8, 1972, Paul Dedrick Gray was in many ways the beating heart of Slipknot. . Paul, who cofounded Slipknot in 1995 with drummer Joey Jordison and percussionist Shawn Crahan, was found dead at age 38 in an Urbandale, Iowa hotel room in May 2010. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Added by Bastien. We had two weeks in the studio, which included rehearsals, so there was no time for faffing about changing amps. Oh, and he didnt have a bass, either. Electric Guitar String Set Gauges What is B standard tuning? Its a real players bass and has obviously been played and loved for over 40 years and it really feels like it! Paul Dedrick Gray was born in LA on April 8, 1972. The fact that Ament was using an 12-string bass helps to explain the instrument's presence on the track, although you won't hear the extra strings ringing out individually - they simply add to the overall tone. To the outside world, everything was fine. I loved guys like Jim Lea from Slade, who was doing more like lead bass and drove all those fantastic Slade songs. Through gigging, they met future members of Slipknot: Shawn Crahan in Heads On The Wall, Jim Root in Atomic Opera, Joey Jordison in Modifidious. I just do standard exercises, you know, what do they call 'em? Stretching-wise, I started off on guitar so my stretching is kinda good for playing and noodling, but on bass if you can actually stretch from the 1st fret to the 5th fret then you have got some freaking long fingers - I can barely do that! Never having had a lesson, I play completely by ear and I often overstretch myself. The 15-minute epic that closes the Knots second album showcased a very different side to Pauls playing, more '90s rock than extreme metal in feel sharing similarities with the kind of lines heard in bands like Tool and Pearl Jam. "You know what, some of my favourite basslines are the simplest ones ever. He turned up to rehearsal with a right-handed bass borrowed from his brothers friend, Frankensteind into a left-handed one, and played the regular guitar parts on it. Ampeg was also really great to me and I can't say anything bad about them. The quiet lay heavy in the air, and seemed to stretch for miles. Everyone in Thin Lizzy used those picks, even Phil Lynott. I saved up and bought their album Thank Christ for the Bomb and I played it over and over. I used to use those gray Hercos for years, even in Thin Lizzy. It was as simple as that. The K! Recorded at Download 2009, Paul talked to TG about his solid playing style, his reason for being a bass player and his tips for making you play better. 1970s Ampeg SVT V9 Call us at 800-449-9128. I'd just say, for people who are learning, try to keep changing things up and stay open minded to everything. With Slipknot, my bass playing is a little more laidback and subdued. In tribute to Paul's indelible legacy and legend, we're going to look at a side of the man that was rarely seen, let alone written about. I didn't think they would, but they called me up and said, 'Here you go!'". When Macca's Rickie was sent for an overhaul to Rickenbacker, they found that the bridge pickup was dead and had been dead for a long time, turns out that when Macca stripped his Rickie, he tried to get rid of the cover for the bridge pickup, so he sawed it open, which in a horse shoe is a big mistake, since that cover he wanted to get rid of is part of the pickup. Bassist Paul, aka The Pig, aka #2, appeared in a black uniform, steadily headbanging and riffing while chaos erupted around him. Any doubts over Slipknot sustaining the brain-melting brutality of their debut were answered in a vicious storm of blastbeats and tremolo-picked guitars that felt even angrier and more possessed than before. Its a drag to repeat yourself, and thats why no two Damned albums sound alike. The track also been a source of inspiration for Pauls successor, Alessandro Venturella, who told this writer about filling a great mans shoes and doing him justice for a 2019 Bass magazine cover story around the release of We Are Not Your Kind. The Damned opened for T. Rex back in the day, and I even asked Captain why we never did this before. It couldve also been our disgraceful behavior, but who really knows? I use real thin gauges: .040.090. Its not that he didnt like them of course he did, he went and saw Stone Sour, Murderdolls but when Paul would come home he would get really sad because all hed want to do was Slipknot. This is all from memory. The Des Moines scene was thriving, as Americas corn belt misfits ploughed their frustrations into thrash, death metal and rock at clubs like the Runway. Im curious where all of the blues and lead stuff comes from. The guy I got it from says that it was a factory custom that had been requested to have the toaster pickup put on it. The Ibanez PGB1 electric bass guitar is the choice of Slipknot's Paul Gray. A fan of British blues-rock players like the Groundhogs Tony McPhee and Frees Paul Kossoff, and of Summer of Love psych-rock and the pomp of 60s orchestral pop music, the Captain has never relied merely on power chords and beeralthough those have often been a part of his recipe. I recall after releasing a self indulgent double album featuring quite a lot of trippy guitar noodling, one critic asked, Who does he think he is? According to his own words, these strings were used on his Les Paul during the