Melvin Lee Davis is a Los Angeles native described by NUX as "a skilled master bassist, composer, producer, and educator"1. He was discovered at the age of 16 by drummer Buddy Miles, after a horn player from Miles' band heard him playing in a local club1. His career since has spanned session work, touring, television writing and, for pedalboard builders, a signature pedal with NUX.
"a skilled master bassist, composer, producer, and educator"
The NUX signature collaboration
NUX, a Chinese pedal maker2, collaborated with Davis to create his signature MLD Bass Preamp + DI1. It is a preamp pedal with a built-in DI and cabinet simulation: Firmware V3 provides 16 IR slots, 8 factory and 8 user, with an independent volume control for the cabinet simulation, and the pedal comes with a selection of speaker cabinet IR files created by NUX3. For a bass player, that means one box can drive a power amp or desk feed with a chosen cab sound, and the user slots leave room for other IR files.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product type | Bass preamp pedal with DI1 |
| IR slots | 16 total: 8 factory, 8 user (Firmware V3)3 |
| Cab sim volume | Independent volume control3 |
| Included files | Speaker cabinet IRs created by NUX3 |
The 16-slot IR setup and independent cab-sim volume control come with Firmware V3, so a unit running earlier firmware will not have them3.
Career and credits
Davis began writing music and performing with R&B singer O'Bryan from 1980 to 19871. That period included Davis writing the theme song "Soul Train's A Comin'" for Don Cornelius' weekly television show, Soul Train1.
He has served as Chaka Khan's musical director at various times throughout his career, most recently during her European Night of the Proms (2015) and Art On Ice (2016) tours1. NUX describes him as the music director for the Grammy-winning artist, and credits him with recording with The Pointer Sisters, Lee Ritenour, Bryan Ferry, Patti Austin and Gladys Knight & the Pips3.
His recorded and live work includes:
- Bass on Lee Ritenour's albums 6 String Theory (2010) and A Twist of Rit (2015)1
- Will Downing's releases Euphoria (2014), Black Pearls (2016) and Soul Survivor (2017)1
- Member of the Pre-Telecast Grammy Awards band from 2008 to 20141
- Performance at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards (2013)1
- The 2017 allstar tour Lee Ritenour & Japanese Friends, with Naoko Terai, Akira Jimbo, Masato Honda and Otmaro Ruiz1
| Year | Work | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Lee Ritenour, 6 String Theory | Bass1 |
| 2013 | 55th Annual Grammy Awards | Performance1 |
| 2014 | Will Downing, Euphoria | Bass1 |
| 2015 | Lee Ritenour, A Twist of Rit | Bass1 |
| 2015 | Chaka Khan, European Night of the Proms | Musical director1 |
| 2016 | Chaka Khan, Art On Ice | Musical director1 |
| 2016 | Will Downing, Black Pearls | Bass1 |
| 2017 | Will Downing, Soul Survivor | Bass1 |
| 2017 | Lee Ritenour & Japanese Friends tour | Touring band with Naoko Terai, Akira Jimbo, Masato Honda and Otmaro Ruiz1 |
For players building a bass pedalboard, Davis's signature preamp and DI is the piece of his rig that players can buy today, and it pairs naturally with other speaker simulation pedals where a cab sound is needed without an amplifier.
Sources (3)
- Melvin Lee Davis, NUX Audio, 2015
- NUX's Horseman combines both Gold and Silver Klons in one $69 mini pedal, Guitar World, 2019-08-16
- MLD Bass Preamp + DI, NUX Audio, 2025-08-21