NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

Status
Not open for further replies.

Scott Olson

SD Media Manager
Kenny Lewis is joining us from the road with Brad Paisley to talk about anything you want to talk about, pull up a chair and ask away!

KENNYLEWIS.jpg
 
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

Welcome! What inspired you to pick up the bass rather than guitar or anything else for that matter?
 
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

Hey everybody it's Kenny Lewis, currently touring with Brad Paisley. Woke up this morning in Virginia Beach, Virginia and thought I'd come on here and chat a little bit about bass guitars.
 
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

Actually, I was a guitar player first. Started playing guitar when I was 8, bass guitar when I was 13-14. There was a neighbor of mine who had a bass and I started playing his and I just really took to it.
 
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

Gear-wise, what are your must-haves for playing live? Are you really married to your whole rig or are there just a few favorites you have?
 
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

How do you feel the public's perception of what it is to be a musician has been changed in the light of TV talent shows like X-Factor and so on?
 
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

Gear-wise, what are your must-haves for playing live? Are you really married to your whole rig or are there just a few favorites you have?

I like an Ampeg amp of some type. I pretty much always stick to some form of an Ampeg - even when we do television stuff. Instrument wise, my standard go to is my MusicMan 5-string Stingray. If I got those two, I'm in pretty good shape.
 
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

How do you feel the public's perception of what it is to be a musician has been changed in the light of TV talent shows like X-Factor and so on?

Well, for me I started in a different time. Everybody was just playing in bars and you got discovered that way. All those shows have opened the door to a lot of people to get their shot, as opposed to crawling through the ditch. Just a difference of the times, that was then and it's still music. And I think the palette is what rises to the top. You can come out of a barn dance or The Voice, in the end the talent will prevail.
 
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

Well, for me I started in a different time. Everybody was just playing in bars and you got discovered that way. All those shows have opened the door to a lot of people to get their shot, as opposed to crawling through the ditch. Just a difference of the times, that was then and it's still music. And I think the palette is what rises to the top. You can come out of a barn dance or The Voice, in the end the talent will prevail.
Can you describe the process of how you ended up playing with Brad Paisley? Were you "playing in bars" and taking auditions? Were you recommended for the position by someone else? I've always been curious about the scene surrounding country music and how players get a shot when everyone is exceedingly talented.
 
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

Is there anyone in particular you would love to record or tour with that you haven't had the chance to?
 
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

Can you describe the process of how you ended up playing with Brad Paisley? Were you "playing in bars" and taking auditions? Were you recommended for the position by someone else? I've always been curious about the scene surrounding country music and how players get a shot when everyone is exceedingly talented.

Nashville as far as players go is word of mouth. My path to Brad actually came through the Billy Dean years when I was with him and Billy Dean got Brad's career started. When people are getting started your name just comes up. It's a community of players. It does all start going into clubs, exchanging numbers and getting known, really it's own social network.

There is still auditions, I auditioned for Brad of course but I already knew some people in the camp, which always helps.
 
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

Is there anyone in particular you would love to record or tour with that you haven't had the chance to?

Some of the heroes of mine would be cool: Kris Kristofferson or a Steve Earle record. Elton John record or Tom Petty would be cool. Merle Haggard as well.
 
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

Who are your some of your influences as far as your playing style is concerned?
 
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

Who are your some of your influences as far as your playing style is concerned?

It all starts from way back, I was a big Thin Lizzy fan, Paul McCartney. Michael Rhodes, really cool and always makes good choices and his basslines are always dead on. And of course Geddy Lee, we can't leave Geddy Lee out.
 
Last edited:
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

One of the things that constantly gets recommended around here is to "learn how to do your own guitar/bass setups" - is that something you've learned to do, or do you hand it over to someone you trust?
 
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

I do my own setup work as far as pickup heights, intonation levels, action wise where you like to have it. I just don't get down into the wiring part of it. Our tech has a guitar shop in Nashville and I usually hand it off to him.
 
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

Thanks everybody for the comments and chatting with me and spending some time here on the Bassment. It's time for me to head back to the bus as we've got soundcheck coming up. You can find me on Facebook.

Thanks once again everybody, come see us on the road.
 
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

If there is still some space of time to ask you, do you crank your bass's controls wide open or do you mess around with it? Do you use REDDI?

Thank you for your reply.

Peter
 
Re: NOW: Live Q&A with Kenny Lewis, Bass Player for Brad Paisley

Fire up the DeLorean. That live Q&A session was almost two years ago.

Welcome to the forum.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top