recorded tone on bass tracks

[Hizzoner]

Looking at some youtube stuff with isolated bass tracks I was amazed how many songs by a variety of players have a overdriven kinda dirty tone.. even Sting on Roxanne has a bit of grit..

http://www.youtube.com/user/dxbrbnkh...10/IJkutVcmXvM

Justin..would you say your favorite recorded bass tones would sound somewhat gritty or overdriven if heard in isolation? I know you are something of a chameleon and have worked in lots of scenarios...but the "tone in yo head"...is it gritty?...is it the p-bass with flats/ b15 sound? What about something like "sexx laws" in isolation..gritty?

Thanks

Mark

[Hizzoner]

here is the ox:
http://www.youtube.com/user/dxbrbnkhd#p/u/0/nSqsslLZJy8

[jmjbassplayer]

Yeah, Sexx Laws is pretty dirty when solo'd. But in my head, I really like it as dirty as possible all the time! Bass through guitar amps and stuff. But of course, more often than not, I'm playing a P-Bass, Starfire, Hofner, Harmony, Eko, etc. through B-15 only mildly overdriven. I just can tend to scare engineers when I crank it too much; sometimes they don't want to "commit", and I guess I can understand that for the most part. But I really wish I could keep that stuff blown out 24/7. A-la Ima Robot stuff, or like Sparks "Kimono My House", Stranglers, Joy Division, The Who as referenced above, all that biz.

Best,
JMJ

[Hizzoner]

Cool....I find I like the dirt sound I get out of the tonehammer with the gain turned up...leaving it engaged most of the time now...

Thanks JMJ...now I have the signature I have been sorely lacking!

"But in my head, I really like it as dirty as possible all the time!"

Mark

[tony moore]

Originally Posted by Hizzoner

Looking at some youtube stuff with isolated bass tracks I was amazed how many songs by a variety of players have a overdriven kinda dirty tone.. even Sting on Roxanne has a bit of grit..

http://www.youtube.com/user/dxbrbnkh...10/IJkutVcmXvM

what fun to hear all those lil' muted ghost clicks in the verses and fret clanks on the outro. glad to know i'm not the only one that does that stuff!

[JimmyM]

that guy has some killer iso tracks! but you know what surprised me? the bass sound on the ac/dc live album is di! he was using mesas on that tour, and i always thought he mic'ed them and leaned on the mic sound, but it's a precision into a dead clean di full range.

i'd love to hear the iso bass track of sexx laws and mixed bizness, btw. justin said it was a pretty simple signal path, like a preamp into the board, but what a fat tone! that'd be cool to hear what's really doing.

[faulknersj]

One of my favorite 'gritty' bass tones is Nate Watts bass on Stevie Wonders 'Do I Do.' You can really hear it in the sections where it's just bass and drums. From what I have read, its just a late 70's or early 80's Stingray thru a DI. Tim Comerford from Rage Against the Machine has a sick dirty tone too!

[engedi1]

In the case of Rage, he is using distortion effects. Nate Watts and stuff from the 70's and 60's is usually recorded direct overdriving tube and tape gear. Of course you really can't forget the overdriven goodness of the cream recordings.

[Hizzoner]

Jimmy- I'd love to hear sexx laws iso too..some JMJ lookalike dude tries to do it as a playalong on yutube..seems to groove to it well..not sure if it is 100% accurate, but it moves..what do you think of this JMJ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M95E9dFMp4M&feature=fvw

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Hizzoner

Jimmy- I'd love to hear sexx laws iso too..some JMJ lookalike dude tries to do it as a playalong on yutube..seems to groove to it well..not sure if it is 100% accurate, but it moves..what do you think of this JMJ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M95E9dFMp4M&feature=fvw

ya, that's big john, creator of the granny puker which i believe jmj owns. he already said it's not 100% accurate. i told him if i was putting together a beck tribute band, i'd be plenty happy with it