At Bass Empire, we aim to highlight bass players from all walks of life, exploring their musical journeys and experiences. We spoke with Mikel Artieda, a bassist from the Basque Country, in Spain. Known for his collaborations with various Basque artists and the celebrated Spanish singer Mikel Erentxun, Mikel is currently completing his Master’s in Jazz at the Musikene School. He offers us a glimpse into his career, his equipment choices, and his unique playing style.
When asked about his beginnings, Mikel shared, “I started with the bass in my village’s dance orchestra using a borrowed Höfner Club. My first bass was a Rickenbacker 3001.” His formal music education began with the accordion, which helped him understand the bass system. “I studied on my own using a classical method by Rafael de la Vega but advanced significantly with my teachers Daniel Copquin and Chema Vilchez in Madrid, moving to the four-fret system,” he explained.
Mikel proudly presented his current instrument, a BIDAI, a compact seven-string model from the Basque luthier Egilegor Basses. “When I saw it, I thought it would be a great tool for composing. I recorded an album with it where the melodies are played on the bass,” he said.
This instrument features a 35-32 inch scale with 24 frets and 17mm string spacing, tuned to BEADGBE. Designed with an ergonomic shape for better body adaptation, the neck has an asymmetric shape, and the fingerboard is flat with no radius, including block inlays and stainless steel frets. Equipped with two double-way truss rods with titanium reinforcements, neodymium humbuckers with various selection miniswitches, and a Delano Sonar 3 preamp, this bass offers a versatile and wide sonic range. The knob layout includes volume, balance, bass, mid, treble, and a passive tone.
Discussing his equipment, Mikel mentioned, “I use just a small compressor and a bit of delay or drive with a 300-watt amplifier or directly to the mixing console. I feel the bass is always at the service of the overall song. I like using diatonic patterns across four frets and inverted extended triads. It’s an interesting, visually broken language,” he described.
Currently, Mikel is involved in several musical projects. “I have my own project ‘Mikel Artieda & Zazpiketers’ with the BIDAI bass as the melodic centre. I’m also the bassist for the neo-soul band ‘Maestro Mutante’,” he shared. His career highlight so far has been performing at the Staples Center in Los Angeles at a Latin rock festival with Mikel Erentxun and Duncan Dhu. He also toured the USA and Mexico. “I’ve completed a course on Hotmart titled ‘Electric Bass: Keys to Building Lines and Improvising’,” he added.
One memorable experience Mikel recounted was at a Basque folk music concert. “A drummer from another group told me it was evident that I liked Jaco Pastorius, even though the music style was simple folk,” he laughed.
For those interested in following Mikel’s work or listening to his music, he can be found on Spotify.
