MARTIN CLARKE :: BASS & VOCALS 

Equipment:

Custom 6 String Bass
Body - Cocobolo & Mahogany
Neck - Bolt on Maple with Wenge Fingerboard and Carbon Fibre reinforcement
Hardware - Schaller & AllParts
Pickups - EMG DC (Neck) & J (Bridge)
Equaliser - Artec SE3P-A, 18 volt circuit
Maker - Yours truly, 2004

Zon Legacy Elite IV & V
Body - Poplar & Flame Maple
Neck - Through Carbon Fibre
Hardware - Schaller
Pickups - Bartolini

Amplification:
Hartke 3500 Bass Head
350 Watt, dual transistor & tube pre-amps, 10 band EQ, 2 Band contour

Hartke 2 x 10" and 1 x 15" Transporter Cabs with Aluminium cone speakers

Electronics:
Boss GT-6B Effects unit (which I don't use)

BIOGRAPHY ::

Martin was born in Shoreditch - a real cockney! - but moved to Essex as a boy, where he has lived ever since. He studied 'cello at school but spent more time with the thing on his lap trying to use it as a bass. So much so that at the age of 13 his Dad advanced him the amazing sum of £70 (£700 inflation adjusted - crikey) to buy his first bass guitar, a Wilson - cheap - a Fender was unimaginable! He played in various schoolboy bands before settling down to a career and family at a ludicrously young age. Drawn to the world of international banking (why?) he had a stellar career in the City trading Eurobonds, made stupid amounts of money and ended up running the securities trading subsidiary of a major US bank in London. Well past his 'sell by' date at the age of 43, he gave up worshipping at the shrine of Mammon and downsized, which process was made easier because his children were young adults.

As the demands of his career made band commitments impossible, he remained an enthusiastic bedroom player and jam sessioneer, keeping his playing skills up to scratch by emulating the great bass players in the Jazz, Funk and Rock genres (thank you Mark King!). With the end of his city career however, he was quick to join a pub & club band renamed The MeerKats with his long time friend and guitarist Warren Davis. The MeerKats quickly earned a reputation in East London as a slick, well rehearsed and entertaining group which kept the same line-up for 4 years. It was while auditioning for another band that Martin met Steve Webb - the band actually broke up during the audition - a surreal experience. The pair realised that they had a common passion - to produce extraordinary music with no compromises; and thus was born ToKaMaK.

PRESENT ::

Martin is a part-time management consultant specialising in risk management and a part-time guitar repairer and luthier (check out the photo for his latest creation - a custom 6-string bass guitar in cocobolo, mahogany and maple with EMG pickups...) which enables him to hang around with musicians!

FUTURE ::

To make more guitars and play more extraordinary music with ToKaMaK