There’s comical bands (Gwar), there’s parody bands (Steel Panther), and there’s clever combinations of both (Mac Sabbath). The Italian-Australian Donny Benét is none of those and all of those at the same time. His polished compositions, breezy rhythms, and funky fretwork are no laughing matter. Instead, Donny is the joke … or is he?
“I thought, “What would I think if I saw some bald, chubby dude shredding on bass and fretless?’ I’d be like ‘hell yeah,’ so I might as well be the guy that’ll do it,” explains Benét.
Donny (born Ben Waples) is from a musical family in Sydney, Australia. He grew up performing on several instruments, became classically trained on piano, and earned a master’s degree in double bass. The fluent musician started a career as a jazz bassist for various artists in Sydney, and eventually shifted to an experimental jazz/electronica band, Triosk. While both endeavors were challenging and rewarding, Ben wasn’t having fun. After Triosk disbanded, Waples continued writing and recording on his own. It started with Cubase and a Line 6 DL4 that gave him 48-second loops. He started making “Donny Benét” joke songs. His friends and family continued encouraging him to make more, and before he knew it he had enough material to create Don’t Hold Back. (To this day he still records all the parts except saxophone, played by his brother Daniel Waples.) And through his passion for creating music combined with his love for ’70s funk and R&B—he mentions his introduction to electric bass was via a VHS tape featuring Larry Graham, Bernard Edwards, and Nile Rodgers—infused with the aesthetic and aura of Itala-disco performers, Donny Benét was born.
“I’m a seriously trained jazz musician in a prior life, and I try not to take myself too seriously now, but I’m deadly serious about taking the piss out of myself. I like humor, but I definitely don’t make joke music,” states Benét.
Since 2011, he’s released six albums, all showing an evolution and refinement of the Don. Each release has revealed a new part of Benét's infinite swagger, blending influences of Prince, Alan Vega, Lou Reed, Tom Jones, and, of course, James Jamerson, “Duck” Dunn, and the funk forefathers. Yes, Donny B can sweep you off your feet, but that’s because one thing reigns supreme—the music.
“With Donny I’ve always taken the approach of ‘what would I listen to?’ I started there and I continue to follow it. If no one likes it, that’s fine, so long as I like it. If someone else likes it, even better,” says Benét.
Before his headlining gig at Nashville’s Basement East, Donny B welcomed PG’s Chris Kies onstage to chat about his minimal-but-musical setup. Benét explains the origins of “Donny,” covers his custom Furlanetto 4-string and why he calls it “probably the best live instrument I got,” and discusses scoring tons of gear when the exchange rate presents deals.
Brought to you by D’Addario Pedalboard Essentials: & D’Addario"It's Probably the Best Live Instrument I Got."
Benét has been a longtime fan of Steve Swallow. He recalled seeing the bass legend perform with an “F” bass and assumed it was Fodera. He later learned it stood for F Bass, founded by George Furlanetto in 1978. During a tour that was taking him from Toronto to Chicago, Donny B swung by F Bass HQ in Hamilton, Ontario, to check out their instruments. He left the shop without a new companion, but later connected with current owner Marcel Furlanetto and spec’d out this beauty that he stylized after “an ’80s high-end custom bass.” So, he had to have the two-tone body decked out with gold hardware (with a Hipshot D Tuner), a 5-piece neck with stringers, an ebony fretboard, Aguilar AG 4 P/J-HC set pickups, and a custom F Bass 9V preamp with bass, mid, and treble boost. Though the custom F has a P-J setup, Benét notes that during the U.S. tour he’s been playing it more as a P, and because of its versatile setup he can approximate many of the basses in his collection, depending on pickup selection and EQ. He claims that every note is even and it’s a FOH engineer’s dream to mix because it’s so clear and present. The F uses La Bella RX-S4D Rx Stainless Roundwound Bass strings (.045–.105).
Class D for B
Benét has toured the last decade and seen a growing (or shrinking) trend among bassists — smaller setups. He’s onboard with the travel-friendly rigs and has been using a Bergantino Forté HP 2 that has 1200W on tap and weighs just over 6 pounds. Donny mentions he gets most of the bass he needs for monitoring through his wedge, so he could’ve taken a 1x12, but the kind folks at Bergantino sent him through North America using a NXT410-C.
Donny Benét Pedalboard
Most of Donny’s “effects” come from his VF4’s EQ and playing style or attack, but when he needs to intensify or widen his core bass sound, he’ll tap on either the Boss OC-2 Octave or the DC-2W Waza Craft Dimension C chorus. A Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner keeps his Furlanetto in check. And everything rides on a Pedaltrain Metro 16 board.
Keymaster
He’s toured with a Moog Little Phatty (bad idea) and records a lot with a Sequential Prophet-6, but for these spring shows he brought over the Korg Monologue analog synthesizer. He’s used them all over the world, and after each run he sings their praises for being durable, dependable, and damn cheap. The best part is that it fits in his carry-on case.
Shop Donny Benét's Rig
Aguilar AG 4 P/J-HC Set Pickups
Boss DC-2W Waza Craft Dimension C
Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner
Pedaltrain Metro 16 Pedalboard
Korg Monologue Analog Synthesizer
La Bella RX-S4D Rx Stainless Roundwound Bass Strings (.045–.105)
Guitarist and producer Nile Rodgers has received virtually every significant honorific that exists for musical achievement. He’s a hall-of-famer twice over, having been inducted to both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He’s won six Grammys, including the prestigious Lifetime Achievement award.
