Rufus Mann

What matters most in your tone?

I think distortion and decently fresh strings are essential imo

Why a multiscale bass?

for me, the advantage of multiscale is mainly clarity

How do you set the OmniCabSim alongside an Alpha Omega?

omnicabsim, it's usually max punch, scooped, modern/hifi, 8x10 (or less depending on situation), various resonance setting depending on the song as well. for me, i think my tip would be to treat omnicabsim's resonance as a kind of drive as well, so it's stacking more drive in addition to AO's drive (hence why my AO's drive is never more than 9 o'clock)

Which D-Bird pickup positions do you use most?

Position 2 and 4 are positions that I use most, but I'm seriously considering using the other two more because they're actually pretty barky sounding 💭💭 I like the three pickup (position 4) option alot tbh, so much so that I choose to have a dbird rotary in my Z3 when i was spec'ing it... When combined with compression, I think that fat boom will be a little bit more controlled

Where should a noise gate go in a Darkglass drive chain?

I actually used the zuul to get a cleaner signal to feed into the AOU... And my drive is usually really low so there's not much noise to begin with anyway... 💭💭 For the result that you want, you can probably get it with a b7k -> zuul -> cab sim pedal (can be your b7ku with cab sim only, or something like a two note or dsm noisemaker too) instead

How does the AO900 amp compare with the Alpha Omega Ultra pedal?

I think the main difference is the application... Being an amp means it has to be in the end of the signal chain for the most part... But the AOU can be anywhere in the signal chain 💭💭 That being said, I think you can get close to ao900 with AOU+power amp

Why does my AO900 barely distort with the drive turned down?

if you consider how overdrive works, there are a few variables comes to play (how hard do you attack, your gain level on the amp, strings freshness, etc), so adjusting the amp, bass, and playing to get that overdrive trigger point is important too imo

Can you use guitar pedals on bass?

Yes, technically you can use guitar pedals on bass. good bass effects hm... if it's overdrive/distortion then i think darkglass is a lot people's go-to (myself included)

Where does the clank in your bass tone come from?

the clank is a mix of a few things, I think one would be hitting the string against the frets and two would be slight overdrive

Do you prefer active or passive mode on your bass?

I think most settings sound good in their own right, but I prefer passive because that's the most natural starting point for the bass

What settings do you use on the Darkglass Ultra plugin?

basically default setting on Darkglass ultra plug-in except blend at ~60% and drive at ~5% if my memory serves me right

How do you get a clicky yet still bassy tone?

not much eq’ing i think, flip that bite switch on AO and the click will be there i think

Why did you switch from Warwick to Dingwall?

Too many moving parts for me (namely, just a nut, floating bridges and saddles design...

Why did you change the pickups on your bass?

I was really craving for the single coil sound, and turns out the Sadowsky blend pot doesn’t require soldering so it was an easy decisive because it’s not intrusive

Combustion or NG?

the combustion and NG are actually quite different... The former typically comes with Ash body, EMG preamp and 3x rotary (if 3 pickups), and the latter is Alder body, darkglass preamp and dbird rotary

Where can I buy a Dingwall?

Large dealers like bass direct UK always have some in stock. Alternatively, reverb is a good place to look too.

Which bass should a beginner buy?

for rock/metal entry level bass, this intro series stingray (around $250usd) is quite nice

Which combo amp would you recommend?

I'm not much of an amp person

Should I buy a five-string?

if you are like me, who wants to use just one bass for a lot of tunings, then 5 strings are more flexible

Can a Dingwall also handle clean tones for jazz?

I think they can work for jazz too as these instruments are really versatile. I think getting one with a 3x rotary can be closer to what you want because it has a jazz bass pickup position available, and it has nolly's signature middle+bridge pickup in series for really aggressive stuff too

What are the pros and cons of the Dingwall D-Bird?

I think It's an overall very well designed instrument... But anything above the 15/16th fret was hard to access imo, and the total length of the instrument is longer than usual so finding a third party gigbag or case for it could be hard 🙈🙈 But playability, construction and sound are top notch

How much does a Dingwall bass cost?

dingwall basses starts from around 1.5k usd, depending on the model, mine was around 4k

Is there a thick-sounding five-string for the price of a StingRay?

