Paul's basses:
Referring to Paul’s basses is a bit of a misnomer, since he never actually owned one. All of his instruments were borrowed, though some were more frequently used than others.
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Late 60’s Kawai K2B, a.k.a., "Kindling"
This bass belongs to Chris, and is still in his collection, but heavily modified. When used by Paul , it was in mostly original condition, with a floating bridge and tailpiece added by a previous owner. By the time Narcissism was being recorded, Chris had covered it with a graphic of a fish made of gold wrapping paper with the words “fish don’t have any feelings” emblazoned across the top in stick-on vinyl letters, and he remounted the original "ashtray" bridge at some point as well.
This was used on Happy Punk Workout, and for early rehearsals, as well as by Chris on the Narcissism version of "14 People”. After that, though, it was pretty much retired, but it did see some use by Chris in later projects.
Most recently, it was pulled out of storage and used by Leon on one track of Deluxe Tree Stand.
Late 80s Memphis 306
This bass in its current condition.
By far the most frequently seen bass in Paul’s hands, this belonged to his good friend and roommate, Dave Beauchamp. Dave was inspired to play bass by Phil from Crayon (the same guy who sold Chris his first Marshall), and while Dave did use it for a couple of gigs, it became so ubiquitous to Paul’s onstage image that some people thought Dave was borrowing it from him.
Purchased at Everyday Music in Farmington, Maine, it’s from the era that Japanese guitars were becoming pricey and makers were shuffling through various far eastern countries trying to find a builder that could make affordable gear that was worth owning. Nowadays, China has cornered this market, but at that point, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, and Korea were all taking a crack at it.
This bass was also used by Chris to record “Bug”, as well as live versions of “14 People”, and Aaron used it both in the studio and on stage for “STaLE”.
For over 30 years, the exact model number and country of origin of this bass were not only unknown, but unfindable. The quick version of the story is that Memphis was around for decades, finally shuttering around the time this bass was built, though the instruments left in warehouses were still being distributed to shops well into the early 2000s. Given their status as affordable guitars without any special mojo, they don't have any "awesome cheap guitar" cred, and a general lack of company records leaves what enthusiasts may emerge hitting dead ends. As a result, there are no "I love Memphis guitars" forums or websites like Teisco, Tokai, or Hondo have.
On top of that, Dave gave his away years ago so there was no information to be found there.
BUT, in spring of 2024, Chris found the same model with a different finish on Reverb, and, with very little prompting, Paul bought it.
The original stickers were still on the back of the headstock and neck plate, confirming once and for all the details of this iconic Amoebas instrument: it's a 306, built in Korea, most likely in 1989 although that cannot be confirmed.
After a thorough setup by Chris, including returning a few parts to the original spec, Paul finally owns a bass.
It only took 31 years.
Paul's replacement Memphis.
1992 Mexican Fender Precision Bass
This was actually Todd’s bass, borrowed for the Narcissism sessions along with his brother Tony’s China cymbal. As can be seen on his page, Todd had a pair of P Basses, but this was his main one. Every track except “14 People” used this instrument.
Late 70s/Early 80s Masada Master Bass (similar model pictured)
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Used only for the “So Do i” sessions, this was another loaner from a friend. Paul had moved out of Dave’s house, yet still was able to find a bass when he needed one. On this recording, he used this Japanese "lawsuit" copy of a Fender Jazz Bass. Like all of the "lawsuit" instruments, it hails from the late 70s or early 80s, and was a shockingly well built piece of music gear given its affordability.
The only known photo of Paul with this bass.
2001 Musicman Stingray
This is Chris’ main bass, and he still uses it regularly. While not a custom piece per se, it was ordered via the “build your own” function that Musicman offered at the time and according to them is unique. The only real difference between this and a stock Stingray of the same era is the omission of the midrange control, since Chris doesn’t like them. Therefore, this has the ‘vintage style’ two-band EQ control, which apparently also has different shelving contours than the modern three-band version. Paul used this for the ten year reunion show, and it can be clearly heard on the two live tracks that close out No Celebrity.
Paul's Bass Amps:
Unknown practice amp
Most likely included with the Memphis as a starter set, this tiny little amp with what appears to be an 8” speaker was used for most of the early practices and recording Not Quite Human. It was most likely a Crate B10XL with the name plate removed, though we will never know– Paul’s memory is notoriously bad, though Chris’ is decent, and if he doesn’t remember what it was, nobody will.
It did get pushed to the limit pretty much constantly; how it kept up with such a loud drummer as Aaron is a mystery. More often than not it was placed up on something to get it closer to ear level, and thus make it more present in the room. As can be heard on those early recordings, though, it sounded really good! The fact that even a non-bassist like Aaron could get a great tone out of Paul’s rig with no effort is a testament to the quality of this miniscule powerhouse.
