Rev's unique two-handed style naturally led him to the Warr Guitar, which he uses for much of his work. Regardless of the instrument he plays, Rev brings an incredible energy and musicality to his role as foundation of the music. Live, he's a self-described madman intent on providing the audience a visual experience to match the complexity of the music.

This interview began as a series of discussions at the Winter, 2006 NAMM show. Rev spent a lot of time at the Eden booth, hanging out with Bill Clements, with whom Rev hopes to write and record some duets, and talking about future projects. Soon after the show, we began to trade emails and talk by telephone.

Throughout it all, Rev was engaging and fun, yet very to the point when it was time to be serious. He may run on the red line most of the time, but he never sounded frazzled or worn down. Even though he's one of the busiest bassists on the planet, juggling three bands as well as numerous studio dates and side projects, he never rushed through our talks. I don't know where he finds the energy, but if we could bottle it, we could solve the world's energy problems in a heartbeat!

Eden: What basses are you currently using?

RJ: I have 3 custom Brubaker basses: white fretted and fretless 5-string basses, both strung A-F, and a yellow fretted 5-string with a Kahler fixed bridge, strung E-C. I also have two Dean basses: a black 8-string with string pairs E-G, and a red Pace upright bass, strung E-G.

Eden: You also play Warr Guitars. What models do you have?

RJ: I have a custom 12-string that's half fretless and half fretted. That one's strung B-F (low to high) on the fretless side, and F#-C on the fretted side. I also have an 8-string Warr fretted, strung A-Ab.

I should also mention that I use Bartolini pickups on the Brubakers and the Warr Guitars

Eden: Do you use any other instruments?

RJ: With Black Symphony, I also use a Washburn mandolin.

Eden: What effects do you use?

RJ: In the US, I use a Dunlop rack-mounted Wah-Wah, Ibanez Tube Screamer, Boss Delay, and Rocktron Talkbox. Outside the US, I use a Boss ME-50 and the Talkbox. Also, while it's not an effect, I'll throw it in here: I use Ultimate Ears UE-10 earphones.

Eden: What strings are you using?

RJ: I use Vinci strings on all of my instruments. For the basses the gauges are 128, 105, 85, 65, 40, 30. the Warr Guitars add a 20 and 11.

Eden: Can you describe your rig?

RJ: In the US, I use WT800 heads to power a pair of D610XLT cabs and a pair of D410XLTs. Outside the US, I use the WT800s and four D410XLT cabinets.

Eden: Why do you use Eden gear?

RJ: Well, first off, it's by far the best bass amp made. I've tried to make it sound bad, But I can't. <laughs> I think it's impossible to make an Eden sound bad. Second. and very important, the entire staff at Eden are the best group of people I have worked with. It's very much like a family. It's great to work with a team like that.

Eden: Do you use your rig in the studio.?

RJ: Yes, whenever possible. But every now and then, when you fly to do a recording gig, it's not easy to take your rig or find one like it to use in that area, so you just have to go direct at that point and hope the engineer is good. So far, I've been lucky in those situations, but I'd much rather use my rig.

Eden: What are your amp settings live?

RJ: What? Reveal my secrets? <laughs> OK, here they are:

Enhance @ 9 o'clock
Bass @ 2 o'clock
Low @ 3 o'clock / around 125
Mid @ 1 o'clock / around 500
High @ 3 o'clock / around 6.5
Treble @ 5 o'clock

These are my basic settings, but they may change slightly depending on the stage.

Eden: What about in the studio?

RJ: In the studio I start with these settings and adjust a bit to fit the song.

Eden: How did you get started on bass?

RJ: Well, I was fortunate to have grown up around music. I began to go to concerts at an extremely young age, so I think I was destined to have something to do with music. When I first started out, I played guitar and bass, but right away I knew I was a bass player.

Eden: Who were your first teachers?