I think you might be able to buy a dingwall combustion or the nolly signature for the price of a stingray

Which five-string for drop G would you buy with $300 to $500?

i would definitely recommend dingwall but thats well over $300-500... maybe a used ibanez SRFF?

Are 37-inch multiscale basses less comfortable than 35-inch ones?

overall ergonomics and design comes into play more than scale length alone imo... give both a try if you have a chance

Sadowsky soapbar J or Dingwall Z3 for a five-string?

if it’s standard tuning then I’d prefer the Sadowsky

Which StingRay comes in black with a black headstock?

it’s an old model, look for “stingray 4H stealth”

Is the Darkglass Alpha Omega 900 worth buying?

i think it's definately worth getting, it has replaced my pedalboard essentially

How do you tune that low without floppy strings?

drop tuning is usually about string gauge, scale length and string brand/tension

How often do you change strings?

I change strings within a month usually... Because it's quite humid in Hong Kong they rust/get dirty pretty quickly

What is the band behind the nut?

it's a gruv gear fret wrap, it basically keeps the strings muted at rest so it won't buzz or rattled unnecessarily

How do I set up a four-string for drop A?

normally 4 strings are tuned to EADG (standard) or drop D and they use around .105-.045 string set. For Drop A, you’ll need thicker strings and buy a 5 string set (but only use the thickest 4). 5 string set’s thickest string are probably around .125-.135, so compared to the normal thickest string on EADG/Drop D (~.105), there is at least a .020 difference and thus you’ll need to find a luthier to file the nut slot bigger

What low-string gauges do you use for D, C, B and A tunings?

it depends on which tuning you're going for. personally, if i tend to use something around .110 - .105 for D, and .110-.125 for C, and .125-.130 for B and A... but at the end of the day, string gauge is all down to personal choice

Is a .145 or a .130 better for A# on a 34-inch bass?

depends on if you’re a heavy hitter 💭 145 is a “safer” choice in most cases

Which strings would you use for drop G on a four-string?

Depends on how hard you attack, but I think Payson Drop G set is a good starter

Should I file my nut or get a new one for a .170 string?

Yes, it was custom ordered but you can also get a luthier to file it (personally prefers getting a new nut though because your existing nut height might not match .170’s height needs sometimes… talk to your luthier and see what they can do for you

How high do you keep your action?

my action right now is about 2mm on 12th fret and 3mm on 20th fret (last fret), not sure if that's high or low though 🙈 and yea, these are 50-105

How high do you set your pickups?

usually my pickup height is almost touching the string when fretted at the last fret (if that makes sense

Do you use flatwound strings?

tried them but end up prefering roundwound for their bright and gritty sound

Which bass strings do you like best?

Dunlop super brights and rotosound are kinda my favourites but it kinda depends on the bass

Do you reset intonation every time you change tuning?

Yea, basically setting the intonation every time I switch tuning

Do fanned-fret Dingwalls need special strings?

take this 5 string for example, the low B is 37" scale and it's relatively less option fine a brand that makes them in this length. the E is 36.25", and it will fit most regular XL scale strings, and the other three ADG is pretty easy to find strings because of its shorter scale length but overall, the stock dingwall strings are pretty accessible for purchase if you only use standard tunings

How do I tune to drop A if my tuner can't read the low note?

if your tuner can’t track down to drop A, i would tune with fretting... for example, press the 3rd fret and see if “C” shows up on the tuner, 5th fret = D, 7th fret = E

Do you raise the action when you tune very low?

lately i'm lazy and adjust my attack/the way i hold the pick instead

How do you choose a pick?

I think finding the shape and hardness you like/feel comfortable with is important

How do you learn and record new songs so quickly?

Usually I put the song in my DAW, and then repeat sections/bars bit by bit, then record them bit by bit and see if they sit well, then finish the song... Bit by bit

How do you build fast picking speed on bass?

i think figuring out/getting a good grip on the pick/which pick shape and size works for you first, then progressively increase speed worked for me so hopefully that works for you.

