Switchfoot's "This is Your Life"

Michael Henson · #1 07-27-2009, 08:15 AM

My church's youth group band is going to play this song at an upcoming show and I was wondering what effects I would need to be able to make my bass sound like the synth does in the beginning of the song.

I know when they play it live the bass plays that opening part I just have no experience with effects on my bass. Thx!

bassman515 · #2 07-27-2009, 08:18 AM

Just a thought, if you are going to go out and buy an effect for it, you could just get a Boss LOOP Station and record that section onto it....I know i have used mine in the past that way. but to use an effect, i would say you could try a fuzz with all of the mids out of it...maybe a flanger or somthing like that would help mask that it is just a bass...
Jeremy

vegas532 · #3 07-27-2009, 08:24 AM

I heard a sound sample and I'd recommend the Devi Ever Bass Fuzz for that tone. Also, anything based on the Brassmaster circuit would get you there.

Michael Henson · #4 07-27-2009, 08:28 AM

So is a fuzz sound? I guess with a hint of some reverb?

vegas532 · #5 07-27-2009, 09:05 AM

Nah, mostly just fuzz will do it.

squashedOpossum · #6 07-27-2009, 09:08 AM

Agreed, fuzz is all you need. I can get pretty close with a Boss Overdrive ODB-3. OK, technically that's not a fuzz, but you could probably find one really cheap.

bassman1185 · #7 07-27-2009, 10:35 AM

Fuzz is the main ingredient in that sound, but there is also definitely delay as well, and a few years back when I was trying to copy that tone, I got closest with a touch of chorus and a leeeeetle bit of sub-octave as well. The odds are that nobody will really be able to tell as long as you use the fuzz and get a good aproximation of that part of the tone, though, so if you're on a tight budget, fuzz would get you about 90% of the way there.

Edit: By the way, I think I could probably get close to the fuzz part of that sound with my Danelectro Cool Cat Fuzz, which is a copy of the Frantone Peachfuzz. I think that it's too raspy and biting to be any iteration of a Big Muff, though.

Michael Henson · #8 07-27-2009, 10:44 AM

Is your Danelectro Fuzz specific to bass or is it the guitar one and just works for bass?

Michael Henson · #9 07-27-2009, 10:57 AM

If so....my lunch break is coming up and I happen to have a bass and amp in the next room...Those are cheap too....

**TheMutt** · #10 07-27-2009, 11:25 AM

Fuzz will get you there. I've played this song with a Micro POG set to full-on sub octave going into a B:Assmaster with a very light amount of chorus all going into an analog delay pedal. It wasn't 100% spot-on, but it was close enough.

bassman1185 · #11 07-27-2009, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Henson

Is your Danelectro Fuzz specific to bass or is it the guitar one and just works for bass?

It's a guitar fuzz, but it works fine with bass. I got mine for $25 shipped here on TB, or you can get them new for about $30 plus shipping via Musicians Friend.

Michael Henson · #12 07-27-2009, 11:32 AM

Cool! Thanks guys! That sounds like the plan. I am on a tight budget so I'll probably just go with the fuzz and get as close as I can with that!

OrionManMatt · #13 07-27-2009, 11:43 AM

Fuzz (gated, preferably) > Octave down > analog w/ mod, set to short feedback