Rock & Metal Bassist

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: The bassist role is not easy at all: he has to fill the spaces between other instruments, while giving the beat and completing the harmony at the same time. And this is what I learned to bring in the last 20 years.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I own many Spector Basses, which I endorse; some for the most metal sound, and some others with a softer but lower punch. For standard rock&pop material I use an ErnieBall MusicMan, and for very fast stuff, an Ibanez Soundgear. My standard live&studio setup is a collection of Tech21NYC SansAmps (which I also endorse), Mesa Boogie heads and Schroeder speakers. Strings are from my sponsor Dogal, handmade in Italy. Besides my personal gear, all my works are recorded at Bridge Produzioni Audio in Susegana (Italy), which can provide a wide range of top notch devices for any request you may have. Check it out: www.bridgeaudio.it

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: ELVENKING are touring Europe again in 2025, and are working on their 12th album. MOONLIGHT HAZE will release their 4th album soon.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: I often receive questions about instrument techniques. Technique is the basics, but not everything. It's the roots, but not the tree.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Tell me what you need, and I'll be 100% sincere in telling you if I can help you or not. If you have no clear idea, let's figure it out together!

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: A bass, a cable, a pc, a solar power generator and an internet hotspot!

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I have been playing electric bass for more than 25 years, after 10 more of classical training. I recorded 15+ albums and 150+ published songs, toured 3 continents, sold triple gold, played original music, cover and tribute bands with an average of 35/40 shows a year.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Classical musician by birth, Metalhead at heart. I recorded a lot of Hard & Heavy stuff, but I also collaborated with soft rock, pop, indie and classical musicians.

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: I have been playing bass with the folk metallers ELVENKING, both live and in studio albums, since 2011. In 2017 we received a triple gold record from our label AFM Records, for having sold more than 80.000 copies worldwide.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Whatever you may need! But probably digital now is more flexible.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: That if I tell them I can do it, they can just relax and I will take care of the rest!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The fact that it's been very clear to me since the beginning, that a life without music is miserable.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: That any bassist can play any music genre.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What they want to express and communicate with their work.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Heavy, punchy and sweaty.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Way, way too many! Ok, I dreamt I was Steve Harris. Many times.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Find the perfect balance between quality, consistency and selling enough.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I always work for the song, not for myself.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: It depends on the work I am given, but usually I have the (not always easy) task to add a bass line to a song already written and at least partially arranged.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: The most famous metal bands often feature legendary bassists, just think of Steve Harris, Rob Trujillo or Joey DeMaio. But one must not overlook those who made the difference with their technique, like Geddy Lee or Billy Sheehan, or the absolute monsters of session playing, like Toto or Journey.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: Playing bass in a heavy metal or hard rock band is not easy as it may seem - different techniques, different touch and a good taste and knowledge of the genre are required if you want your rhythm section to make the difference. I spent the last 20 years doing it, and I'm still learning something new every day.