Help me get this tone: Zig Zag Wanderer

[beefandbones]

'Zig Zag Wanderer' by Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band
Recorder April 1967

Starts at 1:32
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrcV018K7WY

I have a Jazz Bass and a Eden Nemesis 2x12. What pedals might help me get closer to that enormous beefy sound? Is it an overdrive? Slight fuzz? EQ? Compression? I'm having trouble figuring out how they did that, and how I can do it too!

Any insight about how they achieved the sound, or what vintage or modern pedals will get me closer to it, would be very much appreciated.

[RCCollins]

Great song, and great bass tone!

It's an overdriven low wattage tube amp with the treble rolled way down and the speaker farting out. Try using the neck pickup of your bass only, cranking your gain and playing with extreme EQ settings (high bass, low treble, mids to taste). Does your nemesis have a distortion circuit? Give that a try as well. It's not gonna sound identical, but you have a very flexible amp and you can probably sound close enough for the mix.

If that doesn't cut it, you could try various OD pedals or even some low-gain fuzz, but realistically, nothing's ever gonna sound like an overdriven low-wattage tube amp but an overdriven low-powered tube amp.

[beefandbones]

Thanks! I'll try playing around with the amp some more, and maybe investigate a subtle overdrive.

[jefkritz]

rccollins is probably correct, but don' forget beefandbonesson, for sound of beef, you must have heart of beef...

[RCCollins]

Originally Posted by beefandbones

Thanks! I'll try playing around with the amp some more, and maybe investigate a subtle overdrive.

I'd think more of an EXTREME tube-sounding overdrive (with treble and mids rolled way back), or even a fuzz set to low gain (same EQ)