Bergantino Artist Felipe Gomez “Felipe the Bass Invader”

 

I know you were born in Chile, Felipe, and that you started your career as a teacher.

Can you share a little bit about this with us, and how you went from a warm country as a teacher to touring the world on a bike with a bass guitar strapped to your back?

I wanted to see the world with my own eyes. I wanted to do it on a horse, but I didn’t have money for one, so my bicycle became my horse.

 

How did you land in Saskatoon, Canada, from Chile?

I started teaching kindergarten in Saskatoon, and I fell in love with the city.

 

When did you start to play bass, and what is it about the bass guitar that drew you to it?

As many other bass players, everyone else was playing guitar, and if I wanted to be in the band, the only spot left was bass.

I started at  the age of 16.

 

What is your favorite bass and why?

My favorite bass is my Dingwall. It’s the one I took over the Arctic Circle on my bike. There were moments when I wished I had a gun instead of a bass, because there were so many grizzlies.

 

What is your favorite style to play? Thrash, slap, etc. Why?

I love tapping. It is my go-to technique. I love that I can create a full range of frequencies without a band. I have not been successful in convincing a band to tour on a bicycle with me.

 

Besides playing bass, you have also written some beautiful melodies. What was your inspiration?

Nature is my muse. I have loved the relationship between man and nature since I read The Odyssey. I wanted to do something like that—to create the soundtrack of my adventures.

 

Can you tell me how you came to find Bergantino?

I tried the B|amp at the Dingwall shop. After hearing how well-rounded my tapping sounded, even without adding any pedals, I was convinced I needed one.

 

What is it about Bergantino that is important to you for your sound as a player?

I love how it doesn’t color my playing. Most of the sound comes from the fingers and the bass.

I love the crystal-clear sound, and Bergantino is the clearest and most responsive amp I have tried.

Bonus points for the One Big Knob, too. I love that one.

 

You are a traveling man, Felipe, and have been to many places with Bike Bass and Tour. Can you share with everyone how this came to be and about all the good work you are doing and the causes you support?

After some tours to remote areas, I became aware that I really enjoy visiting places and sharing my music with locals. So, I try to do that as much I can. I am not originally from Canada, but I love this country, and I want to do my part.

 

What is it you have learned by traveling the world that is most important philosophically and as a musician? Share some wisdom with all of us!

Be your best friend, and eat as much watermelon as you can. You never know when it is going to be -20 degrees again.

 

What has been your favorite experience as a musician?

Right now, I enjoy collaboration. I am creating music with my South African friend Chris Van der Walt.

 

What has been your favorite experience traveling?

That one is impossible to answer. I try to enjoy as much as possible whatever in the world I am doing at that moment.

I just came back from Africa. I still think wild dogs are cute.

 

Besides playing bass and traveling, Felipe, you are also the marketing manager and videographer for Dingwall guitars and, until just recently, for Bergantino Audio Systems. Can you tell us how you got involved with this work?

At the beginning, it was all research, as I had to do the marketing for myself. I had to tell people of the idea of doing a solo bass tour on a bicycle.

Eventually, I became good at editing videos, doing bass demos, etc. I am fortunate to work with amazing brands. It is always an evolving job, but I truly enjoy it. It makes me feel part of something big and part of the legacy of the brand I am working with.

 

Can you share some of the important things you have learned about FB, Instagram, and YouTube that you feel would help other musicians and the like who are looking to promote themselves?

For a personal online presence, it is important to make a schedule, be accountable for the content, and really focus on creating content that makes you happy, not on what you think people want.

 

This past February, you were in a polar exploration group on Lake Winnipeg, surrounded by freezing cold weather, high winds, ice, snow, and grey skies. Why? ☺ Why do you embrace winter escapes?

I am obsessed with man vs nature. I want to see if I can do it.

 

What is the next adventure plan for you, Felipe?

I better not tell. My mom may get mad at me.

