Bass played by GWAR...

Jagdmusik · #1 09-30-2006, 06:47 PM

I was recently re-listening to the album America Must Be Destroyed by GWAR (the first metal band I ever really heard, haha

), and the bass just leapt out at me in a way I hadn't noticed way back then (before I even started playing).

Does anyone happen to know what kind of bass is being played over most of that album? I'm totally digging on that sound. If I had to bet, I'd say it's some kind of 8-string...

Matt Till · #2 09-30-2006, 07:58 PM

I've been trying to figure this out too. I was big on Gwar a few years ago... I think they are a legit awesome band, but people get stuck on the image/goofy lyrics. They are metal and punk and fun all at the same time.

I don't think Beefcake played an 8 string, but he (whichever Beefcake he was, they changed a few times) has amazing tone.

bassguitarist08 · #3 09-30-2006, 08:33 PM

IMHO GWAR sucks ass...Im sorry but I dont see the point in spewing fake urine, blood, semen, or...goo or some sort at a crowd while dressing up like a ****ing moron to play metal.

Sorry for the ignorance, but it's true.

The_Ryst · #4 09-30-2006, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassguitarist08

IMHO GWAR sucks ass...Im sorry but I dont see the point in spewing fake urine, blood, semen, or...goo or some sort at a crowd while dressing up like a ****ing moron to play metal.

Sorry for the ignorance, but it's true.

"but people get stuck on the image/goofy lyrics." - matt till

Did you read the thread?

Yes you just made a good critique on their musical abilities and the content of their records. Congrats.

And I'm not even a real big GWAR fan I don't know much about them, but come on one of the biggest parts of metal is the Super-Hero feeling of it all. Kiss. Zeppelin. Manson. Alice Cooper. These people made/make themselves out to be more than they are. It's surreal and it's for a stage-show.

Matt Till · #5 09-30-2006, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassguitarist08

IMHO GWAR sucks ass...Im sorry but I dont see the point in spewing fake urine, blood, semen, or...goo or some sort at a crowd while dressing up like a ****ing moron to play metal.

Sorry for the ignorance, but it's true.

Thanks for noting the ignorance, because you are laying it on thick. You say they "suck ass" but you didn't mention anything about their music.

Gwar is actually a clever (IMO) form social commentary. They've said in interviews that they are mimmicking/mocking everything they view as wrong in American culture. Lyrically and in some stage acts. PLUS, they've found a clever way to cool a hot audience down. Seriously, when I saw them, it was so hot, people were jumping into the piss stream, it was genius.

My guess is you are one of two people: You don't like metal OR You take metal far too serious.

Masher88 · #6 10-01-2006, 12:30 PM

I believe the old (Scumdogs, America... etc..) Beefecake used a Kubiki Factor bass. One of those headless things. And then he modified the body with the "meat" look. I'm sure that on the recordings he goes through some processing and effects, too.

The new Beefcake has an ESP LTD bass(at least in the pics I saw)...not even modified out...not cool!

Kronos · #7 10-01-2006, 09:31 PM

Well, I believe on America Must Be Destroyed, it was Mike Bishop who played Beefcake. He did have the beef covered bass, but as I'm watching the Gor Gor video, it wasn't headless. The headstock was also covered with the beef.

Nowadays, Todd Evans plays the part, and there's no stuff on ANY of the GWAR member's instruments.

As far as his sound goes, it's an overdriven tube sound on that album as far as I can tell, and the bass he has is equipped with EMG pickups.

Ian Perge · #8 10-02-2006, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassguitarist08

IMHO... but it's true.

That about says it all for me.

bryan bailey · #9 10-02-2006, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Masher88

I believe the old (Scumdogs, America... etc..) Beefecake used a Kubiki Factor bass. One of those headless things. And then he modified the body with the "meat" look. I'm sure that on the recordings he goes through some processing and effects, too.

Yeah, one of those was on the bay a year or two back. Wonder who's got it now.

Anyone have any pics of it?

gruffpuppy · #10 10-02-2006, 01:24 PM

I thought he used some low end washburns or something like that. Live his tone doesn't cut as much as I think it should seeing that sometimes his riff changes the direction of the song.

I don't think they use high end stuff on stage with all the junk flying.

I freind of mine thought they sucked because of the stage show. He was shocked that they were so tight when he did finally see them.

Granted bands like this, bands with a gimic never last. Look at Kiss, David Bowie, Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson. Where are they now.

steve21 · #11 10-02-2006, 09:50 PM

The new dude (Not America Must Be Destroyed... awesome song, too... the stuff going on in the background is nuts) plays F404 (ESP/LTD) basses, I believe.

I'd like to check GWAR out live sometime.

Hyper-Flexion · #12 10-04-2006, 09:26 PM

gonna see them in houston...should be mega fun

Alan Vorse · #13 10-04-2006, 10:58 PM

I thought GWAR were hilarious. I remember seeing some footage from around '91, it seemed he was playing a Steinberger M (headless but with a traditional body).

Pantsman · #14 10-12-2006, 04:58 AM

anyone seen the movie 'Empire Records' .....

Singer from GWAR: hey Mark, you play a pretty mean guitar ... to bad you have to die!!!

Baryonyx · #15 10-12-2006, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassguitarist08

IMHO GWAR sucks ass...Im sorry but I dont see the point in spewing fake urine, blood, semen, or...goo or some sort at a crowd while dressing up like a ****ing moron to play metal.

Sorry for the ignorance, but it's true.

