Basses
Al Hager is the store manager for the Bloomington, Minnesota based Groth Music. As a professional bandleader and bass player, Al came to the store with a great understanding of musical instruments and business management. He has worked closely with the store’s owner, Nancy Groth-Kersten, to...
Big George Webley was a beloved voice over the BBC for many years who often included many of his own incredible musical experiences in his late night radio program. As a session bassist, George played for recordings, television and the movies. As a composer, he wrote for many BBC broadcasts in...
TM Stevens is a well known character within the music industry who is respected for his design and endorsement of products as well as his mega career as a musician. TM is also beloved for his drive and passion for encouraging young students to become active music makers and has worked long and hard...
Ken Parker began building guitars and basses, first for his brother then for other players, in the early 1970s. He fell in love with arch-tops and became one of the best-known guitar luthiers in the industry. After learning his trade in New York in the 1970s and 80s, Ken met Larry Fishman and...
Robert Petteruti sat in the showroom of Twin City Music in Providence, RI, for his NAMM Oral History interview. The showroom is in the store his father opened in the 1930s and within the same building his grandfather owned since 1921. To say there was a lot of Petteruti history in that room is an...
Babe Simoni began working for the Fender Guitar Company in 1953. He was a teenager when George Fullerton hired him to work on the factory floor. Babe’s father had worked in the plant just the year before but had suffered a stroke and left the company. Babe worked on nearly every style of guitar the...
Larry Taylor joined the rock/blues band Canned Heat in 1967 just before the band’s string of hit recordings. The gig came after nearly 6 years as a recording artist playing both guitar and bass. As a member of Canned Heat, Larry played Woodstock and Monterey, performing the band’s hits including “...
Leland Sklar may be among the top recorded bass players in history. As a studio and film score composer, Leland has recorded with countless performers and for top rated movies since his career began in the 1960s. His album work includes sessions with Reba McEntire, Bette Midler, Graham Nash,...
Jim Hughart was born into a family of professional musicians and is proud of the many musical experiences he had growing up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Right after graduation from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Theory, Jim was drafted into the Army. For two years, he...
John Clayton loves music! Since the age of 16, the future Grammy winner enjoyed being able to express himself with his music. He studied with Ray Brown before becoming the bassist for Henry Mancini while he was still a teenager. He toured with the Monty Alexander Trio and the Count Basie Orchestra...