Ben Wixson (Bend – bass)
SPB: What model of bass do you play and how did you choose it?
Wixson: For the past 20 years or so I have sworn by the Music Man Stingray bass, which has been made by Ernie Ball for decades. The first time I ever heard one of these basses live was watching Anti-Flag at the Detroit Warped Tour in 2000. The tone of these basses lends itself to noodling, which is something Chris #2 from Anti-Flag was really good at on those late ‘90s/early 2000s Anti-Flag records.
I was on a mission to buy one of these, but it was very cost-prohibitive for a 15 year-old. A few years later a friend of a friend was selling a broken one for $300. I took the gamble and quickly realized that it only needed a new battery pack. This bass has been my #1 ever since. In the 20 years since, I've come to realize so many other great records were recorded with Stingray basses, including some by The Cure and Rage Against the Machine. The Stingray has since fallen out of vogue with the youngsters, but I know it will make a comeback.