What has this statement got to do with the actual question asked in this thread?

I don't like GWAR, but for metal I have noticed some pretty decent bass tones at times!

Jagdmusik · #16 10-14-2006, 12:36 PM

I can tell that the sound is overdriven, but I thought there might be something else to it...

The reason I thought he might be using an 8 on America Must Be Destroyed was that around the same time I re-listened to that album, I also dug up Gretchen Goes to Nebraska by King's X. To my ears there seemed to be something similar going on with those bass sounds... certainly not the overdrive, but something else in the high-end and attack. Though admittedly I'm not an expert on 8/12-string sounds, my guess was that octave strings were involved (which would explain why that "something" that I was hearing seemed to be more exaggerated on Pinnick's 12 than the GWAR bass).

Frankly, I don't really think that the basses that GWAR has used onstage (even the ones from that era) necessarily have anything to do with their recordings, for the same reasons that I don't particularly think Gene Simmons' axe-bass-thing saw much studio use.

However, the Steinberger thing might explain it all... I know the one time I heard a Steinberger up-close-and-personal, it had an extremely sharp, metallic ring to it; put that through an overdriven head, and maybe you get the sound on America Must Be Destroyed...

BTW I don't think the song "America Must Be Destroyed" is the best example of the sound I'm referring to. I think it's easier to hear on "Poor Ole Tom", the beginning of "Pussy Planet", and especially the break in "Blimey".

Jagdmusik · #17 10-14-2006, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Till

I've been trying to figure this out too. I was big on Gwar a few years ago... I think they are a legit awesome band, but people get stuck on the image/goofy lyrics. They are metal and punk and fun all at the same time.

Hmm, well I'm not sure about "legit awesome band"... Sure, they had some totally rockin stuff going on in America Must Be Destroyed and Scumdogs of the Universe, stuff that I think definitely deserves to be taken more seriously than just as "the stuff they play during their outrageous stage act." There're some great riffs in there, and the way their sense of humor mixes with the hard stuff makes for a unique listening experience. Actually, though I don't admit it very often, I think those couple albums were a significant influence for me.

...But the other GWAR albums I've heard suggest they couldn't really keep that up. I thought Hell-O was mildly amusing but unremarkable, and Carnival of Chaos was just crap. I know they made a lot of other albums that I haven't heard at all, but I was told they went sharply downhill after America Must Be Destroyed (and Carnival of Chaos didn't do anything to suggest otherwise in my mind). Maybe you could recommend (an)other good album(s)?

bishop55 · #18 03-20-2007, 12:28 AM

Wow, am I ever late in replying to this, but I am impressed by your listening! Yes, it was a Steinberger XM2, and its just running through an old SVT that had been modified with a master volume, run through an 8X10, at least that hos "Scumdogs" and "America" were recorded, later, I used a Seymour Duncan 800 RB with the effect pedal, on the Toilet Earth, for example, but by the constant was a PULTECH EQ, and LA2A compression, that's the deal. I used to use a FAT CAT distortion by Ibanez live, and yes, I used to use differnt gear live then in the studio because the fluids would **** it up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jagdmusik

I can tell that the sound is overdriven, but I thought there might be something else to it...

The reason I thought he might be using an 8 on America Must Be Destroyed was that around the same time I re-listened to that album, I also dug up Gretchen Goes to Nebraska by King's X. To my ears there seemed to be something similar going on with those bass sounds... certainly not the overdrive, but something else in the high-end and attack. Though admittedly I'm not an expert on 8/12-string sounds, my guess was that octave strings were involved (which would explain why that "something" that I was hearing seemed to be more exaggerated on Pinnick's 12 than the GWAR bass).

Frankly, I don't really think that the basses that GWAR has used onstage (even the ones from that era) necessarily have anything to do with their recordings, for the same reasons that I don't particularly think Gene Simmons' axe-bass-thing saw much studio use.

However, the Steinberger thing might explain it all... I know the one time I heard a Steinberger up-close-and-personal, it had an extremely sharp, metallic ring to it; put that through an overdriven head, and maybe you get the sound on America Must Be Destroyed...

BTW I don't think the song "America Must Be Destroyed" is the best example of the sound I'm referring to. I think it's easier to hear on "Poor Ole Tom", the beginning of "Pussy Planet", and especially the break in "Blimey".

Chriso21 · #19 03-21-2007, 01:32 PM

cool! Nice to hear it from the horses mouth eh?

Jagdmusik · #20 05-30-2007, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bishop55

Wow, am I ever late in replying to this, but I am impressed by your listening! Yes, it was a Steinberger XM2, and its just running through an old SVT that had been modified with a master volume, run through an 8X10, at least that hos "Scumdogs" and "America" were recorded, later, I used a Seymour Duncan 800 RB with the effect pedal, on the Toilet Earth, for example, but by the constant was a PULTECH EQ, and LA2A compression, that's the deal. I used to use a FAT CAT distortion by Ibanez live, and yes, I used to use differnt gear live then in the studio because the fluids would **** it up.

Well, I'm pretty late in following up on this, but thanks for the lowdown!... even though it has made my case of Steinberger GAS even more painful (where the hell do I find a lefty??).

Anyway, so the 8-string idea was totally wrong... but I still think I'm hearing some octavy stuff going on. Did you by any chance use a lot of octaves (or maybe some power chords) in your playing during that period, or am I just stupid/crazy/hallucinating?

And did you use a pick, I wonder?