So many things set him apart from the rest: his attention to detail; his ear for hooks; his approach to a riff; his ability to hear several variations on a riff so it never felt repetitive; his vision for songs or passages; his single-mindedness when it came to fighting for what was best in a song I could go on and on here.. Ernie Ball Power Slinky Bass Strings (55-110) Paul Gray was known to use the Ernie Ball Slinky Bass Strings. What Kind Of Acoustic Guitar Does Paul Simon Play? "I was listening in on their conversation, eavesdropping, they were talking about doing covers of Slayer and Metallica - all these songs that I knew how to play on guitar. Although the Captain was stationed on bass for the Damneds first few recordings, he emerged on the groups third album, 1979s Machine Gun Etiquette, as a dexterous and melodic guitarist with a knack for penning killer hooks that draw on a surprisingly vast range of influences. Its so easy to be generic or cheesy in metal, and Paul never was. I made Paul punch in a lot, but a lot of it comes with modifying parts and changing things to be something a little different without changing their overall feel or what theyre trying to say as players. Paul Dedrick Gray was born in LA on April 8, 1972. They toured All Hope Is Gone across nine gruelling legs, starting in July 2008 in Washington, taking in Download in June 2009, and finishing in Las Vegas that October. 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. Or Maiden's Steve Harris, who does all kinds of amazing stuff and who is completely different to Cliff. Did I ever really think a friend was going to die? I saw Slayer on the Hell Awaits album and that changed my world, he once said. I havent a clue about scales and stuff. Frank Zappa? Not quite, but I'll take that as a compliment whether intended or not! 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. Im not a control freak and I want them to express themselves, and I wouldnt work with them if they werent great musiciansthats my criteria. What Paul did with Slipknot was revolutionary. Bunch of new American psychos just dropped. All rights reserved. Take the song 'Scissors', from the first album, where I'm tuned to an octave below A. While the Damned are fronted by a crooning vampire-poet of a man in Dave Vanian, much of the groups sweeping sonic vision has hinged upon the guitar work, songcraft, and imagination of founding member Captain Sensible (born Raymond Burns). 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. ], my chum [singer-songwriter] Martin Newell showed me a couple of his own tunings that, although a bit off the wall, have an infectious jangle thats particularly inspiring when it comes to 60s Beatles/Monkees kind of tunes. 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. 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. Listened to 4 Beatles LPs (yes; these black huge 33 1/3 things) the last days. Captain Sensible and Paul Gray, quite sensibly, stick to their perferrred Gibson SG and Rickenbacker 4001 combination. I use real thin gauges: .040.090. He entrusted his prized guitar to a friend for safekeeping only to later discover itd been sold for an 8-ball of speed. Early producer Ross Robinson, who worked on the groups self-titled debut and its Iowa follow-up, went as far as labelling him the bands secret weapon, blessed with absolute integrity and a talent for coming out with the most unbelievable ideas. Some of it I tap out, some of it is more simple and some of it I have to follow the guitars and do runs and leads and stuff like that. One has a clanky sound and one has much more growl. Its a drag to repeat yourself, and thats why no two Damned albums sound alike. 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.. Based on that statement, it is likely that these strings were used even prior to that, were his main choice before he started playing Stratocasters (at which point he began using Ernie Ball strings) Im having the time of my life.. Cliff Burton was awesome and since we were doing Metallica covers, I really had to sit down and learn Cliff's parts because he was all over the place. http://www.bassstringsonline.com/Hofner-Beatle-Bass-Strings_c_101.html, First New Bass Day in decades for me: Yamaha BB350F, Fun with a Squier Bass VI and a AB165 1968 Bassman setup -. Originally titled Lust Disease on an early demo, Iowas lead single might not be one of Slipknots fastest or heaviest, but its riff is certainly one of their busiest from the earlier years of their career using double notes, slides and chromatics that snake their way around the fretboard. I never took lessons or anything, I was always self-taught, listening to albums and just trying to figure stuff off of that.. Like '1, 2, 3, 4' and '1, 3, 2, 4' to just try different finger patterns. I recall Visconti lounging in his producer's chair dialing up sounds on his iPhone. But my favorite was Tony McPhee of the Groundhogs. Previously-unpublished Paul Gray (Slipknot) interview The Ibanez PGB1 electric bass guitar is the choice of Slipknot's Paul Gray. If theyll go for that, then theres not much thats off limits Damned-wise apart from opera, that is. Those strings are absolutely the go-to strings for me and I absolutely love them. 