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CHRIS SQUIRE STYLE??

guitardefector

guitardefector

May 23, 2009
428
4
SF Bay Area/California
#1
Hello all. I recently put flats on my MIM Fender jazz and started using a pick in hopes of getting that unique Yes sound of Chris Squire. It still doesn't sound even close. Do I need to adjust my amp a certain way or just flat out get a Rickenbacker like his??Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks gents.
 
#2
guitardefector said:
Hello all. I recently put flats on my MIM Fender jazz and started using a pick in hopes of getting that unique Yes sound of Chris Squire. It still doesn't sound even close. Do I need to adjust my amp a certain way or just flat out get a Rickenbacker like his??Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks gents.
Click to expand...

I think you need Rotosounds to get Squire's sound. That and a bunch of pedals :D
 
#3
The flats are a big part of the problem. Squire uses roundwounds -- Rotosound Swingbass if I'm not mistaken. You should be able to imitate him reasonably well with a jazz bass and brand new roundwounds, plus boosting the treble on your amp a bit. The Ric would be closer, but not required unless you need to get his exact sound.

EDIT: He uses on old effect called "tremelo" on several songs -- Starship Trooper is one example. I'm not sure where you'd find a tremelo pedal nowadays.
 
#5
To make your jazz sound like Chris Squire ...

-You will need a fresh set of round wound strings.
-Turn the neck pickup volume to 10, the tone to 10 and roll off the bridge pickup volume to 5 or less.
-Turn up the treble on your amp.
-get a good distortion pedal.
-Use a pick

That will get you in the ballpark.
 
#6
And lower the action to get a bit of fret buzz.
Or, do what I did and get one of these:
csnew.jpg
 
#8
edbutler3 said:
The flats are a big part of the problem. Squire uses roundwounds -- Rotosound Swingbass if I'm not mistaken. You should be able to imitate him reasonably well with a jazz bass and brand new roundwounds, plus boosting the treble on your amp a bit. The Ric would be closer, but not required unless you need to get his exact sound.

EDIT: He uses on old effect called "tremelo" on several songs -- Starship Trooper is one example. I'm not sure where you'd find a tremelo pedal nowadays.
Click to expand...

A flanger does a reasonable imitation of the tremolo effect...
 
#9
A few months ago he was on the cover of BP. In the article he talks about having the Ric stripped down and refinished several times. He said the process thinned the body of his bass, and that was one reason a new Ric with Rotos won't get the same tone. It also shows a pic of his rig, which is crazy. Apparently he mods and fiddles with his stuff too.
 
#10
Rounds and then take a 1/4" out of somewhere line level on your amp into a normal size
(50 watt 1-12") guitar combo set on the crunch channel, cut some lows on said crunch
channel and adjust balance to taste....use a thinner pick and really dig in.
Tremble and Vibrate.

Shindaleria Primataurus
 
#13
The bass is important,, but Squire would sound the same if he was playing a your bass.

His picking technique,,, or the way he "encourages" that tone out of whatever bass he plays is what makes Chris Squire the man.

That and the countless gigs with YES over the last 40 some odd years tends to help as well.
 
#14
Rotosound Swingbass + Ric + strong overdrive + play with a pick.

Not all of his playing sounds the same, either - but if you want the whole "Heart of the sunrise" sound, this should do it.

One thing that threw me when I was young is how Rick Wakeman often doubled the bass parts with a clavinet (roundabout, for example) so I thought old Chris was pulling a fast one...
 
#15
I saw Chris with Yes about 4 years ago and he played a different bass for each song. They all sounded the same!

It's in his technique, strings, & settings. He played with a pick right in front of the bridge, with his hand anchored on the bridge.
 
#19
Grissle said:
A nice Jazz through a Marshall JCM 800 or Vintage Modified will get you SCARY close
Click to expand...


+1. In fact, I've read numerous interviews where he said the majority of the classic recordings from "Tales from Topographic Oceans" (1973) until around the "Drama" era (1980) were done on that blonde 72' (?) Jazz bass you see above.
He also used a non-reverse T-bird to great effect. Always sounds like the same bass.



T
 

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