Jean Baudin

You might know Jean Baudin from his 11 string bass version of Super Mario Brothers, Jean is a multi-stringed extraordinaire and I asked him to answer some questions for your reading pleasure.

Me: How did you start and what inspired you to make music?


Jean Baudin: At first, I tried to play guitar but I had broken a finger that had set wrong, so I couldn't do chords. A friend suggested I try bass because I wouldn't have to play chords. I was inspired to play music because I liked the covers of Iron Maiden albums.

Who are your major influences?


When I was younger, Steve Harris, Fishbone, Bad Brains and Bach. Nowadays, I like listening to music that has just solo music... stuff like Art Tatum or Joe Pass.




What advice do you have for people who want to be a bassist?


I think you just need an instrument to be a bassist. If you want to be a GOOD bassist, you need to put some time in and practice.

What can you tell me about your instruments?


I mainly basses with 9 or more strings. I have custom instruments from Ken Lawrence, Conklin Guitars and JP Basses.


When I first started playing a 4-string bass my immediate reaction was "Where are all the notes?" - I've always felt the instrument was comfortable to play, wide string spacing, longer scale length, bigger frets but I never liked the fact that it had such a limited "speaking" range. It's kinda like the bottom notes of a piano.... I always wanted the range of the piano but on a fretted instrument.

How has your music evolved since you first began playing?


When I started adding more strings, I started to incorporate more tapping into my playing. I still like to play fingerstyle (and slap) but I feel I can take advantage of the range more with two-handed tapping.


How can people gain access to your music?

I have lots of recordings available at  www.jeanbaudin.com My album of solo pieces "Solace" is also available from iTunes and Amazon. I also have an instructional book on tapping called, "The Mechanics of Tapping" available from my website as well.




Any last words?


Thanks for the interview and good luck with your blog!




Photos from jeanbaudin.com

Jens Ritter

Ritter Platinum Concept

In the previous post I featured a bass made by Jens Ritter ( a platinum concept bass) and it received some attention so I decided to write a piece about him.

Jens Ritter is a German luthier, widely recognised for is extreme and cutting edge bass designs. His basses are works of art! He grew up in a small German town crafting with his Dad and learned many of his skills from a young age. He is often referred to as the "Stradivarius" of the Bass Guitar.

The man himself, Jens Ritter looking professional.

After studying at an academy of technical arts, Jens opened his company he also studied Stradivarius Violin-making and engineering which he employs in his designs.


In other words, the guy was pretty much born to make basses!

His creations are of the highest quality and hang on the walls of famous musicians like Prince and Mary J Blige as well as the walls of galleries.

So if you just won the lottery or you just make an honest living, you can probably get one! I would be to scared to play one.... But they look great on wall hangers.

http://www.ritter-instruments.com/

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Elegant wood grainage!

Fancy....

Classy.

An incredibly large piece of bling.