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Anybody knows what bass did Peter Cetera play here?
- Thread starter jg42
- Start date
QUOTE
Peter Cetera began his Chicago career with his ’64 Fender Precision (featuring a rosewood fingerboard and custom Paisley-painted body). Though he tried numerous other basses—including a Gibson EB-3, Rickenbacker 4001, Gibson Ripper, and fretted and fretless Fender Jazz Basses—it was the P-Bass he kept returning to. He began with La Bella flatwounds but moved on to roundwounds, never quite liking them as much as the flats. His live amp choices were more transient, including Kustom, Acoustic, SoundCity, Phase Linear, Orange, and Ampeg rigs. In the studio, Cetera generally recorded his P-Basses (he used producer James Guercio’s Precision on the first album) both direct and through an Ampeg B-15, at times with tissues stuffed under the strings for a bit of damping. Cetera’s bass was always prominent in the mix, perhaps in part because Guercio was a bassist.
Currently, Peter’s bass collection features his ’64 P-Bass (now white), a Lake Placid Blue ’65 Jazz Bass, his ’64 Hofner Beatle Bass, a ’65 Vox Constellation IV bass, and a Tune Bass Maniac. Most are strung with La Bella flatwounds. He borrowed Nashville session ace Mike Brignardello’s P-Bass to record the track on his Christmas CD, and he’s expecting his McPherson acoustic bass guitar in time for his December tour. His picks are Fender mediums.
UNQUOTE
Source: Peter Cetera
I have listened this album hundreds of times, often all night long, then bought the CD, and last, the vinyl reissue.
Peter Cetera began his Chicago career with his ’64 Fender Precision (featuring a rosewood fingerboard and custom Paisley-painted body). Though he tried numerous other basses—including a Gibson EB-3, Rickenbacker 4001, Gibson Ripper, and fretted and fretless Fender Jazz Basses—it was the P-Bass he kept returning to. He began with La Bella flatwounds but moved on to roundwounds, never quite liking them as much as the flats. His live amp choices were more transient, including Kustom, Acoustic, SoundCity, Phase Linear, Orange, and Ampeg rigs. In the studio, Cetera generally recorded his P-Basses (he used producer James Guercio’s Precision on the first album) both direct and through an Ampeg B-15, at times with tissues stuffed under the strings for a bit of damping. Cetera’s bass was always prominent in the mix, perhaps in part because Guercio was a bassist.
Currently, Peter’s bass collection features his ’64 P-Bass (now white), a Lake Placid Blue ’65 Jazz Bass, his ’64 Hofner Beatle Bass, a ’65 Vox Constellation IV bass, and a Tune Bass Maniac. Most are strung with La Bella flatwounds. He borrowed Nashville session ace Mike Brignardello’s P-Bass to record the track on his Christmas CD, and he’s expecting his McPherson acoustic bass guitar in time for his December tour. His picks are Fender mediums.
UNQUOTE
Source: Peter Cetera
I have listened this album hundreds of times, often all night long, then bought the CD, and last, the vinyl reissue.
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I've always thought that he used Fender Precision basses on the early stuff. I'm A Man from the same CTA record was most definitely one.
Def his 60's P until '74. Then he started alternating between the P, the Gibson Ripper and a Rick 4001. Saw them live around 12 times in the 70s and that was the lineup. Acoustic 360 most of the time too.
I saw them around '72, Cetera played a EB-3 at that show.
Yep, forgot that EB-3. Saw pics, but he didn't use it on the shows I saw. He had a 70's maple neck P that I've seen in pics too.
I saw them in Toronto at the Electric Circus in the spring of 1969 before the CTA LP was released . Peter was playing his Precision through a Kustom head with two 2x15 Kustom cabs.
They were the opening act for Ten Years After, who were a no show due to Alvin Lee collapsing on stage in LA a couple of nights before. So Chicago played the entire night. Great show!
TD
They were the opening act for Ten Years After, who were a no show due to Alvin Lee collapsing on stage in LA a couple of nights before. So Chicago played the entire night. Great show!
TD
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Cool stories! I saw them a couple of times in the mid 70's in Greensboro NC. I remember seeing him with Jazz basses.
One of my favorite videos on Youtube of Peter playing his P
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Bought their greatest hits MP3 album years ago. On the way home, Beginnings came on. What a song. Love the bass tone.
He is playing a Spector NS-2 on one of the post-TK videos. Right now he has a Wilkins custom built P bass.
I think he always preferred P-Basses. I distinctly remember he had a picture of himself with the Gibson Ripper in a advertisement for Gibson once on his website. Under the picture was the sentence "And I hated the bass." LOL! Another pic showed him with a sunburst Precision with the caption "Happy lad with P-Bass." I don't know if he ever mentioned the 4001, or the Music Man Sting Ray he used on occasion while with Chicago. This was quite a while back.
He's a great player and singer. And thats all I'm gonna say cause the rest wouldn't be nice.
SUUUUUPER early on he rocked an EARLY 4001!!
Don’t know if we’re talking about the same video, but there’s a show from around ‘81 where he’s playing an NS-1 like in my profile pic. Outdoor dusk show, Miami Vice style wardrobe.
This song ("Feelin' Stronger Every Day") reminds me of my college days. After 4 years in the military I started college in January 1973. One of the guys who worked at the college gym introduced me to raquetball and I LOVED it! I played every chance I got.
When I was playing, I'd sing those lyrics ("Feelin' Stronger Every Day") in my head to psych myself up. It worked most of the time and I rarely got tired!