RJ: I actually learned a little bit from my dad, my grandpa, and my uncle, who were all pretty good players, I think my grandpa played 5 or 6 different instruments, which is probably why I decided to pick up several instruments. My dad is an incredible singer; I was always hearing him sing all these great songs which has a lot to do with my sense of melody.

I also took a couple of great lessons from a guy named Jym Miller, who also introduced me to the Stick (he had 2 of them). But I mostly learned how to play by sitting down and learning every song I could. I used to sit and figure out every bassline, every guitar chord and most of the guitar solos to every record I owned. That's how you learn; listen and then figure out what you just heard.

Eden: How long did it take before you were playing in bands?

RJ: I got into a band almost immediately. Our first gig was about three months after I started playing, and I have been doing shows ever since.

Eden: Do you think it helped to start playing in bands right away?

RJ: Absolutely! I've pretty much been recording and touring nonstop since about 1988, and I started playing in 1985. Practice makes better, but playing makes perfect.

Eden: What's your philosophy concerning the bass' role in music?

RJ: I think bass is the most important element in music. It's like the foundation, the walls, the bricks and the roof of the house called music. Everything else is like the paint and the carpet. A good bass player is the rhythm, the groove, the harmony, and often the melody.

Eden: Who were your influences? Why?

RJ: There's just too many to list all of them, but here are a few of the most important ones:

Tony Levin - I think he is bass guitar.
Jaco [Pastorius] - Enough said.
James Jamerson - The king of groove.

Then there's all those great records by Stevie Wonder, the Beatles, Jim Croce (yeah! I said it!), Peter Gabriel, King Crimson and Sly Stone (and a lot of others), all for opening doors, expanding the boundaries of what music can and should be.

Eden: That's a very broad range of music. Are your listening tastes still that broad? Can you give us a list of the top 5 albums you're listening to right now?

RJ: Yeah, I still listen to all kinds of different music. My top 5 lately have been:

1. BLACK EYED PEAS - Monkey Business
2. SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE - Greatest Hits
3. BIG & RICH - Coming To Your City
4. RAMMSTEIN - Rosenrot
5. STEVIE WONDER - The Definitive Collection

Eden: What's your favorite style to play and why?

RJ: Music is all one style to me because I try to incorporate everything I've ever learned from every style into everything I do. When you get right down to it, it's all the same.

Eden: How do you approach your role as a bassist? And what are the differences and similarities between the various styles you play?

RJ: I approach each project differently depending on what I feel is needed. For example, with Black Symphony, it's more musical, so my role has no boundaries. That's the beauty of having the Warr Guitar: I'm not limited to only playing one part at a time.

As a side note, I don't believe in limitations. Your mind is the greatest limiting factor. So, if you have 2 hands, use them. If you only have one hand, then go watch Bill Clements. There's a guy who refuses to be bound by limitations, you know?

With Michael Schenker Group and Krunk, my role is more about being a solid, driving bassist, with the occasional bass run here and there. It's my job to provide a concrete foundation.

On stage, regardless of which band I'm playing with, my role is that of a mad man. I feel you should always try to put on a show, regardless what kind of music it is, or how many people are there to see you. I think you should always try to put on a memorable performance, whether you are showing off playing over the neck or tapping with both hands or playing with your tongue or your teeth or if your just running around acting like an idiot. <laughs> As long as you are playing your best, not sacrificing accuracy for showmanship. If your just gonna stand there and not do anything but play, then why should anyone come see you live? It would be cheaper for them to listen to the CD and just look at your picture.

Eden: How long have you been playing the Warr guitar?

RJ: I've only been using a touch guitar since about 2001. At first, I had a 12-string Megatar and a 10-string Stick. Then I stepped up to the king of touch guitars: the Warr Guitar.

Eden: Was the transition difficult?

RJ: Not as difficult as it might have been. I had been using both hands to play notes on the fretboard pretty much since I first began playing. It was actually King Crimson's "Elephant Talk" that possessed me to try that. Back then, I didn't realize that Tony Levin was playing a Stick on that song or on many other songs that I was into. All I knew was that it was the coolest thing I'd heard.