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 know, the first one I bought was a Charvel, a weird reddish purple Charvel It was not that great a bass. McCartney Tone (Flatwound or Round?) - Telecaster Guitar Forum I think it was made in February, which was just a month or two after they stopped doing the toaster pickups. Slipknot: Paul Gray's 10 best songs | Kerrang! Taking his place in a finalised line-up of vocalist Corey Taylor, percussionists Shawn Crahan and Chris Fehn, drummer Joey Jordison, guitarists Jim Root and Mick Thomson, sampler Craig Jones and turntablist Sid Wilson, they exploded on the brink of a new millennium, in a mass of masks and coveralls, attracting growing crowds of writhing, devoted maggots. He had a difficult and itinerant childhood, and his father died by suicide. The 77 I have has the toaster pickup, and that one is much filthier sounding. Whats your dual playing relationship like? I thought it was the coolest thing ever., By the age of 16, Paul was living in an apartment with his friends Frank and Chris, jamming Danzig songs in the living room under the moniker Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Surfacing is a perfect example because its so unhinged, but after the crazy bridge section it breaks down so hardcore that it grooves! What Strings Did Stevie Ray Vaughan Use? [String Guide] His knack for finger-twisting, down-tuned riffs including extreme slides and bends is what made their assault all the more bludgeoning, a skill which hed undoubtedly sharpened as a death metal-obsessed teenager. Sprayed sparks all over the place. Most of the patches we used for the H9 were custom made by myself. Clairvoyant Chemistry: The Damned's Captain Sensible and Paul Gray 1977 Rickenbacker 4001 He was loved around that scene.. After then he used steel strings. TDPRI, short for Telecaster Discussion Page Reissue, is the leading online community and marketplace for Telecaster guitars. Ive always used .009.042 gauge strings: Rotosounds if we can get hold of them. Gray: Yeah! The same was said of his personality, Corey often describing him as the glue of the band the one member who lived and breathed Slipknot all day every day, the worlds best cheerleader to bring them together no matter what challenge or hurdle lay ahead. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. He could listen to something and de-construct it in his head and go, You know what? Unsurprisingly, Evil Spirits sounds very much like a continuation of the sonic tack the group were on at that point in their career. thats corey's stone sour. What gauge is the low E string? The quiet lay heavy in the air, and seemed to stretch for miles. Its an attitude I share, and who cares if theres a few jazz notes in there. 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. By age 16 he was in his own apartment, and by 17 he was jamming Danzig covers in the living room with his band, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. I was on my way to being like Andy Warhol or something!, Over the years, Pauls $1.75 pig mask morphed into a Hannibal Lecter-style serial killer face. Paul Simon - Pauls guitars They thought it was cool thats how I got playing bass.. 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. He had an ear for nuances that I dont think a lot of people understood. Basses 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. 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. What was the first bassline you ever tried to play? In December 2010, they announced they would headline 2011s Sonisphere to honour the legacy of their fallen friend. Did McCartney use flatwound strings on his Hofner bass from the very begnning or did use round wound on it at some point? Songs written by Paul Gray [US1] | SecondHandSongs It's weird but I love the bassline in Van Halen's 'Running With The Devil' in open fucking E. Now, I appreciate any player who can lay down a solid bass groove, like Cliff Williams from AC/DC. During the third Slipknot record I met Dave Ellefson from Megadeth and he said, 'Try this out man' so I played through his Peavey amp. Gray: I used the 1980 Ric that I used on TheBlack Album, but the one that ended up on most of the tracks was my very early 74. 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! 