Jack Bruce's tone on Supershow?

gratt · #1 10-01-2010, 04:18 PM

Check out this recording of Jack Bruce backing Buddy Guy back in the day. Not my favourite playing or even favourite tone, but I have to appreciate the quality of his tone to sing even on my crappy laptop speakers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW7BOYvX8ug

I've tried everything in my recordings, from cranking the gain to cranking the treble to keeping the finger noise that I strive to rid of, and it never sits like this. Blows my mind. I'm not really asking for advice, but a dialogue would be nice

benjammin420 · #2 10-01-2010, 07:05 PM

good stuff, I love Jack Bruce, that Supershow was a great gig too, they need to put out a remastered DVD or something, I'm tired of watching the clips through youtube haha

Deathblade Eric · #3 10-02-2010, 07:59 AM

Source: http://www.jackbruce.com/2008/Gear/gear.htm

Quote:

His amplification consists of a Hartke 7000 head, driving four Hartke XL cabinets: two 4x10s and two 1x15s. Jack sets the graphic EQ on the head to a "frown" which boosts the midrange. He hits the strings hard, producing a punchy, thick, slightly distorted tone.

I suspect Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Gary Moore etc,) uses a similar approach as his tone always seems to poke through the mix.

Pete.

Hyper-sloth · #4 10-02-2010, 01:03 PM

That was quite a while before Hartkes were around. It sounds very thick from the Gibson EB3. He does emphasize the mids to cut through the mix. Having a somewhat overdriven tube pre wouldn't hurt much either.

pedro · #5 10-02-2010, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hyper-sloth

That was quite a while before Hartkes were around. It sounds very thick from the Gibson EB3. He does emphasize the mids to cut through the mix. Having a somewhat overdriven tube pre wouldn't hurt much either.

Bingo. Sounds to me like in addition to the frown-like eq Jack rolled off some of the bass. I don't have a lot of experience with the Eb3 but perhaps some of it is whatever preset position he selected.

Ric5 · #6 10-02-2010, 02:53 PM

Get an eb3 bass turn up the mids and string it with flats.

superbassman2000 · #7 10-02-2010, 02:55 PM

He was also using a WEM setup--IIRC aren't they PA rigs? that probably has an effect on the tone too

**lowendfriend** · #8 10-02-2010, 02:55 PM

THey also sound like roundwounds....EB3 is short-scale which also influences the tone