recording of Wheels of Fire (1968). Columbus Ohio. There's a heavy difference in style between the two basses, that's for sure. I try to avoid soloing for its own sake and you have to judge when its run its course and its best to get out for something else to take over, or risk boring the listener for ones own ego gratification. Not being able to predict what kind of music wed deliver mustve pissed off the record labels, because things never lasted long before us being shown the door. TDPRI, short for Telecaster Discussion Page Reissue, is the leading online community and marketplace for Telecaster guitars. Warwick was an awesome company but they were a small company and it was more difficult to get stuff on the road if I needed it. 1980 Rickenbacker 4001 The Gibson Les Paul Goldtop was on the cover of his album "Blue Guitar Hero". "You know, the first one I bought was a Charvel, a weird reddish purple Charvel It was not that great a bass. Listened to 4 Beatles LPs (yes; these black huge 33 1/3 things) the last days. No, you just dont put that together, because youre young.. The words Fender, Telecaster, Stratocaster and the associated headstock designs are registered trademarks of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Fans held t-shirts aloft, while Shawn and Corey stood at the back of the stage, arms around each others shoulders, faces crumpled with emotion. But my favorite was Tony McPhee of the Groundhogs. Whats the writing process in the band today?Sensible: We write as individuals, then throw our stuff into the Damned pot and see what it sounds like. Permutations! A true athlete when it comes to traversing the fretboard of a Rickenbacker bass, Grays lead bass style and the way his playing seamlessly weaves with the Captains is a massive part of Evil Spirits musical bedrock. Apart from the TC Nova System, for its analog distortions, and a Dunlop wah, the only other pedal used was the H9 Harmonizer. But the first bass I used to try out for this band, because I didn't have a bass and I'm left-handed, was some no-name bass but kind of like a double cutaway so it kind of looked like an SG maybe? I used to use heavier strings, but a couple of years ago I injured my hand and I had to go down a gauge. How would you describe your playing style? I went down and played with them. The riff that appears two minutes into Eyeless could very well be the Knots finest. What kind of tips can you give us for improving finger stretches when playing bass guitar? Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). In sixth grade, aged 11, he got Suicidal Tendencies self-titled debut, which fuelled a desire to learn the guitar. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I really like the growl Tonys got on it and it really suits the songs perfectly. Strings 2 : Electric Bass Nickel Plated Steel with NANOWEB Coating. Yaamaha even produced a replica of Pauls guitar , the FJ681 "Paul Simon . Or why not treat yourself? Or any money to buy one. "After that the first real bass I bought was an Ibanez Soundgear and I still play Ibanez now. Its a mission statement that encapsulated The Nines bloodthirsty ambitions and set the bar incredibly high early on, the verse shifting between a staccato and muted delivery to a more open, groove-orientated feel for tension and release. Did McCartney use flatwound strings on his Hofner bass from the very begnning or did use round wound on it at some point? Although Slipknot's Paul Gray was known to many simply as . So I switched the strings on it and it kind of looked OK, like a left-handed bass if they'd put the knobs on the top. As Slipknot put it in Skeptic, The world will never see another crazy motherfucker like you. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Seven months later, Paul was gone. as for basses, I think Paul generally used flats on his Hofner and Rick, not sure about the Jazz bass he may have used later on (and no idea about the Fender 6 stringer that John and George sometimes used) tjmicsak Member Messages 5,690 Mar 24, 2010 #4 You can hear them on the older stuff. So all those prominent bass players really caught my ear and I thought it was so great, because it was such an important part of the song. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, I went into the local music store and heard some guys talking about needing a bass player for their band, they did covers of Slayer and Metallica songs, So, not knowing anybody and wanting to meet people, I told them I could play bass even though I had never played one in my life. MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. in July 2008. With Slipknot, my bass playing is a little more laid back and subdued, like I get spots where I get to do some stuff I guess, but it's hard to kind of like We have three drummers, there's a lot of low end, you know what I mean? Ive used them since I discovered them back in 1976, and Ive tried all the other makes and I always go back to Rotosound. It was weird because when I started practising these songs on bass, I didnt know any of them, he said. Jun 1, 2002. Just seeing them up there with the red lights and smoke it was all evil. Ross Robinson, producer of the first two records, told NME: As a musician, he brought absolute integrity. "Oh yeah, of course. Someone else can probably add more, or demonstrate that my memory is faulty. I was