Caught King's X and dUg Pinnick last night

Akito · #1 06-11-2009, 10:36 PM

The sound at the venue wasn't the best, but Doug's tone, playing and energy were great as always. He has always been a huge inspiration to me. I was wondering if anyone knows what he uses to drive his high end these days? I didn't see his old Traynor, but I may not have been looking in the right place. He definitely has one of the smoothest and most powerful biamped tones with such a great organic sounding overdrive.
Here's a pic or two I took with my phone.

John Wentzien · #2 06-11-2009, 10:42 PM

Good Pics!

Akito · #3 06-11-2009, 11:01 PM

Thanks, my phone is a craptastic camera in low light. I took a bunch more with a friend's camera, but I haven't seen them yet.

JimmyM · #4 06-11-2009, 11:26 PM

Rig: Ampeg SVP-BSP preamp, Ampeg SVT-4PRO and Ashdown ABM 900 EVO II heads, Ampeg 8x10 cabinet

This is from Bass Player magazine last year. That should be "cabinets," though, because I've never seen him use fewer than 4 cabs.

iamthebassman · #5 06-12-2009, 08:10 AM

My old band opened for them in Texas a few years back, afterwards Dug said it was probably the only gig ever to have two lefty bassists playing 12-strings. Probably so.

jaywa · #6 06-12-2009, 08:29 AM

I saw Kings X a few years ago in what was essentially a large convention room in a local hotel. It was PAINFULLY loud... way too much P.A. for the room. For whatever reason dUg played almost zero 12-string that night. And the whole band seemed to kind of be mailing it in which I can understand given the venue, but was still disappointing given I had seen them about 10 years ago and it was a great show.

Also dUg kept twiddling on this little black box between almost every song... I couldn't see it but am guessing it was a SansAmp or similar device.

Knifedge · #7 06-12-2009, 08:46 AM

One of my favourite bands ever... I am hoping they will come back to Ottawa someday...

BassRookie · #8 06-12-2009, 03:23 PM

I got a chance to see Kings X about 15 years ago when a friend's band opened for them at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. One of my favorite shows ever.

John Wentzien · #9 06-12-2009, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Rig: Ampeg SVP-BSP preamp, Ampeg SVT-4PRO and Ashdown ABM 900 EVO II heads, Ampeg 8x10 cabinet

This is from Bass Player magazine last year. That should be "cabinets," though, because I've never seen him use fewer than 4 cabs.

I read that one too.
I think he retired the Traynor.

Ian Perge · #10 06-13-2009, 11:53 AM

King's X will be opening for Porcupine Tree this coming fall in the US - I've already got my tickets and that is going to be an awesome night, I can tell you right now!

ElMon · #11 06-13-2009, 12:03 PM

LOVE that guy's tone. I saw him in a relatively small club in OKC a few years back, and his ginormous rig just sounded beautiful without any PA support. Great band.

RichardCranium · #12 06-13-2009, 04:15 PM

I've seen them maybe a dozen times over the years, always deliver the goods. Caught them a few months ago opening for Extreme. They smoked and even non-fans had to admit they were good.

I always thought it was one of the biggest tragedies of the music biz is they weren't huge. They're just a bit over the head of the average music listener and they can't be put into some manufactured marketing box.

They're also some of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Hard to believe Dug is like 58!

Ian Perge · #13 06-13-2009, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichardCranium

I always thought it was one of the biggest tragedies of the music biz is they weren't huge. They're just a bit over the head of the average music listener and they can't be put into some manufactured marketing box.

Absolutely. My 2/100ths of a dollar is what makes it ever worse is that they were so close several times in their career of "breaking through". Their early albums were underground/word-of-mouth "hits" and well-reviewed by Critics, the singles "It's Love" and "Black Flag" were fairly big MTV and radio hits when that meant something, and the entire "Dogman" album almost pushed them over with production by Brenden O'Brien, one of the foremost Engineers/Producers in the World, their Woodstock '94 performance (especially their cover of "Manic Depression"

) and fan Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam, the Biggest Band in the World at the time professing "King's X Invented Grunge".

