This is the first installment of a series in which we let you submit questions to some of
Warwick's most popular players. We sent out the word through our MySpace site
for you to email any questions that you have for James LoMenzo, Megadeth's
God of Thunder and boy did you EVER email your questions! We worked hard
to pick the best 20 questions and forwarded them on to James, who is currently on
tour to support Megadeth's CD "United Abominations". (For more updates on what
James and Megadeth are up to visit www.megadeth.com.)

So without further ado, here are your questions and James' answers!

What attracted you to the more wild Warwick basses like the Buzzard and the Stryker? - Kim J.

Hi Kim, Well I actually stumbled upon loving the more obscure (some might say, obscene) shapes when I got my first Buzzard. I originally got it to "screw" with my guitar player who at the time was insisting that we change to more traditionally styled instruments. I was playing Dolphins back then and he thought that the shape was "too much", so one day I noticed on the back of the Rotosound string wrapper the picture of John Entwistle playing what in my estimation was a rather crudely chain-sawed instrument. I kind of knew it was a Warwick so I contacted my buddy Mike Brown, my Warwick Endorsing Rep at Dana B Goods and he said he had one and he could send one out. My plan was just to pull it out of the case at a rehearsal and watch the reaction of my guitar player. Well, I had left the band just before it arrived but finally, one day it did show up, I couldn't resist checking it out. The joke was on me because as soon as I started to play it, I was hooked. When I finally plugged it in to my rig, I was just smitten. The tone, playability seemed to be even a step up from my Alembics. After having recorded some really great sounding stuff with my original buzzard I had absolute faith in the fact that if Warwick were doing anything else in the John Entwistle style then it would be just as cool. When I had a chance to play the new Strykers they were.

I know you are probably tired of hearing this, but will there ever be a White Lion reunion? – Alan S.

Hi Alan, this question doesn't bother me in the least. I've been trying to "match make" Mike and Vito for the past 5 years to go out and revive White Lion, but they just can't seem to do it. I'm hoping Van Halen's return might get them thinking.

Do you ever use the EQ knobs on your bass or just use your amp’s EQ? – Marc B.

Hey Mark, I've done it both ways. In Pride and Glory I was going for a more traditional vibe so i just used the pickups in their passive mode. In Megadeth I've been keeping my tone controls pretty hot, every-things almost 3/4's up.

When I play 3 weekends in a row I get exhausted, how do you keep it going for an entire tour? – LawrenceM.

Great question Lawrence. Right now as I'm typing, I'm forcing myself to stay awake till 3-am. We need to get a flight out to Singapore this morning to be there in time for tomorrows show. Listen, sometimes you just can't get all the rest you need. Some tours, it seems are just routed to try to kill the band. All you can do is try to be smart about it by making sure you eat well, exercise when you can and catch cat naps along the way. There's no easy answer but like they say in those Godfather movies... "This is the life we've chosen..."

Are you using any effects on the Megadeth tour? (I think I heard a little overdrive from time to time.)
– Eddie P.

Good ear Eddie. I've actually stripped my system down substantially however the staple gear I use effects wize would be the Aphex Punch factory, the EBS Valve Drive and my newest toy, the James LoMenzo "Omen" Distortion pedal. This was designed by me and will be distributed by Ashdown electronics.

Will there be another Hideous Sun Demons CD? – Valerie K.

Hi Valerie, I spoke with Ray just last week and it looks like I'll be seeing Toshi in Osaka. I wouldn't completely rule out one but at the moment Megadeth takes up all my time so we'll have to wait on that for a while.

Mr. Mustaine seems like an intense dude. How is he as a band leader? – Eric E.

Surprisingly generous, He give's us plenty of room to express ourselves and when he really want's something done his way, he's really polite about it. I totally dig working with him and being a valued member of his band.

Is it easier to tour in 2007 than it was back in the day with White Lion? – D’mare W.

In some ways it's actually easier D' Mare. Most guys/gals who've been doing this as long as I have have figured out how to pace themselves. Back in the 80's we were all kids in the proverbial candy store, but now it's more about getting the job done. One other thing that occurs to me, the world is so much more globalized and homogenized. You can find familiar American staples just about every where in the world. Just last night in Seoul Korea, the promoter ordered our dinners from a Bennigans restaurant down the street and there's always a Starbucks close by so stuff like that helps to ease the burden of trying to figure out "where the good restaurant is" when you've only got one night to figure it out.

I can never seem to hear myself on stage when I play. How do you hear yourself? Do you have your bass coming back through the monitors? – Elliott S.

Elliott, I've had that problem many times earlier in my career . Depending on the size of the stage you absolutely need to have a bit of Bass come through the monitors with the drums and what ever else. Of course, I can't stress enough how important it is to have as much power as your bank book can afford. That's the only way to really play with confidence and ease. If you want to compete with a full tilt Marshall type amp I've always found it helpful to have at least 500-600 watts (Transistor) and at least 1 8x10 cab. My basic setup is usually 1000 watts broken up into two 500 watt sections. One side feeds the 8x10" speakers and the other feeds 2x15"s. You should know that in Megadeth we wear "In ear" monitors which have a separate mix for each one of us in the band. I usually keep these fairly low so I can hear a slight bit of the low end from my stage cabinets. Although at times it's not the most inspiring sound it does give you an absolute rendition of what you're playing and really helps keep consistency where ever you're standing on the stage.

Have you and the band started working on material for the next ‘Deth CD? – Rock M.