 

Follow Felipe Gomez aka Felipe the Bass Invader

https://www.facebook.com/felipethebassinvader/

https://www.instagram.com/bike_and_bass_tour_/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bergantino Artist Matthew Meyers shares his story with us!!

Whitinsville, Ma– Bergantino Audio Systems is proud to welcome Matthew Meyers to our family of artists.

Matthew Myers hails from Sydney, Ohio and is not only known for his massively impressive Appalachain-style beard but his funky and soulful bass playing.  Read about what drives this gentle giant and how he formed into the player he is today.

Okay Matt, right out of the gate, we need to know about that awesome outstanding beard of yours. This is a question Lee Presgrave made me ask you!

Ah yes, the bet! So, I’m a hockey fan and I might make a side bet here or there. Seven years ago, my bearded bassist buddy (say that five times fast) and I made a bet we would shave our beards if our team missed the playoffs and well…we didn’t and I saw my baby face for the first time in a long time. And since then I have not shaved once.

What have you been up to lately?

The pandemic really threw a wrench in my plans for 2020 as I’m sure other folks as well. I dumped my fretless bass funds into a Pro Tools studio build and began learning to use that DAW. It really is nice to be able to organize your thoughts and to have an outlet for ideas. I also began Jeff Berlin’s lessons to improve my reading/writing skills and that has been an amazing experience. I have recorded bass with The Funk Factory on our EP we released this summer and I’m back in the studio Dec 5th and 6th to do another EP so we’ve been busy writing as well as doing live streams and limited outdoor events.

Where were you born and raised?

I was born in Xenia, Ohio and then moved to Mobile, Alabama at an early age. I went to school in Mobile Alabama, Marietta Georgia, and Sidney Ohio growing up.

What makes the bass so special to you and how did you gravitate to it?

Bass is the best part of the music I grew up with, all of the Motown and music my mother played growing up. I was exposed to some of the best bass players of our times. So, I’m sure that has to be what made me appreciate the instrument and maybe obsess a bit, too! It’s amazing to hear what folks have done with the instrument throughout the years from the introduction and reintroduction of tapping and slap bass to how bass-forward the mix bass has become in modern recordings.

How did you learn to play?

When I was still in high school,my best friend, Mitch Lawson, played guitar in a metal cover band on the weekends and their bassist departed a week before they had a show. He honestly showed me how to play 13 songs in a week and I practiced on my mom’s old acoustic with five strings until his brother lent me his bass to use. We went on to form the first original band I ever played with who are still a great band playing today! Ever since then, I have been trying to adapt to different styles and playing techniques while working on reading and music theory as I am a “self-taught” bassist.

Are there any other instruments you play?

I have been known to play bass and drums at the same time when there isn’t a drummer available and I did get my first drum lesson from Doug Johns at a clinic but I’m just going to stick with bass if it’s all the same.

How has your playing evolved over the years and have you made changes from your start until now?

I’d say that my playing has made some drastic progression in life, no doubt. I started off with metal, then after learning some punk covers we began to write and I have been doing mostly original music ever since. So far I have played with punk bands, metal bands, bluegrass bands, jazz bands and jam bands. I started playing a four string with three fingers to learn that gallop in the Iron Maiden songs then moved to using a pick for fast punk rock. Then I heard Les Claypool and began learning how to slap and tap which threw me down the rabbit hole of Flea, Victor, Larry, Marcus and the folks who can do it justice. Along the way I’ve learned the importance of giving the songs what they need on bass and to serve the music in whatever technique I use to approach it.

Describe your playing style, tone, strengths and areas that can be improved on the bass.

I’m a big (6’3”) fan of diversity in music so I like to play and learn as many styles as is humanly possible. I can do slap, double-thumb, fingerstyle, plectrum, tapping, and right-hand muting well. I would love to know more about soloing vocabulary and harmonics, as well as reading and writing so those are parts that I focus on the most in my daily routine.

Where do you see the instrument 5, 10 or even 20 years from now?

