Paul Gray: The Man Behind the Mask - inSync The riff that appears two minutes into Eyeless could very well be the Knots finest. I was going to donate my Epi Viola, but after putting LaBella flats on it, I liked it too much. Basses Bassist Paul, aka The Pig, aka #2, appeared in a black uniform, steadily headbanging and riffing while chaos erupted around him. A long time ago we used to do a cover of that song 'The Humpty Dance' and I would have to tune during the song, as we're playing.". I really like the growl Tonys got on it and it really suits the songs perfectly. Although Slipknot's Paul Gray was known to many simply as . "Oh yeah, of course. 1977 Rickenbacker 4001 . You can coax many different sounds out of a Rickenbacker depending on your fingering technique, what gauge pick you use, what year it is. TDPRI, short for Telecaster Discussion Page Reissue, is the leading online community and marketplace for Telecaster guitars. Matrix VB800 But while other members had full-on side-projects, he considered Slipknot to be his everything. Sensible: Unlike some punk bassists who could only play by numbers, with the potential song disintegration if they lost their way, Paul can really busk it up! When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. staff present the albums that shaped their individual 2022s! Jim and I would be writing, and wed get close to some stuff and be like, What would Paul do? We try to utilise that all the time. 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. When asked, three albums in, if this is what he imagined being a rock star would be like, he humbly replied, I dont really consider myself a rock star, but obviously I guess I am. The world will never know another man as amazing as you.. What Strings Did Freddie King Use? The founding bassists untimely passing remains one of metals most heartbreaking tragedies, Slipknots loyal legions left no choice but to ponder the prodigious creations his mind would have gone on to conceive. I think they picked me because they collectively like various albums Ive made: especially the T. Rex and Bowie stuff. Originally titled Lust Disease on an early demo, Iowas lead single might not be one of Slipknots fastest or heaviest, but its riff is certainly one of their busiest from the earlier years of their career using double notes, slides and chromatics that snake their way around the fretboard. Marshall EL84 20/20 stereo power amps, Effects What gauge is the low E string? It required the heaviest gauge top string he could find in order to hold the notes well enough to record. Works 23; All; Songs written by Paul Gray [US1] Original songs. 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. A Les Paul is easier to play than a Strat because a Les Paul has a far lower string tension compared to a Strat with the same gauge strings. Bunch of new American psychos just dropped. I was just, I gotta get a real guitar and actually do it. Seeing them up there and the red lights and the smoke and it was all evil, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Feb 21, 2015. PAUL GRAY, who was the lead singer of the 1980s pop band Wa Wa Nee, has died aged 54. 1990s British-made handwired Vox AC30 reissue 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. Its very important that everybody on the outside of us understands that Paul Gray was the essence of the band Slipknot, he said. I saved up and bought their album Thank Christ for the Bomb and I played it over and over. Which is a hard thing to do with nine people in the band!". However, first-generation punks the Damned dont care much about any of that. So many things set him apart from the rest: his attention to detail; his ear for hooks; his approach to a riff; his ability to hear several variations on a riff so it never felt repetitive; his vision for songs or passages; his single-mindedness when it came to fighting for what was best in a song I could go on and on here.. 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. Has there ever been something that was just too far out for the Damned? Unsurprisingly, Evil Spirits sounds very much like a continuation of the sonic tack the group were on at that point in their career. 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. Paul Gilbert Guitars & Gear List (2023 Update) - Guitar Lobby As far as opening gambits go, the first musical track on Slipknots debut is as good as it gets. 3: (The Subliminal Verses), 2004), Vermilion (Vol. 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. After the bassist's family attempted to stage another intervention over his drug use, Gray left home on May 22, 2010, and . He was everything that was wonderful about this band and about this group of people. Works 23; All; Songs written by Paul Gray [US1] Original songs. Instead of sticking with the drop B tuning used on its other tracks, Paul used a drop A tuning with this thickest string another octave down which he described as a super low, almost sub-woofer kind of frequency. So I begged my mum for a guitar, and she finally got me one. "It was weird because when I started practising these songs on bass, I didn't know any of them. 3: (The Subliminal Verses), 2004), in a heartfelt tribute to his old bandmate, The inside story of Vol. 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. 