do u think that people like Flea or Jon Entwistle had lessons....or did they just teach themselves?
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anyone like Flea or Jon Entwistle?
- Thread starter patrickroberts
- Start date
What's weird is they both started out the same way.
Both started out their musical careers by playing trumpet, and then switched to bass. (I think Entwhistle played French Horn, too, I could be wrong.) Flea was a really good trumpet player, so he has to have some theory under his belt, but he admits he can't read in the bass clef. Entwhistle, I'm not sure about how much schooling he actually has, but I read that he took his trumpet playing seriously, so I bet he knows a good amount. Anyone THAT good can't be faking it.
But, anyway, about lessons for BASS, I think they both taught themselves, applying the knowledge they already had to bass.
Both started out their musical careers by playing trumpet, and then switched to bass. (I think Entwhistle played French Horn, too, I could be wrong.) Flea was a really good trumpet player, so he has to have some theory under his belt, but he admits he can't read in the bass clef. Entwhistle, I'm not sure about how much schooling he actually has, but I read that he took his trumpet playing seriously, so I bet he knows a good amount. Anyone THAT good can't be faking it.
But, anyway, about lessons for BASS, I think they both taught themselves, applying the knowledge they already had to bass.
Entwistle actually started out on piano, around age 4 or 5. He was the only member of The Who who was trained. He developed so well that he was actually accepted into the Royal Academy of Music or Royal Conservatory...whatever...what sucked was that his family couldn't afford to send him, so that ended his musical training!
He didn't pick up the bass guitar until 1959, well after he met Peter Townshend. They were originally bandmates, with Townshend on banjo and Entwistle on French Horn
Funny stuff!
Yeah, Entwistle started with piano lessons at a young age. At about ten, I think, he gave them up and started playing the trumpet, playing trad jazz. His family couldn't afford to buy him one, so he had to lend his school's. Obviously, this meant that he had a lot formal and theoretical training before he even picked up the bass. When he did start on the bass, he applied that knowledge of theory, but more or less taught himself - he has mentioned Duane Eddy as a big influence on his bass playing. You can hear his french horn playing on albums like Tommy and Quadrophenia.
I know that this hasn't added anything to what SuperDuck and RAM have said, but I just can't pass up a thread about the Ox!
I know that this hasn't added anything to what SuperDuck and RAM have said, but I just can't pass up a thread about the Ox!
Two weeks ago, I bought "Who's next" by the Who...beautiful stuff!
You've got to dig that horn-section in "My Wife".
And he can also sing, by the way.
You've got to dig that horn-section in "My Wife".
And he can also sing, by the way.
that's a Gibson Thunderbird on Who's Next, right?
it's too hollow and dull sounding to be a P bass.
I wish he'd used a P bass on that and got the Live at Leeds sound on that album.
it's too hollow and dull sounding to be a P bass.
I wish he'd used a P bass on that and got the Live at Leeds sound on that album.
Actually, though I'm pretty sure he was using Fender Precisions around that time, that's not the reason his sound didn't come through...it was before engineers really understood how to record him!
I believe he wasn't really happy with his sound until "Quadrophenia"...
The thing about "Live at Leeds" was that he was just so damned loud that his vocal mic picked up alot of his trebly tone, which contributed greatly to the sound that got mixed into the final recording. This also happened on "Live at the Isle of Wight", which is, IMO, a better CD than "Live at Leeds".
Originally posted by RAM
Actually, though I'm pretty sure he was using Fender Precisions around that time, that's not the reason his sound didn't come through...it was before engineers really understood how to record him!
hmmmm. this has been bugging me for ages- if you listen closely to Who's Next through headphones, the bass sounds like it has 2 pickups- the hollow sound- where you can hear the strings striking the frets it doesn't sound like a single p/up precision would at all, and in the pictures for the reissue of the album showing the band playing the "lifehouse" gigs before the album was recorded he's playing a Tbird.
in interviews he said that the engineers just turned down the treble, as they didn't know what to do with it- it wouldn't take a genius to just leave the EQ flat and let it come through
at the Isle of Wight gig I think he was playing a rosewood board Pbass (front cover pic playing a black p bass wearing skeleton outfit?), - I prefer the maple-board sound as on Live at Leeds!
Actually, that horn section was played by Entwistle himself - another example of his trumpet playing. Another song to listen to is Red Blue and Grey, on the Who By Numbers album, where he overdubbed a whole brass band.
On the subject of Who's Next, I'm sure that he used a T-Bird on the album. IMO, his sound on Behind Blue Eyes is a really nice tone - but then, the Ox could play a Rogue through a 10W Gorilla amp, and it would still sound great to me!
I didn't like the sound he was getting from his Status Buzzard in that "Classic Albums- Who's Next" programme though- very electronic sounding-
graphite + active electronics + distortion=bleurgh
Originally posted by The Mock Turtle Regulator
hmmmm. this has been bugging me for ages- if you listen closely to Who's Next through headphones, the bass sounds like it has 2 pickups- the hollow sound- where you can hear the strings striking the frets it doesn't sound like a single p/up precision would at all, and in the pictures for the reissue of the album showing the band playing the "lifehouse" gigs before the album was recorded he's playing a Tbird.
in interviews he said that the engineers just turned down the treble, as they didn't know what to do with it- it wouldn't take a genius to just leave the EQ flat and let it come through
at the Isle of Wight gig I think he was playing a rosewood board Pbass (front cover pic playing a black p bass wearing skeleton outfit?), - I prefer the maple-board sound as on Live at Leeds!
I don't own headphones
Uh, yeah! I did that already! But, when I did that, I couldn't put my boom-box back together again...anyone know how?
Hello.
I'm not 100% sure, but I believe the bass used for "Who's Next" was one of Entwistle's famous "Fenderbird" basses. These were a few Thunderbirds with the necks removed and replaced with a Fender Precision neck. I know, sounds like a major pain in the butt, I'm sure it was.
I'm not 100% sure, but I believe the bass used for "Who's Next" was one of Entwistle's famous "Fenderbird" basses. These were a few Thunderbirds with the necks removed and replaced with a Fender Precision neck. I know, sounds like a major pain in the butt, I'm sure it was.
re. the "Fenderbird" I've seen a few pics of this/these bass/basses (and also a Gibson Explorer he fitted a P bass neck too) and concert footage of him using one.
I'm interested as to how they were made- the T-bird body is the reverse kind....which would mean the original neck was neck-through........and must have been sawn off for the maple P bass neck to be fitted.
or was it a left handed non reverse T Bird body (set neck)?
or maybe Gibson supplied a T bird body specially?
I'm interested as to how they were made- the T-bird body is the reverse kind....which would mean the original neck was neck-through........and must have been sawn off for the maple P bass neck to be fitted
.or was it a left handed non reverse T Bird body (set neck)?
or maybe Gibson supplied a T bird body specially?
