Bass/Amp Combo for John Entwistle tone?

[fetfet]

I have an intense craving for John Entwistle's tone, and I know he used a multitude of basses and amps, but I'd like to cop al least one of these tones. So in the poll i'm posting some Bass and Amp combinations that he used, and it's up to you do decide which is the most classic. Right now i have an Epi T-Bird and a Squier precision running thru a fender 15w practice amp. I plan to put Rotosound 40-100 strings on the bass.

Please help.

 

[misfit-x]

I believe he cranked the volume and highs and cut the rest or left them flat. but to get his tone you'll have to play like him which is easier said than done.

 

[Rickett Customs]

Of course carrots, The Ox had alot of items in his signal chain, depending on which decade you were desiring for his tone.

Not a combo amp (IMO)
http://www.johnentwistle.com/Gear/jaegear.html

This is why i believe you will have trouble with this, too much time, too much change in gear (and this link is just '74 to '85):
http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/equipment/bass/equip-entwistlegear-74-85.html

 

[fetfet]

If it was just bass to amp, with nothing altering tone except playing style and EQ, what would give me even the slightest hint of that amazing tone. i know playing exactly like him is impossible, and i respect that he was one of the best heavy rock players of the era, and just need a close representation for my own personal pleasure.

 

[brutal bassist]

impossible, find your own tone

 

[fetfet]

I'm perfectly aware it's impossible. I'd just like some honest opinions.

 

[UncleBalsamic]

It depends which one. Any I am interested in what people are going to come up with. I love Entwistle!

 

[EagleMoon]

I understand your wanting to get his tone(s), but he sounded like himself no matter what bass/amp combination he had. Maple/rosewood fingerboards, active/passive electronics..he used all these things at one point or another. Which particular sound are you going for? The earlier clear/bassy tones or the later distorted guitar like sound?

 

[driver800]

Entwistles tone changed drastically over the years, but his 'style" remained pretty consistent. Through most of the mid-later years, you'd have to go with a bi-amped system - one was a bass rig and the other a guitar rig.

he saw himself as a bass GUITARIST. It was a guitar to him. So he used a lot of distortion through his guitar rig.

i'm thinking you're looking more for his style, correct me if i'm wrong.

A big part of his style was very low action and striking the strings very lightly. (i heard a quote once that he liked the action so low the string were behind the neck). His finger motion was similar to typing on a type writer but he just barely touched the strings. I think that must have come from playing horns.

But i'd say think of trying to make your bass sound like an electric geetard. <flame suit>

 

[fetfet]

I'm thinking of getting his tones on live at leeds, quadrophenia, and some of his more distorted tones. I was thinking of getting a clean combo amp, and an amp modeling system, like a Digitech BP50.

But i hope this clears things up.

Also, i've read his assorted setups.

 

[edbass]

As a number of others have posted, John Entwistle was the Entwistle "tone".
As far as his gear, I didn't see Sunn as one the amplification choices, and from early on and over the decades he probably used almost as much Sunn gear as all the rest combined.

 

[DaveKirkpatrick]

IIRC there's a guy on here named OX who has similar tonal goals. I think he's made some posts regarding success with an old Sunn Sceptre bass amp. Very much "Live at Leeds" tone. Of course fingers are first........

 

[fetfet]

As far as his gear, I didn't see Sunn as one the amplification choices, and from early on and over the decades he probably used almost as much Sunn gear as all the rest combined.

That is so true. I completely forgot about that entire period of time.

Thank you.

 

[Ric5]

To me his best tone came with the Alembic Exploiter through the huge sunn stack ...

 

[Ric5]

I get my version of the Entwistle tone with one of my active basses, an ampeg b2r, 4 eminence 10s, and my effects ...

 

[Mike Shevlin]

+1 Big time - it seems that his most distinctive tone came with Sunn/Alembic. I actually had the chance to plug into a Sunn/Alembic pairing in 1983 & it was definitely a JE tone even with my sorry ass playing it. I bought the Sunn.

 

[fetfet]

Thanks, getting a lot of help with this, think i might get a maple Precision, and/or and active Ibanez/other.

 

[EagleMoon]

I think the maple Precision would be a good step in the right direction.

 

[fetfet]

The sounds of his "slab" Precision bass in incredibly raunchy and amazing, so the maple P will be good, might get a small bass amp and an amp modeler for the Hiwatt/Marshall/Sunn phases.

 

[Lowbrow]

Get a maple-necked P bass, a loud solid-state amp, and a VT-Bass pedal, turn up the treble, have at it for a while, then quit.