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! If theyll go for that, then theres not much thats off limits Damned-wise apart from opera, that is. 1980 Rickenbacker 4001 Premier Guitar sought an audience with Sensible and Gray to discuss the making of the Damneds triumphant return to studio recording, their philosophies and roots as players, the symbiosis that exists within their playing relationship, and even a bit of gear geekery. It looked pretty violent. When it came to music, Paul was up there with some of the greats, remembered Corey, in a heartfelt tribute to his old bandmate. They are EADGBD for songs in A and EADGAD for D. Paul, what basses did you use on Evil Spirits? I was lucky enough to see them all play club venues, where you could really watch what their fingers were doing. It would prove to be a life-changing decision, as was his switch from guitar to bass, Theres a funny story about how I got playing bass, he explained in his Behind The Player instructional DVD. His playing was informed by his early devotion to thrash, and that conversion to the bass. The best record they ever made! Jun 1, 2002. I didn't think they would, but they called me up and said, 'Here you go!'". Its in the title. He had the biggest heart of anyone Ive ever known, and he had the greatest soul Ive ever had the privilege to know. I had to get a real guitar and do it. Overview. He will never be forgotten. An autopsy revealed he had. This is all from memory. Songs written by Paul Gray [US1] | SecondHandSongs A true athlete when it comes to traversing the fretboard of a Rickenbacker bass, Grays lead bass style and the way his playing seamlessly weaves with the Captains is a massive part of Evil Spirits musical bedrock. Added by Bastien. After the set, the band huddled around Pauls jumpsuit, mask and bass as Til We Die poured out of the PA. My friends are all hurting, came Jims line. #22. 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? The blueprint Paul helped draw up for Slipknot shines through its bludgeoning riffs, and even through the energy of latest album We Are Not Your Kind. Top 13 Guitarists Known for Using Light Gauge Strings "I was listening in on their conversation, eavesdropping, they were talking about doing covers of Slayer and Metallica - all these songs that I knew how to play on guitar. 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. Sensible: Theres something about the Gibson SG 60s Tribute. It isn't THAT different, I listened to the rest of the album with the exception of Bother it sounded like Slipknot with the proper amount of band members. I never took lessons or anything, I was always self-taught, listening to albums and just trying to figure stuff off of that.. The K! Here we go again motherfucker, indeed. He spent the several decades with Spirocore Mittels. This was noticeable with all of the guitar-centric genres, most notably with hard rock and heavy metal. Listened to 4 Beatles LPs (yes; these black huge 33 1/3 things) the last days. Blending subtle humor and loud guitar has been his forte since he switched to the bands lead musical role in 1977. Im an indie dude or an alternative dude, whatever the fuck that means. What string gauge should I use for B standard? Edinboro, PA. What was your philosophy about shaping the tones for this album? Inkcarceration announces headliners Slipknot and Limp Bizkit alongside Megadeth, Lamb Of God, In This Moment and more. McCartney Tone (Flatwound or Round?) - Telecaster Guitar Forum "I think I started playing bass in 1990, which is what? What Guitar Does Freddie King Use? - Guvna Guitars As Slipknot put it in Skeptic, The world will never see another crazy motherfucker like you. Although fairly light, I find the reduced-thickness picks weve moved over to hardly break any strings these days, which is good, because I hate changing guitars mid-gig. With the emergence of Eddie Van Halen as a phenomenon in the late 1970s and 1980s . I locked myself in me bedroom after schoola real Johnny-no-matesand I plucked away until I figured what they were playing. Sensible: Tony and engineer Kevin Killen thought the material had a 60s garage vibe, so sought out less-saturated distortions, mainly from the studio Vox AC30 and an excellent Matrix VB800 amp that Id packed in my suitcase, which certainly packs a punch despite being on the dainty side. The guy I got it from says that it was a factory custom that had been requested to have the toaster pickup put on it. Grays recorded output with the Damned includes two of the bands most revered and musically fibrous albums, Strawberries (1982) and The Black Album (1980). What gear was integral to creating the guitar tones on the album? He was loved around that scene.. Paul Gray dead: How did Wa Wa Nee singer die? - Express.co.uk 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. McCartney strings | TalkBass.com What strings did Paul Gray use? "I started with Ampeg but now I'm with Peavey. 