what effects would it take to get this tone?

[poomwah]

I'm looking for something that would have this tone regardless of amp (recording, straight into the board, whatever)
would a vt bass deluxe be enough to get it, or would I need more, or something else entirely?
Kiss - Sure Know Something (1979) - (HQ) - YouTube

[JasonKain]

VT Bass with a P/J bass would probably get you most of the way there if you set it right.

[poomwah]

Thanks Jason,
I've got the vt on the shopping list. Don't have a P/J, got a couple dual humbuckers, soapbars, even have a P/P, but no P/J.
guess I need to go bass shopping :]

[tsverrir]

Guess a 3-band compressor and an equalizer will take you there. Off course bass+pickups+strings matter as well.

[poomwah]

what should I be looking for in the way of strings?
should I put a J pickup in my P/P?

[AndyLES]

Use the VT and a bit of compression. Gene Simmons was/is known for using Gibson "grabber" style basses or basses with humbuckers in general, so you should be all set.

[poomwah]

my first instinct would be to try my ripper, but it got mangled years ago, its just a piece of a body now, can't bring myself to throw it away.
thunderbird maybe? dual humbucker
I'd really like to get the sound out of my bc rich if possible (dual p pickup mockingbird converted into gene simmons style axe)

[JasonKain]

That could probably do it. Not too familiar with a P/P bass, but by messing with the rear pickup height/volume to taste, you could probably get there. It sounds like nickel rounds with a little but of drive from the VT would get something closer to that.

From the little I've read on Kiss, Gene usually used a P/J bass with the J dropped almost down to the body. So, your P/P could probably get close enough for general mix purposes. I can't see any knobs on there, do you have volume and tone controls on that bass? Either way, that recording sounds like a lot of Precision bass tone to me. It also sounds like fingerstyle, which is weird, because I thought Gene was a pick player. I admit that I'm not any expert on KISS or bass tone in general.

Yeah, I'd try running the BC Rich with nickel rounds and the bridge volume dropped a bit into a VT bass pedal with the highs rolled off a bit, maybe a touch of mid boost, and try the character and drive knobs around ten o'clock. Probably give you a decent ballpark to start out in.

[poomwah]

Thanks guys