The Presidents of the United States of America (band)

The Presidents of the United States of America are a Seattle alternative rock band best known for their quirky, nonsensical songs that defied the typical sound of most bands from the Pacific Northwest. They were one of the biggest groups to come from Seattle following the decline of grunge in the mid-1990s.

Instruments

Ballew and Dederer respectively play a basitar and guitbass, which are regular six-string guitars modified to use two strings (for bass) or three strings (for guitar). The original idea came from Morphine frontman Mark Sandman, whom Ballew previously worked with. The guitbass was later created to compliment the basitar.

Related Topics:
Guitars - Bass - Morphine

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The modified guitars use heavy-gague strings for a heavier sound, and are normally tuned in Drop D, though the Presidents play half a step lower in C#. Because of the wider strings, the saddles at the bridge and headstock may need to be filed to accomodate the strings. For a basitar, the strings are placed in the D and B positions; on a guitbass, the strings are placed in the A, D, and G positions.

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