Bergantino is proud to welcome Johnny Lee Middleton to our family of artists

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Originally hailing from St. Petersburg, FL, Johnny Lee Middleton comes to us by way of world-renowned bassist and entrepreneur, Beaver Felton, CEO of Florida’s Bass Central.  Beaver, being an ultra-talented, professional player, knew that Johnny would be a great fit for Team Bergantino.  We had a chance to sit down with Johnny to chat about all things bass and his journey through the bass universe.

– Johnny, you’ve known Beaver Felton for over 40 years. How did you two come to meet?

When I first started playing, I would sneak into clubs to see bands play, and Beaver was in one of the best bands in the Tampa Bay area at the time. He was the best bass player around, so I was a fan of his band called Hoochie. When I started gigging out, we would run into each other and he was always nice to me, which was cool because he was the baddest guy in town. We have stayed in touch over the years, and he is my go-to guy if I have any questions about gear.

– Tell us how you started on your bass journey?

I started on trumpet, and in the ninth grade, I joined the jazz band and they set the bass rig behind me. After the first class, I asked the teacher if I could try the bass, and he said yes. He gave me a printout of the notes on the neck of the bass guitar and let me take the jazz bass home. The bass player was a trumpet player as well, so we would switch during the performances. I formed a band called Mariah with the drummer and guitar player from the jazz band and have been in a band in some shape or form since 1978.

– Who are your biggest musical influences?

When I was starting to play, my sister’s boyfriend left some Black Sabbath records at my house, and when I played them, it was life-changing as I had grown up on country music and pop radio. Geezer was my first as well as Phil Lynott and Geddy Lee. I grew up on 70’s music, so all the music of that era influenced my life as a musician.

– Tell us about your band, Savatage, and how it came to be?

I joined Savatage in 1985 when I was 22 years old. They were already signed to Atlantic, so I replaced the original bassist. I rehearsed with the guys for four weeks, and we were off to London to record my first record with the band. It was quite an experience as we were in Trident Studios in the heart of London hanging with the guys from Iron Maiden, Lemmy, and the crew at the St. Moritz, which was a hangout across from the studio.

– How did Trans-Siberian Orchestra emerge?

In 1995, Savatage released an album entitled Dead Winter Dead, which is a rock opera about the war in Bosnia. On that record, we recorded a song called “12/24 Sarajevo,” which is an instrumental track consisting of our version of “Carol Of The Bells,” which our producer Paul O’Neill wanted on the recording but the band did not. After some heated debate, Paul won and a DJ in Tampa Bay picked it up and started playing the song, and it just exploded from there. We really couldn’t do a holiday recording under the name Savatage so Paul started TSO and the rest is history.

– How does the music writing process work in TSO, and will you tour this year?

I am not involved in the writing process when it comes to TSO. Paul O’neill and Jon Oliva, Bob Kinkle, and Al Pitrelli are the guys that are behind the writing process with TSO. We have two TSO touring groups, so when it comes to recording, everybody pitches in so there is not a bass player or a guitar player; it is a combination of players with Al Pitrelli being the MD when it comes to guitar/bass parts.

– Tell us about some of your favorite basses.

As far as basses go, my all-time favorite, and the bass that has recorded every Savatage and TSO note, is my Brooklyn Spector Serial # 511. It is on its third set of frets, third bridge, and second set of machine heads. The pickups have grooves in them from wear and tear, and the mojo is off the chain. Paul O’neill loved it so much he actually located the guy who made the bass and had a replica made. It took some time, but Paul actually had the guitar replicated. Since it is a studio-only bass, I tour with a few Fender Jazz and P Basses and a new Spector X bass I recently received from Spector. It looks like I may be bringing a Spector or two out this year with TSO, so I am excited about that. I also have a Lakland, which was owned by Duck Dunn as it was the prototype for his Lakland model. It had super dead Labella flats on it and smelled like a pipe when I opened the case for the first time. It plays and records like a dream. That would be at the top of the list as well.

– What tone do you strive for in live performances, and how does it fit in the mix?

