Tone on Tail / David J bass fuzz?

[bovine mind]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_zNg__isZQ

< Tones on Tail - "Go!"

what fuzz would approximate the tone on this song?

i've always loved David J's fuzz tones in Bauhaus, Love & Rockets, Tone on Tail. i know a huge part of his smooth fuzz is his fretless bass, but i imagine i can get somewhere close with a pedal.

i have a little space on my board and am considering another fuzz.

i currently use a depth charge for huge, gnarly, thick, buzzsaw tear it apart moments, but i'm looking for a second for a deeper, less middy, swollen, but fizzy & synthy sound for moments in a less crowded band mix when it can really be heard.

ideally not looking to spend more than around 125, and no tacky dayglo wacky graphics preferably.

any thoughts?

[DosiYanarchy]

According to Bassplayer (march 06) Not only is is bass fretless, he uses chrome flatwounds on it, as far as effects go: it lists him as using a Boss DS1 and a Boss Fuzz (dont know which model or whether this is what he used at the time as Tones on Tail isnt mentioned)

I think David probably double-tracked the bass too (he's a fan of double-tracking), either that or he used some method of getting clean bass underneath the distortion (ie: two amps)

[bovine mind]

ah, the boss fuzz. think was modeled after the superfuzz. or maybe it was just the boss hyper fuzz that was? i've tried the hyper and thought it sounded pretty similar and decent, but i really don't want another boss pedal.

flats probably have a lot to do with how smooth and rich his fuzz tone is.

[RCCollins]

Originally Posted by bovine mind

ah, the boss fuzz. think was modeled after the superfuzz. or maybe it was just the boss hyper fuzz that was? i've tried the hyper and thought it sounded pretty similar and decent, but i really don't want another boss pedal.

flats probably have a lot to do with how smooth and rich his fuzz tone is.

A boss pedal was my first guess as well, but the hyper fuzz wasn't released until april 1993 - it can't have been used on the Tones on Tail stuff.

He probably used a DS-1 then? Sounds unlikely

[bovine mind]

yeah, with such a killer bass it seems he'd unlikely go chump on the pedals and settle for a DS-1, but then again so does Al Cisneros...so whatever. never particularly liked his tone post sleep anyway.

as a semi side note, even thought it is yet another boss pedal, i'm really curious about the Feedbacker. how fuzzy does this pedal get? it'd be nice if it could produce a decent rich fat fuzz tone but have the extra option of the feedback control...

[RCCollins]

Originally Posted by bovine mind

yeah, with such a killer bass it seems he'd unlikely go chump on the pedals and settle for a DS-1, but then again so does Al Cisneros...so whatever. never particularly liked his tone post sleep anyway.

as a semi side note, even thought it is yet another boss pedal, i'm really curious about the Feedbacker. how fuzzy does this pedal get? it'd be nice if it could produce a decent rich fat fuzz tone but have the extra option of the feedback control...

most of these 80s dudes used boss pedals.

[bovine mind]

i forget how hard those dudes had it without blowing top dollar on all the swank boutique options we have these days.

[RCCollins]

Originally Posted by bovine mind

i forget how hard those dudes had it without blowing top dollar on all the swank boutique options we have these days.

fact is, if you like that style of music, they work perfectly!

[bovine mind]

Originally Posted by RCCollins

fact is, if you like that style of music, they work perfectly!

i'm craving a little more flavor than another standard boss pedal though.

really i just want a more deep big bottom fuzz to contrast the total bestialness of my depth charge. maybe an octave down fuzz?

[BassJunkie730]

Well I won't lie a DS-1 unmodded does sound rather decent for bass distortion and at the right settings - doesn't loose too much lowend. Unfortunately those settings are on the low gain side.

[DosiYanarchy]

yeah the Bauhaus stuff especially is a masterclass in 'spatial awareness' - the only dub-goth band i ever heard

in that Bassplayer article - it says he uses a DD3 and an RV3 - man loves space.
minimal = BIG

Although his bass is/was killer - it was a Fretless 74 p-bass - it'd only been on the shelves about 4 years b4 DJ started using one on Bauhaus and that was his only bass until it got lost in a fire in 1995.

After that he found a stock '72 p-bass in a pawnshop (i think with a maple board though) and got his mate to spraypaint the fretboard black with automotive paint. (after 1995, spray painting a 72 fretless p-bass neck...a braver, and richer man than me)

he just dont give a f*ck!

my point is that the guy doesnt care what he has - as long as it works for him. He is the Anti-G.A.S. and all you should all be weary of him.

[lunarpollen]

I know I've gotten a very similar tone before, not really sure what I did to get it though. I just have a crappy Behringer bass OD pedal.

[DosiYanarchy]

octave down fuzz might limit how you would play (tracking issues, etc)

bass big muff might do it for you - the muffs that ive played are always pretty good for thick fuzz.

Generally if found that most muffs/clones suited for bass (ie not current USA Big muff PI's) with the tone turned down will be deep as a canyon

[bovine mind]

Originally Posted by DosiYanarchy

yeah the Bauhaus stuff especially is a masterclass in 'spatial awareness' - the only dub-goth band i ever heard

in that Bassplayer article - it says he uses a DD3 and an RV3 - man loves space.
minimal = BIG

Although his bass is/was killer - it was a Fretless 74 p-bass - it'd only been on the shelves about 4 years b4 DJ started using one on Bauhaus and that was his only bass until it got lost in a fire in 1995.

After that he found a stock '72 p-bass in a pawnshop (i think with a maple board though) and got his mate to spraypaint the fretboard black with automotive paint. (after 1995, spray painting a 72 fretless p-bass neck...a braver, and richer man than me)

he just dont give a f*ck!

my point is that the guy doesnt care what he has - as long as it works for him. He is the Anti-G.A.S. and all you should all be weary of him.

hah, awesome. DJ is the man for sure. i'm definitely not opposed to cheap pedals, i haven't found an overdrive i like more than the boss ODB3, but the allure of something a little more off the beaten path is calling me. i saw Bauhaus reunite at the Warfield here a couple years back, dude's tone was pregnant for days.

[DosiYanarchy]

sweet man, i checked out the Reunion DVD (gotham) when it came out - totally cool.

DJ's pedals work with the stuff he does coz of the amount of space he has available. My band is a three-peice and I know ill never have enough space for reverb.

I'd definitely check out the BBM for "deeper, less middy, swollen, but fizzy & synthy sound for moments in a less crowded band mix when it can really be heard" it'll also fatten up the sound of the bass in the band mix too

[these_go211]

nothing to add here really except to say that david j is a seriously underrated player. he's a bad bad man with tone for days.

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by DosiYanarchy

you should all be weary of him.

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=weary

lose interest or become bored with something or somebody "I'm so tired of your mother and her complaints about my food"

[icarussmicarus]

Hearing that youtube clip makes me think of depth charge funnily enough :P

[DosiYanarchy]

Originally Posted by bongomania

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=weary

yes, thats what i meant

bauhaus suck
david J sucks
mets suck
nicks suck
krypton sucks






ok, thats not what i meant, I just got home-schooled by bongo

[Guedzilla]

Mind you, David J was not the bassist for Tones on Tail, it was Glenn Campling, former Bauhaus roadie.
So I guess "we'll never know for sure..."