We are always jotting down riffs and ideas at sound checks and back stage. I always keep my cell phone close by. I use the memo feature to jot down new ideas. As you can imagine, Dave's always got something new up his sleeve.

After rehearsing with my grindcore band my ears are screaming like a smoke alarm. You guys are one of the loudest bands I have ever heard, so do your ears ring after you gig? – Wraith

Wraith, as I mentioned before, we use "In Ear" monitors so if you keep them at a reasonable volume, they protect you ears pretty well. You should know that in the past, I've used earplugs just to survive. The David Lee Roth band was unquestionably one of the loudest stages I've been on. I used those white silicone "Hero's" brand ear plugs, the one's with the little "blue" filter compartment.. To me, they're the most useful ones. You can hear enough of everything and they don't muffle the sound to death. I'd recommend you give them a try, no sense in ruining your hearing, you may want to mix your record someday, hell you might even want to hear it!

I have been playing bass for over a year but my timing still blows. How can I get my timing down? – Justin M.

Timing and feel are something that you either got or... let me suggest that you practice songs at a reasonably slow tempo, use a metronome and be willing to not be very good at it when you start. If you take your time and relax... breath and really think about how the music flows, what it does to your body, how it makes you react you may be able to tap into the elusive "groove". Just like all people are different so is the way we interpret tempo and feel. Really, my best advice is to accept that you'll need some time to develop this and that once you start to, it will be something that will come easily to you after and beyond that point. Good luck!

I love the pic of you on Warwick’s MySpace site with all of your Warwicks. Which one is your favorite? – Denny P.

It's got to be that old early 90's Buzzard (The natural Zebrano one). I've never owned another bass that sounds like it. It's really quite a unique instrument. I think I like my Thumb next, the thumb is such a versatile instrument and has so much presence.

You are the straight shiz! When can we expect a solo CD, James! – Jayce F.

Jayce, I've been writing grooves and riffs for years and have always thought that I'd get to it. Fortunately and unfortunately I just haven't been able to carve out the time but as soon as I do I most certainly will. Thanks for asking.

What was it like touring with Sabbath and Ronnie James? – Dan R.

Well, I've actually been on tour with various states of Black Sabbath over the years so we kind of know each other. This latest with Ronnie and Vinney was just great! We had time to hang and chat and plenty of opportunities to see them play. It was really pretty inspiring to see them together and delivering. That's one of the best parts of my job, having the opportunity to see these masters perform almost every night.

What is the biggest concert that you have ever played and do you still get nervous? – Allen F.

I think the Bumbbershoot festival in Seattle with David Lee Roth a batch of years ago would be the biggest. Close to 20,000 in attendance, really a rush. Nervous? I'm one of those weird dudes who just doesn't get too worked up before a show. I really enjoy performing and I'm really just to into it to get nervous or upset by it. It really feels completely normal to me to make music in front of large gatherings... Pretty weird, huh?

My band is happy to be mediocre, yet I want to accomplish more than just being the biggest band in our no-horse town. I want to go to BIT and give my career the best chance at success, but they are my best friends. What should I do? – Ben B.

Well first let me say that BIT is a splendid place to learn pretty much everything you'll need to know to be a pro, the counter side of that is that while you're going there, the curriculum will actually keep you too busy to make any real strides in the industry. In other words it takes a lot of leg work, schmoozing and trial and error to make it in this business so take your age and desire to move quickly into account. There's nothing wrong with taking 2 or 3 years of training in any field, just realize that opportunities in the music business won't wait till you're studies are over. Look deep inside your self and figure out at what level you think you'll need to be at to move forward. You may be closer then you think and only need a private teacher to move you ahead. I will agree that you'll have a better chance at finding valid gigs in bigger cities but the other side of that is there's more competition for those spots. So don't make any knee-jerk decisions here, give your self a little time to think it all out.

I have always wondered how pro players find good bass techs who are willing to go on the road. How did you find yours? L-Roy

Interestingly enough, lately I've been sharing a tech with Glen (Megadeths Guitar player). Usually it's by word of mouth. I try to hold on to numbers of techs that I think are good. When my friends in other bands call I usually have a few numbers for them and visa-versa.

If you could assemble a dream band, with you on bass, who would you be jamming with? – Bethany

That's tricky, cause there are so many of my friends who are such great players that I would hate to make the others feel "unloved" LOL. I'll try. Drummers: Brian Tichy, Ray Luzier, Craig Nunenmacher of course Shawn Drover... those would be my first string choices on drums. Guitars? Slash, John Sykes, Vinnie Moore, guys like that... Vocals? Well, who's ever got a mic close by can sing. As you can probably tell, I love three piece Jam bands.

I have been following your career since your time with B.L.S. and you are my absolute favorite bass player!!! My family just moved to Denver and I don’t know anybody. How can I meet other players without seeming like a newbie dork? (I am 15 by the way.) – Firebrand

Thank you. Since you're too young to go to bars where music is performed, you need to network (make friends) at school, church, temple... you could go down to the local music store and ask to meet other musicians who are at your level. My best advice is, if you don't act like a dork then people won't see you that way. Music/Art is really all about confidence. Discipline yourself to excel on your instrument (I'm assuming bass) by quietly working away at home and when you get together with other players just open yourself up to them and listen to how they play. Do it confidently!

Confidence = No Dork

Thanks to all of you, this was a lot of fun... keep playing those great Warwick basses and come on down and see me at the next Megadeth show in your town.

James LoMenzo

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