Tim Foreman

snakesandarrows · #1 12-13-2009, 09:06 PM

Any Switchfoot fans out there on TB? thought i'd start a discussion about Mr. Tim Foreman... I won't say his bass lines are great, but he's got some killer tones! To name a few:

- Amateur Lovers Distortion (sends chills down my back)
- Hello Hurricane (title track off the new album, listen to the beginning)
- 4:12 (really basic, yet wet and modern sound, and awesome)

I'd love to get that thick Amateur Lovers Distortion... does anyone know what effects or pedals he uses. I couldn't find anything except his amps and basses.

- Gallien Krueger Amps and Cabs
- Lakland 4-94
- Lakland Decade
- Fender Precision Bass

The list goes on on basses, but I think those are his mains...

michaelc · #2 12-13-2009, 09:11 PM

I remeber a bass player where he said he used a bass POD.

snakesandarrows · #3 12-14-2009, 11:27 PM

yeah, im sure he would not in the studio though...

Nighthawk551 · #4 12-15-2009, 07:51 AM

I think his basslines -are- great. The earlier Switchfoot stuff was really bass-centric. Great listening. After "The Beautiful Letdown" he kind of took a backseat, but there are still plenty of goodies to be found.

Coeball · #5 01-30-2010, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nighthawk551

I think his basslines -are- great. The earlier Switchfoot stuff was really bass-centric. Great listening. After "The Beautiful Letdown" he kind of took a backseat, but there are still plenty of goodies to be found.

1+ Tim is an amazing bassist his playing on "Gone" is mind-blowingly funky, considering live he is singing Harmony vocals at the same time that is even more intimidating. I also agree with you about him not being as prominent any more, which a shame. The closest to his old playing is on "Dirty Second Hands" and there is some crazy legato stuff going on in "Oh Gravity".

Furthermore, he is the only bass player I can think of who has made a Musicman Stingray sound warm !

Coeball · #6 02-03-2010, 06:10 AM

I just listen to "Oh Gravity" again and Holy **** his playing is smoking on that album, he plays way more interesting stuff than on "Hello Hurricane".

I have a sneaking suspicion that I am the only one who is going to contribute to this thread, but I don't care I will shout Tim Foreman's name from the roof tops.

Jacob J · #7 02-03-2010, 09:11 AM

Also "This Is Your Life" bassline is great. Really amazing synthy tone. I've always been curious about what effects he uses to create that sound.

ahbassman · #8 02-03-2010, 09:19 AM

He sounds really fantastic live. I saw them once and his tone made me really consider GK amps as an option i the future for me...

J. Crawford · #9 02-03-2010, 09:22 AM

Always been a fan, seem em a few times live. Killer band.

Coeball · #10 02-05-2010, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacob J

Also "This Is Your Life" bassline is great. Really amazing synthy tone. I've always been curious about what effects he uses to create that sound.

I think its probably a load of studio effects (delay,fuzz, some envelope stuff) , but the Bass Big muff nails that tone pretty well.

Coeball · #11 02-17-2010, 01:50 AM

I wish there had been a few more bass moments on Hello Hurricane, seems like most of the time he is just following the guitars

!

timbledum · #12 02-26-2010, 12:36 AM

Or are the guitars following him?

I would have to say he's a massive influence on me too. I love the photo in the beautiful letdown album cover (i think thats the album) where hes jumping with his legs up with a stingray up in the air. Just real tasteful playing allround, and his tones are my "head-tones" if you know what I mean. I've only just got hello hurricane but I agree oh gravity is awesome, nice and rough. Im keen to get their older stuff after reading this thread.

LAG · #13 02-27-2010, 09:50 AM

Spotted him playing through what appeared to be a new Line 6 rack mount head on top of his GK 8x10 cab on a late night talk show with Switchfoot, a month or so ago. TV shot was brief on his rig, so I could be mistaken.

Anyway, a big SF fan here. "The Beautiful Letdown" is a masterpiece, IMO.

cedar · #14 02-28-2010, 02:32 PM

I like Tim's lines, his tone, and his attitude. I would consider him one of my main influences. And, yes, the guitars are following him...

bassist4dalord · #15 02-28-2010, 02:40 PM

Switchfoot fan here. My best friend owns every Switchfoot/Jon Foreman album released, so Tim's stuff is readily available. These guys are really talented and creative, for sure. I would love to be in a band with my brother someday!

madbassplaya · #16 02-28-2010, 02:54 PM

I do enjoy Switchfoot and Foreman. I saw them live and they were fantastic, but Tim wasn't with them due to illness.

Coeball · #17 03-01-2010, 09:55 AM

Or are the guitars following him?

I had never thought of It like that before, thanks for the insight !
I am learning "Dirty Second Hands" the time signature changes are hard to keep up with.

Bardley · #18 03-01-2010, 10:12 AM

I love the Switchfoot stuff. In my ProTools certification training a few years back one of the demo sessions we messed with was "Meant to Live" from Beautiful Letdown. I was cool to see how the session was put together. There were tons of guitar layers. There were two bass tracks, a DI line and a miced cab. Both had FX if I remember correctly. It was nice to get to solo instruments and see how they actually sound. You can't always hear that on the final mix.

I saw them live back probably 12 years ago and he was using Musicman basses and an SVT, I believe.

Longstreet · #19 03-02-2010, 01:13 PM

HUGE Switchfoot fan here. I had heard them a bit on the radio, and liked what I heard, but when I saw them live at Rock the Desert in Midland TX last August the lights really came on! Musically, lyrically, personally, they are a fantastic group of guys.

Tim has influenced my style a bit (though I'm still such a newbie, I'm not sure I have a "style" yet), but he's definitely influenced my attitude. I had heard all the stuff about "bass isn't meant to be heard", and it always made me wonder if that's the case, then why am I up here? I listened to some of Switchfoot's music and decided that bass darn sure is meant to be heard, not overwhelming, but definitely heard and noticed.

I agree with "Oh! Gravity", it's a great line. And I'd agree as well with the notion that on "Hello Hurricane" the guitars may well be following him instead of the other way 'round. I also love Tim's playing on "Needle and Haystack Life".

MichaelThomas · #20 05-20-2010, 09:27 AM

I'm a really big fan too. Just a little update on his gear: He ditched the Bass POD and the GK 2001-RB .

He now uses a Line6 Lowdown HD750. Along with the FBV shortboard and a Line6 M9. He's still running the same Neo 412 cabs though. I can never tell if he has one or two of them though because he's always draping banners and blankets over his cabs lol.

They we recently featured on Mixonline: http://mixonline.com/photogallery/sw...r/index27.html

Pretty cool gallery of their gear.