What overdrive pedal...

Mike M. · #1 12-02-2012, 10:09 AM

...would best capture that bass sound on "Love Her Madly" by the Doors?

I was bored last night, so I figured out the bass to that song and wow, what cool lines and I love that sound on the bass! It's great! Just the right amount of "grunt." Chances are the bass player was playing thru an overdriven amp, but I'm sure there's an overdrive pedal for bass that would help capture that flavor of overdrive.

Suggestions?

mpdd · #2 12-02-2012, 10:32 AM

bk butler blue tube 903, pretty cheap used, good for some vintage tubeyness, plus you can sing through it, play organs through, and guitars too

**mjac28** · #3 12-02-2012, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpdd

bk butler blue tube 903, pretty cheap used, good for some vintage tubeyness, plus you can sing through it, play organs through, and guitars to

+1 I have one had two can't say enough about these pedals it takes different tubes very well I put a vintage Amperex Bugle Boy in mine and it is incredible.

Mike M. · #4 12-02-2012, 11:51 AM

Cool! I'll have to check that one out. Thanks

Steve Dallman · #5 12-02-2012, 11:52 AM

Elvis' bass player, Jerry Scheff played bass on that track. I would guess it was a P or J bass, flatwounds into the board, or whatever amp was in the studio...likey a B15 or similar. Some pics with Elvis show a P bass with foam under the strings at the bridge.

Mike M. · #6 12-02-2012, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Dallman

Elvis' bass player, Jerry Scheff played bass on that track. I would guess it was a P or J bass, flatwounds into the board, or whatever amp was in the studio...likey a B15 or similar. Some pics with Elvis show a P bass with foam under the strings at the bridge.

That's the guy! I knew his first name was Jerry but I couldn't remember his last name. What a great player! I find I'm really diggin' on a lot of the older stuff these days. I'm kinda "going back" to try and improve these days.

JimmyM · #7 12-03-2012, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Dallman

Elvis' bass player, Jerry Scheff played bass on that track. I would guess it was a P or J bass, flatwounds into the board, or whatever amp was in the studio...likey a B15 or similar. Some pics with Elvis show a P bass with foam under the strings at the bridge.

Doug Lubahn said that the Doors would record him direct and into a B-15, so that's not too big a stretch.

Dazonbass · #8 12-03-2012, 04:08 AM

Wow, never noticed how cool that bass line is, musically and tone wise. Love when you find a song you liked for years and suddenly hear the bass. I origianlly played guitar so I over looked a lot in my youth.

capncal · #9 12-03-2012, 07:56 AM

if it's the Doors, wouldn't it be keyboards and not a bass guitar?

JimmyM · #10 12-03-2012, 08:54 AM

Not on their albums past the first one. The Doors always had bass players on their albums.

obimark · #11 12-03-2012, 09:00 AM

awesome bass playing as well, on ALL Doors songs after the first album. I beleive one or two songs on the first album have actual bass playing as well.

capncal · #12 12-03-2012, 09:34 AM

cool. ya learn something everyday on talkbass! i'm going to have to re-visit the Doors catalog.

Mike M. · #13 12-04-2012, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dazonbass

Wow, never noticed how cool that bass line is, musically and tone wise. Love when you find a song you liked for years and suddenly hear the bass. I origianlly played guitar so I over looked a lot in my youth.

I'll tell ya.....whenever I learn a song for church I always look for those spots where I can throw in "a bit of me" so to say. On "Love Her Madly" I wanted to try and learn Jerry Scheff's bass part note for note, phrase for phrase and feel for feel. WOW!!!! I think I have about a good 98% of it down (some spots are a bit hard to hear) and will admit that it took quite a bit of doing on my part to get it. Those bass lines just weave in SO good with the drums and keyboards. Can't help but wonder which of his bass lines were set and how much was done on the spot. Some of those "little things" that one could easily overlook are what really makes it.

In short, I haven't fussed over a bass part in a song like this in years, wanted to see if I could do it and it proved to be a great learning experience learning from one of the masters. That bass part is quite a workout. Makes me want to hear a lot more of what Mr. Scheff has done thru his career....and it's a lot!

Hawkeye · #14 12-04-2012, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjac28

+1 I have one had two can't say enough about these pedals it takes different tubes very well I put a vintage Amperex Bugle Boy in mine and it is incredible.

Yeah, probably just a big old tube amp like a B15. It's hard to beat that tone for recording. Even though a B15 doesn't have the low-end punch that some of the solid state designs have, it has a lot of harmonic complexity and that round girth in the tone which more than makes up for the lack of slam that many low-powered tube heads lack.

I'll have to check out the butler unit you referenced, the Sans Amp BDDI doesn't quite do it for me. My Genz Benz ShuttleMAX 6.0 has a tube channel (which I like and use) but it doesn't purr and growl quite like a tube head. It's more gnarly and snarly when pushed hard.

Re toobz, Having just put Amperex Bugle Boy 12au7's in my stereo preamp in the upstairs 2-channel system, I know those aren't cheap, especially if it's a 12AX7. The NOS 12AX7's are rare and are getting pretty pricey.

Modern JJ 12AX7's have a good amount of that ol' school thickness. I put a set in my mic preamp and they smoothed that suckah right out.