Karl Coryat

Karl Coryat was Deputy Editor of Bass Player magazine in the 1990s. In the 2000s, he wrote two music books: Guerrilla Home Recording and The Frustrated Songwriter’s Handbook, the latter with Nicholas Dobson. In 1996, he was a two-day champion on the television game show Jeopardy!. He works as a comedian and musician under the pseudonyms Edward (or Eddie) Current.

Articles by: Karl Coryat

SEPTEMBER 08: WEMBLEY ARENA Photo of Geddy LEE and RUSH, Geddy Lee performing live onstage, playing Fender Jazz Bass guitar

“It was the first kind of ‘bass solo’ I’d been allowed to throw on a Rush song. I wanted to trade off with Alex, but he didn’t want to get into that”: Geddy Lee offers his track-by-track guide to Vapor Trails – the album that saved Rush

By Karl Coryat published

After a six-year absence from the recording studio, Vapor Trails redefined Rush’s career

Mike Watt of Firehose during Rock for Choice at The Palladium in Hollywood, CA, United States

“Bass players seem to like that feeling of the sound pushing against their legs, but if you stand too close to your amp, you’re never sure what it sounds like”: Mike Watt offers his advice for putting some teeth into your live sound

By Karl Coryat published

The patriarch of punk has influenced a generation of rockers. Here he talks through his live gear setup

R.E.M., with bass player Mike Mills (L) and singer Michael Stipe, perform on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" at the NBC Studios on October 28, 2003 in Burbank, California.

“Early on I discovered that the bass player decides the chord – not the guitar player”: R.E.M.’s Mike Mills on finding the perfect bass part and becoming a “one-bass guy”

By Karl Coryat published

From the Bass Player Archive: An interview with R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills

Bassist Chuck Rainey poses for fans during Summer NAMM Show Opening at Music City Center on July 13, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee.

“I credit half of that bassline to James Jamerson. I’ve always been proud of knowing him”: Listen to Chuck Rainey’s isolated bass on Kid Charlemagne

By Nick Wells published

Chuck Rainey tips his hat to Motown legend James Jamerson in this 1976 Steely Dan classic

Tom Hamilton of Aersosmith performs onstage during the 2012 iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 22, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tom Hamilton: "I thought, I'll be damned if I'm going to play eighth-notes on the root all my life!"

By Karl Coryat published

Aerosmith’s long-serving bassist reflects on becoming a "music-book junkie", channeling John Paul Jones and "smoking a bowl" before writing Sweet Emotion

Don Was rehearses for The Musical Mojo of Dr. John: A Celebration of Mac & His Music at the Saenger Theatre on May 3, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Veteran record producer Don Was names his 5 all-time favorite bassists

By Karl Coryat published

Producer Don Was on his favorite players, how to get a great bass tone, and the most common mistakes people make in the studio

Iggy Pop (R) and Mike Watt (L) of Iggy Pop and the Stooges performs on stage during the Festival Cruilla 2012 held at the Forum on July 6, 2012 in Barcelona, Spain.

Mike Watt: “I think for every 7-string bass they should make a 1-string!”

By Karl Coryat published

The patriarch of punk unravels his punk rock roots and the making of his 1995 solo album Ball-Hog or Tugboat?

Jason Newsted of Metallica playing live

"With no disrespect to Cliff Burton, I think my picking brought a new tightness to Metallica. Cliff's sound wasn't very defined": An interview with Jason Newsted on the release of The Black Album

By Karl Coryat published

From the Bass Player archive: Jason Newsted on picking vs fingers, the gear and technique behind The Black Album and how it feels to fill Cliff Burton's shoes...

Mike Mills, left, and singer Michael Stipe of REM perform on stage at the Carver Hawkeye Arena in Ames, Iowa, March 10, 1989

“Sometimes I think, 'What would John McVie do?' That’s how I wrote the bassline to Losing My Religion”: The secrets of R.E.M.’s Mike Mills

By Karl Coryat published

From the Bass Player Archive: An interview with R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills from 1991, the year that Out Of Time took them from cult status to million sellers.

Prince

Revisiting Prince's rollercoaster 1999 Bass Player interview: "Bass is primal, and it reminds me of a large posterior"

By Karl Coryat published

That time BP was summoned to Paisley Park for an audience with Prince Rogers Nelson

Les Claypool performs with The Claypool Lennon Delirium at the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis, Tennessee on May 5, 2019

Les Claypool: "I’ll go 20 years without changing my gear, and then I’ll say, 'This sucks - I’ve got to change everything!'"

By Karl Coryat published

Primus's slap-happy oddball on prog, gear and the challenges of making The Desaturating Seven