With TSO, I use the D’Addario flat wound chromes on all my Jazz and P basses as the tone sits better in the mix and flats seem to almost act as a compressor in arenas by tightening up the low end boom I was getting with round wounds, not to mention the fret wear I was getting on my vintage guitars. When you have two keyboard players, you need to stay out of the way or it turns into a mudfest, so flats work great for that gig. When it comes to Savatage, it is a completely opposite set up with round wounds and active pickups for more of a punchy tone with the majority of the songs recorded with a pick on the Spector. I learned how to play as a finger player and never played guitar before playing the bass, so I hate playing with a pick. I had two acrylic finger nails put on my picking hand to get the attack of the pick with the punch of the finger to avoid playing with a pick, and it worked really well on the last two Savatage recordings.

– What are you working on now?

Right now, I am working with Whiskey Stills and Mash out of Hiawasse, Georgia, when I am not touring with TSO. We are a power trio that is a regional band playing originals and covers in the North Atlanta /North Georgia area. We released a CD last year that did well, and we are working on another one now. I really love this band because it is back to where you started and everything is raw. With TSO, everything is perfect, and when you dig it out in the clubs and opening slots for national acts, nothing is perfect. The guys in the band are great players, and we really have a great time. Our new CD will be out around Nov. 1st.

– Tell us about your experience with Bergantino.

I was looking for a rig that I could use in my studio as well as to gig with that is easy to transport and loud enough to use in a live setting. I called my guys at  Bass Central, and Bergantino was first on the list so I started my research. After hours of browsing the internet, I chose Bergantino, and I’m glad I did as this rig has everything I need. It works great as a studio rig and can handle volumes needed for live gigs.

– What settings do you use with the Bergantino Forté HP, and how do they benefit your tone?

My settings on my Forte’ HP vary depending on the guitar and the tone needed to fit the song/project I am playing. I am a big fan of the VRC compression and hi and low pass filters as  well as the overdrive.  I love the Bluetooth pedal option, and the stock firmware works great for me for what I am doing at this time. It sounds great in a live situation at a louder volumeas there is clarity and thump with no break up at volume, which is what I was looking for. I like the grit of the overdrive and the ease of using a Bluetooth connection from the pedal board to amp.

– You are also using the NXT112 and NXT 210, which we commonly refer to as the “322.” How does that setup compliment what you’re trying to project on stage?

I think the 322 is a very versatile rig as it gives you the option of running a small rig to a full-on rock and roll rig that is easy to transport. I have the option of running a 12″ speaker or two 10″ speakers or both! What more could a working bass player want? It works really well in a live rock band setting as every note seems to be audible and nothing is lost in the mix. I have had quite a few house engineers ask me about the rig as they were impressed with the tone out of the DI but not familiar with Bergantino. I have just scratched the surface with this gear and can’t wait to add different firmware and see where it goes.

Please share with us what you do with your off time.

As far as my time off the road goes, I am a fulltime beekeeper and own an apiary in the Smoky Mountains. I raise honey bees from my locally bred stock, and I catch wild honeybee swarms as well as sell honey, queen bees, etc., online and locally. I run about thirty hives, so it keeps me busy when I am not on tour, and I really love working honeybees as it is complicated and physically demanding, which is a lot like being a pro musician. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to be successful, and that is what life is all about.

Follow Johnny Lee Middleton:

https://www.facebook.com/johnnylee.middleton

https://www.facebook.com/TSO

https://www.facebook.com/savatage

Bass Central: https://basscentral.com/

 

 

Bergantino Artist Claudio Rocha

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Known for his soulful grooves and creative use of melodies, we have been so excited and honored to be working with Bergantino Artist Claudio Rocha for this past year. The consummate professional bass musician, Claudio Rocha shares his bass roots with us! Much appreciation Claudio for the great videos you share with us and your kind words!

Where are you from?

I’m from São Paulo, Brazil.

When did you start playing bass and how did this all begin?

I started playing bass at the age fourteen. It was a time when all my friends were starting garage bands and everyone played guitar or drums, but nobody wanted to play bass, so it was my first choice.

Who are your influencers?

My main influences are mostly studio players/sidemen, such as Nathan East, Neils Stubenhaus, Pino Palladino and Brazilian players: Pedro Ivo and Sizão Machado. 

Please share some of your musical history with us.

After 3 years studying bass, I was invited by my teacher to play with them, and that can be described as the beginning of my musical career. I started doing studio sessions in 1997 and recorded Brazilian top artists like Claudia Leitte, Daniel and Leonardo. In 2008, I started touring with High School Musical (Disney Brazil) and was a band member for Brazilian Idol TV show. In 2016, I started playing for Brazilian X Factor TV show. 

