I'm Just a Bass Player
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My Basses
I proudly play
FBB Custom Bass Works
&
Barker Vertical Bass
&
Barker Vertical Bass
hand-crafted instruments!
While I have been very fortunate to have owned many beautiful instruments during my career, none have been as extraordinary as the basses built by FBB Custom Bass Works and Barker Vertical Bass. These incredible, hand-built basses have become my choice over the past few years, and I am constantly amazed at their quality, sound and appearance every time I pick them up.
Matt Schmill & Lee Barker, the luthiers who craft these one-of-a-kind works of art, are both bass players, therefore they know what the experienced professional will be looking for in terms of playability, tone, style and overall quality. Each bass is hand-built, there are no computer programmed CNC cutting machines or other production -based shortcuts. Because of this, the build time is a bit lengthy, but it is so well worth it once you get these fantastic instruments in your hands.
"Irene" - FBB Fretted 7 String
My main gigging bass is a fretted 7 string named "Irene" (she's named after my wife, Bunny, whose middle name is Irene). The neck is a 35" scale with 18mm string spacing at the bridge. Irene has a beautiful 5A quilted maple top over an African quartersawn mahogony back. She has a matching headstock, and the fretboard is bound in birdseye maple.
The specifications for this bass are:
FBB Bass # 1112-06
FBB Bass # 1112-06
7 string fretted, 35" scale, 24 frets
18mm string spacing
Extended single cut Atlas body
5A quilted maple top, quartersawn African mahogony back
Matching quilt maple headstock veneer
5 piece neck, rock maple/bloodwood
Morado fingerboard bound in birds eye
FBB/Dingwall custom pickups
Audere Z-mode pre-amp
Black hardware, Hipshot 18mm A-style bridge, Ultralite tuners
THG Custom knobs
SIT/Conklin Power Core strings B-F
Slim neck profile
Body specs: 13-13.875" wide, 10-21.375" upper bout
I currently have her set up with LaBella flatwound strings from the stock 6 string set (760FM-CB-XL .029, .049, .069, .089, .109, .128) with a SIT plain steel .020 on the top. I'm primarily a flatwound player, but at this time there are no flatwound 7 string sets available, so this LaBella 6 set + the SIT high F seems to be working best for me.
I'm loving the Audere Z-Mode preamp, which is set up with a complete by-pass for passive playing. When in the by-pass mode, only the master VOL is operational. The Audere has 3 bands (low-mid-high) with variable components within each band. I have been able to get some really great tones from the preamp, which really helps as I get into differing room dynamics.
I'm loving the Audere Z-Mode preamp, which is set up with a complete by-pass for passive playing. When in the by-pass mode, only the master VOL is operational. The Audere has 3 bands (low-mid-high) with variable components within each band. I have been able to get some really great tones from the preamp, which really helps as I get into differing room dynamics.
A pic of the back of Irene, you can really see the beautiful African mahogony in this shot!
Dean Stylist
2002 Dean hollow-body semi-acoustic bass. A 32" scale 4 string bass, the Stylist plays both acoustically and through an amplifier
Other Gear Affiliations
In addition to my strong support of FBB Custom Bass Works, Barker Verticle Bass and MarkBass Amplification, I use the following gear during performances and recordings:
Radial Engineering ToneBone BassBone pre-amp/A-B/DI pedal
www.tonebone.com
Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus pedal, Boss ODB-3 Overdrive
www.bossus.com
LaBella Strings
www.labella.com
Bass Guitar Gig Bags
www.thelowend.net & www.gatorcases.com
1948 Carl Meisel Double Bass
The newest bass added to my collection, I picked up this new (well, actually very old) bass on July 5, 2009. In spite of my crazy love for extended range basses, there is simply nothing quite like the feel of an acoustic double bass resonating against your side while playing it!
FBB Fretless 6 String
As much as I love all of my basses, this particular bass is very likely the finest instrument I have ever owned. I bought this bass used from an on-line contact at the TalkBass forum. It was the first "boutique" bass I had ever owned and I'll always remember taking it out of the shipping carton, stunned by the beauty of the bass and the immaculate construction! I literally couldn't talk for a few minutes as I first held it, and once I started to play it I was hooked on FBB for life!
In brief, the specs on the bass are as follows:
FBB Bass # 020-00
6 string fretless
Curly maple top with a honduras mahogony back.
5 piece maple/bloodwood/mahogony neck
35" scale lined fretless ebony fingerboard
Abalone octave markers.
6 string fretless
Curly maple top with a honduras mahogony back.