going to donate my Epi Viola, but after putting LaBella flats on it, I liked it too much. We had to kick everything up a notch, and that required the Captain playing a bunch of different guitars in the studio. For me, it was an extremely emotional experience., When Paul was interviewed during the Vol. It was the first time the whole band had been in my house together and it was a very surreal moment There was this wall of anguish and silence just sitting on top of us and it was fucking gnarly., The band knew their friend had been suffering. Gray has been in and out of the bandmostly outsince 1984.Photo by Tony Woolliscroft. Rhythmically, however, the song was a bit more challenging; Pauls verse basslines picked as strict alternate 16th notes throughout, which, once you factor in the boiler suit and pig mask for the live shows, would have been a quite a workout for his left arm. Here we go again motherfucker, indeed. I was speechless watching him write this song. ", Don't miss the latest deals, news, reviews, features and tutorials. It may not display this or other websites correctly. For nylon strings Chet and I both used D'Addario Pro-Art, although both of us at times have used LaBella 500p Professional concert & recording strings. So my second string was in A but I was actually an octave below the low A, so I was super low. We spend a lot of time thinking about Paul, Shawn told us in 2018. These guitars come to Paul with pickups and volume and tone controls already installed. Search Ray Brown for details. I locked myself in me bedroom after schoola real Johnny-no-matesand I plucked away until I figured what they were playing. Captain Sensible: In the late 60s, this amazing bunch of blues guitarists appeared on the U.K. scene at the same time I started going to gigs: Paul Kossoff, Tony Iommi, Ritchie Blackmore, Mick Abrahams, Peter Green, Jimmy Page. It was always the singer or the guitarist that got the glory, so I liked the slightly subversive nature of those bass players. There's a heavy difference in style between the two basses, that's for sure. Eleanor was promoted to the role of Editor at Metal Hammer magazine after over seven years with the company, having previously served as Deputy Editor and Features Editor. Sensible: I didnt think there was any chance my colleagues would go for a 14-minute krautrock wig-out (Dark Asteroid) last time out, but I was wrong. 3: (The Subliminal Verses), 2004), in a heartfelt tribute to his old bandmate, The inside story of Vol. Rad in plaid, Captain Sensible strikes a pose and a power chord onstage. You gotta find your pocket, he said. During the recording sessions for All Hope Is Gone, Paul had called Shawn to say he was too sick to come to the studio. At one point, Paul drifted back to LA, but was persuaded back by Anders and Shawn. Luckily it all seems to work most of the time anyway. "I always experiment and go with whatever the song requires. Louder is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Weve a few of these units and they all seem to have an unfortunate tendencyonce or twice a tour, perhapsto freeze mid-song. Punk rock has morphed, been bastardized, revitalized, and analyzed infinitely since becoming a defined movement in the late 70s. Those killer riffs on Surfacing, which switch from propulsive to filthy, came from his death metal project, Body Pit. We got onstage and shocked the hell out of everybody. .60 mm Dunlop Tortex. Tony McPhees Groundhogs performance of Cherry Red on Top of the Pops departed radically from the shows usual fare, and that was the moment I decided to get a guitar and only a Gibson SG would do. Feb 21, 2015. How long have you been playing bass guitar for, Paul, and why did you choose bass as your main instrument? Lurking in the back of the studio was this really, really old Ampeg, which the guy said was handwired. In the early days the Beatles would steal piano strings to put on the bass. Add Paul Gray (2)'s Strings Ernie Ball Power Slinky Bass Strings (55-110) Paul Gray was known to use the Ernie Ball Slinky Bass Strings. I was lucky enough to see them all play club venues, where you could really watch what their fingers were doing. Paul, youve name-checked unexpected influences for a guy whos made his bones playing punk: particularly Felix Pappalardi from Mountain and Roger Glover of Deep Purple.Paul Gray: I was always drawn to the bass end for some reason. 3 era, he was unequivocal about the feelings Slipknot had stirred in him from the outset. What was the first bassline you ever tried to play? You gotta find your pocket. Tragically after writing, recording and touring four albums in the greatest metal band of a generation Paul passed away on May 24, 2010. What's Inside show Its an attitude I share, and who cares if theres a few jazz notes in there. Before his teenage years had even begun, his two greatest musical revelations had arrived in the form of Suicidal Tendencies 1983 debut and, not long after, experiencing Slayer live in the flesh. What gear are you using live?Sensible: We have built up a collection of Marshall EL84 20/20 20-watt stereo power amps, which might even have warmed up Mrs. Thatchers cold heart if someone had thought of it! Im having the time of my life.. "I have to find my place in Slipknot and stay away from just following the guitars, so I play along with what the drums are doing. Although fans knew Paul as part of the nine, he had a low public profile, rarely speaking to the media. 