Clay Krasner

Nashville Session Bassist

Clay Krasner on SoundBetter

I am a Nashville session bassist providing custom online bass tracks at affordable rates to artists, songwriters, producers and publishers.

Hello! Thanks for checking out my profile here on SoundBetter! My name is Clay Krasner. I am a Nashville-based professional bass player who, over the last 23 years, has toured all over the world and recorded with many artists of varying styles from throughout the US and Canada to Europe and New Zealand. I have played on independent international releases and custom projects for a vast range of artists in country, gospel, rock, and singer/songwriter, as well as hundreds of demos (including many for EMI and Warner Chappell Publishing in Nashville). Thanks to the wonder of technology, I can do bass overdubs on your music from my home studio in Nashville, TN. So reach out to connect with me and let's make some music!

Completed tracks will be ready to just drop into your session! I typically send at least two different takes so there are some options to choose from, and one revision is included in the price.

Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.

Interview with Clay Krasner

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

  2. A: I promise to deliver amazing quality bass tracks. If my name is on it, it has to be good and you have to be happy.

  3. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  4. A: Listening and approaching a song with a producer's mindset. I listen to what's going on in the song and play bass to contribute to the overall musical picture, not just what might be a cool bass line.

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

  6. A: Usually, I just get asked to play bass on songs for songwriters, artists, or publishers. I also produce, do vocal editing/tuning/pocketing, and general audio editing.

  7. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  8. A: Love both. That said, digital is the most common these days as it is so much more cost effective and easier to edit with.

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

  10. A: My '64 Fender Precision. I'll have to get back to you about the other 4 pieces of gear. Does this desert island have electricity?

  11. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  12. A: I just finished playing on a new record for Scott Riggan, a fantastic songwriter / Christian artist from Boise, Idaho. Killer songs with wonderful treatments... and no real musical boundaries.

  13. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  14. A: It's music! I get to make music with some of the best musicians in the world in Nashville, TN, and I'm not in Afghanistan. What's not to love?

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

  16. A: The biggest misconception about what I do is that it's easy because it's "just bass".

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

  18. A: I went to college and received my BM in Classical Guitar Performance. But in high school I also began playing bass and continued that thru college with several groups, including the university's jazz ensemble. Upon graduation, I had a gig waiting for me at DisneyWorld, playing at EPCOT with the All-American College Orchestra. From there I played with several different bands (rock, jazz, pop) and studied for a couple years with Dixie Dregs / Steve Morse Band bassist Dave LaRue. I relocated to Nashville, TN in 1997 and soon began touring full time. In addition to touring, session work started coming in and I really started honing my chops in that area. Here we are 23 years later. I have played on independent international releases and custom projects for a vast range of artists in country, gospel, rock, and singer/songwriter, as well as hundreds of demos (including many for EMI and Warner Chappell Publishing in Nashville).

  19. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  20. A: I have an iMac running Pro Tools 11. The interface is an Apogee Duet that I only use for A to D conversion. Basses I use are a '64 Fender Precision, Music Man Stingray 5, Music Man Stingray 5 custom fretless, Epiphone Jack Casady. Outboard gear I choose from includes the following: Fatboy Tube DI, Teegarden Audio Magic Pre, Avalon U5, Chandler Limited RS124 compressor, and a Cali76 compressor. Just about any basic sound I need can be achieved with these tools. There are plenty of cool plugins available for additional effects.

  21. Q: How would you describe your style?

  22. A: Musical. I come from a classical background and have played in tons of varied situations like orchestral, show tunes, indie pop, rock, Americana, and country.

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

  24. A: Country Pop. Hey, I'm in Nashville. :-)

  25. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  26. A: Great foundation and melodic sensibility

  27. Q: What's your typical work process?

  28. A: I listen thru a song at least once to get my head around it and then chart it out. Then I'll pick which bass and signal chain seems would be the most appropriate. Depending on the song, I'll usually do a pass or two and see what instinctively happens. Then, if needed, I'll refine it and sculpt out the part that it seems the song wants.

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Nashville Bass Tracks demo reel (8 samples / 5 mins)

I was the bass player in this production

Gear Highlights
  • '64 Fender Precision
  • Music Man Stingray 5
  • Music Man Stingray 5 fretless
  • Epiphone Jack Casady bass
  • Fatboy Tube DI
  • Teegarden Audio mic pre
  • Chandler Limited RS124 Compressor
  • Aguilar DB924 Preamp
  • Creation Audio Labs "Grizzly Bass" pedal
More Photos
More Samples