Some people, when they learn to play slap/funk bass, have that same kind of feeling. They just really grab onto it, you know? So, anyway, I started trying all these cool new things that were similar to what I heard. Later, I discovered Tony tapping on the Chapman Stick to play those things. As soon as I found that out, I decided I had to have one.

Unfortunately, I couldn't afford one for about 13 more years, so I had to figure out how to do it on what I had: an old Fender P-bass, which in turn made me a much better player overall. Looking back, I'm kind of glad that I didn't have one for all those years because it made me develop a completely different tapping style then most people who play touch guitar.

Eden: Let's talk about some of the bands you're currently working with, starting with Black Symphony.

RJ: I consider Black Symphony to be my main band. It's like a modern version of a Queen/Deep Purple type of band, very musical, but also very heavy. We're just finishing a new 25-song double CD that will be released sometime in 2006. This is our third album, by the way. The other two can be found online at our web site or various web stores. We've also put samples from the upcoming album on my own MySpace site and the one for Black Symphony.

Eden: You're also a member of the Michael Schenker Group. What's up with them lately?

RJ: I've been a member of MSG since about 2001, and it's a blast! We just started a European tour in support of the new album, "Tales of Rock-n-Roll: 25 Years of MSG". We're also doing several open air festivals this year and a tour of Japan. You can check out the tour dates and get more info on my web site.

We also have a live DVD "MSG World Wide Live 2004", available at BestBuy and many online web stores.

Eden: Finally, tell us about Krunk.

RJ: Krunk is a band I've been involved with for about 6 months. It's like a cross between Cheap Trick and Green Day - a very fun band. We have a new album coming out in 2006 and we will be doing some US and European dates as well as playing a couple of open air festivals. The band also features James Kottak (Scorpions) on vocals and Athena (Tommy Lee's sister) on drums. Check out their web site for more info.

Eden: OK, so those are your main bands. But you've also been working with some other people, right?

RJ: Yeah, I like to keep busy. <laughs> I played and co-wrote on the new Jeff Martin album, "The Fool", which will be released this summer. The album also features Paul Gilbert, Michael Schenker and Russ Parrish. For more info check out Mascot Records.

I also played one track on the new Jack Frost album "Out in the cold". The track is called "Covered in Blood" and it features me on bass, Jeff Martin on vocals, and Patrick Johanson on drums. [Learn more here. - ed.]

Aside from these that I mentioned, I also worked on a few other projects that will be released sometime this year or next year, I will post that info on my site when I get that info.

Eden: How are live playing and studio work different?

RJ: I pretty much play the same in both situations. Live, I do a little more showing off, but generally I play the same. As I said earlier, I believe in putting on a good show, but not at the expense of the music. I hate when people play something on a recording but can't duplicate it live. That's something you'll never catch me doing.

Eden: How do you approach a studio session?

RJ: If I'm doing a session, I usually play four or five takes using different ideas and let the producer comp and edit it. But if I'm recording with one of my main bands, I usually think it out a bit more. I will say, however, that usually the first line that comes to my mind is what I stick with.

Eden: Do you rehearse with the band first, or work with a pre-production demo?

RJ: I do both. I prefer to play the songs with a band first because you get more ideas. Also, when you actually play something with a drummer live, you find out if it will really work or not. Sometimes things work well on recordings but not live, and if I record it, then I'm gonna play it live.

Eden: Do you record while your on the road? Why? And How?

RJ: I actually own a digital recorder to use on the road but I never take it with me. Go figure. <laughs> I'm lucky that I have a great memory, so if I come up with an idea on the road, I remember it later. And if I can't remember it, then it was not worth remembering. <laughs>

Now me and my drummer, Pete Holmes (MSG and Black Symphony), usually do an improv jam for about 30 minutes each day at sound check. Every now and then, if the venue has a CD recorder or a DAT, we get the sound guy to record it for later use. I actually have some great recordings that we might piece together later on to make an album. Who knows?

