Mark Roberts

Japan, 1969. While in High School overseas I discovered the bass and what people like Jack Bruce, John Paul Jones, Tim Bogert, Paul McCartney, Mel Schacher and countless other influences could accomplish with it. My first gig at the base youth center in 1970 required that I learn all the tunes within 90 minutes of the performance. That accomplishment and it’s fallout helped me to land a spot with a local semi-pro guitarist and some successful gigs…but, the return to the States and college changed things. Through college, playing music offered some steady money, lots of experience and the opportunity to make life-long friends. I can remember returning from gigs, sitting shotgun in the van, 2AM with 2-3 hours travel time left, silence except for the music in my mind...music that I could not accomplish at the time, but now, 30+ years later, after many bands…interestingly, with one or more members somehow connected to the past…I am finally able to scratch the surface of my musical dreams by striking out on my own.

Thanks to thank Bill Conklin and Conklin Guitars for exposing me to 7-string electric bass guitars. After visiting his shop in 1998, I knew I had found the instrument that would provide the foundation for what I preferred to accomplish with the electric bass. A couple of Conklin and Roscoe 7’s later, I discovered Chris Stambaugh of Stambaugh Designs of Stratham, NH. We collaborated on some designs for a single-cut single-course 8-string and a double-cut 7-string. Chris is now preparing to craft a 9-string for me. Each bass is constructed in such a manner to offer easily differentiated tone.

To compose, I play synthesizers, use drum machines and play layered bass tracks for my recorded efforts and add backing tracks to my infrequent live (solo) performances. In 2004, I released my first solo effort, Voyage. It is a collection of emotive instrumental creations created by an analog-thinking mind in a digital world.

I invite you to listen to several selections from the CD which can be heard here: