Captain, please tell us a bit about who influenced your guitar playing? With Slipknot, my bass playing is a little more laidback and subdued. Paul Gray: The Man Behind the Mask - inSync I saw Slayer on the Hell Awaits album and that changed my world, he once said. Never having had a lesson, I play completely by ear and I often overstretch myself. I introduced him to the wonderful world of Eventide, and we used the H9 a lot. What Strings Did Stevie Ray Vaughan Use? [String Guide] I didn't think they would, but they called me up and said, 'Here you go!'". Marshall EL84 20/20 stereo power amps, Effects I was going to donate my Epi Viola, but after putting LaBella flats on it, I liked it too much. I recall after releasing a self indulgent double album featuring quite a lot of trippy guitar noodling, one critic asked, Who does he think he is? 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. I can only speak for myself, but to me its just the greatest thing thats ever happened in my life, he enthused. Although Slipknot's Paul Gray was known to many simply as . 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. The first 5 strings often stayed the same string gauge throughout his career. Pure Ric-into-Ampeg glory. The Gibson Les Paul Goldtop was on the cover of his album "Blue Guitar Hero". "It was weird because when I started practising these songs on bass, I didn't know any of them. I helped start one of the biggest metal bands in the world and Im not necessarily a metalhead. It took me 15 years to figure out that all they were really playing was the pentatonic scale with some extra notes chucked in! ), but i'm not 100% sure Apr 26, 2001 #3 Jman Mar 24, 2000 Waterport,NY Although not as light as some other guys on this . When Macca's Rickie was sent for an overhaul to Rickenbacker, they found that the bridge pickup was dead and had been dead for a long time, turns out that when Macca stripped his Rickie, he tried to get rid of the cover for the bridge pickup, so he sawed it open, which in a horse shoe is a big mistake, since that cover he wanted to get rid of is part of the pickup. Born in Los Angeles on April 8, 1972, Paul Dedrick Gray was in many ways the beating heart of Slipknot. Guitars Whats the writing process in the band today?Sensible: We write as individuals, then throw our stuff into the Damned pot and see what it sounds like. Ernie Ball Power Slinky Bass Strings (55-110) Paul Gray was known to use the Ernie Ball Slinky Bass Strings. What Strings Did Gary Moore Use? But it was seeing a nascent Slayer touring the merciless Hell Awaits that made the biggest impact on the young Paul Gray. 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. 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. 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. "I started with Ampeg but now I'm with Peavey. Paul Dedrick Gray Born April 8, 1972 Died May 24, 2010 Country United States IPI 00344172381 21 works Affiliation ASCAP Member of Slipknot Bass (1995-2010) Meta. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Ive used them since I discovered them back in 1976, and Ive tried all the other makes and I always go back to Rotosound. Let your thoughts out and dont let anyone stop you from what you feel and what you think! So now Ive got his blood boiling in my veins. Added by Bastien. He entrusted his prized guitar to a friend for safekeeping only to later discover itd been sold for an 8-ball of speed. Forever #2 of 9. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Together with Joey, and guitarists/previous collaborators Donnie Steele and Josh Brainard, they founded a heavily percussive band that debuted as Meld in late 1995, before changing its name to Slipknot. Everything else has been me just experimenting.". 3: (The Subliminal Verses), 2004), Vermilion (Vol. Most of the patches we used for the H9 were custom made by myself. Paul himself remarked on how it was a sound you felt rather than heard, more atmospheric than melodic in nature. And that goes for the records, too!Captain 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! Captain Sensible, You can coax many different sounds out of a Rickenbacker depending on your fingering technique, what gauge pick you use, what year it is. Feb 11, 2014 #3. I imagine you must use Rotosound strings, based on your influences and the tones youve gone for over the years? 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.. As Paul got to know his new instrument, he developed a strong attachment. And how about you, personally? Title Written by Originally by Original date Covered by ; Before I Forget . Overview. I figured that it couldn't be that different to playing guitar, but later on I found out it's a totally different thing. People say they eat into frets, but Ive never found that to be the case, and I change them every night when Im on tour. "It's a little bit of both, like on songs like 'Wait And Bleed' I'll use my fingers But then there's songs like 'Sulfur' or 'People = Shit' that have grind parts where you need the attack of a pick. Its an attitude I share, and who cares if theres a few jazz notes in there. 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. The 77 I have has the toaster pickup, and that one is much filthier sounding. I've no idea if he used foam with the Hofner (hollowbodies don't have much sustain in the first place) but I would definitely assume that was going on with the Rickenbacker stuff. "I think I started playing bass in 1990, which is what? 