What is your music like?

I try to be a versatile musician due to my studio and sideman work; doing pop, funk, rock

and Brazilian music, among other styles. 

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently touring with the singer duo Chrystian & Ralf. I’m writing music for TV

shows and doing studio sessions. I’m also the owner of LH1 studio, so I’m running that and

focused on online recordings. 

What do you enjoy about the Bergantino B|Amp?

From the first time I played the B|Amp, I was so impressed with the tone and quality that,

after 20 years, I retired my rack with preamp, compressor and EQ because I had all I

needed with the B|Amp. The way I can get the tone I want with just a few tweaks is

incredibly easy. Sound engineers love it! I’m always getting the best feedback from them.

It’s been one of the best choices of my career!

Please share any accomplishments or achievements you would like to include for our followers.

I was on the cover of Cover Baixo, a Brazilian bass magazine, in 2010. 

What else do you like to do besides play the bass?

I love doing photography in my free time.

Do you play any other instruments?

The bass was my first instrument, but I learned to play guitar and keyboard at a basic

level. 

Follow: Claudio Rocha:

https://www.instagram.com/claudiorocha1/

https://www.facebook.com/claudiorochabass

https://www.youtube.com/user/cruco68

 

Bergantino Audio Systems is proud to welcome Jeff Matz to our family of artists.

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Jeff Matz interview with Bergantino’s Lee Presgrave 

Jeff Matz is proof there is still a place for nice guys in rock and roll. Don’t let his easy-going demeanor fool you, inside his body is a steady-state of simmering riffs and grooves just dying to get out. Jeff has been in the music industry for quite some time and we were lucky enough to virtually sit down with him, ask a few questions and hear what he and the band have been up to lately. Please enjoy! 

Thanks for sitting down with us, Jeff. What have you been up to lately? 

I just returned home from playing some East Coast shows with High On Fire. We played New York and Boston. It was so great to return to those cities. With HOF, we have been focusing our efforts on writing a new album with our new drummer Coady Willis; it is coming along nicely. As far as upcoming HOF shows, we are about to play 3 nights in Chicago, then we have a short West Coast run around New Year’s Eve and a European tour planned for June-July 2022.

In addition to High On Fire, I have also joined Mutoid Man, which I’m very excited about! They have been one of my favorite bands for years, so it’s a blast to perform those songs live with them and writing new music with Steve and Ben has been amazing. I’m also working on another exciting project, which I can’t talk about just yet, as well as preparing an album of solo material–lots of irons in the fire at the moment!

Can you explain how you guys write those incredible High On Fire riffs? Most know Matt is also in the doom metal band Sleep, and both bands are very different. Do you have to record a song or an album with a particular mindset?

It’s not difficult at all. Sleep and High On Fire are such different animals and they operate completely independent of one another. When High On Fire does slow, heavy material, it naturally ends up sounding much different from Sleep. Most of the time we don’t have a preconception of what our new material should sound like. It typically comes about and evolves pretty organically.

“King of Days” has such a great bass melody in the intro and outro. How was that song born? 

That song grew out of a bass loop I came up with late one night in 2010. I came up with the main melody spontaneously while I was playing around with my looper. Then I came up with the main chord progression underneath it and then the harmonies. That’s how the basis of the song came to be. We kicked it around at practice and Matt came up with the B part/chorus and the lyrics/vocal melody. Also, a lot of people think that it’s guitar playing the harmonized lines at the end of the song, but it’s actually bass.

How are you and your band dealing with this last year, and what does your future look like?

We’ve all had to figure out new ways to get by since we weren’t able to tour. I started teaching private bass students via Skype and Zoom, which I still continue to do. It’s been a really great experience. I’ve met so many cool people through teaching, and it’s pushed me to expand my knowledge of music and continue to improve as a player. During the whole lockdown, we continued to work on music for a new HOF album. Now we’re finally back to playing shows again. It felt strange at first, getting on stage again after so much time off. But now it feels somewhat “normal” again. I’m so grateful to be performing live again. I missed it so much.

You have a monstrous bass tone. What led you to incorporate large amounts of drive in your tone? 

