word.word is bond, word up.

Hey Ben,
I have a few questions about your bass rig with Incubus:

1) Is this Bass a custom model?

2) If it is a custom model, what’s built into it?

3) What bass effects do you use, I know you have an Octave, Chorus, and a Distortion, but what brands and models.

Thanks man!
-Ehren

That bass is a Lakland prototype. They built it with a 35″ scale and originally intended it to be strung with the lower 4 strings of a 5 string set (B,E,A,D). I tried it out because I wanted a bass with more tension on the strings for pick playing and drop-D tuning. I strung it up with flatwounds and tuned it to standard (E,A,D,G). The extra inch on the neck makes the strings considerably stiffer and it resonates like a piano. It’s very loud and very clear down to the lowest notes and has amazing definition in the lower frequencies. The pickups are passive Lindy Fralin single coil J’s. I prefer passive electronics in my basses. The strings I use are GHS Precision Flats 45-105. Lakland made 3 more of those basses and I plan on taking them on the road this summer with Incubus. Two of the new ones have Joe Barden pickups and one has the new Lakland Chi-Sonics.

The effects I use on stage are an Emma Transmorgrifier Compressor, Ibanez CS9 Chorus, Boss OC2 Octave, and a Fulltone Bass Driver. I also have a Boss TU2 tuner in front of everything.
Thanks Ehren,
-Ben

Future Vintage

I’m not into celebrating my birthday too much. I really don’t want other people to make any issue of it. I’m much more selfish with my enjoyment of getting older. It’s my day to take a quick inventory check and consider the future.

That being said, this year I’m taking advantage of opportunities to loosen up, bug out and blame it on my birfday. About a week ago I went to see Paul Gilbert at the H.O.B. in Hollywood and it was sweet.

This past weekend my brother and I were in Columbus, Ohio for UFC 96. Over the past few years I’ve become a big fan of the UFC and this was my first time attending a bout in person. I like both Rampage and Jardine a lot. But I’d love to see Rampage take the belt from Rashad Evans so I’m glad he won. But I digress…..
•

Tomorrow Night (Monday, March 2nd but technically Tuesday morning), my old band The Roots will make their debut as the house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. I’m really psyched about this. The only bad thing is that I’m usually out cold by midnight and I’m afraid of Tivo. Screw that, I’m staying up to see it. That’s my crew and there is no way I could miss this. Oh, and just for the record, I am well aware that Kirk could rip me a new one on guitar. There’s no need to remind me. But I bet you he can’t 180 nollie heelflip over a curb can he? No? Me neither.