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"Ants Marching" - DMB

#2
Ahhh fun song to play! Tell ya a silly little trick i learned to play steffan tunes! Wait and play it last in youre set list if ya can or at least later on! Wait till youre fingers and youre strings are all loose and oily! Steffan must have the greesy hand. For some reason that song just sounds so much better when youre greesy! I know dumb advice but it really does help!
 
#3
I'm still not really seeing where that walk-down is after/during the first chorus. Where are the pull-offs? I watched the "Live in Central Park" DVD, and I don't know if it's just the recording or what, but compared to the studio version, it's one-note higher live, at least to the ear. Not sure why that is, but nevertheless, I donno. I got most of it down by ear, though.
 
#4
Its been years since i played that tune so i cant give too much advice! But i think if i rem. correct those pull offs are very very very subtle. Almost not there at all, you know that great smooth tone he has can have that effect! With steffan its almost as important you get his tone as it is to learn the tune! I have a horrible time getting that tone! Just not like my tone at all. But i LOVE to listen too it! Dont get me wrong i have learned just about every dave song there is. And i know how to get that special steffan tone but only on my amp and my warwick!LOL
 
#5
I figured it out. For all future reference, it is the D major scale, played down all on the A string, starting on the 17th fret. That's how it is on the "Central Park" DVD, at least. I got some help from some friends, but that's the correct positioning and everything. It's exactly what he does on his Flea 4.

And yeah, I had a hard time by ear getting the technique exactly right, but I've got it down pat now. You alternately pluck every other note, and it sounds just about as perfect as can be.
 
#8
He was using a warwick when he did that tune! I think hes tone isnt near as awsome as it was back in the day! Saw them when they first came out in a smaller club in springfield missouri and it was a thumping hard hitting sound! Saw them last year and i couldnt even hear the bass lines!
 
#12
eric atkinson said:
He was using a warwick when he did that tune! I think hes tone isnt near as awsome as it was back in the day! Saw them when they first came out in a smaller club in springfield missouri and it was a thumping hard hitting sound! Saw them last year and i couldnt even hear the bass lines!
Click to expand...

That's the FOH mix, nothing to do with stefan. The tone from Before These Crowded Streets on the song 'Crush' is exactly what my Flea sounds like. The sound of wood through 15,000 dollars of effects can be made to be the same as the sound of graphite, and vice versa. I also have the Aguilar OBP-1 preamp and MM Basslines pickup.

Don't jump to conclusions!
 
#13
Trust me i dont jump to much of anything! ;) I know alot about studio mixing. I was talking about live as in the shows i was talking about in the above post. I have seen them twice since he swapped basses and it just lost every thing that he used to have. Actully when i saw chili peppers last spring i kinda thought the same thing! Couldnt here flea at all. Just screaming guitar. Not really saying its the bass but maybe i am. I havent had the chance to play the flea bass yet. I did enjoy the quatums but not as much as the warwicks. Stefans sound to me comes alot from the myers sound equipment they all use. I had the pleasure a couple years back to run sound at a local mumorial hall for a concert and they had myers gear. Man that stuff was so fun to work with! Just pure brilliance in a speaker! But wow its high$$$$$$ :crying:
 

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