My new project

These are the Guys I've been jamming with lately. Nevermind the link title, as the band is called Alien Probe:

http://www.myspace.com/threesonsofmayhem

You will notice that the page does not show me in the band yet, and that's going to change in the next couple of days. But the music is really what I wanted you Guys to hear. Right now, we are in the process of re-doing the tracks with my bass, and I will re-post once I have some finished product to play for you. Our singer Dave was handling bass duties, but he wants to now focus on just being a frontman, which is how I came into the fold.

And you Guys have all heard me talk of Andy Beech. Not only is a phenomenal guitarist, but he was also guitar tech for Zakk Wylde from 1992 until 1996 when Zakk was with Ozzy. They are still close friends to this day. Andy has also built several guitars for Zakk, and many other artists over the years, including no less than 31 custom guitars for Prince. Anyone remember Prince playing during the half-time show at Super Bowl XLI on February 4, 2007 when the Colts beat the Bears 29-17? The very guitar that Prince played that day was built by Andy.

Andy builds his guitars literally from the ground up, including the necks and pickups. He loves playing seven and eight-stringed guitars, and since there aren't many pickups and tremolos for eight-stringers, he had to make them himself. In fact, he has built several custom tremolo designs himself, and he has offered his help in designing and building me a fully-locking bass tremolo system. I'll keep you Guys posted.

Doug is a MONSTER drummer, and I mean that literally. Not only is he precise to a razors edge, and loaded with incredible chops, he also hits really hard. He is absolutely amazing to play with.

Dave has an awesome set of pipes on him, and he does play bass well. It's just that he struggles with doing a good job on both at the same time, plus the fact that he and the rest of the Guys love what it is I do on bass.

Andy, Doug, and I spent much of last night at Doug's studio laying down some tracks, and getting together some new ideas.

Linda and I are heading to Andy's place today to do some pizza, beers, and football.

EricHaven wrote:

In fact, he has built several custom tremolo designs himself, and he has offered his help in designing and building me a fully-locking bass tremolo system. I'll keep you Guys posted.

Okay, man your post is full of all kinds of awesome info. First of all congrats!!! I really dig the songs on the profile. They hook you in. Let me know when you guys start to play shows--I will make it to wherever you're playing and hang out with y'all!

Yes! I remember that game vividly and I remember being blown away by Prince and that guitar!

Wow, I hope you get the opportunity to work on your tremolo system finally! I can see it now...the Beech-Haven bass trem!

I think that if anyone could help me do this, it would be Andy. I'll have to get some pictures of his custom trems to post here, so you Guys can see some of his work.

BTW, here is an interview that our local paper The Bellingham Herald did with Andy back in 2007:

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/129/story/53058.html

OK, forgive me. I'm gloating about Andy a bit here. It still amazes me that I'm working with the guy, considering the things that he's done. I guess it freaks me out a little since he's accomplished so much musically, yet he chooses to work with me. Is that weird?

Ozzy Osbourne doing Crazy Train from the Live & Loud video. The Les Paul looking guitar with the wicked horned headstock that Zakk Wylde is playing is one of many guitars that Andy built for him:



And I might have posted this one already, but for those who missed it, this is from when Zakk appeared in the film Rockstar starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston. Zakk played the lead guitarist for the band Steel Dragon. The portion running from time marker :23 through to :51 shows Zakk playing another one of Andy's creations during the film:



Andy has hanging in his living room a platinum record from Ozzy for the No More Tears album. Zakk scribbled a long thank you message on it, and it also has the signature of Ozzy himself. Every time I go to his house, I always stop and gawk at the thing. Andy just laughs and says "Hey, it's no big deal, really. It's just a record."

Usually I sock him in the arm when he says that.

EricHaven wrote:

Ozzy Osbourne doing Crazy Train from the Live & Loud video. The Les Paul looking guitar with the wicked horned headstock that Zakk Wylde is playing is one of many guitars that Andy built for him:

Oh hell no!

I love that guitar, uses it in the Breaking All The Rules vid too.

Wonder if he'd do a bass one? With a trem!

Awesome news Eric, I'll wait to listen to the tracks when they have you on them, though.

Quote :

OK, forgive me. I'm gloating about Andy a bit here. It still amazes me that I'm working with the guy, considering the things that he's done. I guess it freaks me out a little since he's accomplished so much musically, yet he chooses to work with me. Is that weird? scratch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o722LzqsA6s

1:35--"You are forgiven"

I don't think it's weird. Because he's worked with so many accomplished musicians, he probably knows someone who's worth his salt when he sees him. I'm sure you guys have a blast playing together and that's why I'm pumped to see you guys live. It sounds like you have a great time together and connect in and outside of your music, which will certainly show when you're onstage.

Wow! Those are some wicked instruments. Zakk sounds like such a cool guy. Bear with me--a person who I worked with for a little bit at the theatre here in Kirkland used to work for Utilikilts, a company that makes modern kilts for people who tend to think outside of the box (they don't use tartan fabric and they have made kilts out of all kinds of things for all kinds of people). They're a small company in a funky part of town in north Seattle. Zakk often rocks a Utilikilt onstage, so while he was in town, he stopped by the Utilikilts shop with a case of beer under one arm and a couple boxes of pizza under the other as a sign of his gratitude.

