• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Peter Steele of Type O Negative - Tone Question

#2
Active 4-string bass, tuned down to BEAD (an interview around this time stated that Peter had begun to setup his basses with an actual B string but it still sounds detuned to me), bridge pickup only and played with a pick close to the bridge.

I think Peter always has chorus on the bass, his distortion is, I believe, a Boss metal zone or Hyper metal.

I'm not sure what bass is on this recording, the album sleeves usually state Alembic and Zon, but he's also used a custom 'Fenderbacker', and, when I saw them in London, a Fernandes Tremor.

Yes, I'm a TON fan...:)
 
  • Like
Reactions: DeliriumTremens
#4
not a fretless, dude...he's got a split signal path...his bass output goes to an ab-y box and then goes to a chorus, delay, reverb eq on one side and chorus, distortion eq on the other side, then goes to another box that the signal can be combined...then it goes to a peavey max preamp and then to whatever cabs he's using at the time...on the life is killing me tour, he had 3 8x12 cabinets...it was pretty deafening (sickeningly so)...all of his pedals are boss pedals...other than the old alembic he plays, he has a couple fernandes basses (the one that he plays most has a single j pickup and a fernandes sustainiac installed with a volume, tone and an on/off kill switch) and now he's got a washburn that he's been playing pretty exclusively live...it's one of the m-series basses...an m10, i think...i used to have a picture of his live rig setup, but i can't find the thing anywhere...hope that helped
 
#5
neptoon said:
not a fretless, dude...he's got a split signal path...his bass output goes to an ab-y box and then goes to a chorus, delay, reverb eq on one side and chorus, distortion eq on the other side, then goes to another box that the signal can be combined...then it goes to a peavey max preamp and then to whatever cabs he's using at the time...on the life is killing me tour, he had 3 8x12 cabinets...it was pretty deafening (sickeningly so)...all of his pedals are boss pedals...other than the old alembic he plays, he has a couple fernandes basses (the one that he plays most has a single j pickup and a fernandes sustainiac installed with a volume, tone and an on/off kill switch) and now he's got a washburn that he's been playing pretty exclusively live...it's one of the m-series basses...an m10, i think...i used to have a picture of his live rig setup, but i can't find the thing anywhere...hope that helped
Click to expand...


You're kidding me. Wow, I would have sworn that he is using a fretless in the soft part of "Everything Dies". EDIT: I hear it now. Holy crap man...can't believe I missed that. It's still one of my favorite tones. Thanks neptoon :bassist:
 
#7
Sugarfuzz said:
You're kidding me. Wow, I would have sworn that he is using a fretless in the soft part of "Everything Dies".
Click to expand...

I still think that Pete uses a fretless in Everything Dies" as well as the quiet parts of "Wolf Moon" (and other parts of "October Rust") as well - it's not super-mwah fretless, but those slides are just too smooth to my ears. It's sounds like a modern fretless, like a Zon he credits or a Pedulla as opposed to a Jaco-esque J-bass with the frets ripped out.

Also, as neptoon stated a huge part of his style is his Fernandes-made custom bass Sustainer (I'm pretty sure he's transfered it over to his custom ESH basses) - watching the recent live DVD I had little idea he was chording so much, despite having seen them 7-odd times. I've gotten pretty close using a fuzz-based distortion, chorus, and interestingly enough a touch of octave-up mixed in - I find it brings out the distortion/chorus combo just enough. Although now living in an apartment I can't crank it up nearly enough for his distortion. :bassist:
 
#9
I also dig his tone!!

watching the recent live DVD I had little idea he was chording so much
Click to expand...

I couldn't believe that he chorded so much either.

Can't wait for there new album! Here is some info on it taken from the site:

Great news - the new Type O Negative opus, entitled "Dead Again", has now entered the mixing process! The new disc will include an appearance by Lycia vocalist Tara VanFlower - you can check out her MySpace page here: Tara VanFlower. Tentative release date remains sometime in early 2007,
 
#10
Sorry edit that.....

Here is the new release dates

SPV has issued dates for the new Type O Negative release "Dead Again". The dates announced are as follows:

MARCH 13 - USA/CANADA
MARCH 16 - GERMANY
MARCH 19 - EUROPE

Keep in mind that the dates are subject to change between now and then, and if so, they will be announced accordingly.
 
#14
Anyone know the specs of his bass itself? I saw them live last night, and was totally blown away. (He was using the black and green one. I couldn't get a good look at it, but I think it was a custom. It had green full-fret inlays.)
 
#15
cool...didn't realize they were gigging...his bass actually had inlays? sure it wasn't a fresh coat of krylon? he normally has his tech spray on some rattle can krylon on his pickups, tuners and the fret markers...i've also seen him use electrical tape for the upper frets...the last time i saw them play he was using a washburn m-10 that was matte black...did it look kinda like this? here are the specs...

Built in the USA Custom Shop
Maple body
4 string
Matte finish
Seymour Duncan JJ Pickups
Maple bolt on neck
Rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay
Grover bass tuners
Buzz Feiten Tuning System™

pete's m10 was modified with a on/off kill switch, and i think it also has a single seymour duncan pickup...can't remember, but i'm poretty sure it isn't the j/j model
 
#19
I suppose that we can keep this thread alive just a bit longer...! The "undead thread", perhaps? Peter Steele and Company would just love that one...! :D

I don't know if anybody else has tried this, but I am also a fan of TON, and I also love Peter's bass tone. I have been able to replicate it reasonably well using one of my Hamer CH-12 12-string basses tuned Bbb/Eee/Aaa/Ddd (mirroring Pete's 4-string tuning), and using chorus with mild distortion and/or overdrive. Sounds both smooth and crunchy at the same time, like crunchy peanut butter, eh? :cool:

The drawback to this setup is that the 12ver is not very suitable for playing the "clean" tones of any TON songs. Played clean or with just chorus, the 12ver will still sound huge compared to the original tones. :hmm:

Regardless, I have adapted this setup when playing my 12ver with my original compositions when applicable. I have more conventional setups for my Rickenbackers, etc.

Cheers,

Bill

******************************

Rickenbackers, Hamers and Steinbergers...oh my! :bassist:
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back