Sonata Arctica's bass gear info

During the demo days when the band was called Tricky Beans the first bassist Pentti Peura had orange Jackson bass. The bass has 90's pointed headstock and round body which suggests it is Jackson Performer PS-5 rather than for example Jackson Dinky. After third demo was recorded Pentti was fired from Tricky Beans due to lack of motivation and Marko Paasikoski switched from guitar to bass. Marko had some brown bass I can't recognize. [1]

Marko quit the band after a short while and Janne Kivilahti joined to play on FullMoon demo. Initially Janne used blue 4 string Ibanez SDGR 500 that is visible on the 1998 band picture and summer 1999 Helsinki gig. Later he used Ibanez SR 750 on the 2000 Picturing Europe tour. [1]

On Jesperi 1999 gig there is EBS ELS-211 cabinet and bass rack.[2] The bottom unit in rack is a EBS-1 preamp, the middle one EBS EPS-600 power amp and the top one looks like a graphic equalizer.

Jesperi 1999 picture with Janne and bass amp
Jesperi Tornio 1999 picture by Mia "Dragonheart" Saukkonen

Marko Paasikoski rejoined the band on Silence and used an Ibanex SR 750 bass as well, but a brown 5 string instead of Janne's 4 string model.

Japan 2001 picture with Marko
Japan 2001 picture by Timo Isoaho

Live Marko used different rented amps, often heavy Ampeg 8x10 cabinet which is part of big bass stack musicians call "Rantasauna" in Finland. Renting bass amps live is relatively common for a bass player and Ampeg's are standard of backline rental companies. In Japan 2001 Ampeg cab is coupled with some rack amp (Peavey?). In Japan 2003 Ampeg SVT-1 sits on top of Ampeg cab.[3]

In Japan 2003 tour Marko's SR 750's strap-lock broke mid-gig and had to be repaired. He threw the "bass wreck" into audience at the final Japan show.[1] He started to use single pickup Warwick Corvette in the summer of 2003.

Wacken 2003 picture with Marko
Wacken 2003 picture by Silence

He started to use a Line6 Bass Pod around 2005. Having a multi effect makes it possible to bring ones own effects in one unit and route DI signal to mixing desk. [4]

Masters of Rock 2008 picture with Marko
Masters of Rock 2008 picture by Silence

Marko switched to Ibanez basses in 2007 [5], he had two custom shop SR basses with Sonata Arctica logos in headstock and body, one dark green and one black. Later he used black SR bass as well that seems to be stock. [6]

In 2012 Marko Paasikoski left the band and was replaced by Pasi Kauppinen in 2013.

Hamburg 2014 picture with Pasi
Hamburg 2014 picture by Silence

Pasi Kauppinen has been using Warwick basses since 1995. His main bass, a white Warwick Streamer LX5 Custom is based on his 1995 Warwick Streamer. On American Tour 2016 Pasi used pedal based rig: [7]

  • Shure tuner
  • Radial JD48 DI box
  • MXR bass compressor
  • EBS Billy Sheenan overdrive
  • Carl Martin Bass Drive preamp
  • TC Electronic Dreamscape Chorus
  • Booster pedal
  • Speaker simulator pedal

Pasi listed his 2023 gear on Sonata Arctica official website: [8]

  • Warwick Streamer LX5 Custom
  • Warwick GPS Streamer LX5
  • Warwick Star Bass 5
  • Warwick Alien 5
  • Mesa Boogie Subway
  • Bass DI-Preamp
  • Mesa Boogie Subway D-800
  • Mesa Boogie Grid Slammer
  • Jerry Harvey Audio JH16V2 PRO™ custom in-ear monitors

In 2016 Pasi also had TC Electronic G Major and Peak FCB4N2 midi foot switch to control it.

References: