Who had the first "fuzzed out" tone?

cossie · #1 05-29-2009, 01:14 AM

Bit of a music history question i guess...

A mate and I were discussing QOTSA and how a lot of the bass on that is heavily distorted and quite "fuzzy". The topic of conversation then changed to Geezer Butler and his tone (which was down to using blown out speakers IIRC?).

Did anyone before Geezer have that sound?

Deluge Of Sound · #2 05-29-2009, 01:23 AM

Blue Cheer's Dickie Peterson, maybe?

Goatman · #3 05-29-2009, 01:33 AM

check out the song "My Flash On You" by Love.

bass fuzz, circa 1966

GlennW · #4 05-29-2009, 01:40 AM

The Gibson EB-OF (F is for Fuzztone) came out in 1961 or '62.

The Man played some fuzz bass with Curtis Knight.
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/hendrix....tis_knight.htm

otis_thick · #5 05-29-2009, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deluge Of Sound

Blue Cheer's Dickie Peterson, maybe?

Or could be Larry Graham who played fuzz bass= Dance to the Music by Sly and the Family Stone...Blue Cheers Summertime blues was released same year 1968... Both bands were from the Bay area

The fuzz tone itself was discovered in Nashville 1960 and a circuit called FZ-1 was used in amps AND guitars AND basses the fuzzbox was made for the Ventures by Red Rhodes 1962

There could have been plenty of songs that used the effect before the above mentioned

nysbob · #6 05-29-2009, 07:19 AM

The Stones recorded fuzzy bass starting around '66. Check out Under My Thumb or Flight 505 on Aftermath or Complicated on Between the Buttons.

JTE · #7 05-29-2009, 08:17 AM

Jack Bruce. The live version of "Politician" on "Goodbye" is a priceless example of a blown 12" speaker or two. The Stones stuff cited by nysob. Jack Cassady's stuff with Jefferson Airplane, which came to a beautiful example on the studio albume "Crown of Creation" as well as the live "Bless It's Pointed Little Head".

There's probably a lot of other examples of people overdriving amps, recording blown speakers, and using fuzz units (either intentionally or not) that pre-date Geezer's recordings.

jte

Hoover · #8 05-29-2009, 09:23 AM

Earliest example I was aware of is from 1965: "Think For Yourself" by The Beatles, off of Rubber Soul, where McCartney is credited with playing "fuzz bass".

But if the EB-0F was made in '61 or '62 someone must've used it before '65.

excane · #9 05-29-2009, 09:41 AM

If you're not referring to bassists-only fuzz, Link Wray is generally credited with creating the first fuzz tone.

bassist15 · #10 05-29-2009, 11:29 AM

Actually I think the first recorded example is on Rocket 88 by Jackie Brenston with Ike Turner. They recorded in 1951 for Sun and story goes that the guitar amp fell off the top of the car , a whole was formed in the speaker and they stuffed some newspaper in it. Sam Phillips liked the sound and stuck with it.

bassvi · #11 05-29-2009, 11:42 AM

This is one of my fav early fuzzed-out bass tunes- I think 64' or 65'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXWVC...eature=related

Phil Volk- bass

lunarpollen · #12 05-29-2009, 11:59 AM

Definitely not the first distorted bass tone, but lots of fun nonetheless, the Pretty Things' "Come See Me"

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

scottbass · #13 05-29-2009, 12:04 PM

I heard tell that the Kinks used to slice the cones of their speakers with razor blades to induce fuzz tone. It might just be a myth, however.

bassvi · #14 05-29-2009, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lunarpollen

Definitely not the first distorted bass tone, but lots of fun nonetheless, the Pretty Things' "Come See Me"

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

I love that bass at the opening! Very cool stuff-

Sounds a bit like a sped up version of "Just Like Me"- nice.

Greevus · #15 05-29-2009, 09:46 PM

first for me was Geezer on NIB, but one that affected me was Cliff on Anesthesia...

JimmyM · #16 05-30-2009, 12:58 AM

James Jamerson. Yeah, it didn't sound fuzzed out with the band, but if you listen to it soloed, it breaks up hard on the attack. But if you're talking total fuzzed out bass, that would have to be Paul McCartney on the Beatles' "Think For Yourself," using a Tonebender fuzz. That was long before any of the others.

ibnzneksrul · #17 05-30-2009, 01:11 AM

Even The Monkees got into the act in '66, Nesmith (I believe it was) has a short fuzz bass solo in I'm A Believer.

GlennW · #18 05-30-2009, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ibnzneksrul

Even The Monkees got into the act in '66, Nesmith (I believe it was) has a short fuzz bass solo in I'm A Believer.

I always thought that was horns. Someone's done a nice remake of that song, don't know who.

JimmyM · #19 05-30-2009, 10:13 AM

Smash Mouth.

Dubadays · #20 05-30-2009, 03:03 PM

Well, I know that the first distortion happened when someone's amp fell off of their gig van, and they liked the sound.