Solo and with King's X, dUg Pinnick Explores Rock’s Core Emotions

Among its three talented vocalist/instrumentalists, dUg Pinnick, who recently changed his name from Doug, can be loosely described as the band’s frontman. But the lanky southpaw’s commanding onstage presence—made even more compelling by his unusual 12-string basses—is undeniably captivating.

It’s a busy time for Pinnick. Following last year’s Live All Over the Place, a two-disc compilation of live King’s X material, the band has just released its 13th studio effort, Ogre Tones. Meanwhile, Pinnick has furthered his solo career with the new album Emotional Animal, and a collaborative project with Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament.

Some of the material you’ve written with King’s X is rather complex. Did you study music formally?
I did study music theory in college. But I am a “feel” person—I don’t pay too much attention to the analytical side of music. Throwing out musical ideas the way I feel them—without too much thought—works best for me. The inspiration and ideas come from a different, more direct source.

There are songs on Emotional Animal which remain on one chord for their duration.
“Are You Gonna Come” was created around a single looped bass riff and stays in one key, as does “Noon.” Instead of using lots of chord changes, key changes, and time changes, I decided to challenge myself by keeping these songs in one tone center. Other instruments and vocals create the sense of movement. I don’t know if it works or not, but it has been a fun experiment.

Describe your use of chords on bass.
I play chords on the bass like a bluegrass or country picker would, using open strings to create drones. For example, I fret the root note and complete the chord by strumming open strings. It works especially well on the 12-string.

Do you find it challenging to sing and play at the same time?
When I started 30 years ago it took time to sync the two up, but it comes naturally now. Now I try to come up with the most challenging riffs and vocal patterns just to keep my skills fresh … and to show off a bit! [Laughs.]

Tell us about your rig.
I call it my Frankenstein monster. I’ve always admired and emulated the tone of the Who’s John Entwistle and Yes’s Chris Squire: “wiry” with a rich bite and clear definition. The concept is simple but achieving it has been challenging. I run a bass rig and a guitar amp together so I have dedicated amps for low and high frequencies. And I use a pick because it makes the attack more pronounced.
I use an Ampeg SVP-BSP preamp and a Randall MT guitar head, which gives me natural-sounding distortion—I haven’t been able to find a pedal that sounds as good. I use a Boss GE-7 EQ to dial out the two lowest frequencies of the Randall’s signal so it doesn’t break up as much and sounds more like a guitar. I also run signals from both amps into a Yamaha 32-band EQ to remove the guitar amp’s low end and the bass amp’s high end. Then I run into a mixer to blend the two sounds and send them to an Ampeg power amp, then on to six Ampeg 8x10 cabs. I use a Boss TU-2 tuner as a switcher box to mute the guitar amp. It is quite a setup. However, I’ve recently acquired an Ashdown ABM 900 EVOII, which produces the tone I have been waiting for all in one amp. Not too high, not too low, not too ratty, not too clean—it’s perfect. My roadie will be pleased!

Have you found any challenges by being a left-handed player?
I started out playing a right-handed bass flipped upside down. After about six months a friend told me that I could restring the instrument. I did, which made it much easier to play. It means I can’t spontaneously jam with confidence on a reversed instrument, so I sometimes miss out on informal jamming with people. I can still play guitars that are flipped over, but not without thinking.

What was your writing process like for Emotional Animal?
Drums always come first. I ask myself, “Do I feel like marching, rocking like AC/DC, or banging my head?” I program ideas on a drum machine, lay down guitar parts, and then I add bass. Bass is the last instrument, and that is the fun part for me. I am able to create bass parts to complement the guitar easily, but I have difficulty creating guitar parts to fit my bass lines. Vocal melodies and lyrics are last.

With King’s X, are you all in the same room when you record basic tracks?
We play as if we’re performing live. Jerry [Gaskill] is in the big room on the drums. Ty [Tabor, guitarist] and I are in the control room without headphones, listening to the monitors and playing along.

In addition to King’s X and your solo work, you are often involved in other musical projects.
Music is all I do—I don’t have a life outside of it. My project with Jeff Ament has been almost done for a couple years now, but both Jeff and I have been too busy to finish it. I do really want to get it out for people to hear, though. I’m really excited by it.

At this point in your career, what do you find most challenging about playing bass?
Coming up with good driving bass lines is challenging. I prefer to make up melodies with the bass and to not simply follow the guitar riffs. Other players may challenge themselves with technical skills, but for me, bass is not technical at all. It’s a primal, tribal thing. I am a black person who grew up with soul music, so the bass has always been the number one influence for me.