carol kaye sound on axelrod stuff

dhaworth · #1 02-23-2005, 04:09 PM

Sorry all, I'm sure this is an all-too-common post (equal to "bonham sound" on drums forum?), but can anyone give me some more ideas on how to get the plucky tone carol kaye got on the david axelrod stuff she played on? so far I found: picked, p-bass, thomastik flatwounds, felt mutes, anyting else worth trying? I just want to try a pluckier sound on a few songs.

daniva · #2 07-13-2009, 07:50 PM

thats it, the technique using the pick is important, she plays hard, and closer to the neck, maybe a high action too

Audiophage · #3 07-13-2009, 10:02 PM

I'm not extremely familiar with the sound you're talking about, but you don't think maybe it's like a tic-tac sort of situation but with bass guitar and guitar doubling? Also, maybe try different picks.

evilgus · #4 07-15-2009, 04:17 AM

Probably pointless, given the OP posted years ago, but...

Why not email her and ask the question directly? I was in
regular contact with her ages ago and she was always very helpful and friendly.

carol@carolkaye.com

Cheers,

EG

62bass · #5 07-16-2009, 04:12 PM

I agree-you can email her and ask her. She's mentioned her bass sound and how she gets it many times on her Forum. Back in the Electric Prunes days it would have been Fender P with stock Fender flatwounds, a very hard pick, played closer to the neck and with some force behind it, and a combination of small amp (maybe a Versatone then or else a 4x10 Fender guitar amp) and direct or amp only. No compression when tracking the bass. But ask her and get it straight from the source.

62bass · #6 07-16-2009, 06:46 PM

Dhaworth--here's a bit I found that Carol Kaye posted that mentions the Axelrod bass sounds and others she did at that time.

" Someone lately just sent me 2 wonderful compliation tapes of many movie scores, TV film scores, and a few various albums like the ones I did for Dave Axelrod (Song Of Innocence, etc.) and Chas. Kynard's "Reelin' With the Feelin'" 1969 hot album we all cut -- Paul Humphrey on drums, Joe Pass on guitar, Wilton Felder on sax), Mission Impossible, Quincy Jones' Walk Don't Run film score (others I played on that Quincy scored for the Sidney Portier movies, To Sir With Love, and others like the Pawnbroker, Heat Of the Night, Slender Thread, Hot Rock, etc), all very good to hear again, Casino Royale etc. I don't have hardly albums or things I played on, so this was a nice surprise.

From listening to the tapes, it was pretty apparent that I mostly seemed to have loads of treble sounds on my bass and amp (was miked for practically all the film scores, TV films calls), the pick sounds which are more prominent because of the age of the masters (they gain treble sounds as they age), sound pretty good, lots of pick sounds but when the drums come in the clicky sounds disappear."

For the exact amp she used you'd have to ask her. I was fortunate enough to see her doing a bit of an Electric Prunes session for Axelrod and she was playing a Fender P. Sorry, I didn't see the amp but I believe judging by the year it was probably the Fender guitar amp with 4x10s.