The week’s feature player is Edo Castro from Mill Valley, California USA.
Edo has an extensive range of gear, so we asked him about it. There are also videos below showing him with his custom built instrument.
Describe the bass seen in your video (scroll down for video). Who made it? What are the specifications? How long have you owned it? Do you gig with it routinely?
The bass you see in this video was made by Fred Bolton, owner and creator of “Bee Basses”.
He asked me what I wanted in a bass, and drew it for him. The end results what is now known as the “Stinger” model.
I own #1 and #2 Stinger bees. These were the first two basses of this design. I own a fretted 7 and a fretless 7.
Specs
- 34 inch scale
- Bolt on neck
- Zero Fret
- Top is Bishop Wood
- Fingerboard is Blood wood.
- The core of the body is Ash
- Neck is quarter sawn Maple with a Jointed Angled head stock.
- Pickups are the Delano Dual coil in a slim configuration
- Proprietary Bee Electronics Bass, Mid and Treble
- 1 Volume
- 1 Pan
I’ve played this bass as my main bass for the last 8 years. The neck rarely needs adjusting and the action is exactly the way i like it, low. I am spoiled by this bass. It’s a blessing and a curse. It plays itself but because I’m so used to its feel. I can’t play any other bass but my own. All my basses are super low. Each bass has been PLEK’d.
My fretless version of this bass has similar wood for the body except a mahogany core Graphite Neck with Blood wood fingerboard, single “Music Man” style Delano pickup, proprietary Bee Electronics (This bass sings!), 34-inch.
I string all my basses with GHS Contact core Super Steels. I have custom sets made for me. After 40 years I’m finally an endorser. My Dream come true! I love the feel and sound of these strings. Plus the Contact Core give me the ability to get my action lover. The contact core strings are very much like piano strings, lots of sustain and deep tone.
What amplifier setup do you typically use?
For 10 years plus I’ve been an AccuGroove user using 1×10 and two Mini Groove cabs (The original version)
- 1×8 plus 5 “ mid plus 2 tweeters
- 2×8 woofers
I’ve recently switched over to Schroeder cabinets:
- 2×8 plus tweeter
- 1×10 plust Tweeter.
Beautifully tuned, These cabs have an old school sound with a bite. And I love that!
I’ve been using and endorsing Genz Benz Amps. I have a Streamliner (the original series) with 900 watts. Lots of tone from this small package. Very warm and articulate amp.
For a back up I’ve got Acoustic Image Focus (No longer in production.) At 800 watts, It’s a very honest amp: What you put in is what you get out. Admittedly, I have to tweak it to warm it up but I love it’s honesty as an amplifier. It’s really good to play different basses through it to hear their characteristics.
Lately I tried a Warwick 1000 watt amp. I’m being seduced by this power and sound.
What are your favorite pedal effects?
I have a pedal board that contains:
- Boss Stereo Volume pedal
- Boss DD 20 Delay
- Boss Line selector
- Boss Digital Reverb
- Styrmon Big Sky
- Alesis Midi verb 1
- 3 Leaf Proton
- DigiTech Jam Man
I run the Alesis Midi verb and Boss DD 20 through Boss Line Selector. The alesis gives me “general reverb and chorus” for my sound. This means I get a little reverb and chorus on my sound to sweeten sound. The Boss DD 20 delay is used for “textured” sound. Basically it’s not synchronized to time, but loops over time due to the long delay. This gives me the abiltiy to create “washes”, similar to water color applied to paper. It’s great for creating ambient sounds when I create loops. The Boss Digital Reverb is used strictly for 1 sound: Long reverb plus some delay to create “synth” sounds when applying the volume pedal.
With 7 strings I have the ability to create sound that’s “Not bass” like with this approach. Chord swells, single line swells. Imagine doing the swells and capturing that with the DD 20 delay pedal. It’s endless what I can create.
The Strymon is a late addition. This pedal does everything and I’ve only begun to dig into this. Lots of long delays and verbs in this box.
As you may have guessed by now, I’m a reverb fan. The Proton is one of the funkiest Envelope pedals I’ve ever used. Years ago I owned a Mutron and that was amazing. The foot print of the Proton is perfect for my pedal board. Plus the purple looks ever so cool.
What style(s) of music do you prefer to play the most?
I guess you can call what I play as ‘Jazz’. I’m a fan of instrumental music, which does not really adhere to a style. But I listen to a myriad of styles and take where I can, from whatever I listen to. I don’t limit myself really. But I do have my thing for music from the ECM label. That stuff is amazing. Producer, Manfred Eicher is just brilliant.
Has the bass guitar always been your main instrument, or do you play other instruments?
The bass was my 4th instrument. I’d played piano first, violin 2nd, guitar 3rd and bass 4th. I was a late starter to the bass. I didn’t play bass until I was 18 years old. But I caught up as fast as I could: taking, learning and absorbing from anyone who would give me their time. I was self taught but went to music school and got a BA in Jazz Studies.
40 years ago I heard a sound in my head, that would take me from 4 strings; to 5; to 6 strings; to the Chapman Stick. When I saw the Conklin Sidewinder 7 String I knew that was my instrument. I exclusively played 7 strings for the last 12 of my 40 years of bass playing. As of late I’ve gotten an EUB 4 string and 5 String G&L bass.
I played upright bass for 10 years before giving it up due to wrist and arm issues.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
My biggest musical influences are jazz musicians: Ahmad Jamal, Ramsey Lewis, Bill Evans, Miles Davis and Paul Desmond.
I had an uncle who was a recording engineer. His name is Reice Hamel. He was one of the pioneers fo remote Live recording.
He gave me my first jazz records when I was like 8 years old, Ahmad Jamal being first then some Ramsey Lewis records.
What is your favorite brand of bass pickup?
Years ago I used Bartolini pickups and Dimarzios because they were “the thing.” I used to buy stock Gibson EB3 or Fender Jazz basses and trick them out with these pickups. I never played a stock instrument because I was looking for a sound. So I would trick out any instrument that I owned. If I wasn’t happy, I’d sell it and buy another and try something else.
Currently the pickups in my basses are either made by Nordstrand Pickups or Delano.
My only basses that don’t have these are my Jerzy Drozd 7 string Barcelona basses. They’ve got proprietary Drozd Pickups. They’re gorgeous sounding.
Would you like to be a featured bass player? Submit your entry here.
