Hiro Miura Interview (2/3)

"Future of multiple stringed bass"

PCI: In the bass guitar market, 6 strings are becoming more common and we are expecting bass with even more strings to be introduced. How do you feel about this trend?
Hiro: I always thought 6 strings is the limit for bass but I recently started working on 7 strings bass by request from a customer. So now, I think 7 strings is the limit. I have seen 8~12 strings bass in the recent years but they are for very limited users, and I think of them as different instrument compared to bass I build. They are not to be played in a band because they are more for solo performances. Of course there are people that use these instruments with a band, but it would be for a "bass oriented band" and probably have the tendency to be musically unique. I personally believe bass should hold the bottom of the band, so I think 7 strings is enough. When I watched 12 string bass performances by Eve Calbourn (From P.68) I don't see it as a bass but a new instrument. I think this trend will grow stronger and will introduce new instrument and new music to the market. Instruments are there for the music, so if a new style of music is born, it will be necessity to create new instrument to perform the new music, but speaking in reality, there is not enough pickup, strings and bridge for these new instruments. The development for these necessary parts would be the future challenge. You can make your own pickups but strings and bridges are hard to make.

PCI: What is your focus point in building multiple stringed bass?
Hiro: With multiple stringed bass, obviously the neck needs to be very durable since there are more pressures to the neck from the strings. It's not just about making a hard and firm neck, it also needs to have smooth trust rod movement to adjust the neck. We also need to choose the re-enforcement material, but this is still at an experimental phase for us. We have to adjust the sound quality of each string as well. For each strings, the sound should be consistent below and above 12th fret. What I focus on the most is, when the musicians play my instrument I want them to be able to enjoy the music without being too conscious of "playing the instrument." For example, when you put the strap on, the instrument's head should not tilt down - this is one of the unavoidable problems in multiple stringed bass. I strive to make the instrument as light as possible, but as long as the balance is good when it's on the strap, the instrument should not feel too heavy. So when I have a slightly heavier body, I focus on this balance so the instrument will stay in the most playable position.

"Meaning behind the 'X'"

PCI: Why did Xotic start with bass?
Hiro: At the time, there weren't many boutique bass manufacturers. It was the beginning of the "bass movement" and famous manufacturers like Ken Smith, Fodera and Tobias were becoming known and there were also powerful new companies like F-Bass. In the shop I shared with Taku, there was also Chinese-American bass builder Nicholas Tang. When 3 of us would sit down to talk, we realized, "Guitar players are more conservative and are not too interested in new designs and technologies. On the other hand, bass players are much more open to new things." And since I have always wanted to try new things with original designs, my decision was made to start with the bass.

PCI: Doe the name Xotic reflect the fact that you are Japanese?
Hiro: American's would naturally put his own name on their product, but I was too shy to do that. Since I was using a very rare exotic wood for the top, I thought "Exotic" would be a good name. I thought it has a mysterious and oriental ring to it. I guess you can say it has a Japanese element to it. I used "Xotic" because "X" feels like it has an infinite possibilities. And also, doesn't it catch your attention that there is no "E"? It's not "Exotic Japan." (lol)

PCI: Affluent material of the US and precise technique of a Japanese... this is a very attractive collaborations.
Hiro: Yes. I feel blessed as a builder. I have access to many materials I would never have in Japan, and since Los Angeles has such low humidity, it has the best climate for building instruments. Japanese builders have great techniques, but when it comes to instruments, there are many builders here that have great techniques as well. Unfortunately when it comes to instruments that are mass-produced in the factory, ones made in the US do have the tendency to have that "sloppy" feeling, but this is not true for individual guitar builders. I believe they could be better than the Japanese. Their designs and architects that are inspired by such free mind-set often surprise me. I learned so much from many guitar builders I have come to known in the US, and I wish to continue evolving my own product by taking in everything that I have learned from them.