How does your alternate slap technique work?

it's an alternate slap thing... basically the down stroke is like a normal slap with your thumb, and the up stroke is to slap with your middle/ring finger's second knuckle/near the fingertip (whichever feels more accurate for you_

Are fanned frets harder to play?

Based on personal experience, the fretting hand was easy to adapt, but the right hand might take some time to figure out the sweet spot, but the overall experience is similar to getting any new bass imo

How do you play that light sliding sound instead of a clean note?

try to slide lightly first instead of fully pressing on the frets, and then adjust your strength to your taste/duration of the slide

How do you work out bass parts in metal songs by ear?

good audio equipment definitely helps alot. also listen to drums and guitars... if something sticks out then there's a chance it's the bass doing some fills

How do you slap the E string without the B string ringing?

Mute it with right palm and left thumb as much as possible, and strike it kind of like downpicking

How do you keep your picking hand from tensing up at speed?

find an anchor point, i guess (i used the ring and pinky for that sometimes)

Did you take lessons or teach yourself bass?

abit of both... i had lessons for when i have a technique that i’d like to acquire but then go from there myself after learning enough basics

Do you prefer the Alpha Omega Ultra pedal or the Neural DSP plugin?

i like them both tbh 🙈🙈 the AOU has a really thick sound right off the bat, and the Neural DSP allows me to edit/change sounds afterwards so... besides, in songs like this one... it's nice to have the option to decide on the settings after recording, and that's something you can't really do once recorded with a pedal... unless you re-record or has the equipment to re-amp

What do you need to start recording bass covers?

Yea, just interface and the darkglass amp in my case... I use the neural dsp darkglass ultra plugin when I feel lazy and don't want to plug everything in too, but yea it's a pretty simple with decent result imo 🙈 you can record videos as long as you have a phone, and you can sync your audio and video later in post

Do you pitch shift the song or your bass when recording a cover?

I pitch shift the song before playing, and then put the song back to normal and pitch shift the bass after tracking

How did you get the extra thick bass sound on Periphery's Alpha?

basically i blended three bass tracks with three voicings (darkglass b7k, vintage, alpha omega) into one bigger sound

Is your Darkglass head miked through a cab or recorded direct?

it’s just connected to a computer through an interface, my signal chain right now is just bass -> ao900 -> interface -> computer

Do you record to a click track?

click track, always... i'll try to find drum covers and drum only tracks too if they are available

Which DAW do you use to record bass?

I started with garage band and then eventually switched to logic Pro (Mac user

How do you get the moving camera look in your videos?

the camera motion is an effect called “handheld “ in Final Cut Pro (video editing software)

Can I play these songs on a four-string?

buy a 5 string set and toss away the g string in this case

How do I play drop B songs on a five-string in standard tuning?

The quickest solution, without any mod done, would be to tune the "ADG" string to "F# B E", so you have a B E F# B E tuning... Alternatively, just figure out how to play in standard tuning (which is it's doable on bass, like what I did in unsainted and wait and bleed, for example

How should I set up a five-string for drop C#?

you can try (1) tuning B up to Drop C# and (2) tuning E down to Drop C# and see if which one you like more 💭 If you like neither then you can get something between .130-.100 for low C#

Why do you often play drop-tuned songs in standard tuning?

I can make it drop C too but i feel more familar with standard tuning patterns on the fingerboard

Where do the parts for your covers come from?

i got the skeleton of it with existing guitar and bass tabs on the internet (i.e. ultimate guitar, songsterr), and figure whatever i think is missing by ear

How do Paul Gray's and Alessandro Venturella's Slipknot bass lines differ?

I think they’re very different 🙈🙈 Paul’s are a little bit like Japanese basslines where he runs around and does his own stuff while Alex’s are focused on double the guitarists and glue everything to a bigger sounding thing... imo

How do bass covers on YouTube deal with copyright?

this video has copyright claim fyr. You won’t get blocked in most cases, you won’t be able to make revenue from it though

How do you decide which bass to use in a video?

it depends on my mood 🙈 sometimes it's because it feels more suitable, but sometimes i just use it to see how the audience perceives it (i.e. click thru rate, retention, etc)

Where do you find the motivation to keep making covers?

it sounds selfish, but I think personal enjoyment comes first...