I see live instrumental music coming back into the fold again and that’s a great future for all bassists. I’ve recently gone with a Midi setup and that changes the game on the flexibility of the bass quite a bit and it’s a new road for me and one I look forward to exploring.

What four bass players influenced you the most?  

Growing up in the punk scene, we were lucky enough to have folks like Matt Freeman show us the ropes on rock bass and how to destroy a four string. The first time I heard “Sailing the Seas of Cheese” by Primus, I locked myself down and really began to see the instrument in a whole new light, so Les Claypool for the win and the reason I play 6 string basses. I’m not exactly sure how it happened and I believe that all bass players have him in their blood the first time a broken string cuts you, but Jaco has been a huge influence but more as an idol than a direct influence. “Soul Intro” is just huge and his version of “Donna Lee” is mind altering. Lastly.was Mr. BakithiKumalo. I’d give credit to my folks for listening to Paul Simon a lot and giving me the opportunity to hear, once again, what potential the instrument has. His style of speaking with a fretless bass is mesmerizing. I’ve never been a fretless player myself but he definitely makes you want to be one.

Let us know what you are currently working on.

I have a recording studio now so I’ve been hard at work learning how to use Pro Tools. I have also gone Midi with my effects pedals and that has quite the learning curve, but I love the ease of operation now. The Funk Factory has an EP out and we are headed to the studio to record our next album.

Howd you find Bergantino, and can you share your thoughts on our bass gear?

Ah, Bergantino…the worst kept secret of NAMM. I first got to hear the B|Amp at the winter NAMM show and was glued to the floor listening to the flexibility and tone that it put out. That was my first time hearing where I wanted to be, sonically. So, now I have a forté HP and an HG312 cabinet. I really couldn’t be more content with my tone. I think there are two crowds in the bass world: The baked-in-sound amp folks and the transparent amp folks. I’d like to think I fall in the latter category. I have a very, very nice bass and I love to listen to it sing. I think my Bergantino forté HP really lets the instrument come through without being sterile or dry. I assume it’s magic but my EQ is pretty near neutral now and it’s HUGE sounding!

Tell us about your favorite bass or basses.

Easy Question: I have one bass, It’s pretty famous and I call her Helga. Helga is a Michael Tobias Design 635-24 made with an ash body and neck with a birdseye maple fretboard and a myrtle burl top. If you could pull the sound a bass makes out of my head, that would be it.

What else do you like to do besides playing bass?

I’m an avid gamer and one day would love to have a restaurant because I love to cook. Bass is pretty much my life for a while, honestly.

What have you had more time to work on or explore since COVID?

I’ve really had more time to focus on reading music and getting ideas out of my mind and into recorded material. It’s a lot of fun to explore ideas and hear the final outcome as you originally expected it to turn out and then have your band mates take it a step further to its fullest potential. I don’t have much time to put ideas down while out playing all the time so it really is nice. 

Is there anything else you would like to share with us? 

Yes, I would like to let folks know how kind and helpful all of the folks at Bergantino have been to me and let you know you are appreciated very much by so many in the bass world. I can’t wait to see what you think of next! Thanks everyone who loves music and thanks to my sister Sue, I miss ya…

Please list all of your social links that I can share on this post.

https://www.facebook.com/matthew.c.meyers

https://www.instagram.com/matthewcmeyers

https://thefunkfactory.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/FunkFactoryToledo

https://www.facebook.com/birdintobear

https://www.facebook.com/dragonwagonband

Thank you Matt!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bergantino Welcomes Luthier Parizad Hatcher

 

Bergantino Welcomes Luthier Parizad Hatcher

WHITINSVILLE, MA – Bergantino Audio Systems is honored and excited to welcome Luthier Parizad Hatcher to our family of endorsing luthiers.

Meet Parizad Hatcher.  She immigrated from Iran at the age of 18 and has a very interesting story to tell, which ultimately ties into Bergantino Audio. She is quickly becoming well-known for her incredible work in this latest class of up-and-coming bass luthiers.