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. What Guitar Strings Does Paul Simon Use? Genre politics and hyperbole aside, the Damned have always been the musicians band among the classic punks, and the group has always operated with a policy of lawlessness when it comes to the music they make. He had a difficult and itinerant childhood, and his father died by suicide. It allows you to throw things into the set on the flyjust call out a key and hell have a go at it. Thats my go-to bass at the moment with the Damned, and thats the one I used on our tour. ), but i'm not 100% sure Apr 26, 2001 #3 Jman Mar 24, 2000 Waterport,NY With Mountain, Flowers of Evil has a live side, and the bass and guitar interplay on that album is just magnificent, and I love that really filthy sound Felix P. had: electric farts, we call it in the Damned. Gary Moore played Gibson Les Paul guitars. A metalhead through and through, he nevertheless began listening to funk and jazz, taking a few lessons to learn slap and pop techniques. I had to go back and listen to them. Offstage, he couldnt have been more different. Paul is survived by his wife Brenna and their daughter October, who was born three months after his death. We have three drummers, theres a lot of low end, do you know what I mean? But the time was right. MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. They were a menacing presence, ready to inflict pain on themselves in the name of catharsis. Its a real players bass and has obviously been played and loved for over 40 years and it really feels like it! Beatles always use Flat Wounds? | The Gear Page The main guitar is a 1959 Les Paul Standard . In December 2010, they announced they would headline 2011s Sonisphere to honour the legacy of their fallen friend. It was actually a badass guitar, it was a Gibson Flying V and it was left-handed, and it ruled. We got onstage and shocked the hell out of everybody. It was as simple as that. When he pulled on a guitar, a transformation kicked in. I loved guys like Jim Lea from Slade, who was doing more like lead bass and drove all those fantastic Slade songs. Produced by the venerable Tony Visconti (best known as the helmsman of classic David Bowie and T. Rex albums), Evil Spirits sees the return of the Captains favored bass guitar sparring partner, Paul Gray, to the Damned for the first time in nearly a decade. The day after it happened, we were all over the place, and we all kind of made our way to my house, he recalled. scullyfan. They also sound totally different. There was one problem: hed never played bass. Stevie Ray Vaughan String Gauge Table. I think it was made in February, which was just a month or two after they stopped doing the toaster pickups. On May 25, 2010, the members of Slipknot filed into a room to face the press, on one of the bleakest days of their lives. Heres how it works. 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. As Paul got to know his new instrument, he developed a strong attachment. Frank Zappa? Not quite, but I'll take that as a compliment whether intended or not! Ive been there from the beginning, when Paul recognised my ability as an artist and said, Just do it, man! Never having had a lesson, I play completely by ear and I often overstretch myself. "You know, the first one I bought was a Charvel, a weird reddish purple Charvel It was not that great a bass. 3 era, he was unequivocal about the feelings Slipknot had stirred in him from the outset. Luckily, it didnt choke at the Albert Hall during our 40th anniversary show. Based on that statement, it is likely that these strings were used even prior to that, were his main choice before he started playing Stratocasters (at which point he began using Ernie Ball strings) TC Electronic Nova System and four years as Production Editor and Deputy Editor at Bizarre. What gear are you using live?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! Strings 1 : Rotosound Swing Bass 66 (Roundwound) Gauges 1 : 46-63-80-102. .60 mm Dunlop Tortex. We had to kick everything up a notch, and that required the Captain playing a bunch of different guitars in the studio. "But then I ended up going to Ibanez on the last album because - I can't remember where we were - but I went to a pawn shop and picked up this Ibanez ATK that they've stopped making and I just loved the way it played and sounded, so I started playing it too and Ibanez approached me to offer me a deal. He turned up to rehearsal with a right-handed bass borrowed from his brothers friend, Frankensteind into a left-handed one, and played the regular guitar parts on it. Rotosound (.049.090) There was nothing funny going on with the studio desk: everything was flat. Or why not treat yourself? One has a clanky sound and one has much more growl. Kill. I'm able to leave gear at home, and that was the same with Ibanez. what strings did paul gray use - KMITL Once you get up to .100 or a .105, it just sounds kind of dull to me. Slipknots first gig was on April 4, 1996. He wrote that whole song, and there was such an essence about it that was so odd; the way his eyes were looking at his guitar, and the way he was writing it when we were playing together, it was almost scary, he told Revolver in 2010. This was thanks in no small part to his abilities. Recorded at Download 2009, Paul talked to TG about his solid playing style, his reason for being a bass player and his tips for making you play better. Gray: I used the 1980 Ric that I used on TheBlack Album, but the one that ended up on most of the tracks was my very early '74. I havent a clue about scales and stuff. The Ibanez PGB1 electric bass guitar is the choice of Slipknot's Paul Gray. I just pick out licks and phrases I heard my heroes play. There was just something huge coming through him.. Theres a reason why the low-end on the debut album closer feels extra rumbly, even ghostly, at points. Although not as light as some other guys on this . 