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. Hellfest reveal 2023s line-up with headliners Iron Maiden, Slipknot, Mtley Cre and KISS. I go to the same fucking bar and hang out with the same fucking people, so I really havent changed that much. Being back in New York brought that whole Damned relationship back to all of us, honestly. Peavey has been amazing to me and because they have worldwide distribution it makes it easier for me when touring. Mar 3, 2003 #9. Actually, none that I can think of. I can only speak for myself, but to me its just the greatest thing thats ever happened in my life, he enthused. Freddie used .010, .011, and .012 on his top strings and light to medium strings on the bass (wound) strings. He had something going on in his mind, and I was like, OK, I need to back off I cant touch this. And if you listen to that song, you can tell that theres heartfelt pain in that., Shawn had never intended to join a metal band, but got sucked into the promise of what he could create with someone as talented as Paul. I was cutting myself with a razor, bleeding all over the place. Eventide H9, Strings and Picks As well as his work in Slipknot, he also filled in on bass for desert rockers Unida fronted by Kyuss singer John Garcia and other projects like Drop Dead, Gorgeous and Reggie And The Full Effect. Added by Bastien. Its in the title. Pure Ric-into-Ampeg glory. As Slipknot were an anomaly with nine members, dominated by three drummers, he had to work out how to cut through and complement the ferocious noise. So I went over and said, 'Dude, I play bass' even though I didn't have a bass guitar and never picked one up. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. They started sending me Soundgears but I didn't want to play them and I said, 'If you start making these ATK's again like this one, I'll switch companies'. 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. Ibanez and Peavey have somebody everywhere.". He wrote that whole song, and there was such an essence about it that was so odd; the way his eyes were looking at his guitar, and the way he was writing it when we were playing together, it was almost scary, he told Revolver in 2010. The founding bassists untimely passing remains one of metals most heartbreaking tragedies, Slipknots loyal legions left no choice but to ponder the prodigious creations his mind would have gone on to conceive. What strings did Paul Gray use? 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 . He brought the knowledge and the enthusiasm, and he was the most social of all the people on the metal scene. The legendary Dan Erlewine, luthier Gene Imbody and Berklees Tomo Fujita have shot a 6-point lesson video to help, Producer Mura Masa says that PinkPantheresss Boys A Liar was made in a couple of hours, and that he didnt know about the Ice Spice 'Pt 2' remix until he saw the video, A-ha interview: "We were convinced that the record company would drop us and everything was over before it began" the story of Take On Me and their debut album Hunting High And Low. Never having had a lesson, I play completely by ear and I often overstretch myself. It was hard to comprehend. Gray: I wish I could analyze it, but its one of those musical relationships thats just worked from the get-go! I remember when I set up a photoshoot, that was a bad day. Captain, please tell us a bit about who influenced your guitar playing? Its very important that everybody on the outside of us understands that Paul Gray was the essence of the band Slipknot, he said. Im not just playing for Clown; Im playing for him, for his wife and daughter, his legacy, his love for the band, his love for music.. They werent making silly faces and all that like the other guys. The bass player always looked the coolest in the band! And none of us would be on the path that were on right now in life, or have the sorts of lives that we have, without him.. Through gigging, they met future members of Slipknot: Shawn Crahan in Heads On The Wall, Jim Root in Atomic Opera, Joey Jordison in Modifidious. It suits the Damned material better and cleans up nicer with the volume knob than a straight SG Standard, for some reason. The great thing about those basses is that theyre so individual to how you want them to sound. I was speechless watching him write this song. Did he have any interesting methods for capturing the powerful guitar sound on Evil Spirits? What Guitar And Bass Strings Does Paul McCartney Use? Total Guitar has not edited this interview, deciding instead to leave as . The deep, menacing notes heard during the intro and verses build an almost horror movie kind of suspense in between the grinding guitars and its hair-raising You all stare but youll never see theres something inside me chorus. .60 mm Dunlop Tortex. There was one problem: hed never played bass. Paul Gray (Slipknot) | TalkBass.com MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. An autopsy revealed he had. 10 timeless bass guitar tones and how to recreate them Paul and Anders ended up forming a death metal band called Body Pit, with Anders on vocals. Some of it I tap out, some of it is more simple, and some of it I have to follow the guitars and do runs and leads and stuff like that. Yaamaha even produced a replica of Pauls guitar , the FJ681 "Paul Simon . Oh, and he didnt have a bass, either. Why hide them, anyway? It couldve also been our disgraceful behavior, but who really knows? But life was still difficult, so he contacted his mum, who by this time had managed to secure a house in Iowa. That 77 has much more of a Lemmy-type sound than my 74. It was always the singer or the guitarist that got the glory, so I liked the slightly subversive nature of those bass players. There was a band in our town that had a great bass player called Mark and he could play jazz and funk, so I sat down with him about five or six times and learned a lot of techniques. The 1980s were yet another decade that brought massive changes in music. 