How does brian bromberg get that tone?

Libersolis · #1 05-04-2005, 11:49 AM

Man that is a sick tone. So thick and meaty lol. I want that tone. Any idea how to get it?

anonymous0726 · #2 05-04-2005, 01:00 PM

Practice getting a sound.

That might sound flippant, but it's the same for any instrument. With the bow you do long tones, so do the same with pizz.

anonymous0726 · #3 05-04-2005, 01:02 PM

Oh -- and intonation has a lot to do with sound. An in-tune note is much larger sounding than an out of tune note. Slightly sharp will sound brighter and thinner, where a slightly flat note will sound thicker and perhaps a little duller.

anonymous0726 · #4 05-04-2005, 01:04 PM

..and another ting.

Follow through with your attack, whether pizz or arco. When you play a note, you have to play it through the whole instrument. Not just on the string. This is more a feel/intent thing, but if it's in your mind you ears and hands will give it to you.

joe_sorren · #5 05-04-2005, 01:31 PM

Follow through with your attack, whether pizz or arco. When you play a note, you have to play it through the whole instrument. Not just on the string. This is more a feel/intent thing, but if it's in your mind you ears and hands will give it to you.
__________________

Ray,

That is great advice. It's one of those," a moment to understand, a lifetime to UNDERSTAND" ideas.

Thank you for this gem. it's a great place for my brain to be while I play.

anonymous0726 · #6 05-04-2005, 02:06 PM

I could just be BS, too, but it's the kinda thing that goes through my mind all the time, especially when the sound coming out of my corner isn't getting it for me.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #7 05-04-2005, 02:35 PM

Keep in mind that Brian's recorded sound is close mic'd through a Neve console with some compression and a heftly dollup of expensive reverb - you won't get that recorded sound acoustically unless you're playing in a catherdral and your ears are right in front of the bass.

B String · #8 05-04-2005, 10:51 PM

The story goes.... Jaco is in a New York hotel room, with a
number of famous New York bassists talking about tone. One
of the bassists says "I could get your tone if I had your bass"
Jaco takes his bass out, passes it around. Nobody sounds
exactly like Jaco until Jaco plays.... What I mean to say is..
Brian's sound is coming from his head and hands. He sounds
suprisingly the same, no matter what bass he is playing. He
has played my basses, and sounds much more like him than
me.

Doug Ring · #9 05-05-2005, 11:40 AM

That reminds me of the Chet Atkins story. A guy is watching Chet play, and when he stops, the guy says, "Gee, that's a great sounding guitar Mr Atkins." Chet puts the guitar on its stand and says to the guy, "How's it sound now?"

KSB - Ken Smith · #10 05-06-2005, 02:37 PM

Besides all the recording stuff, Brian has a Beautiful Solo sized Italian Bass from around the 18th century. I only saw it once in person but I pegged it on the spot. His Bass is even sounding and not huge in volume due to it's size so it is most probably easy to record.

pedro · #11 06-08-2005, 03:58 PM

[[That reminds me of the Chet Atkins story. A guy is watching Chet play, and when he stops, the guy says, "Gee, that's a great sounding guitar Mr Atkins." Chet puts the guitar on its stand and says to the guy, "How's it sound now?"

(THUD!! Pedro falls on the floor laughing his head off.) I sure hope that story is true. Excellent.

lincland · #12 03-23-2011, 12:47 AM

It helps to know a couple of things about his bass and his set-up. First it's VERY nice OLD Italian bass with a very nice tone. He sets it up with Weichs, and what I would consider to be very low action. In addition, his fingerboard has no relief in it. It's more of the approach one would take when setting up an electric bass. Usually for a bass that is set up for bowing, there is more relief carved in the fingerboard. His is flat.

On Wood, it was all microphone. I can't really comment on the mic, board, effects etc, but I think someone else did.

On his bass he has several different pickups mounted so that he can use whatever suits best for whatever occasion. But mainly primarily it's the Barbera pickup. Upright bass pickups, acoustic bass pickups, double bass pickups and upright bass transducers by Barbera Transducer Systems
It's really expensive but sounds like you have your bass about 2 feet from the bass even if you're across the room.

I also know another bass player who goes for a similar sound and uses the Barbera system, and he has a very similar tone. He uses the D'Addario Pizzicato strings. They are VERY "Buzzy" and have long sustain. Horrible with a bow.

Hope that helps a little.