Any love for Stu Hamm?

[Rexylab]

Last month I turned 52 and to celebrate I made a 3 part video series titled "My three biggest bass heroes all have signature Fender bass guitars". It featured the Steve Harris P-bass, Geddy Lee Jazz Bass, and the Stu Hamm Urge 2.

I was a bit shocked because the Iron Maiden bass did way better than the other two but the Urge just kind of laid there like a dead fish.

I find this perplexing for many reasons. Mostly because the Urge 2 was a totally original design while the other two were based in stock basses the other guys had just got somewhere.

Plus Stu was the first person ever to have a Fender signature bass. In addition he might be the first person to have a second Fender signature bass as the Urge 2 is a complete redesign and is very different from the Urge 1.

Man, I remember when Stu was the biggest of the big. Now it seems the poor guy couldn't get arrested at a bank robbery.

Any thoughts?

If your interested here is the link to the playlist (the Iron Maiden one is very personal).
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrFyjrwqOCJzd_pTIbmWACN-gmW5BCjEo

 

[FFEJY]

Nah, I've always found him extremely sloppy and has such a thin tone he might as well be playing acoustic guitar.

 

[smeet]

I don't think he's sloppy, he's a good player. But I do hate his tone. It's so scooped that live it seems to all boom and click.

 

[Rexylab]

I don't think he's sloppy, he's a good player. But I do hate his tone. It's so scooped that live it seems to all boom and click.

That I can understand. His tone has definitely changed over the years. I think the early stuff with a factor was probably the deepest tone he had.

Black Ice off Kings of Sleep was super punchy.

 

[Rexylab]

Nah, I've always found him extremely sloppy and has such a thin tone he might as well be playing acoustic guitar.

Really?

I could see lots of ways people wouldn't care for his playing but I wouldn't imagine sloppy to be one of those things. The stuff he writes is extremely technical and I've seen him many times. I've never know him to be sloppy

 

[smeet]

He was the first player I heard tapping two independent parts. Pretty cool.

 

[Rexylab]

He was the first player I heard tapping two independent parts. Pretty cool.

i just find it weird that he was totally on top of the world and then he was just gone.

It all seemed to start when the signature bass came out. Maybe that's just a coincidence but it always seemed to me his popularity ended when he dropped Kubicki.

 

[Samatza]

I like Stu but that style is just not my thing really. I do like the Urge Bass and the Kubicki, I think if Fender brought that model back today it would actually sell pretty well. A 32" scale bass with a P surrounded by two J's, now that's interesting.

 

[India_Sierra]

I prefer Stu's tone with the Kubicki first and foremost but the two Urge bass models both sounded great (read the liner notes for Outbound for some interesting information about the basses he used on that album). I saw him live using a number of Urge II basses that just sounded thunderous. I barely looked at Joe Satriani all night!


Stu is a fantastic player and easily one of my favourites. I listened to his music every day in my late teens and I owned two Kubicki Ex Factors. I did everything I could to learn his parts. I personally find it a great shame that he hasn't been busier over the past two decades or so. It's fair to say his recorded output has slowed but then so it has for any niche instrumentalist. It's a sad fact that records just don't make financial sense at that level and so finding the dough to get one recorded is obviously more of a struggle. Stu has also had some personal stuff going on like his recent neck surgery that would be a struggle for any of us and naturally we all wish him the best. He is more involved in teaching now with a new online course through Artist Works.



For what it's worth, and I am drawing my own conclusions there, I do think Stuart could have been better supported by some of the musicians he has played with over the years. He made his name by being the go-to sideman for some of the biggest names in the instrumental guitar world. Yet during the COVID lockdown he posted a 30 second bass and drum groove to Facebook and asked for them to just quickly recorded a hot take solo over it. He even tagged some players in it. Not one of them responded as far as I know, despite the fact that they were also sat at home unable to work. I thought that was an insanely poor show.

