Trevor Bolder and the Spiders from Mars

nomorethanfour · #1 01-07-2009, 09:00 AM

Trevor Bolder's playing on the early David Bowie albums is very tasty. Does anyone know what basses he recorded with? I've seen him using a Rickenbacker, Fender Mustang, and Gibson EB3 during that era but I'm not sure what he recorded with. Someone said that they thought that "John, I'm Only Dancing" from the Ziggy record is the Gibson EB3 but I'm not sure if that was just an educated guess. Anyone else care to chime in?

gweimer · #2 01-07-2009, 10:10 AM

It was the EB-3 on both Ziggy and on Aladdin Sane. He auctioned that bass off a couple years back through Rock Star Guitars, or whatever that auction service in the UK is called.

KPAX · #3 01-07-2009, 11:27 AM

I've seen promo photos for Ziggy Stardust (early days) where he had the Mustang bass. By the later days Aladdin Sane and Pinups he was using an EB3-L (long scale EB3 with the slotted head). You can hear/see that bass on the Spiders farewell concert DVD. You can also hear it on David Bowie Live in Santa Monica '72 CD.
Bolder has an amazing gritty tone on those live recordings.
On those live recordings, he played the EB3-L through a Marshall head (tube of course) and Marshall 4x15 (not 4x12) cabs. I don't know if the head was 100W or 200W.
He also has that same bass/rig on the Nineteen Eighty Floor Show TV broadcast (1973?), which was at the very end of his and Ronson's association with Bowie. I remember them doing 1984 and Gene Genie ... It's probably on YouTube.
Bolder was great in that band. His playing had a lot of drive and energy, his tone was way cool and the band jammed out some songs. he was a great riffer (probably still is).

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomorethanfour

Trevor Bolder's playing on the early David Bowie albums is very tasty. Does anyone know what basses he recorded with? I've seen him using a Rickenbacker, Fender Mustang, and Gibson EB3 during that era but I'm not sure what he recorded with. Someone said that they thought that "John, I'm Only Dancing" from the Ziggy record is the Gibson EB3 but I'm not sure if that was just an educated guess. Anyone else care to chime in?

JimK · #4 01-07-2009, 11:46 AM

Bolder (now a member of Uriah Heep) was featured in Bass Player a couple issues ago.
There was a promo phot of Bolder with Bowie/Spiders armed with a Rick.

Eyesee7 · #5 01-07-2009, 12:48 PM

I always liked how clearly-defined his notes were in the mix on the Spiders from Mars album.

nomorethanfour · #6 01-07-2009, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KPAX

I've seen promo photos for Ziggy Stardust (early days) where he had the Mustang bass. By the later days Aladdin Sane and Pinups he was using an EB3-L (long scale EB3 with the slotted head). You can hear/see that bass on the Spiders farewell concert DVD. You can also hear it on David Bowie Live in Santa Monica '72 CD.
Bolder has an amazing gritty tone on those live recordings.
On those live recordings, he played the EB3-L through a Marshall head (tube of course) and Marshall 4x15 (not 4x12) cabs. I don't know if the head was 100W or 200W.
He also has that same bass/rig on the Nineteen Eighty Floor Show TV broadcast (1973?), which was at the very end of his and Ronson's association with Bowie. I remember them doing 1984 and Gene Genie ... It's probably on YouTube.
Bolder was great in that band. His playing had a lot of drive and energy, his tone was way cool and the band jammed out some songs. he was a great riffer (probably still is).

Thanks for all the info. Are you sure that the EB3 he played was the long scale version? I couldn't verify that information anywhere. I did find a picture and a description of the bass from the auction that sold the bass, but I can't tell if it's a the short scale or long scale version of the EB3.

"Lot 120: David Bowie / Trevor Bolder / Ziggy Stardust - Spiders From Mars, Gibson EB3 Bass Guitar
Description: The Gibson EB3 guitar owned and played by Trevor Bolder whilst a member of David Bowie's band The Spiders From Mars, serial number 956416. Used when playing with Bowie on his The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars albums and tours. Bolder can be clearly seen playing the guitar in the 1983 film Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - The Motion Picture."

gweimer · #7 01-07-2009, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eyesee7

I always liked how clearly-defined his notes were in the mix on the Spiders from Mars album.

