The ESP Guitar Company

Photo by Paige Ramsey (Paigeramsey.com)

As a new member of the ESP artist family, Jared MacEachern of Machine Head is a bit unique. Until 2008, Jared was more known for his work as a guitarist and vocalist of Sanctity, but in 2013 he shifted back to bass and became a member of Machine Head. Below, he shares his perspectives and experiences on playing ESP.

What led you to discovering ESP guitars and basses?

JM: I’ve been aware of ESP ever since Metallica’s Binge & Purge live album in the early ‘90s. I’m a big fan of Metallica, and I was always checking out Kirk’s rad guitars. As far as playing ESP and LTD, when I was in my old band Sanctity, around 2006-2007, I was playing the EX. I loved that guitar. Since then, I've loved seeing the ESP Custom Shop guitars with the angels and machine guns, they're amazing!

Most guitarists find out it’s not as easy as they thought to switch over to bass. How was it for you?

JM: Actually, I have always been a bass player. I’ve played bass since I was 12. Sanctity was the only band I ever played guitar in. After we were done with that, I took a little hiatus and decided that bass is really my instrument. I feel comfortable and competent playing bass, and I wanted to be a 100% bass player and hold that position.

What ESP bass are you playing?

JM: I’m playing the E-II J-4. I love that bass. I’ve always been a fan of the J-style bass. Going back to high school, I had one for years. The J-4 is super comfortable, and its very versatile for the stuff I was playing. It’s a classic shape, but it translates very well to modern metal.

How’s the playing feel of the E-II J-4?

JM: In terms of feel, the neck is really important. I prefer a smaller neck, which the J-4 has. I love that it’s maple.

We’ll assume the J-4’s tone works for you, but tell us about it anyway.

JM: When you have the chambered ash body working in combination with the pickups, it comes alive. It sounds like a monster that ate a Ferrari and a metal shredder. It’s growly, but also really bright. The string-thru-body makes a big difference. It transfers sound very well.

What’s it like as an artist to be part of the ESP family?

JM: I always make a joke that everybody and their brother is signed to ESP, but there’s a reason for that. There are a lot of serious dudes with ESP. You guys know how to take care of your people, and you can do anything that anyone asks you to do, from paint schemes to neck shapes and everything in between. You guys can do everything.

We all know that practice makes musicians better, but most players aren’t very disciplined in their studies. Any advice for them?

JM: Everybody knows practice is a very important part. Here’s a story: I was in high school at a local show, and these guys were doing progressive metal. I went up to the bass player afterwards and as like, “Dude, how’d you get so good?” He said, “Practice.” I shoulda known that. But I have a terrible time practicing. What I do instead is learning on my own. With YouTube and the Internet as a whole, you can find anyone you want to teach you to play. I like to sit down and learn songs, and figure out as much as I can by ear. That can give me pretty immediate results. When you learn technique, you don’t necessarily get to use it right away. But learning a new song gives you immediate gratification. You do that and you’re like, “This is why I play music.”