I’ve always loved overdriven and distorted bass sounds. Some of my big influences sound-wise are Lemmy, Geezer Butler, Jack Bruce, Andrew Weiss with Rollins Band, Greg Lake with ELP and King Crimson and John Wetton with King Crimson as well, Martin Turner from Wishbone Ash, and of course Cliff Burton.

I’ve spent a lot of time playing bass in three-piece bands, and the desire to fill up sonic space is what led me to incorporate distortion pedals, and later adding guitar stacks to my bass rig. 

What other instruments do you play? 

I’m a bassist first and foremost, but I also play a lot of guitar. I write a lot of High On Fire’s riffs on guitar. The last few years I’ve also been studying Turkish folk music on the traditional Turkish lute, the bağlama or saz. İt’s an amazing sounding instrument and Turkish folk music is so rich. The melodies and rhythms are beautiful and at the same time very heavy sounding to my ears. I think it blends very well with heavy music. I also play the tanbour, another type of lute from Iran, which I played on a couple tracks on Death Is This Communion, the first album I recorded with High On Fire. I’m also working on becoming a better keyboard player, and I have also been singing a lot more these days.

Tell us about your signature bass with Dunable and how that came to be.

I’ve known Sacha Dunable for quite a few years. His band Intronaut toured with High On Fire back in 2007. I saw Intronaut play at the Road to Burn festival in Holland in 2013 and was admiring the other guitarist David’s unique looking guitar. I asked him about it, and he told me that Sacha built it for him. He encouraged me to talk to Sacha about having him build me a bass. Sacha and I discussed it, which eventually led to him building the first Dunable bass for me in 2014. We have been working together ever since. He approached me about doing a signature series around 2017. We collaborated on the body shape and specs, and this current signature bass is the fourth iteration of the JM series. We refined the body shape a bit more, and it’s also the first Dunable custom shop instrument to feature a gloss finish. It has a precision style pickup in the classic p bass spot and a relatively hot single coil in the bridge position. I’m really happy with how this run of basses turned out. I just finished doing some recording with it, and it sounds amazing.

What led you to check out Bergantino gear?

I was attracted to Bergantino cabinets after seeing/hearing my friend Aaron Rieseberg from the band Yob play through a Bergantino 215 and a 610. It sounded so clear and punchy, but organic. I was very impressed by the sound and the volume of air being moved. That’s what led me to reach out to the company. Now, owning some of the gear, I can say that the NXT212’s are some of the best sounding cabinets I’ve tried, and Forte HP is great sounding head with an insane amount of power on tap. All the Bergantino gear is meticulously engineered–top quality stuff!

About Bergantino Audio Systems: Bergantino Audio Systems has been dedicated to developing and building the highest quality audio products and bass guitar amplification systems since 2001. Founder Jim Bergantino has worked in a number of fields in his career – from hi-tech electrical engineering to high-end hi-fi and the professional audio world. After designing custom bass cabinets for many other leading brands, he went out on his own to start Bergantino Audio Systems. We have received numerous accolades within the musical instrument industry and continue to look forward with our designs and our unique approach to developing products. https://bergantino.com/

 

Bergantino Artist George Baldwin

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Bergantino Audio Systems is excited to welcome the extremely talented George Baldwin. Composer, multi-instrumentalist and all-around great person, George hails from Brighton, England and we couldn’t be happier with his addition to our artist roster.

 First, please tell us what you have been up to currently, musically or otherwise?

 I am in the middle of finishing some recordings that will go towards a solo album. When the release date is confirmed, it will be available on all major streaming platforms. I am also currently busy creating loops for various sample libraries as well as starting to gig live again finally. My website will be updated with gig slots soon, so keep an eye out.

What is your family background? Where you were born and raised?

 I was born and raised in London and East Sussex. Everyone in my family is either artistic or musical in some form. My mum is a talented artist, pianist and drama teacher and actor who has performed in the West End, and my dad has had a career as a session guitar player who has played with many artists including Tina Turner, Phil Collins and Marvin Gaye. My brother is also a music producer currently living and working in Berlin. It was never a quiet household, to say the least!

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

I originally gravitated towards the bass guitar because all the cool kids at school were in bands, and everyone seemed to be gravitating towards singing, drumming or playing guitar as the school had equipment readily available for those activities. However, this proved to be a bit of an opportunity to be in loads of bands at school, as by choosing the bass, I got to play more! My wonderful parents bought me a Fender jazz bass when I was 10 years old. I played trumpet and piano before that (and still play piano when composing).

