Wimbish . . .

#1 04-30-2009, 03:55 PM

Just saw Doug Wimbish last night at the Fillmore in NYC. He was playing for Tarja Turunen (formerly of Nightwish). That was about the LOUDEST bass I ever heard in a show. Almost too much, though it sounded great. He was going through two Trace Elliot 410's and two 15's, with two TE heads. Total thunder. I'm sure the heads were the most powerful TE's made.

Not bad for going up against keyboards and a guitarist with only 1 full ENGL stack. Like I said, Wimbish sounded AWESOME. Damn it was a pleasure to watch that guy.

BTW - that's about the third time I've heard ENGL amps live. If I was a guitarist, I know what I'd buy. Those things pack a punch. Crystal clear and loud as hell.

DanRJBrasil · #2 04-30-2009, 04:01 PM

he's very good , what you heard was the bass in the mix through the p.a. not the sound of his amps, is nice to hear a good bass in the mix, usually you don't hear bass at all, seems that most of the sound men are guitards that thinks that bass are not suposed to be heard at all.

20db pad · #3 04-30-2009, 04:04 PM

Doug's a living legend - he's been at it for over 3 decades and was doing a lot of the advanced solo bass techniques years before everybody else was.

Historically he's an important figure, as he was one of the house musicians at Sugar Hill Records - he was a part of some of the biggest hits that established Rap and Hip Hop as the cultural force it is today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Wimbish

bass12 · #4 04-30-2009, 05:15 PM

I still trip on Doug's lines from those Sugar Hill sessions. That man is a nasty, nasty player.

phxlbrmpf · #5 04-30-2009, 05:27 PM

About Engl amps: they're said to sound kind of Marshall-ish and I pretty much agree here. By the way, no matter how good they may be, my band's last guitarist still managed to make them sound bad. It was probably due to his ineptitude, though.

Buogon · #6 04-30-2009, 05:36 PM

+ 1 Doug is a great bassplayer, and knows how to use effect pedals to the fullest.
With the Spector bass and the TE amps equals a wall of bass sound he has.
He is also a nice guy, we were at Pigtronix together he got a pedal and i got a EP-1

Bassgrinder77 · #7 04-30-2009, 11:06 PM

Anyone who plays Spector can't be bad!
He's really good but I liked Muzz a little better in Living Colour.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhan

Just saw Doug Wimbish last night at the Fillmore in NYC. He was playing for Tarja Turunen (formerly of Nightwish). That was about the LOUDEST bass I ever heard in a show. Almost too much, though it sounded great. He was going through two Trace Elliot 410's and two 15's, with two TE heads. Total thunder. I'm sure the heads were the most powerful TE's made.

Not bad for going up against keyboards and a guitarist with only 1 full ENGL stack. Like I said, Wimbish sounded AWESOME. Damn it was a pleasure to watch that guy.

BTW - that's about the third time I've heard ENGL amps live. If I was a guitarist, I know what I'd buy. Those things pack a punch. Crystal clear and loud as hell.

RobJ · #8 05-01-2009, 02:50 PM

Wimbish is a great player, never seen him live though. I bet that would be a real treat.

My main rig is a TE and has been for a long time; I've never played through anything else that I like nearly as much.

#9 05-01-2009, 03:02 PM

RobJ:

Lots of TE players say the same thing. I wonder . . .

BTW - I don't care what ANYONE says: his bass sound was not just PA. I could hear that rig loud and clear. I've been to countless metal shows over the years: the bass is NEVER that loud and chunky. And I've seen everyone.

BTW - The entire show was incredible. Unbelievable performance and sound quality.

RobJ · #10 05-01-2009, 03:15 PM

Well if they had his cabs mic'd you'd largely hear his sound; I doubt the FOH guys would do much to it if Doug didn't want them to. I've had my TE's DI sent to the board for FOH a number of times and it still sounds like a Trace through the mains without the cabs mic'd.

sackvegas · #11 05-02-2009, 08:55 AM

I went to a Doug Wimbish seminar once and I had to pick my jaw up off the floor after watching him play, just amazing, really cool guy and humble as hell too.

berman3313 · #12 06-05-2009, 09:23 PM

I agree with you all. Wimbish is pretty good - but makes me smile. I grew up in Bloomfield, CT and Doug was playing a beater Japanese bass with the Fingering Charts pasted onto the fretboard. He was over to my house a few times to jam (I played drums at the time). He definitely had the groove and worked real hard at it. He borrowed my buddy's Fender Bassman head so he could practice at home. Brought the amp head back a few days later - completely broken - musta fallen off a table. No apologies or offer to fix - just shrugged his shoulders and said "ok, let's play". He listened mostly to Motown and some classic R&B - Sam and Dave, etc.
Wish you coulda seen him way back when...
wish I coulda stayed with it - way back when. I wish him all the best. B

Quote:

Originally Posted by 20db pad

Doug's a living legend - he's been at it for over 3 decades and was doing a lot of the advanced solo bass techniques years before everybody else was.

Historically he's an important figure, as he was one of the house musicians at Sugar Hill Records - he was a part of some of the biggest hits that established Rap and Hip Hop as the cultural force it is today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Wimbish

Dr. Cheese · #13 06-21-2009, 11:09 AM

I found a copy of Tackhead's Strange Things (1990) last Friday, and it is so good to have a copy again! This is the most "bass in your face" CD I know about. It is over the top bass in a good grooving way too. Lead bass is cool, but I way prefer the funk to a bass melody.

jerry · #14 06-21-2009, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

I found a copy of Tackhead's Strange Things (1990) last Friday, and it is so good to have a copy again! This is the most "bass in your face" CD I know about. It is over the top bass in a good grooving way too. Lead bass is cool, but I way prefer the funk to a bass melody.

That's my favorite of the Tackhead albums as well. Another forgotten gem full of Wimbish greatness, is Jungle Funk with Vinx and Will Calhoun.

ryognbass · #15 06-21-2009, 05:15 PM

i loved seeing him in my middle school last year, with maybe 50 kids in attendance. incredible. absolutely INCREDIBLE... but he wasnt using a wall of trace, he was running through my little GK backline 112 and damn did he make it sound good

mrufino1 · #16 06-21-2009, 07:15 PM

Wow, what was he doing at the middle school in Hackensack? That must have been pretty wild! Beats the imitation Mr. Wizard we used to get...