Ep.5 with Austin Tegtmeier (HALT & Species)

The Tonepot Podcast

We're back at it with a BASS EPISODE! This month we sit with Austin Tegtmeier of H.A.L.T. & Species. Austin has been a bass fixture in the Las Vegas music scene for over a decade and clocked some serious road time playing bass in the punk, ska, & hardcore community. Let's get gritty and dive into the "low" end of bass tone!
EPISODE OVERVIEW:
We can start this one out with the caffeine of choice. Our buddy Austin isn't much of a coffee drinker, but instead prefers energy drinks. Namely Rockstar Energy Drinks, who originated in Las Vegas, NV!
We touch on the first bass Austin owned (a Spector 5 string) and the need to fill a low-end void when all the kids what to play guitar and drums. It's clear that coming up on bands like Rage Against the Machine and Red-Hot Chili Peppers has instilled a great funk foundation and firm understanding of groove in his bass playing.
Instruments fluctuated from the Spector to Jazz and Percision basses before finding his home with Reverend Guitars, playing the Decision bass models. The rig of choice for live & recording is the Reverend basses through a Darkglass preamp, with the special sauce being a 1980's Gallien Kreuger head. Alwas through the refrigerator 8x10 Ampeg SVT cabs.
Tune in for more about his time spent recording with Jay Maas in Boston, falling back into active basses, approaches to playing bass in different projects, hot tone takes, and the new projects cooking!