5 piece maple/bloodwood/mahogony neck
35" scale lined fretless ebony fingerboard
Abalone octave markers.
Bartolini P56 pickups
Chrome ABM bridge
Gotoh tuners
Chrome ABM bridge
Gotoh tuners
Built in 2000 by FBB Custom Bass Works
This bass is set up with the LaBella flatwounds as well (760FM-CB-XL .029, .049, .069, .089, .109, .128). I love the tension on the LaBella flats, really helps with the B string response.
I had though out switching out the pickups and preamp to match up to the 7 string, but this bass sounds so beautiful that I hate to mees with the currnet set-up. An really, I usually just play it in the passive mode without the pre engaged, so no sense messing with a good thing!
I had though out switching out the pickups and preamp to match up to the 7 string, but this bass sounds so beautiful that I hate to mees with the currnet set-up. An really, I usually just play it in the passive mode without the pre engaged, so no sense messing with a good thing!
Barker Vertical Bass
Don't mistake this bass for a double bass .... while it does have look of a DB, it is in fact an electric bass, but just played in a vertical position. For those DB players, you'll find the neck length something you need to adjust to. The 34" scale feels dramatically different from the standard 41" scale of a DB, and the string spacing is absolutely that of an electric bass. I usually don't care about lines on a fretless bass, if they're there, fine ... if not, also fine. In the case of the B1, the lines actually helped me during the "honeymoon" period, since I found myself reflectively reaching for positions as if it's a DB
The Barker B1six is a bass that you have to experience in person. The uniqueness of the tone, the flexibility of fitting into both jazz and rock settings (and folk, country or anything else, for that matter!), the extremely high level of craftsmanship of the instrument, and the sheer joy of playing it makes it the ideal candidate for me. I really love this bass, custom built for me by Lee Barker!
The Barker is designed using the primary specifications of an electric bass, in that it has a 34" scale neck with a standard 10" radius, two electric bass pick-ups in the typical neck and bridge locations, and a standard bridge and headstock with typical electric bass tuners. But the Barker also has the vertical orientation of a double bass, a chambered body which emulates the acoustic body of a DB, stands on an endpin, and has the physical appearance of somewhat skinny DB.
The fingerboard is a lined ebony, side dots in the typical fretted locations, 22 "frets" with 19mm spacing. The electronics are Basslines, passive, with Vol/Vol/Tone controls. The "tailpiece" is cosmetic only. Input jack is at the back of the bass on the left side, so it doesn't interfere with me while playing.
1968 Goya Jazz Bass
This bass was built in Japan at a period of time when many overseas builders were copying the famous Fender designs, and became known as knock-off's, and in some cases were subject to a series of lawsuits issued by Fender. I bought this bass from an Ebay auction for practically no money with the intention of completely modifying it, but once I got it in my hands I opted to leave it alone. The sound and tone of this bass is amazing, especially for something that is almost 40 years old!
I did switch out the neck on the bass to make it a fretless, but I have kept the original neck. Everything on the bass is an original vintage part
Amplification
After years of using Ampeg, Hartke and Eden gear, I recently switched over to MarkBass stuff. Wow, what a difference in weight, tone and flexibility! This rig is very versatile with a CMD121P combo tied into a MB Traveler 151P, 500 watts of monster tone that has been perfect on every single gig I do. For the smaller dates I just leave the 151P cab in the car!
After years of using Ampeg, Hartke and Eden gear, I recently switched over to MarkBass stuff. Wow, what a difference in weight, tone and flexibility! This rig is very versatile with a CMD121P combo tied into a MB Traveler 151P, 500 watts of monster tone that has been perfect on every single gig I do. For the smaller dates I just leave the 151P cab in the car!
My Effects Pedal Board
My board is a pretty basic set-up. The board itself is a Furman SPB-8 with a built in power conditioner. I use a Radial BassBone for switching and as a DI when necessary, with Line 1 for my active basses and Line 2 for passive. I also use a Boss Bass Chorus and Boss Overdrive. The Boomerang Phrase Sampler is a looper that lets me drop in the bass line and then chord or double the guitar lines once the bass loop is set. I also have a Zoom multi-effects box that is only used as an on-board tuner.
My board is a pretty basic set-up. The board itself is a Furman SPB-8 with a built in power conditioner. I use a Radial BassBone for switching and as a DI when necessary, with Line 1 for my active basses and Line 2 for passive. I also use a Boss Bass Chorus and Boss Overdrive. The Boomerang Phrase Sampler is a looper that lets me drop in the bass line and then chord or double the guitar lines once the bass loop is set. I also have a Zoom multi-effects box that is only used as an on-board tuner.
