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dUg Pinnick

By Britt Strickland | March, 2008

For musicians to fade into obscurity, they first need to stop creating the best music of their careers. King’s X frontman dUg Pinnick’s response to that prospect is straight-up: “No deal.” With the release of his new solo disc, Strum Sum Up, and a forthcoming King’s X record (Go Tell Somebody, Inside Out Music), Pinnick seems to be just warming up. While the multi-instrumentalist tracked much of the bass and guitar for his solo record himself, he also enlisted guitarists Wally Farkas (Galactic Cowboys), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), and Alain Johannes (Queens Of The Stone Age), and he even called on former Big Wreck bassist David Henning to tow the bass line on a few tunes.


You’re well known for your melodic phrasing and aggressive pick work. What’s your current approach to bass tone?
When I first started, I used a bit of distortion. But through the course of King’s X, my high end became so distorted you could barely tell what’s going on. Now I’m trying to reshape my tone by backing off the distortion a little. Sometimes when you build a monster, the monster gets out of control and you can’t recognize it anymore. I’m getting my bass back where it needs to be.

Some of your riffs are fast and tricky. How do you tackle playing and singing simultaneously?
I sit down and slowly play the riff and sing over it—like reading a chart. The songs start to feel natural after a while. I sometimes have a harder time singing without playing.

One of your early trademarks was your choice to play 12-string bass, but you’re playing mostly 4-string these days.
My New Year’s resolution is to use 12-string more and to start writing songs around it again. On the new King’s X record there’s a song that features 12-string.

What do listeners have to look forward to with the upcoming King’s X record?
The songs are short and sweet. I can’t wait until it comes out!

CAN BE HEARD ON

dUg Pinnick, Strum Sum Up [Magna Carta, 2007]

CURRENTLY SPINNING

Stateless, Stateless [K7 2007]

GEAR

Basses Two custom Yamaha 4-strings (tuned CGCF) with Seymour Duncan pickups; custom Yamaha 12-string with EMG pickups; vintage Fender Precision with Seymour Duncan pickups; medium-gauge DR strings

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

Effects Behringer EQ700 equalizer pedals

 

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