Also known as : Ry-Know Rü-d
Born : August 6, 1975 (1975-08-06) (age 33)
origin : Peoria, Illinois, USA
Genre(s): Heavy metal, progressive metal
Instrument(s): Bass guitar
Years active: 1998 - Present
Label(s): Epic Records
Associated acts : Mudvayne
Early life
Ryan Martinie grew up playing bass in Normal, Illinois. His father gave him his first bass at the age of twelve, at which time he began picking out Metallica songs to teach himself.
He studied jazz bass, and won several high school awards for classical vocals. He also became interested in sword swallowing.
He was in a Dream Theater-styled progressive rock band called Broken Altar. Former members of Broken Altar Les Aldridge (guitarist) and Wes Pollock (drummer) joined heavy metal band LowTwelve of Bloomington, Illinois.
Style
Right hand
Ryan is known for pushing the envelope that most metal bassists limit themselves to. His right hand is one of the major reasons for this, as he pulls from many different techniques and genres. He is known for flicks (found throughout his music) and a flamenco style. Ryan uses a tapping technique on the neck where he will use his index and middle fingers to tap an octave chord while his left hand moves the chord.
Left Hand
Martinie is known as a precise player. Even when playing his Pedulla fretless he uses quick movements and jogs up and down the neck. Ryan tends to accentuate his work with thick low end, double stops, and chords that add warmth or awkward tension. He uses harmonics that add a bright sound to his variety of styles, such as the intro to "Death Blooms" and also in "Not Falling".
Equipment
Basses
Main bass: Warwick Thumb Bass 5-string, ebony fingerboard, chrome hardware, nickel frets.
Back-up basses: Thumb 4, rosewood neck and gold hardware. Also two Thumb 5 stringers with ebony and rosewood necks and bubinga bodies & also a fretless Pedulla Buzz 4. In several images he has been seen with, but never using, a Warwick Vampyre bass.
Strings: Ryan uses Dr Hi-Beams .045-.105 with a .135 5th string, tuned to F#-B-F#-B-E and B-F#-B-E (as heard in LD50), and for Mudvayne's newer albums he is tuned to G-C-G-C-F and C-G-C-F. Sets action high for live shows and low for recording.
Amplification
Live Setup: runs his bass into a Shure UHF U4D dual-channel wireless unit, Whirlwind multi-selector, dbx 160 compressor, Ampeg SVT-4Pro head on an SVT PR-810H 8x10 cabinet. Also has a BSS AR133 direct box that runs from the SVT-4Pro's effect loop.
Recording setup: Full Ampeg rig, plus an SWR Workingman's 10 Head driving Greg Tribbett's Mesa Boogie 4x12 guitar cabinet for added midrange and top end.
For Mudvayne's newest album, 'The New Game', Ryan switched to Warwick amplification. He recorded using an X-Treme 10.1 head and two 410 Pro cabinets. He will be taking two stacks with him while he tours.
