Mike Dirnt

This was Mike Dirnt's main bass from 1991-1997. After his Peavey Patriot broke (https://youtu.be/VZU1hoTYipY?si=jKUbjhwq8PQ7OCw3) He bought this off of a bassist in Minneapolis, MN. It was used to record Kerplunk, Longview on Dookie, and Insomniac and for every Green Day concert from 1991 until 1996 before he switched to Fender Precision Bass in 1997. However, the G3 made surprise appearance during the 21st Century Breakdown tour at Canada in 2010. It also appears in the music video for "Basket Case" starting at 0:08. It has now also returned on the Dookie 30th Anniversary tour.

Guitar Center, "Smashing Basses with Mike Dirnt of Green Day!", 2007

GC: Tell us about your basses. What do you use and why do you use it?

Mike: Right now, I'm using anything from 1963 to 1974 Fender P-Basses, mostly ash bodies. Sometimes I'll swap out the pickups, if they're dying, to a Seymour Duncan antiquity, which is a pretty hot pickup. I used to use a Gibson G3 bass years ago. I played at least 700 shows out of that thing before Tre accidentally broke the neck on it twice on stage by pushing over my amps.

Bass Player, "Holy Trinity: Mike Dirnt and Green Day", January 20, 2013

On Insomniac, I played my Gibson G3; you can really hear it on Kerplunk and Insomniac. It’s distinctive, like on the intro to “No One Knows.” On Nimrod, that was mostly my ’69 P-Bass and a ’52 Precision, I think.

You seem to favor passive basses.

Some guys have gotten great active sounds, but that’s just never been my world. Actually, on Dookie, I played an active P-Bass that I rented from SIR, because my basses were broken and thrashed from touring. That bass had P/J pickups, but the way I had it set, it might as well have just been a P-Bass. It went through an Éclair Engineering Evil Twin tube DI, and then my 6x10, and an Ampeg SVT. I had the Ampeg for the low end and the extra sub-lows, and then the 6x10 for that classic punch.

It also has 2 of the original pickups and a Bartonini Jazz Pickup (with it being added as the original bridge pickup broke on tour in Europe in 1991) and a Gotoh? Bridge. (https://youtu.be/VZU1hoTYipY?si=jKUbjhwq8PQ7OCw3)

Mike Dirnt has been using the Fender Precision Bass as his main instrument since 1997, alongside his signature model. This is evidenced in the user-uploaded photo from Imago-images.

It was main Mike Dirnt's bass up until July 5th, 1990. The bass was used to record EP's "1,000 Hours", "Slappy" and "Sweet Children"; and their debut LP, "39/Smooth". According to a recent interview with Matt Freeman of Rancid (https://youtu.be/VZU1hoTYipY?si=jKUbjhwq8PQ7OCw3) at around the 2:00 mark Mike says that somewhere in the Midwest around 1990ish the strap broke and they found out that the Patriot’s body had a huge crack in it and at a show in Minneapolis he bought off of another bassist his Gibson G3

The amp was designed specifically for Mike Dirnt. He started to use them in 2012, most notably on 99 Revolutions tour and IHeart Radio Festival. He uses the following Settings: ? Volume - 6,5 ? Bass - 7 ? Mid - 7 ? Treble - 7,5 ? Gain - 7 ? Blend - 3 ? Volume - 5 ? Bass - 7,5 ? Freq - 8 ? Mid-Level - 6 ? Treble - 8 ? Master - 4

(http://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag202/gdgear/vlcsnap-2014-10-02-14h35m05s113_zps33cafd58.png http://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag202/gdgear/vlcsnap-2014-10-02-14h34m55s250_zpsce189117.png)

Mike used the Kramer 250B June 1994 as a replacement for then-broken Gibson G3 for a few radio concerts, plus for recording Screeching Weasel's "How To Make Enemies and Irritate People". The Kramer was also played by Mike at Woodstock.

