Favorite Bass Sound (Time Period/Genre)

tiredman9 · #1 12-26-2005, 10:29 AM

I didn't really know where to post this and I am just curious but what Genre/ Time Period in your opinion has the over all best bass sound. Perhaps this is the style you play most. I personally greatly prefere the tone of the big hollowbody basses (but shortscale) from the 60's San Francisco/ Fillmore West scene along with the tone that many of the jazz fusion artists later got (jaco-like). I also like the upright sounds of 20/30's jazz. The ones I don't like are the funk bass sounds (too high piched, slap) and the modern/indie rock bass sound.

JimK · #2 12-26-2005, 05:42 PM

If I hadda vote...the '70s, I guess?

I started 'playing' in '72...the stuff I cut my teeth on still sounds good in spite of the 'low tech' equipment.
The '70s recordings with Chuck Rainey, Will Lee, Anthony Jackson, Paul Jackson, Rocco, Jaco, Berlin, et al...does it get any better?

Props, too, to George Martin for his '60s bass-recording 'genius' (e.g. "Rain", "Paperback Writer", "Come Together", etc).

Progressive · #3 12-26-2005, 06:37 PM

Definitely I'd go for the John Entwistle/John Paul Jones/Paul McCartney (Ballad of John&Yoko) sound of 1968-1973. Fat, warm rock bass, mmm good.

JimK · #4 12-27-2005, 01:19 PM

Anyone pick up Ed Friedland's new book, R&B Bass Masters?
The book is quickee profile of 10 R&B-style bassists...mostly from the '60/'70s.

Friedland gives a rundown of equipment used on the classic recordings...pretty much everyone is using STOCK Fender basses(mostly Precisions); a few are using Flatwound strings.

FWIW, I'm no fan of Flatwounds...nevertheless, there are some great tones happenin' on those recordings with 'low tech', non-boutique gear.

superbassman2000 · #5 12-27-2005, 05:47 PM

i would say i like the late sixties sound of the blues-rock bassists, like jack bruce in cream, and the bassist for john mayall, and noel redding...

i also like the sound of jazz guys today, such as victor, marcus, and others, with that really hi-fi sound...

Against Will · #6 12-27-2005, 06:40 PM

Charles Mingus' tone is great. Huge, angry, dark and sad.

My favorite electric tone is probably Dee Dee Ramone, Paul Simonon and Mike Watt's. Volume does wonders for your tone.

Snarf · #7 12-27-2005, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superbassman2000

i also like the sound of jazz guys today, such as victor, marcus, and others, with that really hi-fi sound...

IMO, Victor is not jazz, nor is Marcus.

As for my favorite tone, it ALL depends on what I'm playing. Sometimes I need P bass thump for bop and standards, sometimes I need hifi punch for funk, sometimes that fretless mwah for that smooth jazz and fusion. I don't really listen to music for the bass, so I'm going by my own playing experience.

EDIT: Though I do love cats like Michael Manring, Trip Wamsley, Jaco, Jeff Schmidt, and Victor Wooten.

KeithBMI · #8 12-27-2005, 10:56 PM

60's-70's classic rock.

The Ox! John Paul Jones! Geezer! What's not to love!?

nick g. · #9 12-27-2005, 11:31 PM

Late 60s/ 70s prog rock: Rush, Yes, King Crimson, etc.

70s/80s thrash: Megadeth, Motorhead, Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer

Mike Money · #10 12-28-2005, 12:39 AM

Tone in general with no genre involved...

Mark Hoppus from blink182. Ya, i know... P-bass, all-tube Ampeg and a mid scoop, but its rad.

Slap: Markuzz Miller

Metal: The guy from anthrax

Rock: the guy from GNR

Pop old/new: The guy from chic... bernard williams. or smith. i can never remember.

buzzbass · #11 12-28-2005, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiredman9

I didn't really know where to post this and I am just curious but what Genre/ Time Period in your opinion has the over all best bass sound. Perhaps this is the style you play most. I personally greatly prefere the tone of the big hollowbody basses (but shortscale) from the 60's San Francisco/ Fillmore West scene along with the tone that many of the jazz fusion artists later got (jaco-like). I also like the upright sounds of 20/30's jazz. The ones I don't like are the funk bass sounds (too high piched, slap) and the modern/indie rock bass sound.