Eden: Do you have any learning tips for young players?

RJ: Yes. Learn everything you can about bass, and everything you can about music. Listen to every bass player and every kind of music. Even if you don't like certain kinds of music, listen to the bass lines; you might be surprised at how cool the bass is. And never limit yourself to one style of playing, because people never remember the boring, lame bass player, but they all remember the killer bass player. Start off by listening and learning every song by the people I listed under my influences. That would be a great start.

Eden: What advice can you give to players wanting to move up to national level touring?

RJ: Make sure you're ready! And make sure to read my next answer describing a normal bad tour. <laughs> And good luck.

Eden: Ok, then. Let me ask you to describe an average day on tour.

RJ: On a good tour: Wake up and go to venue. The crew is loading in; I go inside, have breakfast, check out the venue. Depending on the city, I might go check out the sites for a while. Come back, eat lunch, check my email and take care of personal things. Then usually I work out. Next comes sound check, and sometimes a meet & greet. I then eat half of dinner, and try to grab a nap time until an hour before show time.

I take an hour to get ready for the show, warming up not just my hands, but my whole body. I do lots of stretching. Then it's show time. About an hour and forty-five minutes later, the show is over and I retreat to the dressing room to change out of the soaked leather pants and into a nice robe. I usually cool down for about 15 minutes then head out to talk to the fans and do autographs and pictures. After that, it's back on the bus to finish dinner, then off to my bunk to be rocked to sleep like a baby. The end.

Now, for the bad tour, which is usually when you are flying to every show. First, wake up way too early, head to the airport and go through check-in HELL, which means I have to figure out how to get my luggage under the weight limit. It's pretty hard when I have two basses gaffe taped together to make 1 piece of luggage. A lot of times, the crew guys don't get to take any extra clothes because they have to take some of my bags.

Once that's taken care of, I sit around for a few hours until the flight leaves, When the plane lands, I have to find all of my luggage. Fun, fun, fun. We usually take a shuttle van to the city we're playing; it seems like it's always about two hours away. When we finally get to the venue, I have the pleasure of trying to figure out how to make a beat up old bass rig (that they've supplied for me to use) sound good. Most of the time, I can only get close, because I'm spoiled by me Eden rigs, and because I run out of time, or I just get tired of tweaking or resetting the bias for a batch of old, worn-out tubes.

Once sound check is over, we head to the hotel room, which is always like an hour away. By the time we get checked in and grab a shower, it's time to head back to the venue, another hour drive.

Once we're at the venue, it's the same drill. I take an hour to get ready for the show, warming up not just my hands, but my whole body. I do lots of stretching. Then it's show time. About an hour and forty-five minutes later, the show is over and I retreat to the dressing room to change out of the soaked leather pants and into a nice robe. I usually cool down for about 15 minutes then head out to talk to the fans and do autographs and pictures. After that, we get in a shuttle van and head back to the hotel, another hour drive. Then it's bed time. Oh, yeah! Somewhere in there, you get to eat. Then, like 3 hours later, I get a wake up call, and the whole day starts over. On these kind of tours, they have you play five or six days in a row. What a glorious life. <laughs>

Eden: Where is home for you?

RJ: I grew up in Oklahoma City, OK, and still spend a lot of time there every year. My other home is Palmdale, CA.

Eden: How do you fill your time when you're home?

RJ: <laughs> I watch a lot of TV.

Eden: Is that about de-stressing?

RJ: Maybe that's it, I don't know, I'm just addicted to watching T.V., it does relax me. The worst thing about being in Europe is that they have not figured out how to get 800 channels of T.V. into a bus or hotel. You know I gotta have my DVD player there.

Eden: Anything I haven't asked that you want to talk about?

RJ: No, I think that pretty much covers it.

Eden: What does the future hold for you?

RJ: Everything, I hope. <laughs>

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