with New world SoN By Caroline Lusk Gear Guide New World Son shot out of Canada like a lightning bolt. Their funky, rhythmic sounds lit up the industry and continue to fill churches and auditoriums around the world. With a vibe all their own, CCM caught up with the guys to hear first hand how the gear they use makes it all happen. CCM: Your sound is so distinct. Tell us about your instrumentation. How many pieces do you have on stage or in the studio at any one time? Surprisingly all that noise comes from just four guys. We’re a pretty straight ahead combo: drums, guitar, keys and bass. In fact, Josh [Toal, guitar] doesn’t even have a back-up guitar on stage. In the studio, Joel [Parisien, keys] plays a variety of vintage instruments like a Hammond Organ, Hohner Clavinet and Fender Rhodes electric piano as well as a Yamaha upright acoustic piano. All of those textures he recreates live with his Clavia Nord Electro 2 rack module. CCM: Do you think there is one instrument or group of that defines your sound? Rich’s [Moore, bass] electric upright bass is definitely the instrument that receives the most attention at shows and gives us a unique, signature sound as well. It’s made by Yamaha and it’s called a Silent Bass (SLB200). CCM: Do you have a favorite brand of inner ears? Guitar? Percussion? Any thing else in particular? We’re all very fond of our Future Sonics single-driver in- ears. Josh is endorsed by PRS guitars and plays a Starla X. Mark [Rogers, drums] proudly endorses Yamaha drums and Sabian cymbals. Lately Rich is excited to be playing Genz Benz amps; in particular the Shuttle 9.0 Bass head. It’s 900 watts and only weighs 4lbs! It will fit into a carry- on for flying too. CCM: What’s the most challenging/fun part of pulling off your live show? The most challenging part of playing live is staying within our time limit. The fun part is all the unexpected stuff that happens musically. BreakiNg it dowN Instrument: Yamaha Silent Bass (Electric Upright Bass) Brand: Yamaha SLB200 Specs: Relic Custom ‘50s Stratocaster Pros: Great tone, semi-hollow chamber which gives it more of a traditional upright sound, easy to fly/ travel with Cons: None so far Price Range: $3000.00 (roughly) How to Purchase: Yamaha dealer/music store/online P h o to b y Jo e l H an n ig an - J FH an n ig an P h o to g ra p h y . Rich Moore playing his Yamaha Silent Bass 50 CCM