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	What kind of gear do you use when you tour? - Ed Patenaude


	One of my favorite things in life is gear. I used to be a 2 bass guy with a 70’s SVT rig and that’s it. I never traveled the old SVT stuff. I keep it at home for recording. But I have taken the SVT classic reissue stuff on the road. Its OK stuff- better than almost any new stuff I have ever played. Now they are making it in Vietnam and I have heard it's not quite as good (is that a nice way to say #^*@?) I love ampeg but I think they're blowing it right now. Whole new deal this tour- I'm super excited about figuring it out. Check with me in the spring for an update. Thanks for asking. I love talking about it. I have also tried a numerous pedal setups and again, this year will be totally different. Steering away from the multi effects stuff. Trying to step it up a notch Will be playing more Lakland basses as I try to retire my irreplaceable old Fenders.


	Do you own an upright bass? Have you ever used one during any Weezer practice/recording sessions? - Greg, weerez.com


	I've never owned an upright bass. I have huge respect for the guys who play them. That’s the true sound of a bass right? Maybe someday my interest will be sparked. My favorite use of one in a rock band is Soul Coughing. I'm going to put it on right now. As mentioned above- I freak out over electric powered stuff. POWER POWER POWER ahahahahhaaaaaa…..evil laugh? How do you spell that?


	I love fender bass guitars and i was wondering if you always have played fenders? what types of bass guitars did you use on album 6? - inthegarageallthetime (Blake Ferrin) Salem, OR


	Hey, Blake. On Maladroit and Make Believe, I played the same 2 basses. But on album 6, I recorded a total of 8 different basses. Warwick Thumb, Dirty Blonde, Rickenbacker, my '65 jazz bass, a Guild Starfire and even a WAL...no shit….and my '62 P bass of course. Also a '72 P bass I just got. The '60 P bass got a rest on this record. My first bass was a Peavey t40 then I got a '74 Jazz bass (the one I always regret selling) I got a Steinburger that changed my life (until it got stolen) and I got my Music Man Stingray. Then ….i got into an old Warwick Thumb (one of the real early ones) another bass I regret selling. I had a cool Spector bass for a while it sounded amazing. I smashed it at a Vanilla Ice show in Ventura, CA. Playing with Ice will make you do crazy shit!! God love him. Uhhhh do you really want me to go on? I will go on and on. THEN I got another Music man Stingray…great basses indeed. Then I lost everything in the deep hole of my life known as 1999.


	I noticed from some practice videos that you have a Line 6 MM4 in your set up. What do you use this for and can it be heard on any weezer recordings? I recently bought the pedal and was wondering. - Josh Gage


	I love those pedals I used the blue one and the green pedals on all the W tours. They are so great at having a bunch of different sounds in such a small easy package. Now I want to complicate things a bit and split it all up with the OG pedals.


	I was very intrigued by the fact that you're in an add for a new Korg-synthesizer. My question is: when did you start working with synthesizers and do you also experiment with various old and analog synthesizers or typical bass-synthesizers? Greetings for the Netherlands, Jop Euwijk


	Hey, man. Great question. I started traveling with a KORG MS2000 on the Malidroit tour but didn’t ever bring it on stage- just played around backstage. Right before we left for the Make Believe tour I got the idea that W should get a Moog Voyager. They road well and sound huge. Bri played it on a couple of songs. When we got home, I was hooked and started learning about Modular Synthesis. Also as a fan of the old Prophet synths, I got a Dave Smith keyboard that I love. We will be bringing them all on tour next year.


	Do you prefer to play with a pick or with your fingers on the bass? as a bass player, I always thought the bass should be a fingered instrument unless you have to play so fast or harsh you need a pick. what are your thoughts? – Anson


	Hey, Anson. I felt the same way forever until I started hearing bass players like Chris Squire, Paul McCartney and Sting. I wanted to be able to do everything possible to get different sounds out of an electric bass. It came in handy with Weezer. I love the warmth and bottom I get with fingers and I also really enjoy the attack, aggression and palm muting sound with a pick.


	What was the rest of the band's reaction to the on-stage attack you received during the 2001 KROQ Inland Invasion? - Greg, weerez.com


	They were really surprised to find out it was a friend of mine. That guy broke me out of my stage fright and the rest of the show was great.