1990s Vox 4x10 cab "But then I ended up going to Ibanez on the last album because - I can't remember where we were - but I went to a pawn shop and picked up this Ibanez ATK that they've stopped making and I just loved the way it played and sounded, so I started playing it too and Ibanez approached me to offer me a deal. The 1980s were yet another decade that brought massive changes in music. Offstage, he couldnt have been more different. In December 2010, they announced they would headline 2011s Sonisphere to honour the legacy of their fallen friend. Tony Visconti is mates with Eventide designer Tony Agnello, who brought some interesting toys to Atomic to play with, and which got a lot of usethe H9 in particular. What strings did Paul Gray use? As a standing tribute to the late Paul Gray, TG presents this never-before published interview with the Slipknot bassist. I remember when I set up a photoshoot, that was a bad day. I try not to step on anybodys toes but try not to get lost either. But while other members had full-on side-projects, he considered Slipknot to be his everything. Largely penned by Paul and Shawn Clown Crahan before the band had formed, the song was originally titled Slipknot though the group ended up using the name for one of their first shows. "Finger stretches? Captains songs are Gods gift because theyre so melodic. I will miss him with every fibre of my heart, as will everybody at this table and everyone who knew him he was the best of us.. There was one problem: hed never played bass. When we started the band I felt it, right when we started it, and it still feels the same. Rotosound (.009.042) Sprayed sparks all over the place. Based on the Ibanez ATK series, it features a massive 5-piece maple/walnut neck, light ash body and an ultra-powerful tripl Show More. She has also written for the likes of Classic Rock, Prog, Rock Sound and Visit London amongst others, and was a regular presenter on the Metal Hammer Podcast. Shawn speculated this had a detrimental effect on his mental wellbeing. I've heard this too. He had an ear for nuances that I dont think a lot of people understood. Given an exclusive listen to the second full-length in the months ahead of release, Kerrang! Thats my go-to bass at the moment with the Damned, and thats the one I used on our tour. He was everything that was wonderful about this band and about this group of people. What gauge is the low E string? Marc Bolan wouldve loved that! Paul and Joey even formed grindcore outfit Anal Blast. I was just, I gotta get a real guitar and actually do it. Seeing them up there and the red lights and the smoke and it was all evil, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I looked at the sheet Id been working on and at the bottom was the chorus for Psychosocial already This song was meant to be. The breakdown after the guitar solo remains a highlight of any Slipknot live set, its members falling into a Meshuggah-esque groove as Corey screams of, The limits of the dead! Using a mixture of palm-muting, chromatics and pauses to twist and stretch the listeners ear in new and unexpected ways, it would be one of Pauls final contributions to the Knot. It isn't THAT different, I listened to the rest of the album with the exception of Bother it sounded like Slipknot with the proper amount of band members. Perfection is overrated! We unselfishly say, Lets play Paul Gray riffs, or do it the way Paul would want it., Paul lives on through his family, music, and the army of maggots who hold him close. And that goes for the records, too!Captain Sensible, We have built up a collection of Marshall EL84 20/20 20-watt stereo power amps, which might even have warmed up Mrs. Thatchers cold heart if someone had thought of it! Captain Sensible, You can coax many different sounds out of a Rickenbacker depending on your fingering technique, what gauge pick you use, what year it is. Heavy gauge picks. Interview - paul gray slipknot bassist band, Interview - paul gray slipknot bassist headbang, Interview - paul gray slipknot bassist finger, Damon Albarn reveals that the beat from one of Gorillaz best-loved songs was an Omnichord loop preset, It looks like Gibson is going to start selling vintage guitars including a '59 Les Paul Burst, Deadmau5 delivers his verdict on AI music production: Its scary in the sense of how stupid music already is anyway, Confused about setting up your guitar? There was nothing funny going on with the studio desk: everything was flat. Although the low E changed every now and then especially in the late 80's. He would typically use the .058 string gauge but has intermittently used .060's and even .074's. The first five strings are relatively light . I think they picked me because they collectively like various albums Ive made: especially the T. Rex and Bowie stuff. While their 1999 self-titled debut would prove to be a landmark, 2001s Iowa earned them a No.1 in the UK, while 2004s Vol. When it came to music, Paul was up there with some of the greats, remembered Corey, in a heartfelt tribute to his old bandmate. Whether he knew you or not. What Strings Did Gary Moore Use? Paul Dedrick Gray Born April 8, 1972 Died May 24, 2010 Country United States IPI 00344172381 21 works Affiliation ASCAP Member of Slipknot