The best P-bass tone in rock

[Valerus]

Originally Posted by Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

Here's more Budgie for those of you who haven't heard about Burke Shelley:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwepTvy-d-Q&fmt=18

thank you for showing these guys to me. I've almost learned Breadfan totally. Fun song to play

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Originally Posted by Valerus

thank you for showing these guys to me. I've almost learned Breadfan totally. Fun song to play

"Breadfan" is an awesome song.

[Valerus]

Originally Posted by Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

"Breadfan" is an awesome song.

Dude. Do you have this song written out on sheet music, perhaps?

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Originally Posted by Valerus

Dude. Do you have this song written out on sheet music, perhaps?

Sorry, man. I don't have it, but I love to transcribe whatever is cool to me. I think I'll use my Holy Week vacation time to transcribe it. I really like that song. Actually, the notes are pretty easy to replicate. The combination of character plus tone, on the other hand...

[Valerus]

Originally Posted by Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

Sorry, man. I don't have it, but I love to transcribe whatever is cool to me. I think I'll use my Holy Week vacation time to transcribe it. I really like that song. Actually, the notes are pretty easy to replicate. The combination of character plus tone, on the other hand...

Oh I know what you mean. His tone is killer.

[depalm]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Afw_ZSI9N9o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55uPrGeVSzs

[BigMac5]

Steve Harris

[Colonel_Claypoo]

Originally Posted by BigMac5

Steve Harris

...is excluded in the OP's question. otherwise he'd gotten my vote as well

[ronster91]

I love Geezer's tone on Black Sabbath and Paranoid.

[thesaddpenguin]

Dig this: Pino Palladino

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

[R D Maynard]

I'm sketchy on this, but I believe the original bass player on War was B.B. Dickerson, (great name for a musician,) and played on "Cisco Kid". That's gotta be one of the meanest bass tracks, ever....

[Ampeg SVT]

P-bass and rock?

Nate Mendel from the Foo Fighters.

[BigMac5]

Guy Berryman of Coldplay.

[the_hook]

Originally Posted by Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

Hi everybody.

As many of you probably know, I'm not a fan of playing P-basses, never owned and don't plan on having one, but in spite of that I really love and respect the true P-bass tone, which I particularly associate with 70's funk/disco.

In this thread I just want to say that there are lots of great P-bass players in rock music, and I'm pretty sure that this thread's title made think of Steve Harris to many of you. But, while I agree that Steve Harris is a superb player with a magnificent tone, I don't think his is a true P-bass tone. IMO, he chose that bass because he felt it the most ballsy (I'm guessing, of course), but he has never seemed interested in getting the real P-bass tone from his instrument. His fingers, strings and bass setup are the main components of his sound, but I don't think he needs a P-bass for his tone to be recognized.

Having said that, I want to give credit to the guy that IMO has gotten the best P-bass tone in terms of authenticity within a rock band: BURKE SHELLEY. Feel free to disagree, but to me no other documented player in rock has recorded such true P-bass tone. Besides, I think that Budgie is a great but severely underrated band (although I don't like their late, more polished works that much), so this is also my way of giving them the props they deserve.

So you can take this as "The Burke Shelley's P-bass tone appreciation thread" or you can mention another player you feel has gotten an even better P-bass tone in a rock band (Of course, I'm talking about "the best" among the ones I know). Again, and at least for me, Steve Harris isn't a good example (but a terrific player with an awesome tone nonetheless). No funk/disco players allowed either.

Just in case some of you don't know who I'm talking about, here's a video of Budgie lip-syncing one of their greatest hits:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54H3EUAzpVg&fmt=18

Thanks for reading!

Thanks for introducing me to a band I've never heard of. Checked them out on youtube; love their style and sound and the bass tone is killer.

Is it me, or do I see a template for the RUSH trio from these guys? Even the lead singer/bassist with long flowing hair, high vocals and (later Geddy had) the thick glasses?

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Originally Posted by the_hook

Is it me, or do I see a template for the RUSH trio from these guys? Even the lead singer/bassist with long flowing hair, high vocals and (later Geddy had) the thick glasses?

Exactly. Geddy and Burke Shelley have been compared lots of times because of that.

[Falkner]

Originally Posted by Hamrhed

Bob Daisley: The only man who could have made Ozzy forget about Geezer Bob is still delivering the p bass goods w/ Living Loud and he still sounds fantastic!

Another vote for Bob. His tone and style are what made me pick up bass.

[dean owens]

Originally Posted by DaveF

Whoah! Budgie rocks! How come I've never heard of them???

ditto that. not much makes me open itunes to start looking for music to buy... but i did after seeing that youtube clip. sadly i don't see anything of them on itunes. guess i'll have to look somewhere else.

[BillyB_from_LZ]

Originally Posted by DaveF

Whoah! Budgie rocks! How come I've never heard of them???

The only other time I had heard of Budgie was in a newsletter that Marshall used to send out in the '70s...

[BillyB_from_LZ]

Some of my P-Bass favorites:

Mars Cowling with Pat Travers (especially the first Pat Travers album)

Tim Bogert with Beck, Bogert and Appice

Rob Grange on Ted Nugent's Call of the Wild, Tooth, Fang and Claw and the first Ted Nugent (CBS) albums.

An unknown bassist playing in a restaurant lounge in St. Louis, MO (circa 1973/1974). The biggest, deepest, fattest, most beautiful bass tone I'd ever heard. P-Bass, Traynor tube head and a Marshall 4x12 bass cabinet.

[jerry]

Paul Hinklin with Sad Happy