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[Bass Player of the Week] Villis Kabadais

The feature bass player for this week is Villis Kabadais from Greece!

As you’ll see in the video below, Villis totally knows how to get both the low and the high end separated to make for some great bass sounds.

We asked Villis about his bass and gear, and here’s what he had to say:

Who made the bass guitar seen in your video, and what is the hardware in it (pickup brand, bridge brand, tuner brand)?

This made by the famous  German luthier Gerard Marleaux! It has Delano pickups on it, the preamp is Marleaux EQ BC3 electronics with passive/active switcher. The bridge made by Marleaux and the tuners are Schaller.

Do you always play the 5-string or do you also play the 4-string? (And if you do play the 4-string also, what 4-string basses do you own?)

I have 5 basses (5 string Ken Smith BSR jazz,  5 string Nexus Shinning II handmade from Poland, 5 string Marleaux consat custom, 5 string Bacchus handmade series made in Japan, 4 string bass Fender MIM Jazz Bass) and I give the same care to each one of them!

I have a 4 string bass  in which I have made some modes on it! It’s a Fender MIM Jazz Bass and I have modified the pickups (Haussel). I have add on board preamp (Seymour Duncan STC 3 active) also the keys and the bridge are changed.

How do you record bass to your video? Through an amplifier or direct? What is the recording system you use?

I record by using the balanced output(Di) from my EBS TD 650 bass head,then sending the signal to my interface (Focusrite scarlett solo) and finally I use the Ableton Live software.

I occasionally use my pedals (Aguilar agro overdrive/distortion, Mark Bass MB mini series for better slap basslines) depending the song i am recording!

How long have you been playing bass for?

I have been playing  for 23 years, starting from 10 years old!

What is your preferred brand of bass guitar string, and what gauge are they?

I have tried  too many brands!  I am still in this process! I think it depends on the bass and the style you are playing! Nowadays I am using DR Hi-Beams 40-120 and 45-125 and also like very much the old HRS from La Bella (they renamed them now as Stainless Steel) 45-130 gauge in La Bella, very strong lows perfect for rock!

Is the maple fretboard your favorite, or do you have other favorites?

I like very much the maple fretborads, they have very clear tone if they are fit in the right bass. I really like pauferro  fretboards (my Ken Smith has this) and ebanol (my Bacchus has) because  they give me more mellow midrange tone.

Do you still have your first bass guitar, and if so, what is it?

Unfortunately i don’t! I wish I did. It was a 5 string  Ibanez made in Japan and it is in my future plans to buy a 6 string Ibanez.

Video

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