Sharing the passion: Conversations about the Bass Vault

The collection in the Bass Vault was never built to be talked about. It was built because the basses spoke to me. But over time, a few people in the Danish bass community have asked me to share the story behind it – and these conversations have a way of making me articulate things I’ve only ever felt instinctively. Why this Jazz Bass. Why this period. Why this finish. Why so many basses?

The most extensive of these conversations – so far – was captured December 2024 as an episode of Danske Bassister with Morten Kjærgaard. 1 hour 14 minutes of basses, stories, and reflections on collecting.

Danske Bassister with Morten Kjærgaard, December 2024

Morten Kjærgaard’s Danske Bassister is an ongoing video series on the Artist Talks DK YouTube channel, where he interviews Danish bass players about their careers, instruments, and approach to the low end. In December 2024 I was invited into his studio for an episode.

I brought six basses with me: My 1978 Fender Antigua Precision, a couple of Fender PB70-US ’70 Reissue Precision Basses, the Fiesta Red Fender Mustang Bass, my sturdy Fender Jazz Bass ’62 Reissue work horse, and the 1977 Gibson G-3 bass. Morten and I worked through them one by one, but the conversation kept opening up into bigger themes – how I started playing, why I gravitate toward Japanese-built instruments, what makes a Precision Bass different from a Jazz Bass in actual use, and why I collect basses as tools to be played rather than objects to be preserved.

What I appreciate about the format is Morten’s willingness to let the conversation breathe. He didn’t push for soundbites – he let the stories develop at their own pace. Each bass has its own arrival story, its own peculiarities, its own reason for being there. A rapid-fire interview would have missed all of it.

What genuinely moves me about this series is the broader work Morten K does to spread the knowledge of bass guitar and to document the breadth of Danish bass players. I’m humbly honoured to be included in that company – alongside musicians I’ve followed and admired for years. A few personal recommendations from the Danske Bassister archive:

• Danske Bassister – Henrik “SP” Schou Poulsen
• Danske Bassister – Lars “Larry” Danielsson
• Danske Bassister – Morten Ehlers
• Danske Bassister – Frederik Bak

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Store Basdag at Rus & Riller, November 2024

A month before the Danske Bassister recording, Connie at the record shop Rus & Riller invited me to host a “Store Basdag” – a Sunday dedicated entirely to bass guitars, with a surprisingly supportive and energetic audience gathered in the shop among the vinyl crates and great coffee.

The format was loose by design. I brought a handful of basses from the vault, walked the audience through the stories behind each one, demonstrated tones, and answered questions for the better part of the afternoon. The session wasn’t recorded, which in retrospect feels right. Some conversations exist better in the moment they happened than as a permanent document.

What stays with me is the engagement. Curious people in a record shop on a Sunday afternoon, talking seriously about bass guitars for hours. That’s a rare thing – and it’s why I said yes when Connie asked.

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Why these conversations matter

If you’re interested in inviting me to a similar conversation – a podcast, a talk, an intimate event with people who care about basses – reach out through the contact page. The vault doesn’t speak for itself, but I’m always happy to translate.