For reasons I've never been able to establish, Stuart is no longer part of Joe Satriani's touring band. Satch has been stuck with boring bass lines since. I don't know if this is really a blessing in disguise as Satch's work since Stu left had been extremely bland, the sound of a once vibrant artist who really seems to have run out of ideas. Stuart seems to inspire those around him. Satch, Steve Vai, Frank Gambale - all these guys and more recorded their best work when Stuart was with them. It's a shame for us all that we don't get to hear more of him.

 

[Rexylab]

I prefer Stu's tone with the Kubicki first and foremost but the two Urge bass models both sounded great (read the liner notes for Outbound for some interesting information about the basses he used on that album). I saw him live using a number of Urge II basses that just sounded thunderous. I barely looked at Joe Satriani all night!


Stu is a fantastic player and easily one of my favourites. I listened to his music every day in my late teens and I owned two Kubicki Ex Factors. I did everything I could to learn his parts. I personally find it a great shame that he hasn't been busier over the past two decades or so. It's fair to say his recorded output has slowed but then so it has for any niche instrumentalist. It's a sad fact that records just don't make financial sense at that level and so finding the dough to get one recorded is obviously more of a struggle. Stu has also had some personal stuff going on like his recent neck surgery that would be a struggle for any of us and naturally we all wish him the best. He is more involved in teaching now with a new online course through Artist Works.



For what it's worth, and I am drawing my own conclusions there, I do think Stuart could have been better supported by some of the musicians he has played with over the years. He made his name by being the go-to sideman for some of the biggest names in the instrumental guitar world. Yet during the COVID lockdown he posted a 30 second bass and drum groove to Facebook and asked for them to just quickly recorded a hot take solo over it. He even tagged some players in it. Not one of them responded as far as I know, despite the fact that they were also sat at home unable to work. I thought that was an insanely poor show.

For reasons I've never been able to establish, Stuart is no longer part of Joe Satriani's touring band. Satch has been stuck with boring bass lines since. I don't know if this is really a blessing in disguise as Satch's work since Stu left had been extremely bland, the sound of a once vibrant artist who really seems to have run out of ideas. Stuart seems to inspire those around him. Satch, Steve Vai, Frank Gambale - all these guys and more recorded their best work when Stuart was with them. It's a shame for us all that we don't get to hear more of him.

You are speaking my language! That is pretty much exactly the way I feel.

it blows my mind the guy isn't much busier.

 

[Rexylab]

I like Stu but that style is just not my thing really. I do like the Urge Bass and the Kubicki, I think if Fender brought that model back today it would actually sell pretty well. A 32" scale bass with a P surrounded by two J's, now that's interesting.

i love my Urge 2 but it is 34" and I really want a Urge 1.

I still have my Kubicki.

 

[two fingers]

1) He was an innovator back then. I must have listened to "Kings if Sleep" a thousand times. I learned a few of his songs, and even mastered his version of "Linus and Lucy" (which may be one of the top 10 hardest things I ever pulled off on bass).

2) But he seemed to have a "bag of tricks" that he never got beyond. I've seen him live several times as well (backing up guitar players every time I saw him...never the headliner) . Each time he played the exact same bass solo. EXACTLY the same. He even waved his arms and got mad at the crowd for not being as excited as he wanted them to be at the EXACT same place each time. After a while, Stu became a bit "been there done that" for me.

3) At a couple of those shows, he was an absolute jerk to his fans. Once at a meet n greet, he was very short, and seemed as though he would rather be ANYWHERE else. Another time, while the rest of the big shots on the G3 tour were outside signing autographs, he came outside and lit a cigarette and sat down on the stairs outside the venue. When people started yelling for him to come over he literally flipped them off. Yes, the middle finger. Sure, anybody can have a bad night (or two). But go to the bus or stay inside until everyone leaves. Don't go outside where fans are waiting and be a jerk. There's a chance he's that kind of guy to work with as well. And maybe the phone doesn't ring quite as much these days as a result. (All of that after my recouting of events I witnessed is pure speculation.) There's a chance he's not as visible these days because other bass players get the call for gigs he would otherwise be qualified for.

