Inside Transit Method’s “Othervoid”: Bassist Charlie Anderson on crafting deep, dynamic sounds

Transit Method, an Austin, TX-based rock quartet, blends elements of progressive rock, grunge, and heavy metal in their latest album Othervoid. We chat with bassist Charlie Anderson, who also performs as a live violinist with Panopticon, about his role in shaping the sound of Transit Method’s new record.

Anderson’s main instrument on the album, a Rickenbacker 4003 bass, was chosen for its straightforward, impactful sound. “I wanted something punchy, with plenty of bite and depth, without having to rely on an extensive pedalboard setup or high gain. I just wanted the instrument to cut through on its own, and the Rickenbacker does that for me in a way that is very signature, but also mixable. While it has never been the most comfortable neck, especially for more proggy and metal endeavours, I have always prioritised my sound over my comfort. That being said, it is a much more playable instrument now than it was when I first got it, thanks to a couple of mods and enhancements. I love it, and it feels like a true extension of me. We are inseparable now!”

Charlie then details the modifications that have made his Rickenbacker a staple in his arsenal: “It’s one of those instruments that’s like an old pick-up truck – I put a lot of love into it, and it takes a lot of work to maintain. The pickups and strings are stock. However, I do have two mods. First, I removed the infamous pickup guard and replaced it with a treble bezel, which has a nice nook to rest my thumb on. It also makes sure that the wiring for the pickups is not exposed. At the same time, I adjusted the action of the treble pickups to move them away from the strings and make the top-end bite less hot. I’m one of those guys who likes to play with all of the knobs cranked to 10, and know that it sounds the same each and every time! The second mod is one that was recommended to me by my buddy and fellow Rickenbacker warrior Dan Adams of the incredible Bat Lips. It’s called the Z-Mod. Essentially, it gives you a functional place to rest your thumb along the pick guard. Just a nice moulded piece of acrylic that screws into the existing holes for the standard pick guard. As someone who grew up playing P Basses, this was always something I missed. Between these two mods, the bass is all-around fun to play!”

Charlie also shares a unique moment on the album involving a second bass: “The other bass on the album makes an appearance for exactly one note. The divebomb ending of Another Wasted Life was done with a 6-string Squier bass, equipped with a whammy bar. I didn’t want to cop out by just sliding down the neck or something. I wanted the guitars and bass to all bottom out of existence together [laughs]!. So yes, technically two basses on the album.”

The bass player proceeds to detail the nuances of his equipment configuration, shedding light on the technical choices that shape the album’s sonic character: “Some people don’t know this, but Rickenbacker basses also have Rick-O-Sound, so the six-stringed folk don’t get all the fun! Basically, I plug in a TRS cable to the bass that splits into two mono cables at the other end. Each cable corresponds to a different pickup on the Rick – one for the bridge and one for the neck. I only put the treble pickup through any effects that I use and let the neck pickup go clean to the amp. The reason for this is that I find a lot of really cool fuzzes, distortion boxes, compressors, etc., tend to suck the life out of the lows, typically being designed for electric guitars. They sound amazing but can thin the sound sometimes. Even purpose-built bass pedals don’t always get away with it. Bypassing my pedalboard with the neck pickup allows me to add back the low end of the bass by blending the two channels together on the amp.”

“For my amp, I play a 70’s Bassman 100 amp that has the phase inverter removed. The amp has two channels, one ‘normal’ and one ‘bass’. The normal channel is modded to sound like a Fender Blackface, and the bass channel is modded to sound like a classic SVT. What’s amazing about the amp is that I can actually plug into both channels at the same time and blend the output. So one side of the Rick-O-Sound TRS goes to the bass channel, while the other passes through the pedalboard to the normal channel. Blend to taste, and voilà, that’s my bass sound.”

For the pedalboard, I actually only use one pedal, sparingly – I believe it was the SansAmp GT2 Tube Amp Emulator, set to Classic Mic, Hot Rodded, and California. There were no other pedals used on bass for the entire record. In the heavier moments of the album, this pedal was kicked on to match the grit of the guitars and maintain its place in the mix in more chaotic sections.”

The production approach was equally deliberate, with a focus on preserving the natural sound of the instruments. Anderson highlighted the collaborative effort with Charles Godfrey, the recording engineer, noting, “The bass tone is 100% amp tone, the whole time, period. We even went so far as to remove the SansAmp pedal from the chain entirely for sections where it wasn’t in use. My bass cab for the record was an Avatar 4×10, no clue what the cones are, but it sounds incredibly deep for being a 410. The mic Charles used was a Lawson L47. That’s it. Bass into amp, amp into cab, cab into mic. The amp has a generous amount of headroom, which gave Charles the ability to really control the EQ and dynamics in post with more ease. Because we were in total alignment on the sound and vision for the album, it was easy to commit at every step of the process with no fear.”

In terms of songwriting, Anderson described a disciplined approach to crafting bass parts, aiming to complement the band’s intricate guitar work without overshadowing it: “I never go too high for too long and tried to avoid solos or lead melody bass playing. If I wanted to do something intricate, my rule was that it had to stay glued to Mike’s snare and kick patterns. I tend to avoid placing thirds in the bass when possible, sticking to the root, 4th, and 5th when I can, always landing on the root on the downbeat. Having those guidelines in place is actually freeing for me, creatively. It ensures that any flourishes I add still allow me to fulfil the role of providing the chordal foundation of the song. Matt and Bryan are also shredding across the entire record, and I wanted to maintain focus on the guitar orchestration – it’s one of the biggest developments in Transit Method’s sound on this album, and I didn’t want to detract from that or pull focus away from where my ears naturally lean as a listener.”

Charlie discusses the nuanced approach to his bass playing on the album, highlighting a key aspect that varies from track to track: his choice between fingerstyle and using a pick: “Some people have very strong opinions on one versus the other, but I have always been ambivalent on this topic. For Othervoid, alternating between the two right-hand styles allowed me to lean into the songs and what they were asking for. On Another Wasted Life and Frostbite, the aggressive pick style really lets the bass snarl and roar past the guitars at key moments. It also changes the way I write parts – string changes, the speed of the bass lines, the dynamic range… Using a pick allows me to play with those variables in different ways. I love exploring the possibilities of the deep end. My main instrument is actually a violin, and it almost anti-informs my bass playing. Be the least lead instrument possible, the least violin that I can [laughs]!”

Reflecting on the band’s journey, Anderson acknowledged the evolution Transit Method underwent in reaching this point. “Transit Method has been a band for over a decade, hellbent on growth and evolution across its lifetime,” he explained. “With this lineup, we are writing the heaviest, boldest, best songs of the band’s career, and having the most fun I have ever had in a rock band all the while. I can’t wait to see where we take things on the next record.”

Othervoid, with its mix of aggression, melody, and complexity, represents the latest chapter in this ongoing story of artistic development.