The accolades hardly begin to capture how monumentally important and influential Rodgers’ music career has been. Since beginning with his disco-funk-rock fusion outfit Chic in 1972, Rodgers has been pioneering musical language that, among other things, sparked the advent of hip-hop. He’s also the producer who introduced the world to Stevie Ray Vaughan via Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.”
Rodgers invited John Bohlinger and the PG team to the Chic show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, where they met with his trusty tech Gert Marckx. Marckx took us through Rodgers’ streamlined touring rig, capped off with Rodgers’ holy grail guitar—the instrument that’s at least partially responsible for the sale of half a billion records around the world.Brought to you by D’Addario XPND Pedalboard.
Need To Make a Hit? Get a Hitmaker
Rodgers’ primary guitar since the ’70s is a 1960 Fender Stratocaster called “The Hitmaker.” We probably don’t need to spell out what it does.
Rodgers acquired the “The Hitmaker” when Chic was just starting out through a fateful trade at a guitar shop in Miami Beach. It features a 1959 neck paired with a 1960 alder body that’s just a touch smaller and more contoured than your average vintage Strat, and shortly after he got it, Rodgers refinished it in white as a tribute to Hendrix. (As you can tell, it's been a while since that initial refinish.) The custom ’59-profile one-piece maple neck has a 9.5” radius fingerboard, and medium jumbo frets.
Up Close with the Hitmaker
Here's some detailed shots of the 1960 Strat that's made the world shake their moneymakers.
Marckx keeps “The Hitmaker” strung with nickel wound D’Addario NYXL .009-.042 Super Lights, and Rodgers prefers D’Addario Duralin Standard Super Light Gauge .50mm picks.
Chip Off the Old Block
Rodgers tours with a backup guitar just in case the original “Hitmaker” should need some time off, but it’ll look pretty familiar.
His number two is his Fender artist model, the Nile Rodgers Hitmaker Stratocaster. It sports the same appointments as its predecessor: a Slim Alder body with special contours, a ’59-profile one-piece maple neck with a 9.5” radius fingerboard, medium jumbo frets and a satin finish.
Rodgers keeps his factory standard, with Fender’s own Nile Rodgers Hitmaker Single-Coil Strat Pickups, hard-tail bridge, and locking tuners. And like the original, junior here stays strung with D’Addario NYXL .009-.042 Super Lights.Hitmaker's Helpers
On stage, Rodgers has two Fender Hot Rod Deville 410s behind him. Only one is in use at a time; the other is a backup.
Nile Rodgers' Pedalboard
Rodgers doesn’t drown his sound in effects, but he maintains a simple, sophisticated signal chain into his Hot Rod Deville. He uses a Pedaltrain Classic 2, loaded up with an Eventide PowerMax Power Supply. The Eventide feeds a Korg Pitchblack PB01 Chromatic Tuner, a Boss DD3 Digital Delay, an Ibanez CS9 Chorus, a Mad Professor “Snow White” AutoWah, an Ibanez TS808 “40th Anniversary” Tube Screamer, and a Jam Pedals “Wahcko” Wah Pedal. The stompboxes are all wired together with Reference Laboratory RIC-01 cabling.
Schmidt Array SA350
This double decker setup offers pro-level features within a road-worthy enclosure that has a hinged upper deck, IEC power socket, room for two custom patch bays, LED lights, and a USB rechargeable power pack.
Blackbird Feather Board
Available in a few different Tolex options, this barebones setup can carry about five regular-sized pedals. It also has two power bays for easy access and has a built-in loop top to keep your stomps secure.
MONO Pedalboard Small With Club Accessory Case 2.0
This sleek board that’s crafted entirely out of a single piece of lightweight aluminum offers a ton of flexibility due to the cutouts. The comfortable incline allows plenty of access to the back row of pedals and room to mount a power supply underneath.
Gator Small Pedalboard with Bag - 15.75"x7" Black
If you only need to pack a few pedals, this rugged setup might be the way to go. It has several cutouts for cabling, a mount underneath for a power supply, and it comes with a deluxe gig bag.
SKB 1SKB-PS-8 8-Port Pedalboard with Gig Bag
This low-profile setup contains an integrated power supply that can fuel up to eight pedals, plus it includes all the various cabling you’ll need to get up and going. Bonus: It also comes with a nylon gig bag with a shoulder strap.
SKB 1SKB-PS-8 8-Port Pedalboard with Gig Bag
This low-profile setup contains an integrated power supply that can fuel up to eight pedals, plus it includes all the various cabling you’ll need to get up and going. Bonus: It also comes with a nylon gig bag with a shoulder strap.
Voodoo Lab Dingbat Pedalboard - Small 18" x 7.75"
Crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum, this board weighs less than 3 pounds, is custom designed to work with Voodoo Lab power supplies, and comes with hook-and-loop mounting fasteners.
Pedaltrain Metro 20 20-inch x 8-inch Pedalboard with Soft Case
This three-rail system comes in at 20", which can likely handle up to nine pedals comfortably. Its durable, low-profile frame offers plenty of room for a power supply underneath and comes with both hook-and-rail tape and zip ties.
Boss BCB-30X Deluxe Pedal Board and Case
An ultra-portable board that is integrated with a hardshell carrying case and comes lined with high-density foam. You can even cut the foam to create a customized fit for your pedals.
D'Addario XPND Pedalboard - Small
Not sure how much space you'll need? This fully adjustable pedalboard can be customized to your current needs by simply expanding the available real estate. It stretches from 13.75" to 24.75" and comes with an inventive cable management system.
Temple Audio SOLO 18 Templeboard
Designed with an entirely modular approach, this board uses the company’s quick-release mounting system to keep your pedal secure and offers different modules to keep the inputs and outputs as streamlined as possible.