Bass Rig Breakdown: Dixie Dave Collins of Weedeater on Volume, Weight, and Everything on 10

When Dixie Dave Collins talks about his bass rig, it feels less like a gear rundown and more like a life philosophy. Hosted by Bass Nerds with Marc Najjar and Jody Miller, the breakdown gets straight to the point. Big rigs. Simple choices. No nonsense.

Weedeater came out of coastal North Carolina in the late nineties and helped define modern sludge metal and stoner doom. The band built its reputation on punishing volume, filthy grooves, and a sound that feels permanently on the edge of collapse. Dave’s bass tone has always been a huge part of that identity, and the rig explains why.

At the center is a pair of Sunn Heads and massive two fifteen cabinets. One is a custom Baltic birch cab built by a friend and loaded with Peavey Black Widow speakers pulled from an old cab Dave has owned since he was sixteen. Each cabinet is powered separately, effectively giving him two full stacks working side by side.  The signal chain stays just as blunt. A Morley JD 110 preamp is used to slam the front of the amps, pushing the low end hard all night long. Settings are simple. Everything on ten except the treble, which stays all the way down at zero (Truly No Treble). Dave’s logic is flawless. He is a bass player. He does not need treble.

His basses are just as utilitarian. Well worn Precision style instruments, mostly Mexican made Fender and Squier models bought cheap and played hard. Strings stay on until they break because new strings sound wrong to him. Bridges get swapped for Badass models for extra sustain. Cosmetics do not matter. Feel and punishment do.

The whole rig reflects the same mindset that has carried Weedeater for decades. Find what works. Turn it up. Do not overthink it. In a world obsessed with options and upgrades, Dixie Dave Collins proves that consistency and conviction still hit the hardest.

Here is a live clip from the front row!