Gear Review: Venomous Maximus bassist Trevi Biles on his ’76 Gibson Ripper Bass

Bassist Trevi Biles of the dark metal band, Venomous Maximus, took some time out of his busy schedule to speak with me about his favorite piece of gear. The band recently released their newest offering, Beg Upon The Light, and are currently on the road in support thereof. Here is what Biles had to say!

What one piece of gear do you use to obtain your signature sound?
Trevi: My ’76 Gibson Ripper Bass.

What about it makes it so important to you?
Trevi: The tone and attack of the Ripper combined with my Ampeg SVT Classic and Ampeg 8×10 work killer. Gregg and Christian (our guitarists) play loud as hell and the Ripper’s awesome punch enables the bass melodies to cut through. And the bass simply plays freaking beautifully.

What are the major pros and cons?
Trevi: It’s a huge guitar so finding a heavy duty travel case for it is a nightmare.

How long have you had it, how do you use it, would you ever change it?
Trevi: I’ve had it since I was 16. I played in sludgy bands before and I played a Guild Pilot with active pickups and an overdrive to get a distorted, uglier sound but with the Venomous Maximus stuff, the more classic metal and rock sound, the Ripper is perfect and I wouldn’t change a thing.

Any final thoughts or comments on the gear?
Trevi: If you have an opportunity to acquire a Ripper, I strongly suggest it. It plays and sounds like no other. And the name, the Ripper… how freaking cool is that?

Check out the song “Moonchild”