Dunlop Presents Bass Freq's

Graced with an incredibly fast thumb, Nick “Shinz” Schendzielos has become a highly respected and in-demand bass player. He brings double-thumb, tapping, slapping, chords, and fingerstyle techniques to thrash and death metal—genres whose bass players have traditionally only used fast fingers and pick strokes.

Nick complements his deadly serious chops with a killer sense of humor, and through it all, his intense dedication to craft, finding great tone, and creating great music keeps him motivated. He currently dishes out complex low-end grooves for Job For A Cowboy and Cephalic Carnage, to which he also lends his vocals. In the past, he’s also played with Havok and Vimana.

This week, Bass Freq's features Will Lee, a first-call master who’s paid his dues with tasty grooves, deep technical skill, and an uncanny ability to play any type of music. Longtime low-ender for The Late Show with David Letterman, Will has built a storied career that includes a nigh-endless list of collaborations with award-winning artists. Here, he joins host Josh Paul for some great stories, insights, and advice from a bass player who has seen it all.

This week's guest Rich Brown. Hailing from Canada, Rich is a highly accomplished performer, composer, producer, and educator. He's recorded three albums as band leader and has been featured on over 70 recordings covering a wide range of musical genres. Rich has played, toured, and recorded with some of the most distinguished musicians on the planet, from James Blood Ulmer, Vernon Reid and Steve Coleman to Rudresh Mahanthappa, Angelique Kidjo, and David Clayton Thomas—just to name a few. Host Josh Paul talks to Rich about his upbringing, his performing and teaching style, and his philosophy on what it takes to be a multi-faceted musician in today's age.

Respected performer and educator Rufus Philpot wears his love of the bass guitar on his shirt sleeves. He’s studied, taught, recorded, and performed at the highest levels, and in this conversation with host Josh Paul, Rufus dishes on that entire range of experience without holding back. Through stories about his influences, how hard he worked to make a name for himself, and the techniques and gear that aid him in his constant effort to take his art to the next level, Rufus’ passion for his instrument is evident in every word he speaks.

Many of the guests who’ve come on the Bass Freq’s Podcast showed promise from an early age before being hailed as child prodigies on their way to amazing careers. This week's episode gives host Josh Paul the chance to talk to once such phenomenon while he is actually at the start of his meteoric rise. Aron Hodek, a 12-year old bass player from Slovakia, is already racking up chops, fans, and accomplishments that would be highly impressive for a player two or three times his age. Here, Aron tells us all about how he caught the bass bug and what steps he took to be able to get recognized, who he's playing with, the gear he digs, and how he still works his best to balance the important work of just being a kid while continuing to build a career that seems limitless.