How did you learn to play?

My dad is a professional musician, so mostly through him and having great teachers in college and throughout the years. I always make sure I’m learning and have someone teaching me new things.

Are there any other instruments you play?

Chapman Stick and a bit of guitar and piano. I also sing when I have to!

George playing his Dingwall and Chapman stick in this fantastic video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nar4gn8N6gA

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

I used to be very much into prog rock at the beginning and started off learning a lot of Rush and TOTO bass lines. I progressively got more into jazz fusion, learning lines from my heroes Jimmy Johnson and Anthony Jackson to expand my knowledge of the fretboard and how to support a tune in the most tasteful way possible. I look up to them as players in so many ways.

Describe your playing style(s), tone, strengths and/or areas that can be improved on the bass.

I tend use the Matt Garrison technique a lot due to comfort and economy reasons (mixture of thumb and three fingers). I’m progressively getting better at the double-thumbing technique when I get the time to practice it.

Who would you say out of four players that would make the cut as your influencer and why?

Probably Jimmy Johnson. His playing style works in any style of music he applies his playing to, and his sound cuts through without leaving the song behind. He can say so much with what he is playing without overplaying. I cannot get enough of listening to him.

How’d you find Bergantino, and can you share your thoughts on our bass gear?

I was recommended to try a B amp out and was floored by its transparency and flexibility. The built-in compression is a big part of my sound now, in and out of the studio. I cannot wait to gig it more!

How have you been setting the controls on the B|Amp so far, and what changes to those setting might you make as you plug in some of your other individual instruments? Maybe some examples if any?

Mostly flat EQ with the bright switch enabled, and parallel comp set to around 8 or 9. It is so versatile, and the highs are so clean for chords and plucking without being harsh. It’s fantastic with the Chapman Stick too, with the comp set a little higher to around 10. Not much tweaking is needed for a fantastic sound.

Tell us about your favorite bass or basses.

I love Dingwall, Status Graphite and S. Martyn. As luthiers, they are bringing something unique to the bass world and have a distinctive sound. They are all also super nice people and very talented!

What else do you like to do when not doing music?

I love building software and websites, walking my dogs in nature and listening to other artists.

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

I have been working a lot in software engineering, as well as recording more original material which will be out this year on most popular streaming platforms.

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

Thank you to Holly and Jim at Bergantino for believing in me and creating some of the best bass gear I’ve ever used. What a pleasure it’s been so far! Long may it continue…

 Follow George: 

Website: https://hilltidemusic.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hilltidemusic
Instagram: @@hilltidemusic

George’s latest release: https://artists.landr.com/692531478733

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave Hope

Bergantino Artist Dave Hope shares his story with us! Enjoy!!

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Dave Hope Interview with Bergantino’s Lee Presgrave 

Dave Hope should need no introduction, but just in case you’re a young whippersnapper and haven’t been introduced to his work, I’ll give you some thoughts. An industry icon and founding member of Kansas, Dave and his band of misfits, from the middle of the US, created, that’s right, created a genre of music. Refusing to be pigeonholed into a specific category, they combined elements of jazz, rock and operatic anthems. The band blazed a trail for many more who follow to this day.

Dave’s task on bass played an immense role in the band’s success by marrying Kansas’ complex melodies into one, cohesive wall of sonic greatness with texture, creative dissidence, and legendary hooks and riffs, all with mind-blowing vocal harmonies. Kansas was truly ahead of its time.

I got the chance to “virtually” sit down with the man himself, Mr. Dave Hope, and ask him a few questions. Please enjoy this as much as I did.

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Dave, it is an absolute honor. What would you like to share about your experience in the music industry for so many years?

For me personally, when I look back at the years in Kansas, the awards and being on stage never crosses my mind. What I value now was the opportunity to experience success and to tour the world with my friends from high school. Who gets to do that?

I can remember playing our first encore at Madison Square Garden, and saying to Rich before we went back on, “This is crazy. What are we doing here? We’re just some rubes from Topeka!”

What I experienced in the music industry could be summed up in our yearly schedule we did for ten years in a row. Nine months of constant touring. One month of working up an album from scratch. One month to record the album. The last month was divided into different four- to five-day breaks throughout the year. I never saw the industry part, but I’m an expert on Holiday Inn rooms.