That they came close but never had "true" major success has me believing that they had *serious* management failures (I'm talking Criminally Negligent-level here), that they're the unluckiest band to be signed to a major label, or that ultimately the band themselves didn't want it and self-destructed their own career path (unlikely, since they've continued onward for 15 years since the time of "Dogman" and Atlantic Records).

JimmyM · #14 06-13-2009, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Wentzien

I read that one too.
I think he retired the Traynor.

I was quite surprised he ever retired the SVT's/Dual Showmans he used to use, let alone the Traynor. But whatever he uses, he's a badass, though I must admit to a little uncomfortable twinge when I see the sticker on one of his basses that says "I ****ed your boyfriend"

jaywa · #15 06-14-2009, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I was quite surprised he ever retired the SVT's/Dual Showmans he used to use, let alone the Traynor. But whatever he uses, he's a badass, though I must admit to a little uncomfortable twinge when I see the sticker on one of his basses that says "I ****ed your boyfriend"

That, and the pentagram he's sporting on the cover of one of their most recent discs.

I really wonder what's up with dUg. I saw them when I was in college (1987-ish) and he was still just "Doug Pinnick", and he sat at the edge of the stage after the gig for 20 minutes at least, just rappin with those of us that were still hanging around, talking bass, etc. Super cool guy. Now it's like he's all aloof and angry and really... dark. Maybe it's cause they've never gotten the commercial success they deserved, or maybe that's just a new persona he's invented for himself but he doesn't seem like the same guy he was back when they first came out.

Kings X are still a great band but I'm not liking the vibe they're putting out recently.

Spector_Ray · #16 06-14-2009, 06:08 PM

I also read that he uses a Line 6 Guitar Pod for the high end. He said the there's a King's X setting on it and the sound was "so close, it's scary". I don't know if it was an actual King's X model tone or if he just dialed in a setting that sounds similar to his tone.

Webtroll · #17 06-15-2009, 11:56 AM

Love their tone and songwriting, but I haven't seen them in years. They've always been fun to listen to and I'd hate to think of anything souring that feel.

Spector_Ray · #18 06-15-2009, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaywa

That, and the pentagram he's sporting on the cover of one of their most recent discs.

I really wonder what's up with dUg. I saw them when I was in college (1987-ish) and he was still just "Doug Pinnick", and he sat at the edge of the stage after the gig for 20 minutes at least, just rappin with those of us that were still hanging around, talking bass, etc. Super cool guy. Now it's like he's all aloof and angry and really... dark. Maybe it's cause they've never gotten the commercial success they deserved, or maybe that's just a new persona he's invented for himself but he doesn't seem like the same guy he was back when they first came out.

Kings X are still a great band but I'm not liking the vibe they're putting out recently.

Not too long ago, he posted his thoughts about how depressing it was that King's X hadn't been bigger than they were and the fact that they couldn't get any sort of break in recent years. I'm sure that his actions are a manifestation of what he's feeling.

JimmyM · #19 06-15-2009, 12:51 PM

Then he should get out of the music business. If it's so depressing to you that you only make a low 6-figure income from playing music, first off, you got your priorities a little mixed up because that's a great income, and second, you need to go visit some musicians who never even had their chance at the big time having the time of their life playing bars for their friends and regain a little perspective.

I love dUg, and I think deep down he's a great guy (he was very positive and helpful in emails I was exchanging with him a couple years ago), but nobody should ever be depressed that they're making $100,000 a year or better by playing bass and singing.

Spector_Ray · #20 06-15-2009, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Then he should get out of the music business. If it's so depressing to you that you only make a low 6-figure income from playing music, first off, you got your priorities a little mixed up because that's a great income, and second, you need to go visit some musicians who never even had their chance at the big time having the time of their life playing bars for their friends and regain a little perspective.

I love dUg, and I think deep down he's a great guy (he was very positive and helpful in emails I was exchanging with him a couple years ago), but nobody should ever be depressed that they're making $100,000 a year or better by playing bass and singing.

I agree wholeheartedly, but everyone gets discouraged and in a funk. I feel the same way about Eddie Vedder bitching about how all he wanted to do was stay in his basement and make music. Then why the heck did you sign the contract, you douche??
dUg was also 'ranting' about the state of the music industry and how it's run. I can agree with him on that.