I was very lucky to have come up as young musician in Topeka, KS in the late 70s and through the 80s.  All the musicians in the area were fantastic.  One bunch in particular called themselves Alchemy.  My path was never the same after that.  Their music was powerful and violent and beautiful.  The bassist was one Mr Chris Myers.  His mighty, cutting style bore the influence of another bass playing Chris.  But his style, ensemble attitude and soaring vocal contributions were all his own.  In the ensuing years, I was able to play with Chris in another band (So What!) and at his request I was honored to construct a bass for him – The Granville Pete.  We join Mr Myers now for his “20 Questions With Scooter”.

Discuss your earliest musical memories.

Who or what compelled you to pick up guitar?

My Dad. He was one of those gifted individuals that could play anything. I still have the acoustic he gave me.

Who was your main bass guitar influence?

Chris Squire

Have you ever been influenced by non-guitar music or players?

Since I also sing, there have been many vocalists that that have inspired me. First was Ian Gillan of DEEP PURPLE, and Robert Plant. But David Coverdale was the main guy. When he joined DEEP PURPLE with Glenn Hughes, it was vocal nirvana. I had the privilege of seeing them live in Oklahoma City. Now David Draiman is the man. Pure power with incredible control. Sharon Den Adel of WITHIN TEMPTATION is truly amazing, as is Lzzy Hale.

Describe the local music scene where you came up.

I grew up in Hutchinson, KS. Surprisingly, there was a great rock bar there that got all the bands passing through the Midwest. I played there many times. But local talent was minimal. The band I started was the local music scene!

Discuss some highlights of your playing career.

I have been blessed to play with some outstanding musicians. The whole band ALCHEMY fell into that category. Stupidly talented mates. And we were so close to getting a deal with GEFFEN RECORDS with Jeff Glixman (KANSAS) as our producer and Derek Sutton (ROBIN TROWER, STYX) as our manager. In fact, Derek told me once that I reminded him so much of Chris Squire it was scary. Of course at that time I was playing a Rickenbacker at a thousand notes a minute so I’m sure the similarity was there! And then with my current band, CRISIS 3.0, getting to do an outdoor festival in Colorado with Def Lepard, Saliva, Styx, and Quiet Riot, plus others. Hearing my bass rig in front of 25,000 people through a 300,000 watt PA gave me serious wood.

Are you proficient on any other instruments?

Not really. I like to dink on keyboards, play a little guitar. Bass is my thing.

Talk about a turning point at any time in your career.

Losing ACHEMY about killed me. Horrible time in my life. I did a couple of bands after that, notably SO WHAT. After that ended, I took a few years off. Then Steve Kuker and I decided it was time to rock hard, and CRISIS was born.

Discuss your current gig.

CRISIS 3.0 is a hard rock, hit you in the mouth, bit of subtle brutality. Lonnie West is hands down the best guitar player I have ever played with. Steve Kuker is the drummer extraordinaire, complete with Queensryche vocals, while I do the rock vocals and play all the brown notes. We have been at it about 10 years now, still a blast.

Where and how often do you perform?

CRISIS 3.0 is all original, so we only do concerts. KC is blessed to have some great venues catering to original bands. We are currently working on our 3^rd album, so we will not be out playing for a bit.

Any non-musical ventures you’d like it to discuss?

NAH

Discuss your practice regimen.

CRISIS usually gets together once a week to work on material.

Do you work a “regular” job?

Yep.

At what point did you think you could make a living at music?

I was 13. Playing was my living for many years, and then I got to where I liked things…..like food, shelter.

Tell us about your favorite guitar.

PETE! Custom bass from GRANVILLE. (Shameless plug inserted).

Talk a little about your current rig.  Preferred strings?  Picks?  Tuning?

I had been an Ampeg guy for years. My rig had grown to two SVT II Pro rackmount heads with a SVT III Pro as a backup, powering 2 SVT 810 cabs and 1 SVT 215 cab. Rig of the Gods that weighed half a ton. Looked intimidating on any stage and was a bass players dream. But my back has learned the error of my ways. I now use a Gallien Krueger 550 Hybrid head with a GK 412 NEO cab plus 2 GK 410 NEO cabs powered with a Carvin B2000. Rig is thick with tone and gut. I rarely use it all now, though. Depends on the gig. For strings, I use Ernie Ball 40-130 with Dunlop heavy picks. CRISIS standard tuning is half step down.

What piece of gear is essential to your playing?

I love my Sansamp pedal. Adds just the right grit and crunch.

Describe your proudest moment as a musician.

Seeing my son playing bass on stage with a damn good metal band.

If given the chance, what non musical profession would you be interested in?

I think being the beach chair rental guy sounds good.

What beloved, legendary artist do you just not “get”?

Kayne West, Jay Z, Lil’ Wayne…..do you see the pattern?