By Joe Gagliardo

He is Chicago’s “bass doctor!”

From violin, to bass violin to bass and guitar player and eventually guitar maker – Carl Pedigo used the skills he learned in his high school machine shop and wood shop classes, and made his first guitar cobbling together pieces from a Teisco Del Ray guitar!

This passion ultimately led to him playing a 35” scale four string bass tuned BEAD. Carl later moved on to a fretless five string with flat wound strings.

Among Carl’s bass heroes include Alain Caron (UZEB); and Larry Graham of Sly & the Family Stone and Graham Central Station: universally acknowledged as The Godfather of “thumpin’ and pluckin!’

Carl spent a large part of his live bass playing career in Chicago with various bands including legendary singer/songwriter Jim Desmond, The Hightones, and L & L All Stars.

He has the distinction of playing his own hand-made basses for most of his playing career.

Over the years, Carl’s work on musician friends’ gear, led him to going to work with a luthier.  His repair work showed him that many of the issues he was dealing with were the same, no matter the brand name of the bass guitar.  In 1994, he was thinking that the situation could be rectified if basses were made that eliminated the most common issues he was seeing. Dan Lakin and Hugh McFarland shared that same thought,  and that was the beginning of Lakland Bass Guitars, using parts of Dan and Hugh’s last names.

Carl has made Lakland Basses for a virtual who’s who of bassists, including Prince (the bass was commissioned by Rhonda Smith who was then playing bass with Prince), Duck Dunn (Booker T & the MGs, The Blues Brothers), Bob Glaub (Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen), Jason Scheff (Chicago), Adam Clayton (U2), Joe Osborn (“The Wrecking Crew”) and the first Jerry Scheff Lakland Signature Bass, with  Kent Armstrong hum cancelling lipstick pickups.

For a complete list of client’s check out http://www.chicagobassdoctor.com/clients.html

These days Carl still works with Lakland, and he is also doing repairs— as well as making custom basses and guitars for his Carlo brand.

And Tim Commerford (Rage Against the Machine) is a fan!

To learn more about Carl – visit www.chicagobassdoctor.com