Dodgy Billy Sheehan Technique... Low B off a 4 string -No downtuning!

mjwhit · #1 04-09-2007, 01:33 AM

Watching this movie on YouTube were Sheehan claims he doesnt use a five string because he can get a low B off a four string bass without downtuning.

He grabs the headstock with his left hand and the bridge end with the other, plays a note then bends the entire bass!

Just wondering how bad is this for the bass, say if you repititivly done it trying to get the right note? Would the guitar need to be re-adjusted all the time? Cant be especially good for tuning i would imagine.

Of course i had to try so I grabbed my worst bass and gave it a try. I got an interesting vibrato type sound. Kinda like a whammy bar on a guitar but less dramatic.

Forgot to add I want some LED's like what he has on his bass. He shows the technique and also shows off his bass a lot on the vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twEvRB9raZo

JimmyM · #2 04-09-2007, 01:59 AM

It's horrible for the bass. He's always having to fill the screw holes on the neck and reattaching it. He talked about it in an old interview. He's a real do it yourselfer, that Sheehan.

mjwhit · #3 04-09-2007, 02:18 AM

haha thought as much. in the movie he came across as a rugged individual...

JimmyM · #4 04-09-2007, 03:00 AM

Hmmm, I just watched those videos and apparently the problems he had with the neck on his Precision are fixed with the Attitude. The neck has a longer tongue that he says goes under the DiMarzio pickup and it holds it on better.

Basshole · #5 04-09-2007, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

It's horrible for the bass. He's always having to fill the screw holes on the neck and reattaching it. He talked about it in an old interview. He's a real do it yourselfer, that Sheehan.

Wonder if it's ever popped off, or snapped at the head.

Xoryn · #6 04-09-2007, 04:50 AM

I always thought that he just used the whole pulling back the neck thing like a whammy bar on a guitar. I personally wouldn't do it because I don't have the skills to reattach a neck or the money to buy a new bass. I think that for that low B he used an octave pedal rather than bending the neck back. Could be wrong though

machine gewehr · #7 04-09-2007, 05:04 AM

That Sheehan is a strong man indeed.He goes to higher notes by bending the strings like crazy and to low notes by bending the bass.He does it and keeps in time.Crazy man.

JimmyM · #8 04-09-2007, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xoryn

I always thought that he just used the whole pulling back the neck thing like a whammy bar on a guitar. I personally wouldn't do it because I don't have the skills to reattach a neck or the money to buy a new bass. I think that for that low B he used an octave pedal rather than bending the neck back. Could be wrong though

He's done that occasionally, and he's also tuned to B-E-A-D occasionally. But the bending thing isn't so dramatic when you consider he's got a D-tuner.

Tnavis · #9 04-09-2007, 08:43 AM

I use that technique occasionally to generate a little vibrato or for a slight "dive bomb" effect. Dropping down to a "B" is a big bend though, more than I'd be willing to try.

fryBASS · #10 04-09-2007, 01:02 PM

No, he says he can bend it down to a D. And then use an effect to play a regular B on the A string and it will change the pitch to an octave down.

sobie18 · #11 04-10-2007, 07:59 AM

I remember the time I was gigging @ Osan AB, Korea at some downtown bar...I was taking my solo and I did some neck bending with my Attitude and the metal ring-connection of the strap broke and the bass crashed to the floor. Picked it back up and finished the solo and the next song. That was trippy...

nubs · #12 04-10-2007, 08:05 AM

i guess when you have full blown endorsements and get what ever you need whenever you need it, who really cares how rough on gear you are....more power to him. I saw Sheehan on the BX3 tour this last year he's an animal, totally aggresive, sometimes too much too often for my pallet, but heck i paid to watch him, he will never pay to come and see me demonstrate my playing technique, its all good.

Joe P · #13 04-13-2007, 07:17 AM

I never hear this talked about, but there's a much better way to get true low-B off a 4-string:

When you play any 1-5 double-stop, there's a clear octave-below-the-one note generated. I guess I should clarify more by saying "strongly implied" if you're running a perfectly-clean bass tone; definately, literally synthesized if you're running any class-A type distortion - like a classic tube amp growl-tone, or a class-A type overdrive pedal ('symmetrical-clip' types definately don't do it as well).

With good technique controlling individual string volumes, these frequency-mixing effects can be well-controlled.

I was just wowing over this again last night. I'm putting together an all-tapped (with vocal) solo arrangement of Money by Floyd, and I ran into a bit of a tricky spot during the progression that goes through "...four star daydream; think I'll buy me a football team". I was loosing groove to jump-down an octave at one spot (that lowest note in the arrangement was running into the neck scrunchies too..), so I decided to try the 1-5 cheat. When integrated into the two-handed, two-part arrangement like that, the low-octave note is clearly presented - right there where it goes. I mean if you asked someone to hum-along with the bass line, they'd sing that low-octave!

So in-a-nutshell: play an octave ABOVE where you want; then add the 5th-above - best, in an appropriate relative volume - and you'll hear that low-octave 'beat frequency' (an old radio term for the phenomenon).

Joe

Joe P · #14 04-13-2007, 07:25 AM

I'd really like to hear a more in-depth discussion of this, in its own thread - if anyone has any interest...

(want TWO octaves down? ..That'd be a 1-Maj3!

Joe

GaryLC · #15 04-13-2007, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nubs

i guess when you have full blown endorsements and get what ever you need whenever you need it, who really cares how rough on gear you are....more power to him. I saw Sheehan on the BX3 tour this last year he's an animal, totally aggresive, sometimes too much too often for my pallet

I live near Albany, NY, and Billy's old band "Talas" was from the general area. They used to play at a local club, back in the mid '70's, and he was an animal back then! Talk about a power trio, these guys could peel the hair off your chest. Billy's bass just slammed you in the chest, people would literally come to the club just to see this crazy "lead" bass player.....