 

How has the role of the electric bass guitar changed in regard to how it is utilized in the song?

Technically, the players I see on YouTube are much better than in my day. Yet even though I hear better licks, I do not hear better constructed bass parts. It was much more of a team/band mindset, rather than an instruction video/solo mindset then. Growing up, bass was only heard within the context of a band.

Personally, I admire any person who can play a Cello Suite by Bach on bass, but I also find it an extremely tedious to listen to. I want to hear great bass parts, not bass licks and exercises.

 

Where do you see the instrument going into the next decade?

Oddly enough, where I hear some of the freshest approaches to playing bass is from the women’s sector. I love how Tina Weymouth or Laura Lee and many others, have gone back to the bare bones of constructing a solid bass line. I only listen to players within a band context. So, the male players I admire most are along the lines of Joe Dart or Stephen Campbell.

One reason I believe there are more women playing bass is because basses now play much better and the amps are lighter. Very weighty basses and 300-pound SVT rigs were not possible for most women in the 1960s and 70s.

Personally, I do not believe in the mystic of the vintage instrument. I almost had to beat my 60s P basses into submission to get certain tones from them. My mid-priced Sadowsky is superior to any of the many classic basses I’ve owned.

I’ve never missed any of those old basses and neither does my arthritis.

 

Do you still play bass regularly?

When I first touched a bass in 1965, I had one goal: how can I do this forever?

Fortunately, God has blessed me in that I have always had a musical outlet. I am currently playing with a band called The Mulligans. We are a group of old coots who play 60s and 70s hits. It’s a lot of fun and very similar to being back in a high school group again. There’s nothing like going deaf with friends.

 

Tell us about your studio setup for recording the iconic album, Leftoverture.

There were just not that many options or toys to play with in the studio back then. The hot studio setup back then would have been a Neve board, Studer tape machines, and McIntosh tube power amps.

My memory of recording was of sitting in the control room and using the playback speakers as my monitor because I don’t like headphones. Ninety percent of my bass was just a DI into the board with a little compression.

The bass world at that time was void of any foot pedals that sounded good. So I have no recollection of using any effects while recording, they just didn’t exist outside of the studio board. Our recording process was to first get down a keeper drum track, and build from there. Phil usually cut his drum tracks to just a reference guitar or piano with me on bass. Sometimes Steve would sing during the verses so we could tell where we were.

Then, I would sit in the boardroom and play to just the reference/scratch track and “keeper” drum tracks. Studios were not my favorite places to make music, because I could never come close to warming up like I did live (and I’m hopelessly antsy). I can never remember walking away from a studio feeling like I just laid a great bass part. I mostly walked away with a sigh of relief thinking, “At least I didn’t screw it up too badly.”

This was mainly because after the first album, our yearly schedules were something like this: We would come off ten months touring, take a two-week break and then have to get back at it. We only had a month to work up an entire album up from scratch before we went into the studio. So, we hardly knew the songs more than a few weeks or even days before recording them.

We did not build songs from scratch in the studio. What I always felt set Kansas apart from most other “prog” groups (that term didn’t exist then), was not only could we play the highly orchestrated stuff, and also weave in and out of weird time signatures fairly fluently, but we could also turn around and do straight up rock and roll songs like, “Carry On.”

We admired/loved the British groups like Yes, Genesis and King Crimson, but none of those groups, to my knowledge, could just play a straight-up rock song. We never avoided any style because we were fairly apt in all of them.

 

When Kansas started playing some of the bigger venues (arenas, stadiums), tell us about some of your favorite live rigs from back then. 

I started this evolution of rigs back in the club days. As a foundation, I always kept an SVT amp and its 810 cab as half my rig, but I kept experimenting with the other half.

First, I put an acoustic 360 and patched it together with the SVT half. That was too powerful on the bottom end; it was hard to hold down. Then, I got my hands on a used Marshall 415 bottom with a 200w Marshall Major head. This one was the best of the lab experiments. It had that deep scooped sound with that Marshall grunt. (Sounds like me and my dog “grunt and scoop.”)