Interview:

Where did you grow up,Parizad? We love your name!

Thank you so much.

I grew up in Tehran, Iran. I moved to the United States when I was 18 to attend college at Georgia Tech.

When did your bass building journey begin?

The journey really began for me when I met my husband. I was a student at the time, studying particle physics, and the first CD he gave me when we started dating was  Pat Metheny’s “Bright Size Life” with Jaco on bass. I didn’t even know what instrument I was hearing, but I was enthralled by it.

Jaco’s playing was so melodic, it reminded me of Bach’s inventions in the way he weaved these counter melodies underneath the soloist.

It was years later after when I started building classical guitars that I made my first bass, but I didn’t take much convincing, and it was fretless!😂 After that, I switched to building almost exclusively basses. I’ve made a few jazz guitars but basses seem to be my niche.

What originally inspired you to start building bass guitars?

I apprenticed with a wonderful guitar builder named Keith Vizcarra in Santa Fe. Before Keith, I knew nothing about building instruments. I had done some intricate woodworking but nothing related to instruments.

Keith is a very good teacher, and he understands science, so he was able to figure out my learning style and teach me in a way that made sense. Being a math person and having a background in science, I tend to want to quantify everything, and I feel like there is a formula for everything. With instruments, it’s not that binary. Once you get to the point of building a high-quality instrument, then it’s about the preferences of the players. Wood combinations,  pickups etc… Oops, sorry—back to your question. I was building classical guitars, and my husband wanted to buy a very expensive electric bass. I told him, “Give me the specs and a picture, and I’ll make you one.” I didn’t have a lot of respect for solid body instruments at the time.

But that changed (and he bought the bass anyway).  I built him a bass, and I think the result surprised both of us. Everyone who played that bass really seemed to like it, and shortly after, I got my first order for a bass. I’ve really just been filling orders since then.

Eventually, I had to start turning down orders for guitars because they take so much longer to build, and the rest is history.

What instruments do you play?

I am a classical pianist, albeit a very rusty one, as I don’t have much time for it these days.

We know you received your bachelor’s degree with adual major in physics and mathematics. Can you share with us how your studies inspired you?

I don’t really know how to answer that. I guess I feel like there are math people and there are writing people. Math people look for the one right answer to every problem, and writing people just make up their own answers or keep rephrasing the question until it fits their answer. I’m a math person by nature, and I’m a perfectionist, so I think once I set my mind on building basses, I’m always just looking for a solution. The basses are just the byproduct of my failed research.

It’s like Plato’s forms. There is a conceptual paradigm of a “perfect bass” or the perfect essence of “bassness” that exists in my head, and I’m trying to make that manifest.😂😂😂

We know you developed a passion for carpentry. Can you share with us how this led to being a luthier? 

That’s all my husband’s fault!

He loves instruments, and he is an avid collector. He infected me with his love of beautiful instruments. Having lots of nice instruments to look at for inspiration has been a great help to me. Sometimes, I might take out a Benedetto archtop guitar or an old Austrian violin that we have and just look at them and hold them when I’m feeling uninspired.

I’m very lucky to have access to such nice pieces.

What is your favorite bass that you have built so far and why?

The Butterfly that I built for Kai Eckhardt is definitely my favorite for lots of reasons. It’s sort of the culmination of everything I’ve learned about building basses combined with my love of pretty woods and intricate patterns. Combine THAT with the love I have for Kai and his artistry, and it’s just something I’m really proud of.

Is there a specific tone you strive for with your design, or is your philosophy to give the player a blank canvas in which to create?

Not a blank canvas. I think that most players are looking for specific tones or a specific range of tones, and I try to give them what they want. Sometimes, communicating with the musicians and translating their language about what they want into my math can be the toughest part, which is where my husband excels. When someone comes in and says they want a “rich” “full” sound that isn’t too “honky” or “bright” but still “cuts through,” my husband can ask them who they listen to and maybe find a few songs that demonstrate that tone, and then he translates for me what the client wants.

