Deftones' Stephen Carpenter showcases his 5-string bass chops in new Needles and Pins playthrough
The 2003 cut, taken from alt-metal titans' self-titled album, features two bass guitars
Since the surprise arrival of an official playthrough video for Ceremony – taken from blockbuster new album Ohms – Deftones have posted a string of clips that offer a close-up look at guitarist Stephen Carpenter’s wrecking-ball riffs.
Now, the alt-metal trailblazers have dropped a fresh video of 2003’s Needles and Pins, which features a surprise bass performance from the eight-string-keen player.
Playing a – what else? – ESP five-string bass, Carpenter reveals the secret to the self-titled album cut’s gnarly distorted tone, as he sticks to riffing on the bass’s upper register, which allowed late bassist Chi Cheng to hold down the low-end on his four-string.
As per previous playthroughs, Stef is using a Line 6 Helix for his tones, and also gives a shoutout to Fishman, Dunlop, Ernie Ball, Orange, Fryette Amplification, ENGL, Rivera Amplification and SYNERGY.
The video is the latest in a series of playthroughs from Carpenter, which includes performances of Ohms’ Genesis, as well as Koi No Yokan’s Swerve City and Romantic Dreams.
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Mike has been Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com since 2019, and an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict for far longer. He has been writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist for over 15 years, and recording and performing in original and function bands for two decades-plus. During his career, he has interviewed everyone from John Frusciante to Chris Cornell, Matt Bellamy and Billy Corgan. His writing also appears in The Cambridge Companion to the Electric Guitar. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock as Maebe.