Then, the stupid musician looking for the euphoric amp took over, and I ditched the Marshall. My third experiment was a Sound City 412 with a Sound City head. It didn’t have the headroom. By the time I got it loud enough to compete with the SVT tone I liked, it went way “farty” (technical bass term) on me. These were rigs that I used on stage during my club on throughout our theater-size concert days. Once we hit the arenas, the bass was a joke in those days.

 

What led you to find Bergantino gear?

After I left the priesthood five years ago, I found the whole bass world had drastically changed since leaving Kansas in 1983. So, as I gathered online information about what the quality players were using, Bergantino was a name that kept popping up. I live in a tourist trap, in the panhandle of Florida, so our music store can only afford to stock the basics. I took a leap of faith and ordered a forté HP.

The first minute I messed with it, I knew this amplifier was a thoroughbred, rather than a work horse. I kind of hesitated when I learned Jim was an engineer rather than a player because engineers usually build amps that come with an owner’s manual the size of a telephone book. I found this a very easy amp to figure out. I’ve never understood owner’s manuals; the options to nail the right tone are vast. I’m loving my forté HP and

my highest compliment is that at the age of 71, for the first time in my life, I am not in the market for an amplifier or a bass! I now have the best of both for my needs.

 

Anything you’d like to share with your fans?

To bass players, I would say, don’t get caught up in one genre. Try and learn some very basic theory. I never played a chord instrument until I was out of Kansas, only trumpet and tuba. I will also pick up guitar for church, and it definitely adds a depth to my knowledge of bass. Also, learn the modes and you will learn the neck. Yes, it’s somewhat boring, but you are also in the muscle memory business.

Personally, I think it’s essential you learn to play in a few odd-time signatures; try to learn “Song for America.” You might not ever use it, but it will strengthen your overall sense of rhythm.

But most of all, thank the good Lord for giving us the gift of music.

Thank you Dave!

 

 

Bergantino Artist Mitch Starkman shares his bass journey with us!

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WERE YOU BORN AND RAISED IN CANADA?

Yes, I was born and raised in Toronto, CANADA.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED PLAYING THE BASS?

I was 12 and already had been taking classical piano lessons since the age of 7…and very reluctantly at that time.  I had also been listening to popular music on the radio and on records when someone I knew said that in the music I was hearing there was a “guitar -like instrument that had only four strings and played low notes”. Without even seeing or touching a bass I knew that was it..that’s where I wanted to be. It was like a huge light went off in my head and I was obsessed from that moment to find one and play it. It took another year for me to actually find one and put my hands on it, but I was sold sight- unseen. My first bass was an Epiphone Humbucker model that I rented from a local shop. It actually sounded great in retrospect… but I had no idea at the time! It sounded a lot like one of my “Bass Heroes” at 12: Glenn Cornick from Jethro Tull. Like most of you out there reading this, I wished I had that first one back.

DID PIANO HELP YOU IN YOUR EARLY BASS PLAYING?

Ultimately, immensely. Although my family would have probably disagreed with that considering the horrible noises coming from the basement in the first few years. It’s funny also that at that young age we didn’t have any concept of volume, and the effect it had on the victims around us. 🙂 But I’d have to admit at 12 the basic theory you learn from that formal piano education and ear training (plus the way music is laid out on a keyboard) gave me a huge head start in translating to the fretboard. Relationships and basic interval understanding was pretty much immediate and gave me a big head start. I continued with classical piano until I was 16 or 17 so the growth continued between the two. Although no one knew it, being forced to take piano lessons so early was one of the best thing that happened to me.

WHAT HAPPENED THEN?

I got into some early bands and then transitioned to doing mainly original music which was always my goal…being creative was always my main interest if I was allowed to do it. Early progressive rock projects transitioned to  doing demos/sessions and in my late teens and into my early 20s I found myself the “in house” bass player for many studios of different sizes, working with various producers and generally just hitting the recording scene as hard as I could. I should say that at that time in music culture the push to concentrate on your own music and record it in a studio where you need session players was much stronger than now. Machines and smaller digital studios with samples hit pretty hard starting in the 80s.  Then in my teens I discovered fusion, jazz, R and B, and funk/soul, getting into Weather Report, Headhunters, Return To Forever, Jaco and his band, and tons of other artists. That really began the process of maturing my playing and way of thinking (which never stops)… except for the dreaded “slap” that started to pierce the walls of my home and convinced the dog to never come downstairs again.