Bass (1995-2010) Meta. He entrusted his prized guitar to a friend for safekeeping only to later discover itd been sold for an 8-ball of speed. What Guitar Strings Does Paul Simon Use? Paul and Anders ended up forming a death metal band called Body Pit, with Anders on vocals. I became slightly obsessed with the solos on Strange Town and the way the excitement builds in them, carrying the listener away on a tidal wave of excitement. The Damneds dynamic duo, Captain Sensible and Paul Gray, played together in the studio for the first time in 22 years while recording the bands new album. Eventide H9, Strings and Picks The finish, too, being less thick, shows off the battle scars nicely. We had confidence in each other that it would work, and we hadnt played together [in the studio] for nearly 22 years! If you listen to Pauls note choices on Vermilion, he was all over the shop and it sounded great I wanted to try things like that.. While Paul tragically left us too soon, his creative influence remains. The great thing about those basses is that theyre so individual to how you want them to sound. Unsurprisingly, Evil Spirits sounds very much like a continuation of the sonic tack the group were on at that point in their career. I have to put on the heaviest string I can find to actually do it. Dunlop wah In 1975, Eventides Tony designed the first harmonizer, so it was nice to meet the bloke whose gear Id used so extensively over the years. Recorded at Download 2009, Paul talked to TG about his solid playing style, his reason for being a bass player and his tips for making you play better. Its a clairvoyant chemistry that cant be really pinned down. Paul had previously dabbled in a band in Minneapolis called F.O.R., toured with Kyuss offshoot Unida, recorded with rockers Reggie And The Full Effect, and was poised to go out with metal super- group Hail!. On July 10, at 2pm, thousands of Sonisphere-goers joined together in a two-minute silence for #2. 1974 Rickenbacker 4001, Amps An autopsy revealed he had. You've mentioned quite a few genres there, so what's your favourite bassline of all time? Basses And thats what hes left behind for us, is absolute love.. He will never be forgotten. two very different bands. Sensible: Tony and engineer Kevin Killen thought the material had a 60s garage vibe, so sought out less-saturated distortions, mainly from the studio Vox AC30 and an excellent Matrix VB800 amp that Id packed in my suitcase, which certainly packs a punch despite being on the dainty side. Sadly, those close to Paul knew hed been battling demons for a while. Which is a hard thing to do with nine people in the band!". They werent making silly faces and all that like the other guys. That changed my world, he recounted in Paul Gray: Behind The Player. I still do the same shit, man. Most of the guys you cited developed their sounds around a Rickenbacker bass, and thats been your instrument of choice over the years. There were three mics on it: one on the speakers, one three feet back, and one six feet back, and a little bit of DI. Technical Editor Bass Gear Magazine. And seeing as Eventide HQ was just across the Hudson, Tony V. invited Tony Agnello to the studio, where, despite working against the clock, everything stopped while we played around with some guitar effects or talent boosters according to Pinch. He spent the several decades with Spirocore Mittels. Reviews. "It's a little bit of both, like on songs like 'Wait And Bleed' I'll use my fingers But then there's songs like 'Sulfur' or 'People = Shit' that have grind parts where you need the attack of a pick. There was just something huge coming through him.. Rickenbacker 12-string (Atomic Studios), Amps Im an indie dude or an alternative dude, whatever the fuck that means. Thanks! It dealt with depression and survivors guilt, but also the strong love Corey had spoken about in the press conference. staff present the albums that shaped their individual 2022s! All rights reserved. Premier Guitar sought an audience with Sensible and Gray to discuss the making of the Damneds triumphant return to studio recording, their philosophies and roots as players, the symbiosis that exists within their playing relationship, and even a bit of gear geekery. You must log in or register to reply here. Kill. Which isnt the end of the world, of course, but there seems to be no fix, according to chatter on gear forums anyway. I never took lessons or anything, I was always self-taught, listening to albums and just trying to figure stuff off of that.. Nick from Widnes England Writes: The two main acoustic guitars that Paul Simon uses on stage are as follows: Yamaha LS400 (black) Custom made by Luther Terumi (Terry) Nakamoto. I had to go back and listen to them. Hed listen to Cliff Burtons bass fills repeatedly, rewinding his tapes until he had figured them out. Did you ever take lessons in bass guitar? It took me 15 years to figure out that all they were really playing was the pentatonic scale with some extra notes chucked in! And how about you, personally? I don't even know if you can actually hear it - it was more like a sub-woofer king of thing. They received a settlement in 2018. The bass player often partnered with ex-drummer Joey Jordison, fleshing out early anthems such as Surfacing and Spit It Out, the former including riffs hed written back in his Body Pit years.