Active Band Man Chats - A Bassist’s Personal Pedal Board Edition

So, what do we have this time?

I was following someone’s tracks!

Say what now?

I went to see one of our member’s pedalboards!

The way you said that… (laughs) I thought you meant you were preying on someone’s weakness.

I checked out Ted’s pedalboard, the electric bassist of The Captains. Ted’s an incredibly nice guy.

Speaking of Ted, he’s not only active in The Captains, but he’s also been playing in PHONOPHONE and Sukanchi lately. Last year, he played bass at the 60th birthday events for ROLLY, Kiichi Morishige, and HEESEY. He’s one of the most unique bassists around, so this is definitely intriguing.

Well, you're pretty intriguing yourself, horry... (laughs)

I’ll return those exact words right back at you. (laughs)

Ooh! Alright, let’s take a look at the pedal order!

① BOSS / TU-3 (Tuner)

A total classic. So it’s first in the chain. I guess a lot of people put it at the start.

The Captains’ songs have a lot of short breaks, so being able to step on it quickly is important.

So he turns it off and on fairly frequently. That kind of attention to detail is impressive… If you need to hit it quickly, BOSS-type switches are better than metal ones.

Yeah! He steps on it so much that even a BOSS pedal ends up going through them like cardboard.

Amazing. But yeah, in the end, that’s what it comes down to.

The one he’s using now is actually the one I gave to him as a birthday present a while back.

That’s a pretty practical gift.

It came with a 5-year warranty, so I gave it to him along with the message, “Please keep playing bass with me for at least the next 5 years.”

So that was your way of tying him down? (laughs) He would play without the pressure anyway.

Hehehe.

② EBS / MultiComp BlueLabel (Compressor)


This is the current model.


EBS / MultiComp BlueLabel – Bass Effects Pedal

A compressor. This is a classic model and it’s the two-knob version from before the update. The current model added a “Sens” control, right?

Yeah, he’s been using this for years. It’s always on his board. Basically, it’s always on.

When we talked about gear before, he mentioned being curious about trying a different compressor, so he might swap it out eventually. As for which one… let’s keep that a secret for now. (laughs)

I’m pretty sure you were the one who recommended this one to him, horry!

③ PGS / ADVENT / MONOLITH

That’s right. He asked me, “Do you know any distortion pedals that you’d recommend?” So, I lent him a few to try out, and he chose this one. I personally fell in love with this brand after being introduced to it by Imamichi from BARBEE BOYS.

He uses it when he wants to go full-on dirty throughout an entire song. For The Captains’ songs, that would be things like “Himitsu no Hanazono” and “Madonna ga Kureta Lullaby”.

I think I lent him both the guitar and bass versions, but Ted ended up sticking with the MONOLITH bass. I use it the same way only when I want full distortion throughout a song. It has just the right amount of compression and it feels really nice.

④ EWS / Bass Mid Control 2 (Mid Booster)

EWS! He’s been using that one for a long time too, hasn’t he?

Yeah, it’s basically a mid booster. Depending on the acoustics of the live house and whatever amp he’s renting that day, he’ll use it to push the mids. So on days he needs it, it stays on the whole time. On days he doesn’t, it stays off.

I see, that makes sense. You can really tell he takes total control in shaping his own sound. I usually just leave the live house acoustics up to the PA engineer.

Oh? Didn’t you have this on your board too, horry?

⑤ EC CUSTOM SHOP / OVERLOAD BASS DRIVE (For distorted solos)

Yeah… that was actually the second time he had asked me if I had any recommendations of distortion pedals. The first time he asked, I lent him a few as well, and this is the one Ted picked back then. I think the maker was based in Israel. I randomly tried it out at a music store and totally fell for it, but now the brand doesn’t even exist anymore, and the BASS DRIVE is super hard to find… I’ve been hunting for a used one everywhere. (laughs)

This one’s for those super distorted solos! Like the solo in “Futari wa Diamond”.

That song has a brutal tone and performance too. (laughs)

You really have to see it at least once!

I use it like MONOLITH for when I want distortion throughout a whole song. For heavy distortion, I go with either the PGS guitar version or the HAO distortion… and there’s also one I had custom made.

⑥ Neotenic Sound / Magical Force

I have this one too. I got it because Ted recommended it to me. I’ve taken it out now since it wasn’t working well…

To put it simply, it’s an EQ, but it’s said to increase the density of the sound.

Yeah, Ted’s sound has such dense layering. On top of that, he’s got compression going on, so it gives the impression of a really packed sound…

⑦ TECH21 / SANSAMP BASS DRIVER DI
The link is for version 2.

Here’s another classic.

Yeah, this one too, I’ve been using it for years.

I thought so. It’s always on the board… or rather, Ted’s board never really changes, does it? It seems like he just sticks with a carefully selected setup. Unlike us (laughs).

That’s our style (laughs).

Let’s leave aside which is better (bitter laugh). I wonder when this model was made. The SansAmp changes a little depending on the year, doesn’t it? The paint wear gives it some good character. Could it be from the early days of the band?

I think he’s been using it for quite a long time.

I used this one too… from maybe around 15 years ago? I got a little tired of the “Sans sound” and took it off, but it’s still a popular preamp, isn’t it? If someone asks me for a preamp recommendation for beginners, I’d definitely suggest this one.

By the way, the power supply is VITAL AUDIO VA-08.

VITAL AUDIO / POWER CARRIER VA-08 MKII

Is that everything?

That’s all for the pedals, but the super important gear is this!

This one is also a classic. Though, the color is a limited edition and this one is mine.

Right, I'm renting it from you. Wasn't Ted's unit having some issues?

Yeah, it started acting up and he was in trouble... I only use it for recording, and depending on the situation, I sometimes use a different DI, so I thought it would be fine.

I really appreciate you lending it to me, thank you. Ted has huge trust in Avalon, so if he didn't have it, he'd probably be crying.

I don't know if I want to see Ted cry, or not... (laughs) He brings it everywhere, doesn’t he? Even at acoustic events or small gigs, he always brings it, and I think that’s impressive. I believe he still has the current model, but it's a special order now, and the price has gone up quite a bit... Ted seems to be looking for alternatives as well.

It looks like it. He seems to be searching on various sites.

I can't really say "please return it" to him now... I mean, it's fine because I don’t use it regularly anyway (laughs). Looking back, Ted seems to favor preamp-like devices and more distortion. And those are pretty standard gear choices.

And, he sticks with one piece of equipment for a long time. Unlike us (laughs).

Everyone’s different... we’re in the same band, yet we’re total opposites (laughs).

And he trusts you, horry.

No, no (blushing). For Ted, who sticks with one piece of equipment for a long time, I think I’m more of a reference as a different type of person who gets distracted by new gear...

It’s fun sometimes to look at someone else’s footprints, huh?

That’s the way you phrase it! (laughs)

Oh, and Ted said one last thing.

Hm?

He said, "The best effect is the nuance of a pick."

Cool! So the best effect is Ted's right hand. Indeed, even though it's a combination of standard gear, Ted's sound is really distinctive. People always say, "Even if you use the same gear, the sound changes depending on the player," but Ted really embodies that as a bassist, doesn't he?

Yes, and everything is because of...?

Love!