“Both Joe and Guthrie play a mean, funky rhythm guitar on a song like Stevie Wonder’s Superstition. That counts for more than you think”: Bass supremo Bryan Beller reveals what it’s like to play with Joe Satriani and Guthrie Govan

You could call Bryan Beller a workaholic, and he’d not only agree; he’d welcome the description. His work ethic and dedication to craft steadily elevated him to the upper echelon of bassists, and he’s remained there for years.

As Joe Satriani’s longtime bassist, he began 2024 on the three-week G3 tour with Satch, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson. That was followed by a five-show February run with bandmates Guthrie Govan and Marco Minnemann for Duck, The Aristocrats’ new album (their first in five years).

March began with Satriani on the Monsters of Rock Cruise, with days to spare before the two-month Satriani/Steve Vai tour, which has just started. The Aristocrats pick up again in July and August, and October promises a Dethklok festival date on Lamb Of God’s Headbanger’s Boat cruise.

Somewhere between gigs, road trips, flights, and the occasional opportunity for sleep, Beller caught up with Bass Player to talk about his whirlwind year.

What do you enjoy most about working with Joe Satriani and Guthrie Govan?

“It’s great working with both of them because, in addition to supporting two of the greatest guitarists in the world, I get to explore two completely different sides of my own artistry.

“With Joe, it may seem simpler on the surface. But it’s really not. His music goes deep, with many subtle aspects to explore and master – tone, attack, groove, when to step out and when to lay back, how to move the song forward emotionally — in order to make those supposedly straight ahead melodic rock songs sing.

“With Guthrie, it’s a mental and physical exercise as well as emotional. He thinks so quickly when he’s improvising that you really have to be sharp and ready to react and support his lightning-fast ideas.

“And compositionally, he’s always exploring the outer limits of the register of a bass, because he wants there to be as much harmonic content as possible in a trio arrangement. That means going high and low and everything in between.”

Do you see any similarities between the two? 

“Honestly, not that much! They’re really approaching music from two very different angles even though they’ve listened to a lot of the same stuff. Compositionally, they are very far apart, as Guthrie’s stuff is far more dense.

“The way they develop a solo, the go-to lead tone – both very different, and I could go on. One thing I’ll say they have in common is a very strong sense of rhythm and how to lay back and just groove.

“You wouldn’t think of this first, but both Joe and Guthrie play a mean, funky rhythm guitar on a song like Stevie Wonder’s Superstition. That counts for more than you think.”

On the G3 tour, Satriani often brings out guests for end-of-show jams. How much advance preparation does the band have? 

“Very, very little! They’re supposed to be spontaneous, and we want it to be as easy as possible for anyone brave enough to get onstage and trade with Joe. So we always do really simple tunes that most pros will know as a matter of course, and then we just go up there and see what happens. 

“For example, Sammy Hagar joined us in Scottsdale. Joe said, ‘You guys know Foxy Lady, right?’ There’s no rehearsal. It’s lovely chaos. And in the case with Sammy, we didn’t even know it was going to happen until the show was already underway!”

What does it take to transition from one gig to the next with so little down time?  

“It requires some sense of organization and advance planning on all fronts – gear logistics, having the material ready to go, and also knowing what you need in your personal pack to make sure you can do the quick turns.

“I did the G3 reunion tour for three weeks; then I had two days before traveling to start The Aristocrats’ tour, which was just two weeks; then I had five days before flying to Miami before starting the Monsters Of Rock tour with Joe Satriani; and then I’ll have nine days at home before starting a two-month run for the Satch/Vai co-headliner tour.

“You just have to think ahead and imagine what you need with you at all times, and have the bandwidth set aside to ensure the material is ready to go – even if, say, you haven’t slept properly in a while. Which happens!”

What is the role of the bass in each gig? 

“For any gig, it’s to support the song and support the band. As a bassist, you are the bridge between the rhythmic and harmonic elements. That means you serve the guitarist or keyboardist or vocalist and the drummer.

“For Joe, I’m acting as a bridge between Joe and Kenny Aronoff. For The Aristocrats, I’m acting as a bridge between Guthrie and Marco Minnemann. As different as Joe and Guthrie are, Kenny and Marco are even more different! Kenny is a heavy-hitting, old-school, American rock guy, and Marco is an extended-technique, cross-genre guy.

“Both are amazing in completely different ways, and they interact differently with the rest of the band, with each song, with everything. My job is to be the glue for the song and the band, to make everyone feel comfortable, and to make it groove, no matter what.”

You are loyal to Mike Lull basses and Gallien-Krueger amps as your signature sound. What makes this the right combination for you? That and a Fender with Satriani…

“After doing this for many years, I know what I want to hear and I know what I love to play on a live gig, and that’s a Mike Lull bass into a Gallien-Krueger rig. That’s where it all starts.

“I would play them even if endorsements didn’t exist – which is how it should be, I believe. Now, I do endorse each company’s gear and we have professional arrangements around it. I’m grateful for their support, and I do my best to shine a light on them whenever possible.

“For The Aristocrats, I can play whatever I want and so the choice is easy. For any sideman gig, I’ll start with Mike Lull and GK, and then ideally it works for everything. But sometimes an artist or a song just demands a certain specific flavor, and with Joe Satriani, some of his stuff calls out for a Fender Precision with a maple fingerboard, because that’s essentially his personal demo bass and it’s a total vibe.

“So I picked up a Fender Player Precision – I prefer the MIM model because the pickups are hotter and brighter than the American version – and it’s in the arsenal for the Joe gig, along with two other Mike Lulls.

“I love GK amps and cabs, but when you’re doing a fly date in India or Vietnam, you play what they have! A lot of times that’s Ampeg. Ampeg makes great gear that’s been proven on stages for decades — it’s just a different sound and vibe. And it’s basically everywhere. So I’ll make that work when needed. 

“Both Mike Lull and GK totally get the distinction between professional practicalities and personal preference and endorsements, and hopefully anyone else interested in the topic will get it as well.”

• The Aristocrats’ Duck is out now. The Satch/Vai tour is currently underway.