Steve harris' Rig on The Final Frontier

YogaBear · #1 08-21-2010, 05:27 AM

Hello,
I've been listening to Tff, It Sounds amazing!
The bass is so well mixed, It sounds so dense and heavy!
I wonder what gear he used, I have a feeling that he experimented with ampeg.

cheers!

crucislancer · #2 08-21-2010, 08:28 AM

It's possible that he might have used Ampeg on the album. Kevin Shirley was involved, and he's a big proponent of vintage gear and recording techniques, so perhaps that helped with the sound?

The only thing I know for sure is that Harris uses a P-bass with heavy Rotosound flats. His live rig is usually a bunch of custom gear.

Colonel_Claypoo · #3 08-28-2010, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YogaBear

Hello,
I've been listening to Tff, It Sounds amazing!
The bass is so well mixed, It sounds so dense and heavy!
I wonder what gear he used, I have a feeling that he experimented with ampeg.

cheers!

same as always i'm sure. if you think it sounds different, which very well may be, it's probably a combination of how the bass was mixed and your own perception of the sound. however, i'm pretty sure steve didn't change the sound on his rig. that would be very unusual for him to do that.

Sartori · #4 08-28-2010, 02:32 PM

He doesn't seem to change his rig very much, at least not in recent years. It's been mostly the same.

Probably down to mixing. Or perhaps he used something different in the studio.

RNV · #5 08-28-2010, 04:07 PM

Mr. Harris has used the same rig since forever. He doesn't change anything except an occasional paint job on this P bass that he has played from the beginning.

Greevus · #6 08-31-2010, 02:57 PM

I think Steve and Kev Shirley just have it sounding better on this album. I believe it sounds better on this record than it has in forever. Maybe it's Compass Point Studios room, the same as "Piece of Mind". I agree that Steve doesn't change his rig much at all.
Maiden have it down to a science at this point. Maybe too much.

FringeBass · #7 08-31-2010, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greevus

Maybe too much.

+0.5

taurus1 · #8 08-31-2010, 04:05 PM

it's gotta be those Marshall 1960B cabs with EV12L's

Sartori · #9 08-31-2010, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FringeBass

+0.5

Eh, I don't know about that. They haven't changed as much as other bands, but their last few albums have had slight departures from their earlier sound. I find I'm liking the new album more and more.

Greevus · #10 09-01-2010, 12:19 AM

There are good bits on the last few Maiden albums, but nothing just rocks balls like the earlier versions of the band. I'm glad they are still at it and respect the hell out of them for continuing to make new music. However, the melodies have gotten so overly predictable and the songs are just looooooong. They hit this style back as early as "somewhere in time" and haven't really pushed it in too many new directions. They are like AC/DC in that there is a constant new batch of fans who discover them at their current point and love that version as their own. Nothing wrong, but kind of wears on the older fans.

Sartori · #11 09-01-2010, 12:23 AM

Yeah, my first two Maiden albums were Killers and Brave New World. I actually like the newer stuff better than most of the older stuff.

JimmyM · #12 09-01-2010, 12:43 AM

yeah, you rock and all other maiden fans suck!

Greevus · #13 09-01-2010, 12:50 AM

I like the debut through "Piece of Mind". First album has ultimate metal bass tone, "Killers" is the ultimate metal bass record, "Beast" is the ultimate classic metal record, and "Where Eagles Dare" is the ultimate metal track. There were some good moments afterwards, ie "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is the ultimate metal bass player epic track, but nothing was like those first four records.

Sartori · #14 09-01-2010, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

yeah, you rock and all other maiden fans suck!

Oh come on, I never said anything like that.

I was musing on the point made that there have been several generations of fans, each regarding the current material as what the band sounds like. It's not surprising that a band with 15 albums has lots of fans who like different eras most.

The albums I listen to most by them are Brave New World and Dance of Death, though the old stuff gets played pretty often, too, especially Powerslave, Piece of Mind and of course, Killers. I like listening to lots of songs off those albums by themselves, whereas the newer albums I generally play straight through.

JimmyM · #15 09-01-2010, 04:24 AM

i meant greevus, actually

nitram · #16 09-01-2010, 11:45 AM

Man, I'd really like to be a fly on the wall sometimes and go take a look at this man's bass rig and see what it is, really...

The guy is so secretive about his bass gear... It makes you wonder what's truly "under the hood"...

Nitram

taurus1 · #17 09-01-2010, 01:01 PM

it's not secrective at all. I'm at work or I'd search for a link for you. at one time he used trce Elliot GP-11 pre amps but he's using a rare vintage one now that I can't remember the name of. if memory sevres he uses a DBX165 compressor, can't remember what power amps. one of the biggest parts of his tone is the Marshall 1960B guitar cabs witht the EV's.

nitram · #18 09-01-2010, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taurus1

it's not secrective at all. I'm at work or I'd search for a link for you. at one time he used trce Elliot GP-11 pre amps but he's using a rare vintage one now that I can't remember the name of. if memory sevres he uses a DBX165 compressor, can't remember what power amps. one of the biggest parts of his tone is the Marshall 1960B guitar cabs witht the EV's.

Yeah I was aware of that Trace Elliot one back in the days...

It's that "vintage rare one" that I'm wondering about... and them power amps...

Thanks for the reply.

Nitram

Sartori · #19 09-01-2010, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

i meant greevus, actually

Oh, well, never mind then, ha ha.

Greevus · #20 09-02-2010, 10:43 AM

Hey, a blessing from Jimmy Talkbass. Allright! At least no Ampeg commercials.