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NEWS

Artist Spotlight:
Dan Kenny of Suicide Silence

At the start of 2012, ESPʼs line of Signature Series basses grew exponentially, with new bass models designed to the specifications of players like Frank Bello (Anthrax), Gabe Crisp (Whitechapel), and Pancho Tomaselli (War/PHILM). But we also introduced another bass that blew people away with its fantastic design, and that was the LTD DK-5... the Signature Series model by Dan Kenny of Suicide Silence.

Unlike his bandmates in Suicide Silence, bass player Dan Denny does not hail from Riverside, CA. Instead, he grew up closer to the Bay Area in Pacifica, CA. While the early incarnation of Suicide Silence built up their fan base, Dan was honing his skills in Northern California bands like Animosity and Carnivorous. When the opportunity came to join Suicide Silence (first as a touring member in 2008, and then a full-time member the following year), Dan was ready to blow people away with his technically precise bass performances. He joined the band in time to play on their seminal No Time to Bleed album, which debuted at #32 on the Billboard Top 200. 2011ʼs The Black Crown took an even higher spot, coming in at #28.

In the rare times that Dan isnʼt recording or touring with Suicide Silence, heʼs a huge fan of mixed martial arts (MMA), and spent time as a wrestler and MMA participant before making the wise decision to not jeopardize his music playing by fighting. No one plays bass well with broken hands!

Danʼs Signature Bass: the LTD DK-5

Much of Suicide Silenceʼs music goes beyond the typical expectations of deathcore metal, with tempo changes and complex time signatures being commonplace. A bass player in a band like that canʼt use an instrument that wonʼt keep up with the songʼs punchy low-end needs, which is why Dan created the LTD DK-5. A five-string bass that Dan tunes down to a low A, the DK-5 features neck-thru-body construction at 35” scale. Its mahogany body is topped with flamed maple and finished in a see-through dark green sunburst that looks even more amazing in person than pictures can capture.

The DK-5 also features a speedy 5-piece maple/walnut neck with rosewood fingerboard and custom inlays (with 45mm standard nut, extra thin U neck contour, and 24 XJ frets). The bassʼs hardware is black nickel, and includes Grover tuners and an LTD BB-605 bridge. Active pickups on the DK-5 include EMG 40DC (bridge and neck), with active EMG B64 3-band EQ. Getting a variety of amazing tones from the DK-5 is fast and effective, with controls for bass boost/cut, mid boost/cut, treble boost/cut, master volume, and balance.