	Out of The Blue Album, Pinkerton, and The Green Album - which one album do you wish you could've been a member of the band for? Why? Kim, NJ


	Wow, that's a tough one. I wouldn’t change one thing- including adding myself on any of those records.


	How were you selected to become a part of Weezer? did you audition or what? did you have to show what you could do musically? Also, what song did you play? Basically what was the audition process like? Thank you for your time! - Jason in Los Angeles, California & Eric from Roanoke Virginia


	Hey, you guys. Thanks for the question. I was purely a fill in at first. The band was getting ready to demo songs for Maladroit, so they didn’t want me to learn any old songs.. Rivers showed me the songs on the spot. I guess learning them on the fly helped prove myself, but I think it was fate. I just played how I play. I came in as myself. It worked. Be yourself.


	At what point did you starting feeling like part of the band, and no longer "the new guy". Is there any specific memory you have that made you feel like "Hey, I'm really a part of this"? - Brendan, NJ


	Hey, Brendan. Thanks for asking. I remember exactly the moment I felt part of the band. It was when they told me to be at the photo shoot for the Maladroit album/tour cycle. Not a day earlier… I showed up, I was standing with them in the pictures and I said to myself, “Wow, I guess I’m in the band now." That was about 5 or 6 months after I started playing with them.


	I'm a guitar player who recently turned to bass. When you joined Weezer and were learning the bass parts of Matt resp. Mikey; did you mimic their styles, or did you make things your own way right from the beginning? - Jonas Hansson Stockholm, Sweden & inthegarageallthetime (Blake Ferrin) Salem, OR


	Hey, Jonas. Great name. I listened to both of them and I played how I play. That’s how I've learned bass my whole life. Listening to other musicians- guitar and bass and horns and everything- learning it and making it part of me. Matt had a particular style that's much different than my own, so I did what I could with it. He’s great and so is Mike!


	Of the many tracks that weren't chosen to be on Make Believe, which were your favorites? Are there any you wish made the album? - lordofthemanor, albumsix.com


	I really liked a lot of the songs that didn’t make the record. One of my favorite was called “im loosing my mind” we also did a cover that I cant mention but I have the master safe and sound.


	I share much of your love for hard rocking and your work on the Maladroit album is more than amazing, however I've always wondered what you consider Weezer's best song before you joined the band? - Marc from Illinois


	Hey Marc thanks man. "Say it Ain't So" has always been my fave. It’s the song that made me love Weezer. But when I heard Hash Pipe with the chugging guitars, I thought it was the coolest band in the world. You know what I mean!


	Despite receiving some good reviews, Make Believe was poorly reviewed by many music critics in the press for being too simple, predictable, and safe. How do you defend the album? - lordofthemanor, albumsix.com


	I don’t defend it at all. That’s where our heads were at the time. W fans and critics should know by now we do it different every time. Wait until they hear album 6. That should satisfy


	In the liner notes of the newly released Alone there's a brief background on the history of the song "This is the Way". It talks about how when you guys voted it went up against the song "Daydreamer" everyone voted for "This is the Way". Had the song evolved at all when the band made the decision or was Rivers' home demo all you had? - Cory Boston, MA


	Great question, man. All we had were his demos….I will say that “This is the Way” is one of my favorite Rivers songs. I hope we record it someday


	With you now contributing to Weezer's sound and songwriting, what are your goals and what do you hope to say lyrically and musically? Also, you seemed to be a very important factor in Weezer's new found comradery, which I think may very well have saved the band. I saw you on the Foozer tour and you guys were incredible and seemed to be having a lot of fun. Thank you. - Ryann Rowland (runnersdialzero), Illinois, US


	Thanks, Ryann. That makes me feel great! I've been working on a lot of music for Weezer but I have yet to add anything lyrically- it is a goal of mine for album 7.. Before, I thought I would write to try to fit in with what the band was into at the time. I gave that up and played what I felt like and it wound up being CDW. Funny how that works


	How is the singing split up among all of you on album six? In other words, how many songs does Rivers sing lead on? How many tracks do you sing lead on? – Dan


	Let's talk about that after the album is out, yes? I'm really excited to be singing a lot more on this album. It brings me much joy.


	What makes album six different than previous albums and/or why is it the most exciting project you've worked on? - Daniel Gasparini, Hudson FL


	That's a huge question.I think this is all I want to say about album 6! I could go on and on about it, but lets stop here. It will be out soon.


	What was it like doing The Howard Stern show? Are you a fan of the show? - Greg, weerez.com


	Are you kidding me! I have been a huge Howard Stern fan since way back. It was one of the coolest things I've ever done. Being there playing for Howard live on the radio. A dream come true


	How do you stay active and in-shape on the road or at all with such a crazy schedule? Are there exercises that are tour bus friendly? How about diet? - Danny Asheville, NC


	It's a challenge. I go up and down with my weight and conditioning. It's hard eating healthy on the road. NO Exercise on a moving bus. Very dangerous! I like running in different towns- it's like an adventure. Sometimes a scary one! For the most part I try to stay consistent and grab a workout in the hotel gym or just hit the streets.


	Everyone involved in Weezer has written songs for projects beyond the band except you. Do you write music on your own or have you thought of ever fronting your own side-project (a la Pat's Special Goodness or Brian's The Relationship)? - David Lawson & Joseph Churpek


	Hey guys thanks for the question. I have thought of starting a side project for sure. Right now my plate is full with W and I'm writing a lot.. We'll see.


	What are some hobbies outside of the band and music? - Matty R, Pittsburgh, PA


	Hey, Matty. I like MOVIES. Just saw “There Will be Blood” . Wow - I highly recommend it. I like video games. Recently I've been into bio shock and orange box. What else? I have a couple of dogs now and I love doing stuff with them.. I really enjoy watching UFC. I have a lot of respect for the training and work those guys put in to be a mixed martial artist. Mostly I obsess with electronics of some kind or another. Thanks for asking!


	Did you attend college? if so what was your major? If not, what would you like to study? - Kelly


	I went to MI- that’s like a vocational school for musicians. That’s it besides high School. My wife just got her MFA, so I always say that she is the educated one in the family. What would I be into? Maybe Game design? I love computers. I love games


	What bands/albums have you been listening to lately? - Josh from Newtown, PA


	Josh from one of my favorite states in the country. Scary Monsters byBowie, the last 3 Tool records, just ordered the new Radiohead album. I have been on a King Crimson thing for a while now Go get “Lark’s Tongues in Aspect” right now, There is a new Mars Volta album coming out at the end of the month that I'm really excited about. I think Juan Alderete is one of the best bass players around. Maybe a new Mastodon album soon?


	What was it like to jam next to some of the cast of The Office in Scranton? Who was your favorite cast member to play with? - Josh from Newtown, PA & Jared Autrey


	Yo Josh- I love PA. Hey to Jared, too….CREED! what a cool guy he is. Great guitar player, too. I had a blast in Scranton. What a great town. ….What can I say? Surreal. The cast on that show are like the hugest rock stars! It was an honor


	You've got a lot of tattoos -- do you have any interesting tattoo stories? which is your favorite? mike & basia porter & Tyler Crowell


	Crowell I don’t really have any good stories. I took a lot of time and planned them all out. My rule is to think about the tattoo and where I am going to put it for at least 2 years before I get it. don’t want to make any mistakes. My favorite ones right now are on my hands. I have my astrological symbol on my right hand and my wife’s on my left…beautiful


	What was your favorite album of 2007? - maladroit11 (Michael Coco), Lehigh University


	When did 10,000 days by Tool come out? I vote for that anyway! Did you hear about maladroit 2? ohhh you mean maladroit 11 is your e mail?


	Scott, I really admire your play and I try my best to mimic you when jammin on my own bass...(much to my wife's dismay.) My question is, which Weezer song do you enjoy to play the most live, and why? - Tucker B., Big Bad Boissse, Idaho!


	Oh shit Tucker. Thanks, man, what a huge compliment! I got to say that my favorites change all the time as do my taste and I am so happy to be playing bass in general! Just keep playing, man. Don’t let your wife get you down . Find a place to play were nobody will ever give you a stink eye and just pour your heart out!


	Is having a fanbase/cult like Weezer unique compared to what you were previously used to, and how does it affect you when you play? - Luke Jordan, Fort Worth, TX


	Luke I was used to nothing- I had about 3 fans in the world my mom and sister where 2 of them…hahaha Thank god for the W fans around the world. Thanks to everyone for caring enough to ask these questions and I hope to see you soon.