WHAT DID/DO YOU LIKE ABOUT STUDIO WORK?

The bright sun-lit rooms, the endless hours of getting a snare sound, the freshly prepared healthy meals, the bass always being way too loud on playbacks, and listening to every guitar through every guitar amp for every guitar part …while you were asked to just “plug in your Fender over there”…there’s so much! I kid, of course lol.  Really, the challenge of trying to be creative and authentic in different styles is very stimulating to me, and that you really have to be a good listener and be on your toes. The environment makes you better technically too, and allows you to play with different people, which is fun.

CAN YOU GIVE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK YOU’VE DONE?

I’ve done albums for major labels including Capitol/EMI, Attic Records, appeared on JUNO winning albums, commercial work, and numerous independent releases. I probably can’t count the number of demos also to add to that. 🙂 On the live side I’ve done the large arena, big stage, club circuit, and small venues of course.

WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCERS?

That is almost impossible to answer fully..not enough space. 🙂 Just off the top of my head would be Anthony Jackson, Marcus Miller, Pino Palladio, Jaco, Peter Cetera, Chris Squire, Nathan East, James Jamerson, Gino Vanelli, Ian Anderson, Paul McCartney, Steve Gadd, Ralphe Armstrong, Coltrane , Tom Johnston, Herbie Hancock and a hundred more including my wife who tells me when I should ” stop doing that”, and I listen because she has better ears than I do. Really, its anyone who has moved me in some deep way with their talent and expression.

TELL ME ABOUT THE BASS R AND D INTEREST YOU HAVE.

It’s really a fun side interest I fell into in the last 20 years or so that was fueled by the quest for ultimate bass tone. I began to analyze what makes a bass sound the way it does and at the same time hooked up with FBass which is fairly close to where I live. There was a good opportunity to explore and discover (by experiment) all the factors and elements that affect tone using our ears and hands as the tools, and trying to improve anything that we could.  Bass is such a hands-on instrument, one where the relationship between the point of contact of your bare skin on your hand and the tone you eventually hear is so connected. That’s what makes it exciting for me to explore the R and D side to bass guitar. My R and D relationship with FBass remains up until today, along with being one of their artists. I’m also an artist for Alleva Coppolo Basses And Guitars and La Bella Olinto Basses, and have contributed to R and D for Alleva Coppolo as well.

THOUGHTS ON BERGANTINO AUDIO SYSTEMS?

I have a sensitive ear and am pretty particular on the way I like my tone. My bias is for transparency and a natural organic sound. This is the main reason why I’ve gone to Bergantino head and cabs. When I plug into this rig I hear my bass the way it sounds when I use a pretty direct recording chain. Although every situation or piece of equipment you plug into colours your bass to some degree, after years of hearing my instruments through a short recording chain I got to know how they basically sound like as instruments, and when I plug into Bergantino that’s what I hear. Sold! If I’m going to spend all this time and energy and money into getting the bass specs perfect for what I wanted in any instrument, that’s what I want to hear come out of an amp. I believe in getting the flavour of my tone from the bass specs and my hands, and the amp should just reproduce that as accurately as possible. Currently, when I do want to color my tone significantly I tend to use a tone shaping direct box with tubes or otherwise.

WHAT BERGANTINO RIG DO YOU HAVE CURRENTLY?

I have a Reference 2 10” cab, a Reference 1 12” cab, and a Forte head. This gives me a good combination of flexibility, bottom end, definition, punch, and transportability.

I opted for the Forte because I’m not really a “wires” guy, I’m a wood guy, so although the features of the B amp are great and the digital interface works well I just want something simple and fast …plug in and play. That’s what the Forte was designed to do and it does it well. I love it for that. Again, the natural basic sound of this rig is accurate and transparent to my bass which is what it’s all about for me.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO BESIDES PLAYING THE BASS?

I love to travel, especially to do mountain trekking or hiking. I’ve gone to Everest Base Camp in Nepal, and trek through the Swiss Alps regularly, now with my wife. We also love to be on wheels either bike or roller-blades. Travel and adventure are things that excite me, and I guess there is an analogy there with music and working with different projects. They are adventures, new or otherwise. Other things are aviation, hearing live music, and some relaxing time with the people around me.  The important thing is to have passions and interests to keep your life varied and meaningful. I also believe these things can make you a better musician.