Bio:

Years playing music: 29

Alto Sax: 8 years (stopped)

Guitar: 27 years (on and off - on hiatus from it right now)

Bass: 20 years (main instrument)

Music Education: Years of guitar lessons, a few years of bass Lessons with Chuck Rainey and Phil McNeese, music classes in public school, majored in music in college for a few years but didn't get my degree in it.
 

Bands: School bands on sax, a few rock bands on guitar, college jazz bands on bass, professional rock band on bass for 8 years, a short stint as country guitar player,  five years with a local church group on bass and guitar and various sit ins and blues jams on guitar over the years. 

Recordings:  Aside from my home recordings, I've recorded material for several albums/CDs with the professional band and several sessions over the years on bass with other groups.

Write Music?  Yes, I co-wrote all of the material on the band's recordings.  Also, wrote parts for the session gigs.  I have done arranging for other bands in the past.  Lately, I have been collaborating with an old friend on a new set of material we are really enjoying.  Some of it is in the recordings above.

Current Gigs: Played some reunion gigs with Plaid Faction and working up a new band called the Greathouse Drifters.  I'm on break from playing P&W gigs right now but prior to that I played the last 3 years in a church band called Encounter and I really enjoyed it.  Recently I've made the switch back to bass fulltime.

Bass Preference:  I like basses that sound alive and organic.  Two that I have found that fit that category are my new Carvin SB5000 and an early 90's Warwick Streamer Stage I 5-string that I've had for roughly 17 years now (both are pictured above)

Bass Amp preference: Anything that lets the bass come through nice, clear and thumping.  I dig 10 inch speakers for bass.  Currently, I use a Carvin BX5000 with a SWR Golight 4x10 and Carvin 2x10 cab.  I recently found my old Trace Elliot amp in the back of an old dusty shop so I had to buy it back and get it refurbed.  Now its my backup amp. (all pictured above)

Guitar preference: Tom Anderson guitars.  Love their Cobras and Classics.  Dig Tylers and Groshes as well.

Guitar Pickup Preference: Tom Anderson pickups.  Dig their single coils and their H1 and H3 in various split and humbucker settings. 

Picks:  Medium pointed V-Pick or Dunlop Gator Grip 2.0mm if I can't find it :)

Guitar Tone Preference: Too many really.  Bogner ,Vox, VHT, Soldano, Blackface tones, which I can get from the Axe-FX

Current guitar & amps: Don't own one currently.  Although my daughter has a Carvin guitar we built together and a Line6 Flextone III in her room I can use if I get the itch.

Some favorite past guitar amps:  Egnater Mod50, VHT SigX, Aiken Sabre, Aiken Invader, Aiken Tomcat, Bogner Shiva, Two Rock Opal, Splawn ProMod, Bruno Cowtipper, Tone King Meteor II, THD Flexi, Super Reverbs, Tech 21 Trademark 60 (Bang for Buck)

Favorite pedals: Tim and Barber Burn Unit pedals (pictured above but not using any pedals currently)

Random Thoughts:

Style of music you play? Contemporary Christian, Rock, Funk, older Metal, Blues, Folk, Country, etc.  Not a big modern jazz fan.  I dig the older Jazz standards though.  Really just whatever I can find to play with people I enjoy :)

Bass players I dig:  Chuck Rainey, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten, Duck Dunn, Flea, Jaco, etc.

Bass Technique:  I'm about a 50/50 slap/finger player.  I love both styles and use them when I can.  Also do some tapping and harmonics use in there.

Lead Player/Rhythm Player, if both how much of each? Both (80:20 Rhythm)
 

Pick user or finger style...or a hybrid? Hybrid, including some weird tapping and slapping techniques that I got from playing the bass :)
 

Guitar player(s) you look up to and try to emulate as part of your style? BB King, Eric Johnson, SRV, Jimi Hendrix, metal players like Lynch, DeMartini, Sykes, Wylde, etc.

General thoughts on Music:  I friggin' LOVE music.  It's a huge part of my life.  While I used to enjoy the hunt of gear swapping, nowadays I just want to play.  My love falls in playing live for sure.  I think there is something special going on in music, much deeper than wavy lines on an oscilloscope.  I have a deep down internal drive to play music and get a very spiritual reward from it.  Playing at home by myself is somewhat rewarding, but I think playing with a band in front of a live audience is where it's at.  No matter what the style or arena or position in the group, just as long as the players are being honest and considerate and the vibe is pumping, there is a very special thing that happens in those settings.  Something magical and spiritual for sure.  And I can't seem to ever get enough of it :)