Buke and Gass
the next level of DIY

After each Buke and Gass show, it is quite common to see a line of guys (mostly guitarists and engineers) queueing in front of Aron Sanchez to ask him one simple question: "How the heck do you get that crazy tone?" When they approach him on the stage, they normally realize two things: 1. He doesn't play a normal guitar, but what he calls a "Gass" 2. That kick drum he also plays during the show not only has a tambourine attached to the outer skin but there's also a... snare inside it!

What prompted the invention of the Gass?
I wanted to make more sound with one instrument. For a long time I'd been thinking of making an instrument that would replicate how Aston Barrett sounded on the Bob Marley records, he would double his bass lines with muted guitar. I never got around to making that instrument, but the last band I was in, Proton Proton, I was the only string player for awhile, so I began to develop the Gass, which has become a lot more versatile than my original idea.

Where there any other cuter names available? Like... "Basstar" for example?
You don't think 'Gass' is cute?

How would you describe this instrument?
The current incarnation is made from an old classical guitar body with a bolt-on neck that I made. It has 2 bass strings and 4 guitar strings on it. It's an attempt to combine the bass and the guitar, but it's kind of become something else in the process.

How long did it take you to build it?
It's hard to say because it's a work in progress; I'm always changing it. I guess a week or two to put one together depending on the design. The one I play now is number six, and I started making them about 4 years ago. Each iteration looks and sounds different than it's predecessor. Previous incarnations have looked more like a traditional bass, or had a body made of clear Lexan, there was even one made of metal from an old Volvo that my friend Paul Fuster welded for me.

Do you sell your Gasses? (That sounds weird...)
I haven’t sold any yet, but I’d be open to it. I love to collaborate with people to make custom instruments for different projects or particular sonic needs.

I guess it requires a different style of playing... did it take you very long to adapt?
Yeah it's a bit different, the playing technique and instrument design developed together, things I discovered I could or couldn't do dictated how the Gass would be put together. The most challenging part is getting the right tone when quickly alternating between big bass strings and small guitar strings. I'm still learning how to play it.

How many pickups does it have and how did you choose them to give you a good balance for both guitar and bass strings?
This has been an evolving and experimental process in itself. At one point I wound my own pick ups, they were tiny single coil pick ups, one per string. Now there are 4 pickups on it, one bass pickup for the bass strings and 3 pickups for the guitar strings, two of which are piezo's. Each pickup has it's own discrete output which is sent to my pedals. The pickups are chosen to give a blend of acoustic body resonance, string buzz, and magnetic pickup tone.

I noticed you have two amps, one on the left and one on the right of the stage: do you route the Gass outputs hard left and right to get this huge sound?
The two amps are identical. Arone and I built them (she’s handy too), but I'm actually only playing through one and Arone plays through the other. I do however have a separate bass amp that the bass strings are being amplified through.

What pedals do you have and what functions do they have?
I have some preamp and mixing pedals I built to blend the different pickups in the Gass, and then some distortion and pitch shifting pedals. I'm also starting to mess with hexaphonic pickups and incorporating MIDI in the Gass so I can play synth sounds.

Are you planning to make it sing one day, so you can get rid of the only band mate you have left?
This band couldn’t exist without Arone. I’m just trying to keep up with everything she’s doing; I’m like her backing band.

Do you also build your own distrotion and pitch shifting pedals?
I build distortion pedals and some JFet mixers that we use to blend the multiple outputs from the Gass and the Buke. I haven’t tried pitch-shifting pedals yet, for that we use Whammy pedals.

What is special about the Buke?
The Buke started as a baritone ukelele which we modified to hold 6 strings instead of 4. It's basically a mini guitar. It has a really nice tone.

How many outputs does it have?
2 outputs. It has a magnetic pickup and a piezo, with outputs for each.

Did you also create that Kick Drum? Does it have a name?
We just keep adding things to the kick drum to make its sound have a wider range. When I record other bands I like to place a snare drum near the kick drum to give it some rattle and sizzle, so permanently mounting a snare in my kick drum was an obvious progression.

What’s the weirdest instrument you built for the Blue Man Group? Did they ask you to build stuff they were envisioning or you just came up with it?
There were many. A lot of tuned percussion made of PVC plumbing pipe that looks more like sculptures, wearable ‘backpack’ percussion instruments made of flexible tubing, electric Zithers with 86 strings, even a percussion instrument that shot plumes of smoke. I also designed weird MIDI controllers and software for their instruments.
Working for them was collaborative in that I invented things that would work for their particular aesthetic and theatrical needs. Some things I came up with myself, others were re-designs of things they had already created.

I guess you were working in a team with other “instrument inventors”... is there anybody else of your ex colleagues who is creating instruments you would recommend checking out?
Actually, I was the only “instrument guy”. There was a team of us at the shop: some did special effects, props, set design, costume, and I did the instruments. But we all worked together to incorporate our different skills into whatever project we were working on at a given time.

Do you have any other ideas for “monster instruments” you are dreaming about building?
Someday I’d like to build a mechanical drum machine, or make the Gass sound like a symphony. I have some ideas for generative software controlled by the Gass or any stringed instrument that could trigger alternate melodies or counterpoint. Of course I’ll one day build a Harpsichord, but that’s when I’m an old guy.

Have you ever thought about creating a company of custom monster instruments?
That’s what I’ve been working on this past year—it’s called Polyphonic Workshop. It includes a recording studio, and my workshop for developing and fabricating new instruments, amplifiers, recording equipment, and whatever else I want to build. The idea is to take custom orders or collaborate with creative people on musical projects, anything ranging from building a ribbon microphone to large-scale experimental musical adventures. When I was a kid I was inspired by Laurie Anderson’s use of technology and weird instruments, like her tape violin. I’d love to work with other artists and musicians to create new ways of making music.

When will you guys be able to shake your ass while playing? It’s just about loading that kick on your shoulders afterall...

We’re too busy playing. That’s what you’re there for.