Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer

cossie · #1 12-14-2008, 07:11 AM

Hey,

I've been listening to this song a lot this morning trying to work out how the bass is so..."deep" and I don't even think deep is the right word.

Does anybody know how they achieved that?

Cheers,

Cos

Commreman · #2 12-14-2008, 07:18 AM

Tony Levin played a fretless Music Man with a pick, used a Boss OC-2 and tons of compression. What a great track!

**bassybill** · #3 12-14-2008, 07:52 AM

I love using an octave down with a fretless, it works really well. I use a Digitech BSW and it tracks perfectly (as long as you don't play chords).

UncleBalsamic · #4 12-14-2008, 07:53 AM

Didn't he use the Funkfingers?

Commreman · #5 12-14-2008, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UncleBalsamic

Didn't he use the Funkfingers?

Not on sledgehammer. He used the funkfingers for the slap section of "Big Time."

Dr. Cheese · #6 12-14-2008, 08:03 AM

Didn't he use disposable diapers as mute on this song, or was it another one?

StanFan · #7 12-14-2008, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

Didn't he use disposable diapers as mute on this song, or was it another one?

Possibly. It may have been Don't Give Up.

Dr. Cheese · #8 12-14-2008, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StanFan

Possibly. It may have been Don't Give Up.

"Don't Give Up" seems more likely.

basslinejam · #9 12-14-2008, 08:56 AM

I've read that he used his fretless Sadowsky-modified Musicman Sabre through a first gen Retrospec tube pre/compressor and an OC2 that had an old battery, which added some of that grit.

BTW, I think "So" may be the best engineered record of all time. It still outshines most records made 25+ years later and is my go to CD for "Let's see what this stereo can really do" testing.

cossie · #10 12-14-2008, 02:02 PM

Thanks for all the replies. It's such an awesome song, I've probably ruined my sub woofer today :P