The Ultra Lo
NEWS
Brandon Brown (Pastor Funk)
By: Dino Monoxelos
One of the coolest things about working for such an iconic bass amp company like Ampeg is the breadth of amazing players from all over the world who gravitate to the Ampeg sound. As an Artist Relations manager, and of course a bass player myself, I’ve been introduced to so many wonderful players I might not otherwise have met. I’m thankful every day for the relationships and friendships that have come from being part of this Ampeg family.
One case in point being our great friend Brandon Brown, aka Pastor Funk. I met Brandon just over a year ago through a mutual bass player friend, Daniel Liston Keller (who also produced this video interview). Before that, I didn’t know Brandon at all, but I remember Daniel telling me what an incredible player he was and how much he digs Ampeg.
Needless to say, Brandon’s career speaks for itself with his deep musical roots coming from Memphis, Tennessee. Having worked with artists like Stevie Wonder, The Jacksons, Smokey Robinson, Isaac Hayes, The Black Eyed Peas, Boyz II Men, Fergie, Three 6 Mafia, PJ Morton, Chrisette Michele, Jessica Simpson, and Leona Lewis.
He’s currently on tour laying bass down for Charlie Puth so if you get a chance to go see Charlie in concert, be sure to check out Pastor Funk on bass. Oh… and did I mention, Pastor Funk is sporting all new Venture® gear on this tour, with some really cool, custom covered Venture cabs, all done up in white, specifically for this tour.
In this video, Brandon sits down to talk about his deep connection with Ampeg bass amps and why they’ve been his go-to choice throughout his career. Brandon breaks down how Ampeg gear helps him deliver the powerful, soulful low-end that defines his sound.
He shares stories from the studio and the stage, giving insight into how Ampeg gear holds up night after night, and why it remains a staple for bassists across genres.
But he’s not just looking back—Brandon is also looking forward. He shares his thoughts on the future of bass amplification, where tone and technology meet. From lightweight heads that don’t sacrifice warmth, to amps with digital flexibility and analog soul, Brandon sees a new golden age for bassists on the rise.
We’re honored to have Brandon officially part of the Ampeg family here and thank him for this awesome 75th Anniversary video interview he did with our friend Daniel Liston Keller. Absolutely love how enthusiastic he is talking about his gear. Brandon, you’ve been part of the Ampeg family pretty much your whole life brother, you just didn’t know it yet…
And just to be clear to everyone reading this… you don’t have to be on the artist webpage, or have my personal cell phone in your phone to be part of the family here. If you love and play Ampeg and just can’t picture doing a gig or a session without your Ampeg gear, then guess what… You’re already part of the family here! SO be sure to stop in and say hello or drop us a line and introduce yourself.
Dino has spent over 25 years in the Ampeg world conducting seminars and clinics all over the globe. He’s also the author of four instructional bass books by Mel Bay and his own publishing company, MonoTunes Music. His favorite bass to play is his MTD 534-24.
NEWS
Gigi Zimmer (Chickabass)
By: Dino Monoxelos
One thing that I’ve learned in my forty-something years of being a professional bass player is that if you wait around for your phone to ring, you’re gonna be waiting for quite a while. You have to make things happen FOR you and not wait for things to happen TO you. Especially as an up-and-coming bassist, and even more specifically in a music industry jungle like Los Angeles.
Today, I find a lot of up-and-coming players are branching out into creating opportunities for themselves, not just as bass players, but in so many different aspects of the music industry. And in Gigi’s case, producer and engineer, and then some.
How often do you come across a killer bass player and vocalist, who plays several various styles and genres, but is also a world-class engineer who works in some of LA’s most renowned studios? Meet Gigi Zimmer, aka Chickabass! Oh yeah… she’s also an Ampeg artist who’s been using Ampeg® SVT® amps and cabs since day one. Gigi is just as at home on stage, standing in front of an SVT rig as she is in the studio sitting behind a mixing console. Once again proving that making things happen will eventually lead to places other than sitting waiting for your phone to ring.
Now I would be remiss if I didn’t credit “how” I met Gigi because let’s face it, there are a lot of, and I mean A LOT of great musicians, bassists, players, producers, engineers, and more, in and around Los Angeles. But this is where making things happen, and especially networking yourself, comes into play, as in Gigi’s case.
Long story made even longer…
Enter the SVT Suite that Ampeg launched a few years ago. This is an all-Ampeg plugin that we developed to help move Ampeg into the digital realm of recording and DAWs. And I must say it does it very well.
Now, enter a good friend of mine, Mr. Daniel Liston Keller, who has been in the industry as long as I have (if not longer) and has just about as extensive a list of producers, engineers, FOH engineers, and musicians as I do bass players. Daniel now runs his own company, appropriately named Get It In Writing. Now enter Ampeg, celebrating its 75th Anniversary. You see where this is going, right…?
I reached out to Daniel about the possibility of working together to help get SVT Suite into the hands of people he knows who otherwise wouldn’t think to look at Ampeg as a solution to their bass amp plugin needs. All this is tied into the 75th anniversary celebration and all. Through Daniel’s wisdom and contacts in the studio and live sound world, he eventually puts me in contact with Gigi Zimmer. Who is not only already an accomplished producer and engineer, working with places like Atlantic Records, and in some of the best studios around LA, but she’s also a killer bass player and singer for her own projects. It was a win-win-win all around. Gigi is the epitome of making things happen instead of waiting around for the phone to ring for a gig, and networking all along as well.
Check out Gigi as she talks with us about her first experience as an Ampeg player, right up to her experience with the SVT Suite in the studio, and beyond into the future of bass amplification.
Dino has spent over 25 years in the Ampeg world conducting seminars and clinics all over the globe. He’s also the author of four instructional bass books by Mel Bay and his own publishing company, MonoTunes Music. His favorite bass to play is his MTD 534-24.