Billy Sheehan

Flatwound · #1 01-28-2001, 10:14 PM

This guy absolutely slays me, especially his stuff with Niacin. It took me a while to warm up to him, partly because I don't like Talas or Mr. Big very much. His playing with David Lee Roth was pretty cool, though. I would have thought his grinding, in-your-face tone wouldn't work in a jazzy setting, but, boy, was I wrong! I know Niacin isn't exactly hardcore jazz or straight ahead (mostly), but more pop/jazz sometimes leaning pretty hard toward rock, but he plays a pretty mean walking line on "Pay Dirt".

Maybe what I like so much about Niacin is that Billy seems to like playing with other musicians more than cranking out solo albums.

Also, has anyone noticed that his sound is often Rickenbacker-like, only more so? In other words, his tone reminds me of Close to the Edge and Relayer - era Chris Squire. Billy's tone is a little deeper, but I find the similarities from such totally different instruments interesting.

And on "Chicken Dog," is he playing double bass, or what?

gweimer · #2 01-29-2001, 04:55 AM

I took my son to a Billy Sheehan clinic a while back. He's amazing. The funny thing is that when you watch him up close, he DOESN'T DO ANYTHING as far as hand or finger movement. Every move is short, smooth and relaxed. The fact that he has all eight fingers precision timed created this immense sound. He's a nice guy, too. He even replied to my son's Email later.

JimK · #3 01-29-2001, 05:01 AM

I have HIGH BIAS by Niacin; personally, IMHO, that's a perfect example of how NOT to record an electric bass. I thought Sheehan's tone was both thin & weak...I liked what he was sayin' better on EAT 'EM & SMILE.
Which Niacin disc do you have?

camerondye · #4 01-29-2001, 06:32 AM

I would agree, Billy Sheehan's tone and style is not a very practical one...IMO. But it seems to work very well for him. The guy is always doin' something. And, he is also a super super nice guy. I have met him twice and he comes off as very down to earth and what you see is what you get. very cool
cameron

Flatwound · #5 01-29-2001, 10:58 AM

I agree that Billy's signature tone wouldn't be very practical for most of us. But I think he's found environments where it works fine. As far as the stuff on High Bias, well, it sounds like Billy to me. I don't find his sound thin at all. To me, he often sounds like a fatter version of a Rickenbacker.

gweimer- My love affair (so to speak) with Billy has only been fairly recent, so I haven't had a chance to see him live. Niacin played recently at the NAMM show, and I would have driven the three hours or so to see him, but it was only for NAMM attendees.

The Mock Turtle Regulator · #6 01-29-2001, 04:41 PM

I like the sound he used on Dave Lee Roth's "Skyscraper"- a harsh P-bass sort of sound, but it didn't really fit with that material- the smoother tone on "Eat 'em and smile" fitted better.

ytsebri · #7 01-29-2001, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by The Mock Turtle Regulator
I like the sound he used on Dave Lee Roth's "Skyscraper"- a harsh P-bass sort of sound, but it didn't really fit with that material- the smoother tone on "Eat 'em and smile" fitted better.

Well, that's probably because Matt Bissonette played bass on the album, not Billy. Billy only sang a coupla songs on it.

Steve Holroyd · #8 01-29-2001, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ytsebri

Well, that's probably because Matt Bissonette played bass on the album, not Billy. Billy only sang a coupla songs on it.

If memory serves, Sheehan did play all the bass on the ALBUM, but then quit before the tour. Matt Bissonette played bass, but Billy's vocals were still used via backing tapes on the tour.

And, no, I'm not the same Steve Holroyd who served as second engineer on the Skyscraper album.

The Mock Turtle Regulator · #9 01-30-2001, 11:56 AM

yeah, reading from the liner notes on "Skyscraper", Billy Sheehan was credited with bass on all the tracks on the original album (except keyboard bass on "Stand Up").
Willie Weeks played on "California Girls" and "Just A Gigolo", which were included with the reissue version.

"Billy's vocals were used via backing tapes" - makes you wonder why DLR didn't just get backing singers to do that and avoid the timing complications of using tapes.....maybe he used all the budget up on the stage set.

kcm · #10 01-31-2001, 10:24 PM

Saw Billy at a demo for his new pre-amp in Exeter, Devon.
Totally blew our socks off and stayed around for ages to talk and sign stuff. A real nice guy, can't believe he was there in the West Country playing to about 80 people with as much enthusiasm as he would in front of 8000.

Sapo · #11 02-01-2001, 02:37 PM

How did the preamp sound?

Turlu · #12 02-01-2001, 02:51 PM

Billy Sheehan is something else.

I just learned "Yankee Rose" from David Lee Roth Band and the Bass parts are not too bad but there is just one small part he does that I just can't figure out the exact way to recreate it. I am sure everybody knows what part I mean, I think it's at the first part of the second verse.
Listen to it, it's great !!!

The Mock Turtle Regulator · #13 02-01-2001, 04:59 PM

if you mean the bass fill at the "something's in the air" bit, it sounds like fast three (or more) finger picking using the open G string and the C and D notes.
the book "Billy Sheehan, Super Rock Bassist" (I think it's translated from Japanese

) has tabs for most of the songs on Eat Em And Smile (it doesn't have that fill in Yankee Rose tabbed out though). it's got a lot of useful tips in it, but it's got a few mistakes in it too eg. "use of tremolo arm" in NV43345, when he was actually just bending the neck.

[Edited by The Mock Turtle Regulator on 02-01-2001 at 06:04 PM]

kcm · #14 02-01-2001, 06:42 PM

The preamp sounded good if distortion is your thing. It meant he didnt have to have two separate rigs one clean, one dirty. He could set up his basic clean sound and gradually blend in the distortion without losing any bottom end, a trait commonly found with distortion pedals used on bass. Still the basic trademark Billy sound, not how I would play or sound, but I just love watching and listening to him.

Sapo · #15 02-01-2001, 07:27 PM

Just curious about the preamp. That grinding type sound is what I go for. I think the perfect tone is somewhere between Billy Sheehan, Doug Pinnick of King's X, and Geddy Lee's tone on Moving Pictures and Signals. I have some Pearce preamps which give you that drive, but they pale in comparison to my V-4B when its power tubes are pushed hard. Speaking of tubes, I would have liked to hear Billy when he used his multiple SVT rig.

ytsebri · #16 02-02-2001, 05:09 PM

My bad! I knew he left right around that time, and it's been quite awhile since I've done Billy research!

Please forgive my mistake.
Humbly