When it comes to his life, his musical career, and his new online shop, The Bass Bazaar, founder and owner Patrick Nelson subscribes to Miles Davis’s infamous instruction to his band members: “Don’t play what’s there; play what’s not there.” The New York City-based Nelson, a veteran rock and jazz bassist who also has a wealth of experience in retail and wholesale, explains, “When I decided to open a store, I wanted to be selective and not sell what everyone else is selling. I choose gear that I think is the highest quality I can offer and the best value I can offer.” He adds, smiling, “I pick companies that I think make cool stuff.” Nelson provides a personal touch, as well, setting up each bass he sells and dialoguing with customers.
Among the instruments he’s enthused about are the Vintage V74MR-JP Jaco-style fretless bass and the Vintage VJ75M 5-string. “Both are very well made and play as well as basses double the price.” On the amp side, he’s impressed by the massive EBS 802 Linear bass head and the EBS 502/210 bass combo, while lightweight Fuchs heads are a popular item. “I like the design of the EBS preamps and the Fuchs are available with a tube preamp that gives them an SVT-like tone.” For pedals, Nelson is a fan of the TWA line, all analog and hand-made, especially the KM-01 Krytical Mass fuzz pedal. “It’s inspired by the Maestro Bass Brassmaster that Chris Squire made famous.” He’s also digging the limited edition Mad Professor Custom Amber Overdrive for Bass. And then there’s what Nelson calls the “Swiss Army Knife for bassists,” the Palmer Pocket Bass Preamp Practice Headphone Amp Fuzz-Overdrive-EQ-DI Box. “It’s got multiple inputs and outputs for amps and effects; a full-blow EQ with sweepable midrange; blend, saturation, and volume knobs; phantom power, and more.”
From Tech 21/Sans Amp rackmount and pedal preamps to Hofner Basses to LaBella strings, Nelson’s line is steadily growing, with more hand-picked gear on the way. He sums up, “As a collector and a gear geek, I especially understand the customers’ viewpoint. I’m eager to share my knowledge to provide them with the best possible buying experience.” As Miles would say, You dig?
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By: Chris Jisi