Jonas Hellborg is a Bass Player who has played with John Mc Laughlin, Billy Cobham, Tony Williams, Johnny Lydon (Rotten), Ginger Baker and many more.

His own groups have included extraordinary guitarists like Shawn Lane, Joe Satriani and IA Eklundh, keyboard Players like Aydin Esen and Bernie Worrell, drummers like Jeff Sipe and Kenwood Dennard, percussionist like V Selvaganesh and Ayib Dieng.

During a 25 year career he has played with musicians from and in venues all over the World, written music for classical ensembles and dance.

He has also designed amplifiers and instruments for many of the worlds leading instrument manufacturers.
His Philosophy:
Music is part of the human condition, as an art form. Art, including music, is a necessity for human existence. This is separate from the concept of entertainment, as represented by the "Entertainment Industry", which uses the need and the resources of Music (Art) to feed commercial ventures. The truth is we need Art (Music) as we need food and air. More than that, Music (Art) is one of the most powerful forces in any human society. It can and will create change where other means fail.

If we are shipwrecked on a desert island we will try to catch fish with our bare hands and use stones and logs for musical instruments. Luckily we do have access to millennia of human cultural and scientific development. We can use the efforts of countless generations trial and error, experience, vision and insight to make instruments that will carry us much further in the exalted experience that Art (Music) gives us.

If one enters a church of any religion, immediately the accumulated time of devotion that the walls are steeped in will send you in to a contemplative mood. If there would have been a bar held in that church the night before that magic would no doubt be gone. The true intent of any human endeavour will shine through. If you build an instrument with knowledge, devotion and for the right reason, that instrument will have the same power on the music being played on it as an old church will have on the practice of religion.

David Oistrakh could not have replaced his Stradivarius violin with a cheap Chinese instrument in a divine execution of Beethoven's violin concerto. This goes without saying, of course. A "Strad" is Science, Art and Church all rolled in to one. When instruments are made for modern music we have to push the envelope towards that goal. So much about the manufacture of electric instruments is done the way it has always been. And lets face it old electric guitars (and basses) were made the way they were because of chance and availability of material and technology and then just stayed that way because no one complained. They do not have the developmental history of violins and pianos.

This is about basses (Electric Bass Guitars) and their amps. That is what I play. My discipline in Music (Art). When I play my Instrument I want it to be Art, Science and Church. If I turn a knob on my Amp I want to feel that that particular knob was made for the sole purpose of helping the life enhancing experience of Music. When I look at my Amp or Instrument I want to see beauty and hear beauty. When I touch the strings I want everything to merge into one inseparable vehicle for the need to express my humanity. If something has been invented that makes my musical expression richer as a bass player I want that in the chain between my soul and the air that connects me to other souls.

When we eat great meals we need not only taste, we also need sight, smell, music, environment, warmth, an instrument has to be the same it needs to look, sound, smell and feel good. If it's made with respect and pride it will carry all the way to last note being played on it.

CHIUDI