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Tal Wilkenfeld's sound...

deBont Amps

deBont Amps

Commercial User
Apr 10, 2007
293
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Netherlands
debontamps.com
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deBont Amps
#1
I've been searching TB and the web but can't seem to find the specific answers I'm looking for.
Here's the thing, I totally love the sound of Tal's sound on Transformations. Specially on tracks like 'Truth be told' or 'Serendipity'. Offcourse, she herself is a major part of that sound and I know she uses a Sadowsky, with (I guess) an Ash body and maple neck.
But does anyone know what kind of PU's she uses (Nordstrand or DiMarzio based) and if they are the hum-cancelling of single-coil variation? Maybe any specifics on the pre-amp?? Any info is much appriciated.

P.S. I know she is a TB'er so maybe..., Tal, if you're reading this you could chime in?? :D
 
#2
I'm not 100% sure about the pickups but I know the bass is definitely Ash/Maple/Maple.
She also uses EBS cabs and heads. From the videos I've seen she doesn't use any rack
stuff, it looks like she plugs straight into the head. As far as the pickups go I would guess
that they are the stock Sadowsky (custom DiMarzio) pickups. She has a very "Sadowsky"
sound. I love her tone. I'm interested to hear if anyones knows her exact setup too.
 
#6
Personally, I don't think it the Sadowsky so much as it is the woods of the bass that give Tal her tone. Her sound is somewhere between Jaco and Marcus Miller, and I'm almost positive you could get the similar results with a Fender Marcus Miller Jazz.

While I don't doubt that the player themselves is a huge part of the sound they produce, I think that the bass and amp play a much larger role in the area of "tone" except for when alternative plucking styles are used assuming that the index-middle / thumb-index-middle techniques are considered the norm.
 
#7
Kwesi said:
Personally, I don't think it the Sadowsky so much as it is the woods of the bass that give Tal her tone. Her sound is somewhere between Jaco and Marcus Miller, and I'm almost positive you could get the similar results with a Fender Marcus Miller Jazz.

While I don't doubt that the player themselves is a huge part of the sound they produce, I think that the bass and amp play a much larger role in the area of "tone" except for when alternative plucking styles are used assuming that the index-middle / thumb-index-middle techniques are considered the norm.
Click to expand...

If I could meet Tal, and let her use my Peavey Foundation, she dial up its bridge pickup, turn down the tone, and sound like she does on her Sadowsky. Kwesi, she could turn up the J pup on your NS-2 and sound very close. She is using the classic bridge J-pup tone with a nice touch. I can do a decent job mimicing Tal's tone on my Jazz or my Peavey. I can get pretty close on my BB415 too for that matter.
 
#9
HitByABlimp said:
I've been searching TB and the web but can't seem to find the specific answers I'm looking for.
Here's the thing, I totally love the sound of Tal's sound on Transformations. Specially on tracks like 'Truth be told' or 'Serendipity'. Offcourse, she herself is a major part of that sound and I know she uses a Sadowsky, with (I guess) an Ash body and maple neck.
But does anyone know what kind of PU's she uses (Nordstrand or DiMarzio based) and if they are the hum-cancelling of single-coil variation? Maybe any specifics on the pre-amp?? Any info is much appriciated.

P.S. I know she is a TB'er so maybe..., Tal, if you're reading this you could chime in?? :D
Click to expand...
She's using the Sadowsky Single coils.
 
#10
frandiaz said:
Her main Sadowsky bass has Sadowsky single coil pickups. These are Sadowsky pickups made for him by Seymour Duncan.

Did I say Sadowsky way too many times? (yes, I love 'em) LOL
Click to expand...

+1 That's the classic tone of an ash/maple Sadowsky with the Sadowsky Seymour Single coils.

Of course, much of her tone comes from her hands, but that particular Sadowsky tone comes through in spades on her recordings.
 
#14
In the April '09 issue of Japanese 'Bass Magazine'(Tal's on the cover), there are close up pics and descriptions of her whole set-up, including close ups of her bass, semi-close-ups of her pedal board, and close-ups of her right and left hand positions. Those people at Japanese Bass Magazine don't mess around! Unfortunately, I don't know how to read Japanese! By looking at the pics though, I can see she's using Avalon U5s, EBS Octobass & Multidrive Pedals, and what looks like an old Mutron or bass synth pedal (don't quote me on that one), a Peterson Strobostomp tuner all powered with a Voodoo Lab Pedal power 2 Plus. They also mention 19mm string spacing on her bass. That's about all I can figure out without being able to read Japanese. :)
 
#15
BassXgirl said:
In the April '09 issue of Japanese 'Bass Magazine'(Tal's on the cover), there are close up pics and descriptions of her whole set-up, including close ups of her bass, semi-close-ups of her pedal board, and close-ups of her right and left hand positions. Those people at Japanese Bass Magazine don't mess around! Unfortunately, I don't know how to read Japanese! By looking at the pics though, I can see she's using Avalon U5s, EBS Octobass & Multidrive Pedals, and what looks like an old Mutron or bass synth pedal (don't quote me on that one), a Peterson Strobostomp tuner all powered with a Voodoo Lab Pedal power 2 Plus. They also mention 19mm string spacing on her bass. That's about all I can figure out without being able to read Japanese. :)
Click to expand...

Domo arigato gozaimasu!

:ninja:


[Sorry, that's about all I have to show for spending 6 months in Japan in the early '90s.]
 
#16
BassXgirl said:
In the April '09 issue of Japanese 'Bass Magazine'(Tal's on the cover), there are close up pics and descriptions of her whole set-up, including close ups of her bass, semi-close-ups of her pedal board, and close-ups of her right and left hand positions. Those people at Japanese Bass Magazine don't mess around! Unfortunately, I don't know how to read Japanese! By looking at the pics though, I can see she's using Avalon U5s, EBS Octobass & Multidrive Pedals, and what looks like an old Mutron or bass synth pedal (don't quote me on that one), a Peterson Strobostomp tuner all powered with a Voodoo Lab Pedal power 2 Plus. They also mention 19mm string spacing on her bass. That's about all I can figure out without being able to read Japanese. :)
Click to expand...

Do you have a scan of the article that you can post here? Maybe I can help with the Japanese :).
 
#17
Man I'd love to see this magazine, or scans thereof -- especially with some translation! By remarkable coincidence, I just YESTERDAY sent an email to BP Mag's editor Jonathan Herrera to suggest that it was time for an issue featuring Tal! I had no idea at the time about this Japanese mag -- looks like BP got scooped!
 

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