What struck me about that album was that there wasn't any real deep, low end. It was all very aggressive mids. I'll bet Trevor never hit the E string on any of those songs. I used to cover a few of them. Fun songs to play.

Fly Guitars · #8 01-07-2009, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomorethanfour

but I can't tell if it's a the short scale or long scale version of the EB3

This bass pictured is the shortscale version. The longscale version has a longer neck and the bridge situated further back on the body - check this longscale and shortscale together - as you can see the bridge pickup and bridge move in relation to the controls which are consistant over the two models

Lesfunk · #9 01-07-2009, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eyesee7

I always liked how clearly-defined his notes were in the mix on the Spiders from Mars album.

I agree. I also was quite impressed with his mutton chops

Fly Guitars · #10 01-08-2009, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wetheliving

I had thought all EB3's with the slotted head were long scale but I guess I'm wrong. It looks like the slotted head is a necessary but not sufficient condition for long scale EB3.

The first long scale EB3s available had slotted headstocks, then after the slotted headstocks came the thicker-bodied maple neck EBs - and they were also available as long and shortscale.

Despite peoples belief today that the longscales are the supirior instrument, at no point in the EB3s history did the longscales outsell the short (see Gibson EB3 shipping figures)

I guess if you buy an EB3 you want to play busy Jack Bruce style stuff - and that is just easier on a short scale

Hamrhed · #11 01-08-2009, 06:55 PM

Trevor's work on the latest Heep album Wake the sleeper is good stuff- very cool bass from Mr Bolder

I believe the above bass (EB-3) is what Bob Daisley used on the first Ozzy album Blizzard of Ozz... thru one of Randy Rhoad's Marshalls! Shame on 0zzy for having that and Diary...'s rythym tracks re-recorded (does NOT compare to the original)

Bob rules... sorry for the thread-jack. /rant

Fly Guitars · #12 01-08-2009, 08:07 PM

Yeah, it wasn't right re-recording those parts... very unfair

Bob did use an EB3, but if you mean that actual one then no...

He used an earlier 60s model with a solid headstock - he talks about it here
Bob Daisley on the Blizzard of Ozz

He's got a very nice collection

nomorethanfour · #13 01-09-2009, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evilLordJuju

Yeah, it wasn't right re-recording those parts... very unfair

Bob did use an EB3, but if you mean that actual one then no...

He used an earlier 60s model with a solid headstock - he talks about it here
Bob Daisley on the Blizzard of Ozz

He's got a very nice collection

Bob's tone on that first Ozzy record is another reason why I want an EB3 (althogh finding a white one is proving to be tough).

Fly Guitars · #14 01-09-2009, 01:06 PM

[quote=nomorethanfour;6791406]

althogh finding a white one is proving to be tough[/QUOTE

His was a refin (look at the back of the neck - different colour)

Get a beater and refin it! (I actually have a slotted headstock 1971 EB3L being refinned white by my luthier at the moment)

nomorethanfour · #15 01-09-2009, 04:31 PM

[quote=evilLordJuju;6793087]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomorethanfour

althogh finding a white one is proving to be tough[/QUOTE

His was a refin (look at the back of the neck - different colour)

Get a beater and refin it! (I actually have a slotted headstock 1971 EB3L being refinned white by my luthier at the moment)

Wow, good eye! I've never noticed that before. Maybe it won't be so hard to get a white EB3. Thanks.

gig-getter · #16 04-20-2009, 02:02 AM

Here's link to his bass which sold for £10k in 2006

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/2160531

dokazaado · #17 04-20-2009, 08:28 AM

Bowie has always had great bass players - I'd love to see an article all about the different dudes who've held down the low end for him.

dokazaado · #18 04-20-2009, 08:33 AM

and man! a long-scale EB-3 is the dream, right?
I wonder why no one has ever made more of such a thing.
I'd love an EB-3, but if you want to tune down at all it's just useless.

Fly Guitars · #19 04-21-2009, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dokazaado

and man! a long-scale EB-3 is the dream, right?
I wonder why no one has ever made more of such a thing.

They didn't sell. Gibson put out the EB0L and EB3L at the same prices as the short scale versions throughout the 70s, and people ignored them. Shipping figures show many more shortscales sold than longscales.