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. But while other members had full-on side-projects, he considered Slipknot to be his everything. I still do the same shit, man. 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! Ive been there from the beginning, when Paul recognised my ability as an artist and said, Just do it, man! So my second string was in A but I was actually an octave below the low A, so I was super low. Luckily, it didnt choke at the Albert Hall during our 40th anniversary show. 1970s Ampeg SVT V9 Paul himself remarked on how it was a sound you felt rather than heard, more atmospheric than melodic in nature. The blueprint Paul helped draw up for Slipknot shines through its bludgeoning riffs, and even through the energy of latest album We Are Not Your Kind. You've mentioned quite a few genres there, so what's your favourite bassline of all time? By their own admission, it was a chaotic time for The Nine Clown once described the sessions as hell and this track in particular as their way of saying, "Fuck off and leave us alone.". Tone tips: Grab a 12-string of your choice and dig in! Let's take a closer look at the strings Sir Paul used and continues to use, as well as how they helped to shape his tone. Later he sometimes used strings wrapped with black nylon to get more of a thumping sound. His eyebrows would go down, his brain would switch off, and the music sang through him. 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. Bands rose and fall, members came and went. Columbus Ohio. Its safe to say that when Slipknot takes time off, Paul was the one person worst affected by the other side-bands. Repeat: the secret debut album that launched the legend, The definitive history of every Slipknot mask, The 10 best new metal songs you need to hear this week, Watch this metal frontman teach terrified daytime TV hosts black metal growls on live TV, James Hetfield has been cast in a 'dark western' film with Juliette Lewis and Game Of Thrones' Peter Dinklage, Watch grannies rip through some gnarly death metal and shoot fireworks from their backsides in this hilarious advert for Liquid Death iced tea, Watch Mike Shinoda & Ice Nine Kills' Spencer Charnas star in Demi Lovato's new Scream-inspired video, Every issue delivered direct to your door. Its cheaper, too, and once youve smoothed the frets and boshed on a scratchplate, youve got yourself a cracking guitar for what it costs. It's definitely a different thing compared to if I was playing in a punk band with only one guitar player and I could fucking, y'know, noodle around and do lots of stuff. verdict on the 50 albums that shaped 2022. The previous day hed passed away from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, at just 38 years old. Theres a reason why the low-end on the debut album closer feels extra rumbly, even ghostly, at points. Has there ever been something that was just too far out for the Damned? "Oh yeah, of course. Simple as it may be, especially when compared to their earlier tracks, Duality is also the sound of The Nine at their most effective its four minutes and 12 seconds condensed down to three and a half for a single version that would become directly responsible for converting new armies of metalheads around the world. He spent the several decades with Spirocore Mittels. I use .009-.048 now and I was using .010-.052 before. [Editors note: Thats Andrew Pinching, the Damneds drummer.] It dealt with depression and survivors guilt, but also the strong love Corey had spoken about in the press conference. This is the strings in Paul Simon's Guild F-30. John Paul Jones. 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. It makes pedals sound great, so my live setup, which was formerly my travel rig, but sounded so good it became the main one, is a Dunlop wah into the TC Nova System through a Marshall EL84 20/20 and a Marshall 4x12. . I was going to donate my Epi Viola, but after putting LaBella flats on it, I liked it too much. Search Ray Brown for details. They also sound totally different. Although not as light as some other guys on this . Stevie Ray Vaughan String Gauge Table. It took me 15 years to figure out that all they were really playing was the pentatonic scale with some extra notes chucked in! ran an early assessment of the new tracks, describing Left Behind as "considerably more melodic than the rest of the album, providing a brief moment of respite from the outright nastiness elsewhere". Its been 10 years since we lost Slipknot bassist Paul Gray. He wrote the kind of music with Joey that made me want to put my face through glass, he said. While testifying in court against her late husband's physician, Brenna Gray revealed that Paul actually suffered a relapse around 2008 and later spent the last weeks of his life fighting a losing battle against his demons. Gary Moore's Guitars and Gear - Ground Guitar Brenna called her the best gift anybody could have ever left me. Feb 11, 2014 #3. 