Try as you might, you'll never be able to stuff Roy Vogt into a single pigeonhole. Having played everything from punk to blues, jazz to bluegrass, and everything in between, Roy can and does play just about any kind of music he chooses, and does so extremely well. I've had the pleasure of knowing Roy for almost two decades so, even though doing interviews is always fun, this one was of special interest to me. In my opinion, Roy is one of the unsung heroes of bass, and deserves far more credit than he gets for his work as an educator, session player and touring professional. Before we get to the interview itself, here's a short take on who he is and what he's done. A player for thirty years and a teacher for twenty-two, Roy took up the instrument as a teenager growing up in Arlington, Texas. Soon after, he was introduced to the music of Ray Brown, Stanley Clarke and other jazz giants by Ed Garcia, Roy's first bass mentor. Following his passion for jazz, both traditional and the new fusion, Roy began to study jazz in addition to rock, funk and country. Roy's stint with Aurora, a Texas-based fusion outfit, led to gigs opening for Larry Coryell and the LA express, allowing him to meet and learn from Stanley Clarke, Miroslav Vitous and Max Bennett. His desire to learn all he could led him to the University of Miami Jazz program where, in 1980, he was awarded the first Masters in Electric Bass Performance ever bestowed in the US.

Our actual interviews began on a Saturday in early March (2005), the morning after an out-of-town gig with a Jazz trio. They continued throughout the month. Below is a condensation of those interviews.

Eden: You have a ton of basses. Which ones do you use most?

RV: For recording, I primarily use four six-strings:

• a Modulus Quantum from about 1993 with Bartolini pickups,
• a Modulus fretless from 1991 that's a mimic of Marcus Miller's MD6 with EMGS that I use to a Rick Danko, pseudo-tuba kind of sound,
• a Carvin they made for me last year with a stacked single coil in the neck position and an MM-style humbucker with coil-split at the bridge and a piezo bridge pickup.
• The fourth one is one of my very first sixes. It was built by Carvin in 1992, a stock LB76 fretless. I still has the old electronics and old bridge (Wilkinson) two band EQ, poplar body with once-piece maple neck with ebony fretboard. I haven't changed strings on this one in years, it exists for a very specific sound: that Jaco/Alain Caron kind of thing. It has just enough ring left that I can dial in that real "baritone horn" upper-mid thing.

Eden: What else do you use?

RV: I've got a Jazz Bass that sits in my rack to reassure producers. <laughs> It lets them know that, even though I've got all these basses with extra strings, I'm not going to play every note on the neck, that I'm aware of what's necessary.

I've got three more that fill out my rack of recording basses: another fretless with a lot of mid emphasis - a Magnus with a Bartolini near the bridge. Then there's my regular upright and my EUB [Electric Upright Bass - ed.]. If I know it's going to be a smaller studio - which a lot of them are now - I'll take the EUB because it's easier to deal with in those situations. Less problems with micing and isolation.

Eden: What about your seven-string basses?

RV: The Conklin/Groove Tools basses, which are strung B-F, are wonderful recording instruments, but I only use them for people I already know. The sixes are enough of a stretch for people that don't know me very well yet. Now, if I know the guy, I'll bring the sevens in. And they record great. But even then I get some raised eyebrows.

Eden: Why do you say that?

RV: Currently, we're in the resurgence of old-school stuff. You can see it in the trade magazines, you can see it in the basses coming out right now. I've seen the "back to the roots" thing two or three times in my career and there's nothing at all wrong with that. You just need to be aware of it and go with the flow. For me, that has included going back to the upright.

Eden: Why do you have so many basses?

RV: I have great relationships with these companies. I'm not a rotater; I don't turn basses over, I keep them. I've accumulated my instruments over several decades. I'm actually pretty slow getting new ones.

Eden: What's the difference in playing a standard 4-string bass and an extended range bass?

RV: Well, first off, playing a 6- or 7-string is like a baseball player swinging a weighted bat. When I go back to a 4-string, it's very easy to get around on it. I can really see the harmonic relationships between notes because of the work I put into learning to play extended range instruments.

The second thing is that the Sixes and Sevens work very well in situations that require a lot of chording and solo work. For instance, they work very well in trio settings, especially Jazz Trios.

Eden: What strings are you currently using?

RV: I use several brands depending on the instrument. And I should note that the older I get, the darker I like my tone. The Carvins get Carvin strings; it's a kind of synergy thing. Right or wrong, these particular strings (the light nickel wound set, which is 29-128 with a 40 G) gives more mellowness to the tone. On the Modulus I use Labella Super Steps - 29-128 six set with a 45G. Graphite can make things too bright too quick, so the nickels help me avoid that.

As for flatwounds, I haven't settled on one set yet. Right now I'm using D'addarios. So far they're OK.