Gorilla GG20
Used on Happy Punk Workout, this was Chris' first guitar amp. Paul used it on that recording due to his inability to borrow the Memphis and his usual amp, since Dave was using them that weekend.
In typical fashion, Paul rolled with the situation, even taking advantage of the built-in distortion on "Pro-Zak" (though he has to stop playing momentarily to turn it on).
Fender Bassman 60
This is the amp that backlined pretty much every Farmington show, and was eventually bought by Chris. Most of the photos from that era show Paul using this amp, and like the Memphis bass, there were a few people that thought it was his and others were borrowing it.
As the name implies, it's a 60 watt combo with a 15" speaker. It's a little surprising that Paul used this so much; he usually preferred a tighter, bright sound and this amp was rather loose and murky sounding. But, it was the default amp for most of the players in that little punk scene, so it was more of a "beggars can't be choosers" situation.
Laney Bass Head with 8x10” cabinet
This was the house bass amp at The Outlook and was used to track all of Narcissism. The exact model is unknown, but memory suggests that it was from the Pro Bass series.
Acoustic B120-115K (similar model pictured)
The one piece of bass gear Paul actually did own was this amp. Purchased during a trip around the Lewiston, Maine pawn shops that used to adorn Lisbon street, it was a great amp until it died a few weeks after he bought it. The speaker blew, and while replacements are now easy to find and affordable, that was not the case in 1994.
For Paul’s last gig/birthday party, It was used as a preamp to sculpt the tone via the graphic EQ before going out of the line out and into the Bassman. If memory serves, Paul just left it behind at a former apartment.
It’s kind of a pity that this amp is gone; these are now very collectable. But, it seems like a lot of the gear the guys used was quirky, rare, or held unknown value. As Alanis Morissette and thousands of others put it, “you live, you learn”.
An extremely rare photo of this amp
Kustom K150-6 [similar model pictured]
Paul brought this amp to the studio for “So Do i”, though it tragically died before he got to use it. Therefore, he ended up using the same Laney he used on Narcissism. Borrowed surreptitiously from the music room of the local college, it was returned there afterwards, where it was eventually repaired. 75 Watts, with one 15” speaker and the legendary cosmetics of the tuck and roll covering and the purple jewel light, these are fairly common and still pretty affordable. Having said that, it was easily the coolest looking amp Paul used over his tenure with The Amoebas.
Peavey Mark IV and Ampeg 8x10”
Like Chris’ Stingray, this was used at the ten year anniversary reunion show. Provided by Roma guitarist Devon Irish, there’s not a lot to say about it. It’s a Peavey Mark series, they sound good and are pretty much bulletproof. Their reputation is well earned, and this was no exception.
Paul’s effects:
Ibanez TS10 Tube Screamer [similar model pictured]
Another example of an “it was cheap, now it’s collectable” piece, this made its debut on “Jingle Bell Mosh” before it was used on Narcissism by both Paul and Chris, though Chris turned up the gain for “14 People”. When Paul used it, it was more of a mild growl, though he rarely employed it as it tended to make his hyperactive runs “kinda blurry”, so it was reserved for very basic parts like “Before” (it's most noticeable on "Mindless"). Like much of his gear, it was probably borrowed, since he did not have it the summer after Narcissism was released.
DOD FX72 Bass Flanger [similar model pictured]
Like the P Bass, this was borrowed from Todd and used liberally on Narcissism. “Before", "Plastic Heart”, “Matter”, “Postapocalyptic”, “Coat Rack”, and “Frog” all get some of this pedal’s special sauce.
ProCo Vintage Rat Reissue (similar model pictured)
Borrowed from the Outlook's adjacent store, this is the same pedal used to distort the vocals on "Before".
Paul used this on "Postapocalyptic", replacing the parts he'd recorded a few months prior. Unlike the Tube Screamer, there is no midrange peak built into this pedal, so Paul's frenetic style comes through nicely. He used the Memphis for this, since he gave Todd back his P Bass long before these sessions were even booked. It was recorded direct into the board with no amp, at the same time Aaron was doing his snare overdub. The clean parts with the flanger are still the Fender, though.
He would employ this again for "Fast Car" and "Non Sequiter" on the "So Do I" single, but not set for as aggressive a tone.
Note: photos exist of Paul using a vintage DOD FX55 Distortion and an FX75B Flanger at some gigs, but these were never used to record anything.
Strings and picks:
Whatever was on the bass
Dunlop Tortex .60mm standard