Those are insane guitars!!

Imagine if you and Andy could design an all-out shredder's bass around a fully-locking trem system. That'd be something else.

Chowderboots wrote:

Imagine if you and Andy could design an all-out shredder's bass around a fully-locking trem system. That'd be something else.

I'd so get one! Especially if you made a 5 string version

Congrats on your new musical companions. Looks like you'll be having some fun. Nice tracks too, those sound awesome!

And about

Quote :

In fact, he has built several custom tremolo designs himself, and he has offered his help in designing and building me a fully-locking bass tremolo system.

Yes please.

yes indeed Eric....congrats, and good luck this year 2010, in your new adventures.


( sometimes I think I live on the wrong side of the USA. )

Thanks Guys!

It's funny you should mention a fiver, KS. Andy told me last night that he would love to design me an entire bass....with a qualification. He goes: "Sure....if it's a five string!" As if he was trying to steer me over in that direction. But not seriously, though. He actually doesn't care if I stick to my four banger, and he told me that it would be a blast to design a fully locking bass system.

Last night at his house, I showed him the board, and some of your comments. He got a kick out of it, saying "If those guys only knew what a total douche-bag I really am!"

Martin, you can bet that once we start playing out, you will definitely be on the guest list!

Mike, anytime you decide to become a west coast dude, you'll have lots of places to crash!

EricHaven wrote:

Thanks Guys!

It's funny you should mention a fiver, KS. Andy told me last night that he would love to design me an entire bass....with a qualification. He goes: "Sure....if it's a five string!" As if he was trying to steer me over in that direction. But not seriously, though. He actually doesn't care if I stick to my four banger, and he told me that it would be a blast to design a fully locking bass system.

Last night at his house, I showed him the board, and some of your comments. He got a kick out of it, saying "If those guys only knew what a total douche-bag I really am!"

Martin, you can bet that once we start playing out, you will definitely be on the guest list!

Mike, anytime you decide to become a west coast dude, you'll have lots of places to crash!

Ahahahaha good times.

I'm curious--you said earlier that Andy experiments with building/playing extended-range guitars and the songs on the AP Myspace sound like they're in a low tuning. Do they use a tuning other than E standard? And if so, how do you fit in, knowing that you prefer to play in E standard?

Good questions, Martin-san. Yes, Andy does play a lot on extended-range guitars, so I have to resort to my usual bag of tricks to properly shore up the massive low-end that his guitar produces. I use chords a lot because of the fuller, richer sound, and things become even more pronounced with my distortion tone blasting away. This covers things really nicely. I mean, sure, a B chord isn't quite the same effect as a low B string would be, but it isn't too far off.

And we both tune down a half-step so E becomes E flat.

I see, sensei. *bows* Sounds like fun. Chords, distortion, bass. Mmh.

the good ole "west coast" metal bands...I missed out a long time ago moving over there to be closer to the action

I HOPE that before I am TOO OLD to play anymore, I can get into something that I can have DVD's/tourDates in another country, or anything to pep-up my history of failed bands here, playing by myself for kicks, and trying for at least 5 years AFTER I quit the IronMaiden Trib band looking for a suitable band that stays together for more than 6 months.

oh well, I do say this often enough but here it is again.....THANK GOD I NEVER used music as a carrear

amimbari wrote:

before I am TOO OLD to play anymore

You're never too old to play! Les Paul played gigs into his 90's (up until the year before he died, IIRC), and you should have seen Moterhead at the Warfield in October! From what I've seen of their old concert footage, they're about 90% as good as they were 30 years ago, and Lemmy's over 60.

If there's one thing I've learned from my Grandpa, its that you need to keep active. He turned 80 this year, but he's kept himself busy, so he's in great shape (for an 80 year old, anyway...)

You're never too old to rock n roll!

my post still stands KS... I still missed out on a lot of "westcoast" stuff by not living there 9in the 80's and 90's

my biggest handicap is I STILL LOVE TO PLAY SPEEDMETAL, and all the metal people are 20 somethings now a days in our area, and have no incentive to play metal WITHOUT the horrible screamo-vicals...totally a shame that there was a loss of the "real" metal that I grew up on, but like anything else it evolved, and I got stuck in the 80's 90's

we had a drummer come down last night who is 23 and a muscle-boy-gym-rat so I thought he would be a tough cookie to break, so I beat him up bad cause I wanted to see his endurance. He kept up for a good 45 minutes, but that was about it, then his tempo/flashyness was gone
we were laughing about it, cause he thought I was like 30 something, and I told him no..50, and he really freaked to see an "old man" who could still "crank it out"

AND TO ERIC'S POINT OF STARTING THIS THREAD.....
let's hope HIS new project takes off in 2010, and we see his name and videos on some website soon.

Thank you, Mike. Honestly, I have no illusions about this project actually taking off into something big. As you know very well, there are millions of little projects out there trying to make it, and I don't expect that what we're doing is going to stick out any more than anything else will. Still, you never know. After all, Andy is still close buds with Zakk Wylde, and he already knows that a CD is soon on its way to him.

For the moment, it's about taking some killer material, and committing it to CD. What happens after that is anyone's guess. But I promise you that we will at least try to get it out there.