Upright requires me to be more specific. Pirastro Obbligatos are like Ernie Ball Super Slinkies for upright. They have a lot of flex and are very bow friendly.

Eden: What are you using on the Conklin sevens?

RV: I'm using the Dean Markley/Conklin Snakeskins in Light Gauges

Eden: You actually triple, playing electric, upright and electric upright. Why?

RV: Well, as a freelancer, you're basically a contract employee. One thing I've learned over the years is that, in order to make yourself more employable, you need to be able to do things well that others don't. For me, that means being able to play all styles and offering a potential employer the ability to play electric and upright.

Eden: How do you handle going from one style of music to another?

RV: You have to know what's appropriate, what fits. You can't go into a Country Session and play thirty-two notes per measure. On the other hand, you can't play a Jazz gig with a lot of Country or Rock licks. You also have to understand the sound needed for each style, and that goes back to why I have so many basses. Whatever the client wants, I can give it to them. That makes it easier for me to find work than if I only had one or two basses and only played a few styles.

Eden: Ok, this is a bit of a touchy subject. Some might say that's selling out. How do you respond to that?

RV: I look at my instruments as tools. I want the best tools I can have, and I have a few that are for my self-expression. My other job as a working player is to give the client what they want, whether that's an Artist, a Producer, or a Bandleader. If I call a Plumber and he tells me that using a certain wrench will impugn his integrity as an Artist, I might look at him askance and think before hiring him again. I'm hired in those Sideman circumstances to help the client realize his vision, and I'll use whatever tool I have to in that respect. In the end, my goal has always been to be a working musician who makes his living doing what he loves first in addition to being an Artist. I can find the creative way to approach and enjoy almost any style of music, from Fusion to Bluegrass.

Eden: What amplifiers and speakers do you currently use?

RV: I have an old WT600 and two D210XLT cabinets. Most of the time, I only need one cabinet, even when going up against a guitarist with a screaming Marshall stack. <laughs> When I'm in a large environment, hopefully the PA comes into play and my amp becomes a personal monitor.

Eden:Why Eden?

RV: I've been an endorser of Eden's gear since 1995 because I love it. Sound is so important to getting the job done. You can be an amazing player but if your sound doesn't translate, you're not going to get called back.

Eden: Do you use your rig just for live work?

RV: No, I use it in the studio, too. I usually run my bass into the 600. I'll use a very little bit of the front-end compressor or the studio's compressors to level things out. This allows me to use the tone controls to get the specific sound I need for a session.

Eden: Tell us a little about that.

RV: It seems as if there's always one frequency I can adjust to help the bass sit better in the track. For example, the magic frequency for commercial fretless is somewhere around 600-800Hz. Too much in this region and the sound is too nasal, but when it's cut, you can sound clacky. But if you want the Jaco tone, there it is if you dial this area in correctly. On the other hand, if I'm doing a Rock gig, 1000-1200Hz is where the grind is.

Eden: How does your rig work for Upright and Electric Upright?

RV: It's great for both. The tonal flexibility helps me get exactly what I need without hyping too much of any specific frequency. The Eden tone controls are very subtle and very exacting. If you dial in a little, you only get a little.

Eden: Which tone controls do you find yourself using most?

RV: The semi-parametric controls are where it's all at, the main event. In my experience, that's where the definition of your sound lives or dies.

Eden: How important is gear to your sound?

RV: I'm a whole lot less specific about gear and more specific about approach. It's funny in an ironic sort of way. I have a lot of basses, and I love my Eden rig, but one thing I've noticed is that when I pick up an instrument, I sound like me no matter what. If Victor Wooten plays the same instrument, he sounds like him. It's all about touch and playing style. The gear just helps me be more like me.

Eden: How does your Eden rig help you do that?

RV: Sound is so important in the studio. You can be amazing player but if the sound doesn't translate you're not going to get called back. My WT600 helps me make sure I can give the producer exactly what they want for a specific track.

Eden: What's your main gig currently?

RV: Well, I'd have to say that teaching is my main gig right now. I'm putting in more than forty hours a week, more when you factor in preparation time and transportation. I'm doing studio dates for several different producers and artists and I'm working steadily with six or seven bands playing live.

Eden: How do you manage all of that?

RV: Well, it's a juggling act, really. <laughs> Working with so many people requires diplomacy and a thick book of subs in case you get double booked. Working as a freelancer again, I'm reminded that you live and die on your appointment book.

Eden: What's it like being a freelancer that covers so many styles?

RV: The jobs are so varied. Last night was a jazz trio - vibes, drums and bass. Tonight is a corporate gig. It helps keep me fresh by keeping me on my toes. Right now, though, I'm doing a lot more teaching than playing, but that changes moment to moment.

Eden: Tell us a little about Belmont.

