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We were gradually playing larger venues and in the early days PA systems
were kind of non-existent. So to play loud, we had to use louder equipment.
The PA systems back then didn9t mic the instruments - only the vocals.

Later I had to use different amplification (e.g. pre-amp and processor to
sustain at lower volumes as my big amps were tending to drown out the PA).

With bass, especially bottom end, the vibration has to happen on stage
otherwise the feel is wrong. This is why you can9t scale the equipment down
too far.

GC: I9ve heard your right-hand playing style described as a
"typewriter-style" kind of tapping. Is that accurate? Can you describe that
style?

John: When I was six years old I was forced by my mother to learn piano,
which I hated. However, it loosened up both my left and right hands. I then
convinced my mother to let me play trumpet, which is a right-handed
instrument. The school orchestra had me playing French horn instead, which
is a left-handed instrument. So by the time I taught myself the bass guitar
at the age of 14, my hands were already pretty nimble. I was bored with the
way everyone was playing bass back then in the late 509s-609s, with either
the thumb or first finger or with a pick. In fact, I was bored with the
whole situation of the instrument, four to a bar, root note booming
background. Unless you were the singer, it was a dead-end job.

Fortunately, in a band with only two guitars and drums there was plenty of
room to expand my ideas. Now I play bass, rhythm and lead all at once. I
call myself a bass guitarist rather than a bass player (although I can play
straight bass if I want to).

The typewriter position is only one of the many hand positions that I use. I
may use several different positions during one song. The type writing method
is obtained by turning the hand sideways and tapping the strings with four
fingers. This way you can play all four strings at the same time. It
involves building up the strength in the four fingers of the right hand in a
whipping (spring-like) motion, otherwise, all you get is a right hand
hammer-on.