Nathan East | Yamaha

To put it simply, Nathan East is a bass player that you’ve been listening to all your life without even realising it. One of the most recorded bass players in the world, East’s career has spanned decades and stretches across musical styles. Possessing skills that smash through genre boundaries and stereotypes, East has worked with artists across the musical spectrum throughout his career, including Quincy Jones, Eric Clapton and George Harrison, as well as Beyoncé, Daft Punk and even Andrea Bocelli.

Like many of the great bass players out there, East didn’t discover the bass guitar until his teenage years; initially learning to play the cello, which he played in his school orchestra. East earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the University of California; however, his music career started much earlier than that when, at age 16, he found himself touring with Barry White as part of a band called Power. This launched East into the big time and for the last 40 years, East’s list of collaborations reads like a ‘who’s who’ of the all-time music greats.

As well as being an established member of Eric Clapton’s studio and touring bands since the 1980s, East was also one of the founding members of the contemporary jazz band, Four Play which he launched in 1991 with Bob James, Lee Ritenour and Harvey Mason. East’s extraordinary talent continues to transcend generations, which led to him recording the bass line for Daft Punk’s massive hit ‘Get Lucky’ in 2013, which won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. More recently, East finally released his own self-titled solo album which saw him collaborate with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton and Ray Parker Jr. and included songs co-written with his brother, Marcel East.

East has had a strong relationship with Yamaha Entertainment Group for over 30 years and has developed various bass guitars with them in that time. A custom 5-string bass guitar signature model (the BBNE) came first, followed by the second signature bass (the BBNE2) in 2001. Inspired by East’s skill, Yamaha also introduced the NE1 Parametric EQ Pedal (also known as the ‘Magic Box’) in the early 21st century, which enabled bass players to use the ‘Nathan East EQ Curve’ on any bass guitar, clearly demonstrating the impact that East has had on the music industry across the globe.

Want to stand out in the crowd? Check out this exceptional eye-catching 6-string number.

 

YAMAHA TRB 6P

Serial Number IJ20043
Colour Trans Red
Body Finish Gloss
Body Wood Maple
Neck Finish Gloss
Neck Wood Maple/Mahogany
Fretboard Ebony
Frets 24
Scale Length 34’
Weight 10lbs5oz/4.7kgs
Electronics Active
Pickups Bartolini

Facts and links about Yamaha Bass Guitars and Nathan East

  1. Yamaha first started producing electric bass guitars in 1966, with the first guitar being the SB-2, (originally named the B201).
  2. See Nathan East on the Yamaha BBNE2 and Lee Ritenour perform ‘Morning Glory’ here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaBLl1OhZNk
  3. Nathan East also plays a Yamaha SLB200 Silent Upright Bass, which you can check out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U-SBwI3Nkc
  4. Watch East playing Steve Wonder’s ‘Sir Duke’ at an event when Stevie himself drops by: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy3bz3cF6Z4
  5. East continues to tour the world, with a series of dates with Eric Clapton taking place this year (2022).