The Bass Freq’s Podcast, hosted by experienced recording and touring bass player Josh Paul (Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, Daughtry), features in-depth discussions with some of the top bassists working today.
This week, we shine the spotlight on the incomparable Billy Sheehan. Playing an integral role in bands such as Mr. Big and Talas and sharing the stage with countless icons such as Steve Vai and David Lee Roth, Billy developed a technical prowess, unique playing style, and vigorous stage presence that have earned him a top spot among rock ’n’ roll’s most esteemed and respected bass players.
Josh Paul guides us along Billy’s journey from humble beginnings to the world’s grand stages and all the bumps and unforgettable moments and friendships along the way. There’s plenty of gear talk, too—what else do you expect when two bass players get together? Listen to the Bass Freq’s Podcast now, wherever you listen to podcasts, and subscribe so that you can hear from more intriguing and inspiring guests every week.
Phaser, flanger, and chorus effects are staples in just about every form of music. They infuse musical compositions with motion and texture, and pedals that create these effects offer musicians an easy way to add new dimension or completely transform the vibe of a song. Think Anthony Jackson’s soupy bass groove on “For the Love of Money,” Eddie Van Halen’s jet-like riff on “Unchained,” or Kurt Cobain’s dreamlike rhythm on “Come As You Are.”
All three effects fall under the modulation category. What that means is that they all modulate—or cyclically change—some aspect of your instrument signal. What distinguishes one from another is which part of your signal they change and how they change it.
PHASER
MXR® PHASE 90
Phasers are all about the swoosh and swirl. Phasers are all about the swoosh and swirl. This effect is created by running your input signal through a series of filters that move at a speed set by a rate control and then mixing it with the unaffected signal at the output. How many filters, or stages, you have determines how pronounced your effect is. There’s no phaser more iconic than the MXR® Phase 90. Its four-stage phasing puts it right in the Goldilocks zone—not too subtle, not too intense—and its single Rate control provides expansive creative potential.
With the Phase 90’s Rate control set low, you’ll get a smooth rising-and-falling effect that’s a great thickener for clean passages. Turning the Rate control up is great for throbbing riffs and surreal melodies—crank it all the way, and you have a recipe for epic noise experimentation.
Stepping on a flanger pedal is like strapping a jet engine or a space rocket to your instrument signal—depending on pedal’s settings. We’re talking the surging swell of a jet taking off and a roaring trip through every layer of the atmosphere and straight for the stars. Like phasers, flanger pedals split your input signal in two and delaying one of the signals, but flangers apply that delay to the signal’s full frequency spectrum rather than using a filter. Essentially, your unaffected signal is mixed with a slightly delayed version of itself, which creates the effect’s signature sweeping sensation. Additionally, flangers often come with the option to feed the signal back into itself for increased intensity and distortion.
The MXR® Micro Flanger comes with Rate and Regen controls to set the length of the delay and the amount of feedback, respectively. This simple interface makes it the perfect choice for anyone wanting to dip their toes into the often turbulent waters of flanger world, as pedals with more controls can be difficult to dial in for the uninitiated. The Micro Flanger will lend itself well to similar situations as the Phase 90, only with more dramatic results. Set the Rate control to your desired speed, and then play with the Regen control to add texture and intensity to the mix.
Chorus pedals are designed to recreate the slightly off-key sound of a choir of singers—each one is singing the same piece of music but with slight variations in pitch and intonation compared to the others. Chorus pedals do their thing in much the same way as flangers, only with a much longer delay and without the extra feedback.
The MXR® Analog Chorus is one of our favorites because it allows you to control volume, rate, and intensity and cut/boost lows and highs as needed. Five knobs may seem complicated, but the Analog Chorus is very responsive and super easy to dial in. To fatten up chords and solos, set the Rate low. Try bringing the Depth control into play when using any kind of overdrive, distortion, or fuzz—the more pronounced effect will give those pedals some extra harmonics to grab hold of. If you’re looking to add some extra energy to a passage, it’s time to start playing with the Analog Chorus’ Rate control. With the Rate and Depth controls set around 12 o’clock, you’ll get the famously liquid, underwater dreamland sound that the chorus effect is most famous for. The Level, Low, and High controls will always be set to taste.
One, two, or all three?
Should you use a phaser, a flanger, or a chorus? Should you have all three? At the end of the day, it depends on your taste and how many shades you want your palette of tones to have. These effects are similar enough that many players will be just fine with only one on hand. That is to say, with clever use of control settings, you can use one to mimic the others reasonably well. But each is different enough from the others that tonechasers, soundscapers, and other connoisseurs will want one of each on their pedal board to maximize the creative potential of their signal chain.
Overdrive, distortion, and fuzz are synonymous with rock ’n’ roll. They add texture and attitude to countless classic songs, and each has its own way of doing so. As a player, how do you distinguish one from the others? The easy answer is to say that overdrive, distortion, and fuzz are on a spectrum with each more intense than the last. That’s alright for listeners who don’t play.
If you’re a player who likes to use dirt boxes, though, you’ll need a deeper understanding of how overdrive, distortion, and fuzz can help you craft the best version of your musical vision. To really dig into the dirt, we need to consider what each effect was designed to do, and how you intend to use them.
OVERDRIVE
MXR® FOD™ DRIVE
Overdrive pedals are designed to replicate the rich, gritty sound of a cranked tube amp while allowing you more freedom of output level. Nowadays, many overdrive pedals are designed with enough tweakability to also complement an already overdriven amplifier, adding to the effect’s versatility.
The MXR® FOD™ Drive is one such pedal. It’s a built-from-the-ground up recreation of two different custom amps that replicates the experience of running two separate amp stacks on stage. You get two separate channels, each with ts own Gain and Volume controls, and a Blend to mix them together. The Tone control adjusts EQ at the output, while the Scoop switch selects a flat, scooped, or boosted midrange. You might say the FOD Drive takes a very literal approach to the whole amp-overdrive-in-a-box thing.
So how do you use an overdrive pedal such as the FOD Drive with a tube amp? If you want your amp to handle your clean sound and then kick the pedal on when it’s time to get dirty, just set your amp’s EQ and volume to a good level for the space you’re in, and then do the same for your pedal. You can get some very smooth, mellow grit this way.
Set the gain low and the volume high on your pedal to push the amp itself into overdrive while giving it the pedal’s tonal flavoring. With an already overdriven amplifier, it’s all about finding the right balance as all those harmonics crash into each other. The result should be a thick, saturated sound that’s just on the verge of distortion while retaining the warmth of your tubes.
That’s just scratching the surface, of course. Your overdrive pedal’s interface will dictate all the various tonal iterations available to you, and how you use your overdrive pedal will probably depend on which role you’re playing in the mix. For solos, you might want the pedal set to bump you up a level above the rest of the band. On rhythms, you might want to double on pedal and amp grit for extra fat and crunchy riffs. And don’t be afraid to make judicious use of your volume control.
Distortion is the middle ground between overdrive and fuzz. The goal of any good distortion pedal is to supply copious amounts of gain and a tight, controllable range of harmonic saturation. A clean amp is preferred in most cases—that way, you can maintain control of the effect right from the pedal itself. Which distortion pedal you use, and how you use it, will depend on whether or not you want to enhance the sound of your guitar and amp or kick over to something totally different.
The MXR® Super Badass Distortion handles both tasks with ease. The Distortion control blends in a bit of your clean signal at the beginning of its sweep, and you can use the super responsive Bass, Mid, and Treble controls to match up the rest of the range to the overall voice of your guitar and amp.
Want to take your sound in a whole other direction? Roll the Distortion control up as high as you need, and then use the EQ controls to scoop out your midrange, fill out the bottom end, or electrify the highs. Volume-wise, try to find a level that doesn’t throw the amp itself into overdrive and add unwanted saturation.
Now, earlier we said that a clean amp is preferred to a dirty amp when using a distortion pedal, but you might find that a dirty amp is exactly what you want from your particular setup. With the Super Badass Distortion’s lower, clean signal-infused Distortion setting, the overdrive from your amp might just sound killer coming in alongside the mild distortion generated by the pedal level.
Fuzz is wild and unruly. It’s based on busted gear, after all. The first fuzz pedals were designed to sound like a faulty amp or perforated speaker. They made it so that players didn’t have to break their stuff and hope it would sound great. Fuzz pedals bring so much gain to the table that it doesn’t really matter how clean or dirty your amp is.
The main component of a fuzz circuit that’s of any concern to a musician is the transistors. Unlike the hi-fi op-amps that are common in overdrive and distortion pedals, lo-fi transistors add a bunch of their own harmonic content right out of the gate. Transistors are usually made from germanium or silicon. Germanium is relatively warm and smooth compared to the bright and aggressive silicon.
The Silicon Fuzz Face® Fuzz Face Mini Distortion offers the quintessential fuzz sound, and with only two controls, the distance between plugging in and covering the world in shag is very short, indeed. There ain’t much finesse here, and it doesn’t matter too much what you’re doing—it’s all about dialing in the fuzz until you have a badass sound and then kicking the switch when you’re ready to let loose.
GO FORTH AND BE GRITTY
Overdrive, distortion, and fuzz are more than just different points on a spectrum. Each has specific specialties that allow you to create absolute musical magic, and any seasoned tonechaser will have at least one of each on hand. Which one will you add to your signal chain first?
Leo Nocentelli is perhaps the greatest rhythm guitarist ever, and damn sure one of the funkiest. Guitar Player made it official by counting him among its 50 Greatest Rhythm Guitarists of All Time, the Grammys honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and countless hip-hop artists have sampled Leo’s licks to power their hits. Nocentelli laid the funky framework for modern New Orleans music in the ‘60s and ’70s as a founding member of the Meters, crafting stank-o-pated riffs to anchor classics such as “Cissy Strut,” “Fire on the Bayou,” and the wah-wah wonder “Just Kissed My Baby.”
