http://www.gibsonbass.com/justinMeldalJohnsen.php

Here is an interview I recently completed with Justin Meldal-Johnsen for Gibsonbass.com - from a Gibson bass point of view. Justin is a great guy and a heck of a great bassist. Very creative playing in a top 40 world he plays in.

Hope you enjoy it

Next up Ralphe Armstrong

awesome, thanks so much. I love JMJ:)

JMJ can certainly play and he definitely has an impressive resume. But the next time you see him, tell him to get a haircut!


:ninja:

:hiding:

;)


:D

The hair rules! He was the funkiest looking guy on stage when I saw him at the SECC. And he was on stage with BECK!? JMJ is the man.

The hair rules! He was the funkiest looking guy on stage when I saw him at the SECC. And he was on stage with BECK!? JMJ is the man.


Yeah, I know. If you don't do a 9-5, it really doesn't matter!

JMJ is such an awesome guy. Great interview, though you should probably hire a copy editor for your site one of these days (little grammatical errors bug the hell out of me)... actually, give me a PM if you want one.

I liked and thought the comment regarding active/passive was very interesting!

i find it interseting that a musician who played with just about everyone in popular music, can't take an active bass to studio gig (except his Gibson RD & Wal)

i find it interseting that a musician who played with just about everyone in popular music, can't take an active bass to studio gig (except his Gibson RD & Wal)

I can see that, some bassists prefer passive basses in the studio, some engineers prefer it too. :smug:

Great article...sweet and to the point.

i find it interseting that a musician who played with just about everyone in popular music, can't take an active bass to studio gig (except his Gibson RD & Wal)

But take a look at the kinds of artists he's playing with---for the most part it's all artists and producers who have either an "alt" sonic angle or a bit of a retro undercurrent to the music and production values. That is to say of course, that much current rock, etc. has that sensibility. All the guitars are usually carefully dialed in versions of vintage tones too. Even the Dixie Chicks album he just played on has a classic/retro quality to the tones. I work out here in L.A. with some of these kindsa folks and it's OK by me--I prefer classic/passive tones too. Heck, I've done sessions here where high-maintenance vintage keys like mellotrons and whatnot were hauled in and laboriously set-up for tracking(when a software version probably would have sufficed;). Even the stuff that is more futuristic is usually a tweaked approach to a classic/vintage sound(usually a vintage instrument tone further toyed with production-wise). The very hyped/modern/active bass sounds you hear in other genres--world, jazz, mainstream pop, maybe some metal(?),whatever--just aren't very popular with many producers right now. Even many hiphop and R&B producers these days wanna see a vintage-flavor P or a J over a "modern" active bass.

I love this guys stuff. Ran into him at NAMM last year and was happy to find he's a really down to earth and cool seeming dude, too. I'll read the interview now. :)

Indeed, he is a cool guy, easy-going, good to talk to. Part of his success too I would say, beyond the obvious talent factor. Being a "good hang" is pretty critical!