Geezer Butler's tone on the album "Paranoid"

[4001]

I'd start with boosting the mids, cut the treble and hammer the strings near the neck.

[bohemond]

Originally Posted by Spectrum

Lots of heavy string bending kind of makes a wah sound.

And this thread spans 11 years, amazing!

Actually he did use a wah for that solo. And he bent the strings.

[johnfender]

Hi,

nice post. I'm a fan of geezer sound.

Just to help, i've made a short video showing how he played during the 70's years. Nothing special, it came from 2 clip vids.

I hope this could help a little people

GeezerCompil01.wmv

[johnfender]

Hi,

i've make a quick vids compil of geezer playing. Hope it could help

GeezerCompil01

[PluckyThump]

If you watch his right hand, you see that he is hitting the strings at or near the end of the fretboard. It's a percussive style of playing. Roll off the tone/treble and whack the strings with your fingers. If you don't want the strings to hit the frets you'll need to have the action way up high. Some compression is probably a good idea, especially with a modern bass & amp which will be much more responsive than old-school gear.

[tocs100]

Originally Posted by johnfender

Hi,

i've make a quick vids compil of geezer playing. Hope it could help

GeezerCompil01

Very cool, THX. Ya know thogh, all the youtube vids I watch of the new MXR bass wah sound underwater/porno--esp the Flea one. Ugh. Doesn't that thing have a blend control for just a subtle wah? (Ref. Ist Black Sabbath album, "Wicked World.")

[Raw Amateur]

I wonder if Decadence ever found the tone...

here is an interview with Geezer where he plays some. he's not attacking it like in the days of old but I think that is more because of the subdued nature of the interview format.

Geezer Butler. - YouTube

[prd004]

Originally Posted by slam

Try using flatwound strings.

NOt just flats, ROTOSOUND flats, and pluck close to the fingerboard.

That being said your amp is not going to quite replicate his tone

[bassnuzzle]

I got a P Bass with light gauge flatwounds. Boost the mids. Turn tone all the way up. Hit the strings HARD up near the neck. Sounds damn close!

[gfaulkner]

Originally Posted by ZombieGhosTrain

Also, he stated that one of the speakers on his 4x10 was blown too, while recording BlacK Sabbath. That, and you just need to be...Geezer. I've been searching for his tone since I began playing, and have only come close, but he and his tone made me want to play bass!

+1 to that.The old Link Ray trick.

[Greevus]

SVT tubes and a big azz cab and playing right hand on/over the neck. It's the right hand warbly tone that makes it GEEEEEEZ.

[sickest beast]

his tone is fairly easy. watch how he plays on the 1970 Live in Paris video and copy it. make sure you have a good P-Bass, a 100-watt tube bass amp and either a couple 15s or a quad of 12s and your set.

really it's as simple as it gets, especially on the first 2 Sabbath albums. it's all in how he plays up on the fretboard, smackin those strings up against the frets, and having a mid and low heavy EQ on your tube amp.

[cableguy]

The Tech 21 Oxford pedal has a Geezer setting in the manual. Sounds pretty good in the youtube clip. May not be spot on but a lot cheaper than a old tube amp or new bass.

[bucephylus]

Pretty sure for the Paranoid tour he was playing the Dan Armstrong; at least when I heard them at Cobo Hall date.

Only concert I ever walked out of due to volume. Just too much, and I have certainly heard some loud acts (Mountain etc.) Not Geezer's fault, but whoever was running sound for that gig had it WAY cranked.

Anyhow, I was a big fan of that tone at the time. I had a P and traded it in for a Dan Armstrong. With the Dan Armstrong Super Strings, that axe was a mother. Similar tone to a P, but more throaty wump. One of those basses I wish I still had. It was amazing for playing Blues as well. Great instrument. Sure the P would work as well, but the DA really nailed it.

IME

[thunderider]

this shows his right hand quite well...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFtZWt1ypdc

[dirtytone]

he used fender p bass with laney head and 3 of the 4 12's was blown and mic'd it to the board and wala.. ; lotta mids and low mids simi boosted highs and cut bass.. play'd fingerstyle at the end of the fretboard basicly over the last fret boardering fretboard and body of bass.. my main bass influence!

[sven kalmar]

geezer is nice. paranoid was my first LP. before that i had been playing classical piano.
after paranoid we stole some garbagecans at school and made "drums"
dont forget those dan armstrongs either.