His extensive sideman credits include supporting an array of artists from Patti LaBelle to Dr. John, Robert Palmer and Lee Dorsey. He’s still as clever as ever, and the latest trick from Mr. Bourbon Street’s bag is a real David Copperfield-like reveal. Nocentelli’s debut acoustic solo album—recorded fifty years ago, stashed in the vault at Allen Toussaint’s Sea-Saint Studios, and presumed lost in the flood of Hurricane Katrina—magically appeared at a swap meet in Los Angeles. Released in 2021 as Another Side (Light in the Attic), the record is attracting renewed attention to a bona fide legend.
Dunlop has been secretly working with Nocentelli on a bomb signature project for quite a while, as well, and it’s finally time for show and tell. The Leo Nocentelli Mardi Gras Wah is appropriately colored deep purple, green and sparkling gold with custom graphics including a golden fleur-de-lis on the tread, a custom Cry Baby logo at the front, and a classy bottom plate. Like it says on the side, Leo Nocentelli was established in 1946, and he carries a ton of history wherever he goes. We caught up with him at Christmas time feeling full appreciation for the present at home in the Crescent City.
What was the big bang in your wah-wah universe?
I first heard Jimi Hendrix use it on songs like “Machine Gun,” “Voodoo Child” and what he did live at Woodstock. I came to appreciate what some other players did as well, including Robin Trower, but I would pitch Hendrix as the real master of the wah, and I was influenced by him. I bought one that I actually used on the first Meters album for “Here Comes the Meter Man.” It’s a wah-wah solo. I wasn’t into how to use it properly when we recorded that, but as time went on, I started using it more. The song that really brought out the way I interpret the wah-wah was “Just Kissed My Baby.”
What’s the key?
Meshing it with the line. A lot of people just push it up and down. On “Just Kissed My Baby,” I used it in accordance with the way the line went, pressing forward for the high pitch on the high notes and rocking back for the low ones. It’s very meticulous and very methodical. I play the first part picking only two strings, the second and third. The high E string is never played. It’s in the key of G, and a lot of players just strum the whole chord, but you can’t get it like that.
What about the second part of the line that bounces off the low E string?
I pick on the bottom string while alternating with my middle finger plucking the G string.
Was the wah a part of the riff from the beginning?
It all happened together. We were writing and rehearsing for Rejuvenation. Since I was the chief writer, I came up with the lick at rehearsal trying to get the song together. I played the whole song to Zig [drummer Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste], and Zig was such a clever lyricist that he immediately started singing, “I feel like a king, ‘cuz I just kissed my baby.” He and I worked the song out, and George [bassist George Porter Jr.] played what came naturally, joining the guitar for the notes on the big E string. The guitar riff without the wah-wah would sound plain. Hitting the right spot at the right time on the Cry Baby Wah makes it come alive.
What’s happening on the original recording of “Fire on the Bayou”?
That’s actually one of those big old Phaser II boxes [Musitronics Mu-tron], but some other Meters recordings with the wah-wah are “You’ve Got to Change, (You’ve Got to Reform),” “Getting Funkier All the Time,” and “Stay Away.”
Can you explain what effect the wah has on you and your playing?
It’s a different concept when you play with a wah-wah as opposed to just rocking out. Different riffs automatically come into my head. When you hear me with a wah-wah, I’m still Leo, but it’s like another player within what I normally do. And it takes me to another place when I’m improvising on a solo.
You had been using an older Hendrix Signature Cry Baby, the JH-1, which has a deeper range than a standard Cry Baby. What do you dig most about your new Mardi Gras Wah?
I didn’t want to change the mechanics. I approached Jimmy Dunlop about doing the Mardi Gras Wah, and the significance was using Mardi Gras colors. The original colors were more pastel on the green and gold, and a more regular shade of purple. It took Jimmy a long time and a lot of passion to develop those colors to appear as special as they do now. I applaud him for that, and I’m very grateful and proud of the way they turned out. This is one of the coolest things I’ve ever been involved in.
Is the wah-wah the greatest effects pedal ever invented?
I think so. You can get away without a phaser, an octave divider, or a delay, but you cannot get away without a wah-wah, man.
The Bass Freq’s Podcast, hosted by experienced recording and touring bass player Josh Paul (Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, Daughtry), features in-depth discussions with some of the top bassists working today.
With his groundbreaking style and carefully cultivated sound, Marcus Miller has created a unique and massively influential musical voice. His distinguished work with everyone from Miles Davis and Luther Vandross to Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey as well as a universally acclaimed solo career have further cemented his status as the modern era’s preeminent bass player. Simply put, the man is a living legend.
Here, Marcus joins Josh Paul for an intimate conversation that goes beyond the usual tone talk with in-depth stories about Marcus’ hardworking start in the studios and clubs of New York, his musical and life philosophies, and his journey from session back-up musician to producer, composer, and signature artist. Listen to the Bass Freq’s Podcast now, wherever you listen to podcasts, and subscribe so that you can hear from more intriguing and inspiring guests every week.