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. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. Or any money to buy one. The two I mainly use are very different. The words Fender, Telecaster, Stratocaster and the associated headstock designs are registered trademarks of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. What Strings Did Freddie King Use? Someone else can probably add more, or demonstrate that my memory is faulty. Try this!. What strings did ray brown use? | TalkBass.com Dunlop wah Gibson SG 60s Tribute models with EverTune bridges You are using an out of date browser. Despite being less overtly punk than the typical Damned record, I managed to squeeze the odd solo in here and there. 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. I saved up and bought their album Thank Christ for the Bomb and I played it over and over. Its complexity is countered by the open-string drone that dramatically brings everything to a close the guitar and bass amps ringing out together in a hellish orchestra of earth-shaking noise. Sadly, those close to Paul knew hed been battling demons for a while. What gear was integral to creating the guitar tones on the album? . Works 23; All; Songs written by Paul Gray [US1] Original songs. 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. Heres how it works. Lurking in the back of the studio was this really, really old Ampeg, which the guy said was handwired. We chart much-missed bassist Paul Gray's 10 greatest tracks for the Knot, The only way I can sum up Paul Gray is love, said Corey Taylor in a tearful emergency conference held the day after his bandmate has passed. 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. Eventually, he managed to procure a replacement. 3: (The Subliminal Verses). ", Don't miss the latest deals, news, reviews, features and tutorials. We used that with an 8x10 and had everything up full blast and thats the sound on the record. How do you get A Slipknot guitar tone? We had confidence in each other that it would work, and we hadnt played together [in the studio] for nearly 22 years! The Nova is great, combining analog distortions with digital delays and reverbsand despite being a bit long in the tooth these days, theres not a lot of similar alternatives. Luckily it all seems to work most of the time anyway. It looked pretty violent. Songs with JANGLE, let's display those electric 12 strings. He took up an interest in music early on thanks to some guidance from his older brother William Jay Matthews, who introduced him to bands like Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper and KISS. So between that and jamming along with the records is how I got my fairly unorthodox guitar technique together. Does new pickguard & knobs = NGD? We really textured it very heavily. Weve a few of these units and they all seem to have an unfortunate tendencyonce or twice a tour, perhapsto freeze mid-song. Premier Guitar features affiliate links to help support our content. Other guitars at the studio were a StratI never got on with them as the volume knob is too close to bridge; a Rickenbacker 12-string, which I found to be lovely; and the studio acoustic, which had an almost unplayably high action. They were the first company to give me a deal and Warwick basses are great - I'll never talk crap about Warwick because they're amazing basses and an amazing company too and super great guys. Perfection is overrated! I really like the growl Tonys got on it and it really suits the songs perfectly. Marc Bolan wouldve loved that! Although the band parted ways with Joey in 2013, the remaining seven musicians immortalised their grief and memories on 2015s .5: The Gray Chapter. It was weird because when I started practising these songs on bass, I didnt know any of them, he said. 9. Who wants to go onstage with an unblemished guitar slung round their neck? Theyre really consistent. He was the sort of person who, when he got his meagre paycheck from working at the gas station, would go down to the bar and spend it all buying people drinks. I didn't think they would, but they called me up and said, 'Here you go!'". Doing that actually made me fall in love with bass guitar and thats why I became a bass player., Paul was my biggest influence when he came into the band, recalled Anders Colsefni, Vexxs drummer. Rickenbacker 12-string (Atomic Studios), Amps 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. Lots of discussion about this all over this board. 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. As a standing tribute to the late Paul Gray, TG presents this never-before published interview with the Slipknot bassist. No, you just dont put that together, because youre young.. As far as opening gambits go, the first musical track on Slipknots debut is as good as it gets.