Jon: Bass
Jon Carder, Bass and Backing Vocals
At the age of 14, I knew I wanted to play bass. I'm not really sure why but I remember my favorite song at the time was Good by Better Than Ezra which has a very easy, noticeable, and straightforward bass line. Some of my friends at the time were drummers and guitarists so naturally we needed a bass guitarist and I had a desire to learn. For my 15th birthday I asked my parents for a bass guitar. My birthday wish came true and I was on the road to become a rock star.
I took lessons to learn the basics and how to play so we immediatly started a band. We thought we were awesome but I'm sure we needed help at the time. My parents let us set up a practice area in their basement and put up with our noise for the remainder of my high school days. Our senior year (1999), we even recorded our original songs at a studio. All four of us went off to college and we only played two or three times after that.
I went to college at Shippensburg University. In 2002, I started up with a band called Fused. One of my good friends was singing for them and they needed a bass player as the group was going through some lineup changes. I had a lot fun and really increased my skills and professionalism as a bass player. Fused was a high quality band with a big sound and experienced musicians. It was very similar to S.O.S in style and our overall goals as a cover band. There came a point where Fused then went through some changes as well in 2009. Some members left the band on a good note for personal reasons. We struggled to find a good vocalist and keep the right guitarist during our rebuilding time. The remaining three members spent over a year trying to start another band with little success.
I decided to look elsewhere as it was driving me crazy that I went so long without playing in a full working band. I auditioned with a number of bands but didn't find the right fit. In February of 2010, I responded to an ad in Craig's List which Jon posted. We sent a couple emails to each other and realized we had very similar ideas about a cover band. I asked for a setlist and auditioned that week. The chemistry between the band was truely AWESOME. We sounded like we've played together for years. They asked me to join the band that night and I was thrilled to accept.
I have a son named Lucas who was born in June of 2009. I know Lucas is going to share the same love for music as I do. He likes to jam and bob his head to rock music. He likes to hear me play guitar and he can't keep his hands off my guitars on their stands. My wife, Marcie, and I would like to have more children in the future.
Influences
I'm truely influenced by all types of music and so many different bands. My favorite band is Shinedown. My love is with the 80's hair bands, alternative music from the 90's, and current hard rock of today. There are to many bass guitarists I like to name. I love the unique sounds you get from a bass guitar and the different styles.
Gear
I play Ibanez Bass Guitars. I love the sound and low action. I run my basses through a stack of Harke XL amps:
- One 15" cabinet
- Four 10" cabinets
- Four 5" cabinets
- 150 watt head on top
I also play through a wireless system so I am not restricted while on stage. Yes of course I have a tuner which is the only pedal I use. I've tried distortion, flanger and delay pedals but I just like the natural sound of the bass guitar. I don't even like to use a pick.