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. After the bassist's family attempted to stage another intervention over his drug use, Gray left home on May 22, 2010, and . Louder is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Rickenbacker 12-string (Atomic Studios), Amps "You know what, some of my favourite basslines are the simplest ones ever. HiddenCharms said: I don't know if this is true, but I remember reading that Duane Allman and Jimi Hendrix used Fender Rock'n'Roll Strings guaged 10-38. Onstage, as it filled with sweat and snot and spit, he cut a forbidding, expressionless figure, often bent double as he sunk down into those low-end notes. So I switched the strings on it and it kind of looked OK, like a left-handed bass if they'd put the knobs on the top. Jun 1, 2002. Clairvoyant Chemistry: The Damned's Captain Sensible and Paul Gray There was one problem: hed never played bass. 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. 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. As Slipknot put it in Skeptic, The world will never see another crazy motherfucker like you. 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! Those Rickenbackers actually had built-in string mutes, as did Paul's later Fender Jazz. Famous players string gauges? | Page 2 | The Gear Page Whats your dual playing relationship like? And thats what hes left behind for us, is absolute love.. I think it was made in February, which was just a month or two after they stopped doing the toaster pickups. Kill. Also my fingers aren't that fast, I can get to a decent speed but I'm not freaking Billy Sheehan.". An autopsy revealed he had. And while his technical prowess has been overshadowed by his giant personality and tucked away within the confines of excellent songs, Evil Spirits puts his cadre of guitar-borne personas on display as he chunks, clatters, burns, and jangles through the albums tracks. Previously-unpublished Paul Gray (Slipknot) interview Beatles always use Flat Wounds? | The Gear Page Fans held t-shirts aloft, while Shawn and Corey stood at the back of the stage, arms around each others shoulders, faces crumpled with emotion. Surfacing is a perfect example because its so unhinged, but after the crazy bridge section it breaks down so hardcore that it grooves! Premier Guitar features affiliate links to help support our content. What's Inside show 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. There's a heavy difference in style between the two basses, that's for sure. 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. Im a dreadful singer, but Ive got all of these melodies in my head and I kind of approach the bass as a tool for countermelody, and I weave between what the Captains playing and what Daves singing. The bass fills he did, I really had to fucking rewind tapes and play them over and over to get it.". Frequently Asked Questions for Paul Yandell, CGP - Chet Atkins Or Maiden's Steve Harris, who does all kinds of amazing stuff and who is completely different to Cliff. It required the heaviest gauge top string he could find in order to hold the notes well enough to record. I was on my way to being like Andy Warhol or something!, Over the years, Pauls $1.75 pig mask morphed into a Hannibal Lecter-style serial killer face. So I went over and said, 'Dude, I play bass' even though I didn't have a bass guitar and never picked one up. Ampeg was also really great to me and I can't say anything bad about them. Feb 21, 2015. A fan of British blues-rock players like the Groundhogs Tony McPhee and Frees Paul Kossoff, and of Summer of Love psych-rock and the pomp of 60s orchestral pop music, the Captain has never relied merely on power chords and beeralthough those have often been a part of his recipe. The Damned opened for T. Rex back in the day, and I even asked Captain why we never did this before. In 1975, Eventides Tony designed the first harmonizer, so it was nice to meet the bloke whose gear Id used so extensively over the years. We may earn a commission on any affiliated purchases. We unselfishly say, Lets play Paul Gray riffs, or do it the way Paul would want it., Paul lives on through his family, music, and the army of maggots who hold him close. On July 10, at 2pm, thousands of Sonisphere-goers joined together in a two-minute silence for #2. What strings did Paul McCartney use during his time in the Beatles, in particualr the strings he used on 'Come Together' Apr 26, 2001 #2 Ari Schor Mar 3, 2000 Montreal I have been told by many people that he used Pyramid Flatwounds ($!!!! Rad in plaid, Captain Sensible strikes a pose and a power chord onstage. "Oh yeah, of course. 10 timeless bass guitar tones and how to recreate them What gear was integral to creating the guitar tones on the album? You must log in or register to reply here. Who cares if theres a few jazz notes in there. "I have to find my place in Slipknot and stay away from just following the guitars, so I play along with what the drums are doing. I loved anything with a galloping bass line that challenged the listener beyond widdly guitar stuff or a bloke shrieking his head off. Yaamaha even produced a replica of Pauls guitar , the FJ681 "Paul Simon . Gibson SG 60s Tribute models with EverTune bridges Tony Visconti is mates with Eventide designer Tony Agnello, who brought some interesting toys to Atomic to play with, and which got a lot of usethe H9 in particular. And yes, listen to any isolated Beatles-era bass track and it's pretty obvious that flat wounds are part of the equation. Prior to joining Metal Hammer, El spent three years as Production Editor at Kerrang! I wish I had known that back then! And seeing as Eventide HQ was just across the Hudson, Tony V. invited Tony Agnello to the studio, where, despite working against the clock, everything stopped while we played around with some guitar effects or talent boosters according to Pinch. This prompted Jim to write the opening line of Til We Die: My friends are all hurting., There was a real fear that he wasnt doing well, said Shawn. Gary Moore | Vintage Guitar magazine I looked at the sheet Id been working on and at the bottom was the chorus for Psychosocial already This song was meant to be. The breakdown after the guitar solo remains a highlight of any Slipknot live set, its members falling into a Meshuggah-esque groove as Corey screams of, The limits of the dead! Using a mixture of palm-muting, chromatics and pauses to twist and stretch the listeners ear in new and unexpected ways, it would be one of Pauls final contributions to the Knot. I had to go back and listen to them. Its what he was born to do, its what hed love to do, its the thing hed love more than anything., As fans wondered about Slipknots future, the band grieved. Lurking in the back of the studio was this really, really old Ampeg, which the guy said was handwired. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. They thought it was cool thats how I got playing bass.. What kind of tips can you give us for improving finger stretches when playing bass guitar? Matrix VB800 What was your philosophy about shaping the tones for this album? Everyone in Thin Lizzy used those picks, even Phil Lynott. Paul Gray (Slipknot) | TalkBass.com "You know, the first one I bought was a Charvel, a weird reddish purple Charvel It was not that great a bass. Basses You've mentioned quite a few genres there, so what's your favourite bassline of all time? I like a bit of everything, drawing your attentionhopefully not unwiselyto the fact that I had the first rap hit by a white artist with 1981s Wot! Please dont forget the exclamation mark by the way. "It depends on what I'm doing. What Guitar Does Gary Moore Use? - Guvna Guitars It was the first time the whole band had been in my house together and it was a very surreal moment There was this wall of anguish and silence just sitting on top of us and it was fucking gnarly., The band knew their friend had been suffering. Added by Bastien. I'm able to leave gear at home, and that was the same with Ibanez. 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. McCartney strings | TalkBass.com It was his older brother, Jay, who introduced him to the music that would change his life Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, The Stones, The Beatles, Alice Cooper and Kiss. As his bandmates drift in and out, its really just #2 holding everything together from beginning to end. 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. Its so easy to be generic or cheesy in metal, and Paul never was. But the time was right. But life was still difficult, so he contacted his mum, who by this time had managed to secure a house in Iowa. Warwick was an awesome company but they were a small company and it was more difficult to get stuff on the road if I needed it. I havent a clue about scales and stuff. Ibanez and Peavey have somebody everywhere.". How would you describe your playing style? 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. The Damneds dynamic duo, Captain Sensible and Paul Gray, played together in the studio for the first time in 22 years while recording the bands new album. Eventide H9, Strings and Picks The Johnson Viola is from the same plant as the Epi, even having the same control plate and pups. 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. Peavey has been amazing to me and because they have worldwide distribution it makes it easier for me when touring. Oh, and he didnt have a bass, either. While their 1999 self-titled debut would prove to be a landmark, 2001s Iowa earned them a No.1 in the UK, while 2004s Vol. Technical Editor Bass Gear Magazine. Total Guitar has not edited this interview, deciding instead to leave as . as for basses, I think Paul generally used flats on his Hofner and Rick, not sure about the Jazz bass he may have used later on (and no idea about the Fender 6 stringer that John and George sometimes used) tjmicsak Member Messages 5,690 Mar 24, 2010 #4 You can hear them on the older stuff. How did the Australian singer die? He is honoured, but can never be replaced. in July 2008. But the novelty of freedom at such a young age soon wore off and he called his mum, now living in Des Moines, to see if he would able to sleep on her couch and start a new life in Iowa where, while playing in death metal bands Anal Blast and Body Pit, he would eventually meet the other original members of Slipknot. McCartney Tone (Flatwound or Round?) - Telecaster Guitar Forum However, first-generation punks the Damned dont care much about any of that. Today, we celebrate the songs which epitomised his pivotal role within The Nine. I don't know what he used on actual recording. Growing up with little money, his family were living in shitty roach- infested apartments, and by age 14 Paul was out on his own, struggling with homelessness, bouncing between friends and locations. But in the beginning, after we got our record deal, I went to Warwick actually. 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.". Bassist Paul, aka The Pig, aka #2, appeared in a black uniform, steadily headbanging and riffing while chaos erupted around him. Paul Gray: the life and death of Slipknot's quiet genius You have to use D'Addario short scale bass strings, 080 for the 5th and 0.100 for the 6th It's not easy to do this because you have to have a bridge that you can hook the bass string to as they are a lot larger than a guitar string.