In this picture from a fan, we can see that the pick belongs to Mike and that is a Dunlop Tortex 0.60mm

According to this article from Guitar Center Mike says "I had a Gibson Ripper bass similar to the Grabber with a Bill Lawrence pickup system, the same thing that Chris Novoselic used to play." now that bass was sold to Mike friend.

"I use a Zinky Master Blaster plus a gain boost" Mike's word about the effect

in this photo, Mike Dirnt can be seen playing this bass.

Green Day's Mike Dirnt on his signature Fender Road Worn Signature P Bass.

Wikipedia: "For most of the record [American Idiot], Dirnt used an Ampeg SVT bass amplifier, recording with his signature bass and a Precision Bass. For the album, he and Cavallo strived for a "solid, big, thunderous" bass sound as opposed to one centered on countermelodies."

The amp looks like the late 60's - early 70's SVT's, without logo. In photo (taken in August 2003), treble knob appears to be removed.

As can be seen in the picture, Mike Dirnt's main amp in 1991, used as spare for Yamaha G-100 II in 1989 and 1990 but never used in studio.

"Making shit happen!!! #MeAndRickKickingOutTheJams! @bassplayunited @rickenbackerbasses" Mike on Instagram talking about using a Rickenbacker 4001

At 0:19 in this live Green Day performance in Trieste, we can see Mike playing a red Fender Mustang Bass

In an Instagram post captioned "Turbo Chassis," Mike Dirnt references his use of the Dunlop Tortex Standard 0.73mm guitar pick, hinting at his musical influences with hashtags such as #Talkinboutmygeneration and #classiccartoons.

Apparently this Peavey TNT 160 bass amp was borrowed for a very short time in April 1993. Dirnt can be seen using it alongside a Gibson bass in the source photograph.

"All of Dirnt’s basses, as well as his ’69 P-Bass (“Stella”) and ’71 P-Bass (“the Weapon”), are strung with Fender Super 7250 roundwounds gauged .045–.105."

They're shown several times in the video, most noticeably at 2:40.

Used on tour from late 80's to September 1993. It was spotted in several early Green Day music videos - Basket Case, Geek Stink Breath. In In an interview with Guitar Center in 2002, Mike mentions: "I've used a 6x10 combo on every record we've ever done, this old Acoustic 6x10 cabinet that I have."

"Some guys have gotten great active sounds, but that’s just never been my world. Actually, on Dookie, I played an active P-Bass that I rented from SIR, because my basses were broken and thrashed from touring. That bass had P/J pickups, but the way I had it set, it might as well have just been a P-Bass." At that time, Fender's only active P/J bass was the Precision Plus, so that must be the bass on Dookie.

Mike Dirnt, bassist for Green Day, used the Squier Mike Dirnt Signature Precision Bass before transitioning to a full Fender model. This is discussed in the Fender video featuring Dirnt himself.

At 0:23 in this video, Mike says "And we got this hot '59 pickup set". He use this pickups in all of his basses

"My secret weapons were Yamaha G100 guitar heads from the late ’70s and early ’80s, which I used to play through my custom Mesa Boogie 6x10 cabinet" Mike's word about the Yamaha G100

Mike Dirnt collaborated with Macbeth to create a sneaker.

In an Instagram post, Mike Dirnt showcases his guitar rig, which includes the MXR M300 Reverb pedal. This setup is likely used during performances with The Coverups.

He rarely seen playing with Fender Jazz Bass. but this bass was used during California Music Awards 2001, which was borrowed equipment.

In the Soundcheck411 video from August 31, 2010, Mike Dirnt's Jackson Custom Shop Rhoads Bass is played by Billie Joe Armstrong.

"that was mostly my ’69 P-Bass and a ’52 Precision, I think." Mike word about his Fender Precision '52

He posseses this guitar, he received this guitar as a birthday gift from Billie Joe.

During the Pop Disaster Tour, Mike Dirnt gave away his Squier Precision bass, as shown in the user-uploaded photo by Bobgruen.