Geddy Lee's tone? Achievable?

Demon · #1 12-27-2006, 12:04 PM

First of all, is he using fingernails or not?
I was wondering if its fairly easy to get his tone with a 500 dollar bass combo and a G&L Tribute l2500.
The tone i was thinking about was the very punchy/trebly tone like in YYZ. How could i get a similiar tone?

Demon · #2 12-28-2006, 05:52 AM

bassist 4 life · #3 12-28-2006, 05:57 AM

hmm.. well, you do have a very versatile bass, i hope the other guys here can help you. btw geddy uses a sansamp bass driver

SteveC · #4 12-28-2006, 06:35 AM

Geddy Lee signature bass - or old jazz
Bright, roundwound strings - I think he uses Rotosound.
SansAmp RBI
Avalon U5
Palmer Speaker Emulator
Mix all 3 signals to FOH and IEM systems
Washer/Dryer/snack machine optional but recommended

Demon · #5 12-28-2006, 06:44 AM

Im not gonna buy a new bass.. i just got this one. But is there no easier way without having to buy all those things? I have what people would call a versatile bass. Can change between pickups, passive,active,active with treble boost, bass cut, bass bost, treble knob, bass knob, and everything on the amplifier.

pdusen · #6 12-28-2006, 06:51 AM

That's just a rundown on the gear he uses. Whether or not you can achieve the tone with or without it is subjective.

And yes, he pretty much always uses his fingernails.

lefty007 · #7 12-28-2006, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demon

Im not gonna buy a new bass.. i just got this one. But is there no easier way without having to buy all those things? I have what people would call a versatile bass. Can change between pickups, passive,active,active with treble boost, bass cut, bass bost, treble knob, bass knob, and everything on the amplifier.

An L-2500 is a very versatile bass but it won't sound like a Jazz-Bass, and it won't.

As mentioned, to sound like Geddy Lee, you need a Jazz Bass and a SansAmp.

You can try with your G&L by using it passive, both pickups on set on parallel, and some kind of mild overdrive. If you amp does not allow you to overdrive a little, you'll need some type of overdrive pedal, but the SansAmp is it. Play with the EQ to find the sound.

Bard2dbone · #8 12-28-2006, 04:06 PM

Being the Devil's Advocate here, but I always thought Geddy sounded like Geddy whether he was using the Jazz, a Ric, a Steinie, or a Wal.

Your G&L can sound quite a bit like a Wal, if not particularly like the other basses I've seen Geddy play. But, and I hate to tell you this, the real secret to Geddy's tone is Geddy's hands.

To get as close as you can to his current tone, use bright roundwounds and a passive bass. A Sansamp will help a bit, too.

Demon · #9 12-28-2006, 04:29 PM

Ok, thanks, should i use neck pick-up or bridge, or both?
Should i use bass cut or bass bost?

blipndub · #10 12-28-2006, 04:57 PM

You should use both and strike the strings over the neck pickup. You should also boost your low mids (80hz) and get a little gritty compression going on. He's got tone like no other so good luck. I find I"m happier when my tone "references" his but does not directly emulate (since I can't anyway).

blipndub · #11 12-28-2006, 04:58 PM

..wait, haven't we gone over this like 500 times?

Do a search damnit!!

jsbass · #12 12-28-2006, 05:10 PM

I stopped trying to get other musicians tones. Just try to develop your own tone!

Demon · #13 12-28-2006, 09:07 PM

Why? There is no "own" tone. Especially not only with a bass and an amp, and no effects or sansamp. Then most things have been done.
Blip, weird, i did a few searches before making the topic, and found only topics about the geddy lee sig etc. Maybe i missed them.
Trying to copy others tones also makes it easier to get a nice tone when your not sure exactly what you want, and how to get a tone thats unique, but you like.

bassist 4 life · #14 12-29-2006, 04:47 AM

there is no problem to try and sound like someone you like, geddys tone is sweet, hes trying to sound like him, hes trying to make his bass sound sweet, is that wrong?

blipndub · #15 12-29-2006, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demon

Blip, weird, i did a few searches before making the topic, and found only topics about the geddy lee sig etc. Maybe i missed them.
Trying to copy others tones also makes it easier to get a nice tone when your not sure exactly what you want, and how to get a tone thats unique, but you like.

I apologize for my comment, it wasn't very nice. I did some searches here under misc and couldn't find much either. Maybe in some of the other topics.

What I know about Geddy's tone I've learned here at talkbass and through my own experimentation. I thought for years the only way to get his sound with a Ric, I thought that's just what they sounded like, all that mid-range. But then I learned he used jazz basses for many of the classic recordings with the same tone. The closest I've come to a good Geddy tone is with my bartolini equipped jazz strung with Rotosounds with low mids boosted up and just a tad of natural overdrive from my GK1001.

I think his technique is largely based on how he hits the strings. If you watch him over the years his style is pretty much the same, he almost plays flamenco style with the tips of his fingers hitting the strings up and down (ala John Entwhistle). I get hints of the tone when I attack the strings quite aggressively over the neck pickup but I have to have my bass set up so it doesn't clack too much (so higher action).

Whatever it is about his tone it's the closest sound that I hear when I think about my own playing. I don't know if that's because he's been so influential or what but to me it's what a bass should sound like, huge but articulate, grindy by melodic. I saw them on the R30 tour and to hear that tone at full volume was mind-blowing.

Demon · #16 12-31-2006, 10:14 AM

Np. I guess ill have to wait for my fingernails to grow out. What about the tone like on Xanadu, that cant be to hard to copy right? Any advice on that tone?

jsbass · #17 12-31-2006, 10:29 AM

All I'm saying, is when you try to copy a musicians tone, you're going to end up spending a lot of time and money doing it and it might not even get it right. It pretty much just comes down to who's playing the bass.

keb · #18 12-31-2006, 11:42 AM

As has been said before, a lot of Geddy's tone is quite literally in his hands; the way he strikes the strings. And he plays hard! In his own words, he's called his technique "slapping without slapping."

To get that aggressive Geddy-like tone, that's what you've gotta do: play hard. Playing with a light touch won't cut it!