Vintage JPJ with Zepp
Early VH
Tom Hamilton
The 1st two ozzy albums
Closer to Home - Grand Funk
Geddy in Red Barchetta only, I'm generally not a fan of his tone.
Would? - Alice in Chains
Anything by Sir Paul
Anything by Jamerson

Bard2dbone · #12 12-29-2005, 06:50 AM

Jaco with Joni Mitchell-Think 'Coyote'. Wow. Just wow.

I love a lot of the playing of several of the cats mentioned here, but not so much the tones.

I think buzzbass may be on to something about Geddy in Red Barchetta. That was always the example I used for what I wanted my Ric to sound like.

burk48237 · #13 12-29-2005, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snarf

IMO, Victor is not jazz, nor is Marcus.

As for my favorite tone, it ALL depends on what I'm playing. Sometimes I need P bass thump for bop and standards, sometimes I need hifi punch for funk, sometimes that fretless mwah for that smooth jazz and fusion. I don't really listen to music for the bass, so I'm going by my own playing experience.

EDIT: Though I do love cats like Michael Manring, Trip Wamsley, Jaco, Jeff Schmidt, and Victor Wooten.

I'd have to disagree with you on that first statement. Victor yes, but Marcus has played with Miles and several of his albums have credible versions of Jazz Standards. Silver Rain may be a disappointment and Marcus may "blend" styles but he is very much a JAZZ player. And he can blow over changes with the best of them.

As far as sound, My favorite bass sound ever put on Record was Mark Egans frettless sound on the Early Pat Metheny Group stuff. Right now though, pretty much anything Will Lee plays seems to blow me away tone wise. For Rock it's Dug Pinnock of Kings X (the Biggest Baddest Bass tone ever). On String Bass I like Scott Lefaro (w/ Bill Evans) and Believe it or not Brian Bloomberg (on Wood), and I can't stand his commercial stuff.

jacove · #14 12-29-2005, 09:07 AM

I like a lot of different tones, but my favorite is probably the classic soul bass...Stax, Atlantic, Motown etc...fat, varm and deep...love it! Williw Weeks nails this tone perfectly on the Donny Hathaway live album....

Mike N · #15 12-29-2005, 10:28 AM

I really like Fran Sheehan's tone on the first two Boston albums.

JimK · #16 12-29-2005, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Money

Pop old/new: The guy from chic... bernard williams. or smith. i can never remember.

How 'bout Bernard (RIP) EDWARDS?

...sheesh.

ThumbyAche · #17 12-29-2005, 02:48 PM

Even though I really don't like the playability of Warwick basses, some of my favorite bass sounds seem to be from the 2K's Warwick users and bands like Trapt, Hoobastank, Puddle of Mudd, POD, and Edwin McCain's Old bass player had a killer bass sound...all Warwick from what I have been reading. That is on the Rock side though, for other stuff, Roscoe Beck and Pino's bass sound from any decade and Jimmy Earl has tone. Man, I can go on and on..but maybe I'm one of the only one's so far to think that alot of the newer material has awesome bass.. Oh yeah, Nickelback has great bass sounds on their material, Spector and Peavey....I would have never called that one right for sure..

FaithNoMan · #18 12-29-2005, 02:55 PM

Early FNM (1985-89), and early Tool (early 90's)

buzzbass · #19 12-30-2005, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FaithNoMan

Early FNM (1985-89), and early Tool (early 90's)

+1 on the FNM, Billy Gould's tone is the main reason there are 2 Zons in my collection today.

Snarf · #20 12-30-2005, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burk48237

I'd have to disagree with you on that first statement. Victor yes, but Marcus has played with Miles and several of his albums have credible versions of Jazz Standards. Silver Rain may be a disappointment and Marcus may "blend" styles but he is very much a JAZZ player. And he can blow over changes with the best of them.

Didn't even know that. I've only heard some of his hard-core funk stuff.