What are your greatest challenges as a luthier?

I think dealing with clients that think they know what they want, but I can actually see that something else will work better for them. They want a certain scale length or spacing or specific electronics or wood combinations because some bass player they respect has the same thing, but it doesn’t really line up with their (the client’s) anatomy (in the case of dimensions) or with what they say they need the instrument to do.

Can you share with us a little bit about your lightweight modern basses in 32” and 33” scale-length designs?

Yes! Basses by and large (pun intended) are bigger and heavier than they need to be in my experience. I prefer lightweight medium scale (32 or 33 for 4 string; 33 or 34 for 5 and 6 string) basses. I like to keep my basses less than 8 lbs for 4 strings and less than 9 lbs for 5 and 6.

Also, the center of gravity is very important. I want the bass to balance in such a way that the player can hold the bass both sitting or standing with a strap without using the left hand to support the weight of the bass neck. There is a whole formula for this thatinvolves three points of contact and an angle of 45 degrees off the body, but it’s a bit long for this platform. The main ideais that the shoulders should stay relaxed and down, and the wrist shouldn’t need to bend too much when playing. The elbow should track behind the wrist, preventing some of the common overuse injuries that players suffer from. When players are relaxed and not tense, they can play better and for longer.

My basses are designed to be lightweight and ergonomic for these specific reasons.

What are your favorite woods to work with and why?

I’ve experimented with lots of wood combinations for tone.

For tops, I like woods that are pretty. Lots of maples, spalted, flamed, quilted. I like redwood burl a lot. It’s a very deep rich color with swirling randomness that’s  just beautiful. I’ve used lots of different woods for tops, and there are so many pretty ones to choose from. I find maple, mahogany and ash to be best for necks. I prefer ebony or rosewood fingerboards.

I find them to be very balanced.

For bodies, I like ash and mahogany. I have had good results with walnut, alder and sapele for bodies, but when you get a good piece of ash that’s the right weight, it’s tough to beat.

We are thrilled you are using the Bergantino forte amplifier. Can you tell us your experience thus far with Bergantino?

I first heard your amps when I was visiting my friend Eric Martin’s http://www.martinmusicguitar.com/ amazing store (Martin Music) in Memphis.

My first thought when I plugged my bass into your amp was, “This is how I want my basses to be heard.”

What I look for in an amp is a transparent signal with a low noise floor and a pragmatic, utilitarian preamp that works intuitively. I don’t want to read a book to learn how to use an amp. And I don’t want to spend my time with a customer explaining an amp to them. I want them to hear my bass without a lot of coloring from the amp and then be able to make minor adjustments with the preamp to get the frequency spectrum dialed in.

That to me is the Forte in a nutshell. It’s has a very pristine sound; it is a great preamp with lots of headroom.

Parizad also has the Bergantino NV412 speaker.

What are your future plans?

As far as bass building goes, I plan to continue with what I’m doing now. I build each bass myself one at a time. I haven’t given much thought to increasing the rate of my production. I like doing it myself, and I enjoy the process. Unfortunately, as the demand increases, so does the wait time, but for now, it’s not too bad I hope. 😀Maybe someday, when I retire, I will go back to building some classical guitars or try my hand at arch tops just for fun.

What strings and preamps do you use? 

I like Elixir strings for round-wound and Thomastik for flats.

I use Nordstrand and Bartolini preamps.

Besides building bass guitars, what do you like to do?

I spend a lot of time with my family. I have two sons whoare both musicians, and they keep me busy. I also enjoy training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; it’s like chess with your body, and there’s no excuses on the mats.

Lately, I’ve been reading Stoic philosophy a lot, which I find to be very relevant and helpful for outlook and perspective, especially Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and Seneca.

Ryan Holiday has some great books on the topic as well.

 

For more information:https://phdbassguitars.com/