Good Ole Gomez

footprints89 · #1 01-10-2010, 07:14 PM

I'm preparing to buy a Shen Hybrid SB150 and i have a choice of strings. Obviously most of the tone he gets is in his godly hands, but I'm looking for a tone similar to Eddie Gomez's. Bright and punchy; and opinions?

Greg Clinkingbeard · #2 01-10-2010, 07:26 PM

I believe he used Spirocore Mittels for much of his career. They are probably the standard jazz strings and fit your description to a tee; great place to start.

JtheJazzMan · #3 01-10-2010, 07:37 PM

Yeah I think they are spirocores.

A big part of his tone is the amplification. He uses a yamahiko still I think, but a fishman full circle will give you the same effect.

And low action.

If you check out his duet album with mark kramer on piano, you get a good idea of his arco and pizz sound. When he picks up the bow youll go "yep, sounds like spiros". He even uses his pickup tone a lot in the pizz sections, which amounts to sacrilege in a recording studio setting

The album "dedication" is another good one to check out.

footprints89 · #4 01-10-2010, 07:44 PM

Thanks for the input. I knew low action would come into play. If i tell the owners i want that tone and I'd like low action I'm sure they'd know what to do. Will most shops toy with your action at your request? Is this a long process?

Marc Piane · #5 01-10-2010, 07:53 PM

Kinda off topic but pretty interesting none the less. Two drastically different amplification and string setups.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbUpSH76RL0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_lSqcj1frw

JtheJazzMan · #6 01-10-2010, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by footprints89

Thanks for the input. I knew low action would come into play. If i tell the owners i want that tone and I'd like low action I'm sure they'd know what to do. Will most shops toy with your action at your request? Is this a long process?

Back during the 70's and 80's, gomez was going with super low action. If you want that you may need a fingerboard plane to make sure theres no buzzes.

Also some basses have fingerboard that curve upwards towards the end of the FB, which is a real PITA for low action

His 1990's and later albums sound like he is using slightly higher action, but it may be a trick of technology, considering how good recording technology is now.

Other than that, modifying the action is quite simple.

You may also want to think about a magnetic pickup.

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7348017

Here is a gomez-like clip I did ages ago using a biesele and full circle. I thought it was a pretty good tone up in thumb position.

Mark Perna · #7 01-10-2010, 08:15 PM

I've never played his bass but from the videos from the '70-'90s his string height doesn't look all that low. It isn't old time gut high but I wouldn't characterize it as super low either. It looks medium to medium high to me. You can see a lot of air under those strings.

Here's a clip from '92:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2rqM...eature=related

The few times I've tried to get the Eddie sound, I was more successful after cranking the string height up.

He's definitely using Spirocore Mittels though.

mark

anonymous02282011 · #8 01-10-2010, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fingers

Kinda off topic but pretty interesting none the less. Two drastically different amplification and string setups.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbUpSH76RL0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_lSqcj1frw

Nice post.

Incredible.

The clips, yes, but also the fact I can access these at the push of a button and also have them side by side in tabbed browsing.

Marcus Johnson · #9 01-10-2010, 09:43 PM

Everyone I know who's played Eddie's basses has said that the "action" (sorry, Arnold) was not low at all.

davidAaronCarte · #10 01-10-2010, 10:39 PM

Not too long ago my teacher was telling me about seeing Gomez live
He was really impressed by the warmth and power coming from the bass (he was sitting quite close to Eddie)
Amps is amps... bassists are something else completely

Eric Jackson · #11 01-10-2010, 10:42 PM

I used Spiro's for decades until the price increases made me search for something else. I've been using Helicore Pizz for a couple years now. They sound very much like Spiro's for a whole lot less money, not as banjo- like when brand new. I've had a couple new strings that sounded a little funky initially, but they settled down after some playing. Might be an option for you too.

footprints89 · #12 01-11-2010, 01:26 AM

My old orchestra teacher recommended the helicores. What are the price ranges of the helicores and the spiros?

footprints89 · #13 01-11-2010, 01:28 AM

Is full circle a pick up? Are they expensive?

massimo · #14 01-11-2010, 04:25 AM

I tried E. Gomez bass one year ago in a club in NYC:
Kay bass( assembled with parts from different Kays by David Gage)
spirocore strings (i dont remember if mittel or weich)
Full Circle pickup (and also Gage pickup, he played one set with the FC and one set Gage).
The action was medium and the bass very well setup and easy to play.

Greg Clinkingbeard · #15 01-11-2010, 07:55 AM

That's interesting. Maybe someone knows something about his main axe; it sure ain't a Kay.
The sound heard in these clips if through a mic so I doubt a Full Circle pickup and mittels is going to get that sound. Tone comes from the brain, arms, hands, fingers, callouses, strings and bass. The strings are no more a part of the sound than anything else.

Paul Warburton · #16 01-11-2010, 08:11 AM

Last I hung with Eddie, he used one of my basses I had for sale. His home bass was the Claudot. I think he has another now. He always calls when he comes around. I have his cell # in my cell. I thought I was calling my lady friend a couple days ago and hit his #. The OGM says: "This is Eddie. Leave a message at the 'call of the wild'. Then you hear this bird-like screetch.
I'll give him a call for an up date on this stuff. He'll be glad to hear you guys are interested. Good cat.

EDIT: When I get a bass back from him, the bridge is usually set at what I would call "medium".

Eric Hochberg · #17 01-11-2010, 08:29 AM

I really dig Eddie on a Carli Munoz album, Maverick, from a few years ago. He has a very different sound for him on that one. Almost sounds like a ply bass and something with little sustain, like flexocores, very dark sounding. Great playing as always. Paul, if you think to ask him about that one...

Paul Warburton · #18 01-11-2010, 08:41 AM

OK, Eric. I got a message into him. He's prolly out on the road.
I'll leave this thread open in a tab so I can nail his ass to the wall with questions.

jmpiwonka · #19 01-11-2010, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

I'll leave this thread open in a tab so I can nail his ass to the wall with questions.

haha.
good man.

footprints89 · #20 01-12-2010, 06:40 AM

How did you get opportunity to play gomez's bass?