 

[Rexylab]

1) He was an innovator back then. I must have listened to "Kings if Sleep" a thousand times. I learned a few of his songs, and even mastered his version of "Linus and Lucy" (which may be one of the top 10 hardest things I ever pulled off on bass).

2) But he seemed to have a "bag of tricks" that he never got beyond. I've seen him live several times as well (backing up guitar players every time I saw him...never the headliner) . Each time he played the exact same bass solo. EXACTLY the same. He even waved his arms and got mad at the crowd for not being as excited as he wanted them to be at the EXACT same place each time. After a while, Stu became a bit "been there done that" for me.

3) At a couple of those shows, he was an absolute jerk to his fans. Once at a meet n greet, he was very short, and seemed as though he would rather be ANYWHERE else. Another time, while the rest of the big shots on the G3 tour were outside signing autographs, he came outside and lit a cigarette and sat down on the stairs outside the venue. When people started yelling for him to come over he literally flipped them off. Yes, the middle finger. Sure, anybody can have a bad night (or two). But go to the bus or stay inside until everyone leaves. Don't go outside where fans are waiting and be a jerk. There's a chance he's that kind of guy to work with as well. And maybe the phone doesn't ring quite as much these days as a result. (All of that after my recouting of events I witnessed is pure speculation.) There's a chance he's not as visible these days because other bass players get the call for gigs he would otherwise be qualified for.

I have heard similar things. Fortunately for me every time I met him he was nice.

 

[Samatza]

i love my Urge 2 but it is 34" and I really want a Urge 1.

I still have my Kubicki.

That is so cool!

 

[landrybass]

I saw him with Greg Howe in Nashville, amazing show. They played alot of Extraction tunes which is one of my all time favorite albums. I bought him a martini and he told me about his tattoos, it was awesome. Roy Vogt was also in attendance and I was the only bass nerd there who knew who he was.

 

[FFEJY]

I bought him a martini and he told me about his tattoos, it was awesome.

 

[P. Aaron]

For reasons I've never been able to establish, Stuart is no longer part of Joe Satriani's touring band. Satch has been stuck with boring bass lines since. I don't know if this is really a blessing in disguise as Satch's work since Stu left had been extremely bland, the sound of a once vibrant artist who really seems to have run out of ideas. Stuart seems to inspire those around him. Satch, Steve Vai, Frank Gambale - all these guys and more recorded their best work when Stuart was with them. It's a shame for us all that we don't get to hear more of him.

I enjoyed Joe's lineup of Stu Hamm & Jeff Campitelli but, artists change and as is the business, change is especially frequent in the solo artist realm.

This was prevalent during the 70's as the fusion era waned as well. Many of us dug the musicality but radio made the changes first. Mostly from LP to singles format.

 

[conttador]

I like some of his more obscure Studio work. Like this, which he did with a Mexican rock band on Fretless:

 

[Snibborwocky]

I can't say anything bad about Stu, I've never actually met him face to face. I've only seen him live once at a small club here when he did a small tour for the book of lies album. I thought his performance was pretty spot on and his tone sounded fine that night along with telling stories in between songs. I will say that he was one of my very first bassists idols in the late 90's to inspire me to keep playing bass (second only to Billy Sheehan back then). I always wanted a Fender Urge I since they came out but could never afford them back then. I wasn't as impressed with the Urge II for some unknown reason and when he switched to Washburn I lost interest completely. I do agree that his best tone (and performing years) came from his Kubicki Factor basses in the Satriani/Vai era. He could definitely have a monsterous tone with the Warwick basses he uses today but it does sound pretty thin and lacking but maybe that's what he is going for? I dunno. I still enjoy his music a lot and get that excitement when something new of his comes out.

 

[iiipopes]

I had a friend who had an original issue early 90's Fender Stu Hamm bass with the mid scale and the J-P-J pickup setup. The originals were really good basses, especially with the lighter tuners, rounded neck heel, electronics, access to the higher frets on a 24-fret board, asymmetric neck profile, etc. They were before their time, since very few people then were playing mid-scale basses compared to now, and very few basses at the time had one or more of those design features. The Mexican versions later with the J-J setup were meh in quality.