RV: We're one of the few Universities in the US with a degree in Commercial Music, instead of a Jazz Studies Program like I went through at North Texas State University and University of Miami. A student can come here and prepare to be a Rock Specialist, a Country Session Player, a touring CCM sideman, or just a working player in any and all styles like me.

We have about 600 Commercial Music Majors and about two-thirds of them are vocalists. All those singers need good bassists, so the 15 Bass Majors I've got are constantly playing on Recitals, Concerts, or in the Studios. We have three studios: a Pro Tools facility with 2 core studios on campus, the old RCA Studio B on Music Row, and Ocean Way Studios on Music Row. They can also perform in Jazz Small Groups, a Big Band, an Orchestra, a Rock Ensemble, a Country Ensemble, Show and Jazz Vocal Groups, and a Top 40 Pop Band. We even have a Bluegrass Ensemble!

In addition, this year I've started a Bass Ensemble inspired by the Electric Bass Ensemble at the University of Miami. We have 6 bassists and a drummer and do everything from Bass Extremes to Jaco Pastorius to Miles Davis arrangements. This Spring the guys are doing a concert with Dave Pomeroy using the arrangements from his All Bass Orchestra. It should be really, really fun!

Eden: Tell us a little about the curriculum.

RV: When a bassist arrives here, he studies Upright Bass and Electric Bass for the first two years he's here and then can specialize in only Electric or continue to study both. Since I'm the teacher on both instruments, I understand the issues of doubling and try to help the student get comfortable on both instruments. I don't want to turn an Electric Player into a Classical Virtuoso, but I do want them to be competent doublers since I've found that about half of my work these days is on Upright or Electric Upright. Go figure-I was a die-hard electric player for a decade and here I am again on the Big Girl! <laughs>

In lessons, we work on Jazz, Rock, Funk, and Classical material. The student learns to sight-read, play any style convincingly, understand Jazz Bass lines and learns to solo over chord changes. In addition, we study the styles of the most successful studio players of the last 50 or so years and learn not only what they played but WHY they did.

Eden: Didn't Eden recently provide an amp for your school? How did that happen?

RV: Yeah; our current amp was "well-loved" so to speak. It was on its last legs, so the school had to do something. Eden let me get a Metro for the school through my endorsement arrangement, which allowed me to buy it direct. We already had a 210XLT so we can add that for larger halls. The Metro is our main amp and it's worked very, very well. With so many students and so many different musical settings, it gives us great flexibility we need.

Eden: You obviously love teaching. Why?

RV: I like giving back. It's really great to see kids improving, blossoming and having their own careers. It's even better to have the opportunity to be a part of their growth as musicians. I've been teaching for 26 years at the university level (with two year break) and what I've found is I like the nuance of showing others how to better do what they want to do.

I'm really proud of my former students from Belmont. They include Aaron Sands of Jars of Clay, James Gregory with Michael W. Smith, Michael Dearing with Gretchen Wilson, Anthony Joyner with Faith Hill and now Stacy Mitchhart and many, many more working players in Nashville and other places. It makes me feel good to know I've raised the level of bassists here in town and other places as well. I feel like I've made a difference.

Eden: How does teaching help you as a bassist?

RV: Teaching also helps me be a better bassist because, as I explain things to others, I'm also explaining it to myself. It helps me change the way I think about something. So I'm growing at the same time.

I've spent 22 years at Belmont helping students become working pros. As a teacher, my job is to help my students play better, to understand music better. That's always in a constant state of reinvention. I'm always re-thinking how I approach my role as an educator.

Eden: Some schools focus almost completely on having great chops. What's your approach?

RV: Chops are important, even for a pocket player. If you think about a jazz trumpet player, a lot of his emphasis is on keeping his chops up. It's the difference between a Kia and a Porsche. Both are going to let you pass that big tractor-trailer in front of you, but the Porsche is going to have a much easier time doing it.

When I teach, I'm always telling my students that you always want to be within the first 20% of your ability. That way, you're always in your comfort zone. You're not having to stretch and that allows you to be thinking about the bigger picture.

Though it all starts in me, it's also best to start with the best possible square one. Then you can adjust as needed for a certain gig.

Eden: What does the future hold for you?

RV: Right now my life is in kind of a flux in that I'm changing my focus. With Enge [Engelbert Humperdinck - ed.], my main thing was touring. And on the side I was doing some teaching and whatever else came up. Now that I've come off the road, I'm very focused on the teaching, and I'm freelancing again here in Nashville.

The big thing about Nashville is this: it's all about relationships. Having been on the road for more than seven years means there's a whole new generation that doesn't really know me. I'm finding it necessary to re-establish myself. It's kind of a Rip van Winkle effect. But I'm also getting the chance to do things a bit differently, to do things better.

To learn more about this consumate journeyman or to order merchandise, visit Roy's website.

Roy Vogt Bio