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. Stay up to date with in depth music reviews, exclusive interviews and widespread coverage of whats happening from your favourite music genre. Im having the time of my life.. What Guitar Does Gary Moore Use? - Guvna Guitars No, you just dont put that together, because youre young.. It was hard to comprehend. I like to pick a patch out from the library and then heavily modify it for the song, and I really get in there and tweak them. What's Inside show I'd just say, for people who are learning, try to keep changing things up and stay open minded to everything. Heavy gauge picks. Famous players string gauges? | Page 2 | The Gear Page Take the song 'Scissors', from the first album, where I'm tuned to an octave below A. You've mentioned quite a few genres there, so what's your favourite bassline of all time? So all those prominent bass players really caught my ear and I thought it was so great, because it was such an important part of the song. We had two weeks in the studio, which included rehearsals, so there was no time for faffing about changing amps. We spend a lot of time thinking about Paul, Shawn told us in 2018. What Guitar And Bass Strings Does Paul McCartney Use? Forever #2 of 9. Gary Moore preferred Dean Markley Electric Guitar strings he used .010 set (2504B) or a .009 set (2508). We recorded at Atomic Sound in Brooklyn, which is a beautiful studio with a lovely, big wooden live room. "In the beginning you will probably emulate your favourite players, but take that and make it your own and be yourself. I imagine you must use Rotosound strings, based on your influences and the tones youve gone for over the years? 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. (Image credit: John McMurtrie) "Yesterday we lost our brother, and the world seems a little smaller because of it," began Corey Taylor. What is it about them that you like so much?Gray: I was very much drawn to Rickenbacker sounds, to the point where Id listen to the radio as a kid and was always trying to figure out if it was a Rickenbacker I was hearing. You must log in or register to reply here. When we started the band I felt it, right when we started it, and it still feels the same. It was weird because when I started practising these songs on bass, I didnt know any of them, he said. Most of the patches we used for the H9 were custom made by myself. The same was said of his personality, Corey often describing him as the glue of the band the one member who lived and breathed Slipknot all day every day, the worlds best cheerleader to bring them together no matter what challenge or hurdle lay ahead. Pure Ric-into-Ampeg glory. Originally posted by volumefiend. 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. Back in the late 1960s the bass player in my band (who was left-handed) purchased a Hofner. That changed my world, he recounted in Paul Gray: Behind The Player. I try not to step on anybody's toes but try not to get lost either. Feb 11, 2014 #3. Bath I was writing lyrics when Paul and Joey played this to me, Corey told Kerrang! I became slightly obsessed with the solos on Strange Town and the way the excitement builds in them, carrying the listener away on a tidal wave of excitement. It was always the singer or the guitarist that got the glory, so I liked the slightly subversive nature of those bass players. It broke in a roaring cheer. I use .009-.048 now and I was using .010-.052 before. Punk rock has morphed, been bastardized, revitalized, and analyzed infinitely since becoming a defined movement in the late 70s. It wasnt a million miles away from the sound John Entwistle got on Live at Leeds. Let's take a closer look at the strings Sir Paul used and continues to use, as well as how they helped to shape his tone. Premier Guitar features affiliate links to help support our content. Feed. At one point, Paul drifted back to LA, but was persuaded back by Anders and Shawn. "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. 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. How did you and Tony Visconti record the bass tones for the album? Actually, none that I can think of. His eyebrows would go down, his brain would switch off, and the music sang through him. I have to put on the heaviest string I can find to actually do it. I dont know much about scales, but I like the choice of notes in some Indian music and some of that creeps in occasionally with the McPhee, Berry, Hendrix knock-offs. Pauls final album, 2008s All Hope Is Gone, shot to No.1 in eight countries. "I always experiment and go with whatever the song requires. I named all of them after the Captain, and I think maybe there will be a Captain Sensible pack at some point for the H9. Surprise! Tragically after writing, recording and touring four albums in the greatest metal band of a generation Paul passed away on May 24, 2010. Slipknot Bassist Paul Gray's Widow Recalls Grim Final Days in Court Rad in plaid, Captain Sensible strikes a pose and a power chord onstage. Ampeg 8x10 cab I introduced him to the wonderful world of Eventide, and we used the H9 a lot. What was the first bassline you ever tried to play? I went into the local music store and heard some guys talking about needing a bass player for their band, they did covers of Slayer and Metallica songs, So, not knowing anybody and wanting to meet people, I told them I could play bass even though I had never played one in my life.