• 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.

Bass choice/tone, Paramore's "Ain't it fun"

RGerhart

RGerhart

Supporting Member
Jan 11, 2021
1,719
3,634
Portland, OR
#1
I have a NYE gig lined up, and the band I'm performing with have agreed to play this Paramore song, which I'm excited about.

The song has a very distinctive tone, and I'm trying to figure it out. Fellow TB'ers: has anyone here covered this song? It sounds to me like a very midrange-forward tone, played with a pick and under heavy compression. Maybe a Stingray 5H?

 
  • Like
Reactions: FilterFunk, skyline_01, Iridescentone and 1 other person
#3
Man do I love this song, I’ve jammed to it at home so many times. I believe Justin Meldal-Johnsen produced that album and played bass on it too. There is a live video on YouTube that he plays on stage with the band and uses the Grabber. I think it is tuned BEAD since there are so many low notes on the track. I can’t find the video right now, but I’m pretty sure he used a pick live on it too.

He’s one of the greats and once I saw her produced the album and show him playing it live, it is very clear he wrote and recorded the bass line, simply brilliant.

I think any 4 string in bead, or a 5er with a pick and compression (like you said) would work great.
 
#4
Nothing really sounds exactly like a grabber, I think of that as a bass with a really distinctive voice. but agree with the ppl above that amp settings and roundwounds should get you close enough for a live performance. Darkglass could get you closer if you got one.
 
#5
We play it every now and then in my regular band. I use a Wal 5 and I only play fingerstyle (I suck at trying to use a pick).
I've been caught off guard at open Jams with a 4 string, so I have used my Ric on it drop D tuned and play it passable, and no amp (ampless jam gigs).

Does not matter what bass you play! the audience will naturally only be fixated on the singer throughout the song.
 
  • Like
Reactions: David McIntire, TrustRod and SoCal80s
#7
melloncollie said:
JMJ did produce this album but he didn’t play bass on the track. That was Paramores bassist at the time Jeremy Davis who used a Gibson G3 tuned to drop C if I remember correctly.

JMJ both produced and played bass on the next Paramore album.
Click to expand...

I was conflicted on this one, because I know JMJ's style and had heard his playing on the following album. I also was familiar with Jeremy Davis' playing on the previous albums, too. This track has some pretty cool fills and neat octave work, so it kind of seemed too flashy for Jeremy, but also uncharacteristic of JMJ's understated, supportive lines he usually plays.

I'm leaning more towards it being Jeremy Davis, too, thinking that maybe his playing in the past was really just to support the song, and maybe this track they just told him to go crazy and play whatever. :)
 
#8
RGerhart said:
I was conflicted on this one, because I know JMJ's style and had heard his playing on the following album. I also was familiar with Jeremy Davis' playing on the previous albums, too. This track has some pretty cool fills and neat octave work, so it kind of seemed too flashy for Jeremy, but also uncharacteristic of JMJ's understated, supportive lines he usually plays.

I'm leaning more towards it being Jeremy Davis, too, thinking that maybe his playing in the past was really just to support the song, and maybe this track they just told him to go crazy and play whatever. :)
Click to expand...
Yeah Jeremy’s work on the self titled album is definitely different compared to what he did on their previous albums but I think the change in musical direction and producer had a lot to do with that. The self titled album is consequently one of my favorite modern rock bass albums. Even something like fast in my car has the really cool synthy bass part.

For this song though I think a jazz bass with both pickups all the way up will do you fine. Or a double bucker stingray with the outside coils selected.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RGerhart
#9
RGerhart said:
I have a NYE gig lined up, and the band I'm performing with have agreed to play this Paramore song, which I'm excited about.

The song has a very distinctive tone, and I'm trying to figure it out. Fellow TB'ers: has anyone here covered this song? It sounds to me like a very midrange-forward tone, played with a pick and under heavy compression. Maybe a Stingray 5H?

Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure the guy that recorded all paramours bass stuff is a tber
 
#10
melloncollie said:
Yeah Jeremy’s work on the self titled album is definitely different compared to what he did on their previous albums but I think the change in musical direction and producer had a lot to do with that. The self titled album is consequently one of my favorite modern rock bass albums. Even something like fast in my car has the really cool synthy bass part.

For this song though I think a jazz bass with both pickups all the way up will do you fine. Or a double bucker stingray with the outside coils selected.
Click to expand...

I feel like working with JMJ would probably bring out the best in an artist, especially a bassist. I, too, love this album. I don't know how many times I played it over and over in my car back in 2013. You know, back when CDs were still kind of a thing? Hahah

I'll give it a try on my five-string J first, then maybe try it out on the Lakland 55-94.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mikezimmerman
#12
mikeswals said:
We play it every now and then in my regular band. I use a Wal 5 and I only play fingerstyle (I suck at trying to use a pick).
I've been caught off guard at open Jams with a 4 string, so I have used my Ric on it drop D tuned and play it passable, and no amp (ampless jam gigs).

Does not matter what bass you play! the audience will naturally only be fixated on the singer throughout the song.
Click to expand...

Crank it and get the notes right and no one will care what bass you are using.
 
  • Like
Reactions: arbiterusa, SLO Surfer, JRA and 8 others
#15
RGerhart said:
I have a NYE gig lined up, and the band I'm performing with have agreed to play this Paramore song, which I'm excited about.

The song has a very distinctive tone, and I'm trying to figure it out. Fellow TB'ers: has anyone here covered this song? It sounds to me like a very midrange-forward tone, played with a pick and under heavy compression. Maybe a Stingray 5H?

Click to expand...


Agreed. Great song and IMO better when done live. As for the timber tone of the bass, I covered this with both a PBj and a Warwick Corvette playing through Eden heads and bottoms.

In both cases, the Amp was set to flat with a 5 click boost at 165hz, the preamp was set to when the limit light started to flicker, both basses have new to newer round wound wound string. PBj both volumes and tone wide open. The Warwick was set to flat and pickup select even.

Oh, and no pick so the action on your bass can’t be real high.

I think the PBj was a little closer than my Warwick tone wise, but it was a 4 string with the E down tuned. That said, live the Warwick kicked serious butt, not to mention filling in the sonic area on the recorded IE, the distorted sound on the choruses that were hard to duplicate live. So my advice is the tone of the bass on the recording might not work well with your ensemble.

Anyway have fun with it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RGerhart
#18
I play this song pretty often. I run a Dingwall ABZ with the pickups in parallel for this one. Play with a pick, roundwounds and some overdrive and you’re off to the races. I’ve also used a Stingray on Paramore stuff and it kills too.
 
#19
I love this song, but I don’t worry about anything except getting the main notes and feel right. I use my Roscoe Beck V finger-style with both pickups on single coil and the tone knob pulled “up” to favor the bridge pickup a bit and play near the bridge with a slightly aggressive attack. I have it strung with TI Jazz Rounds. I use a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 through the hallowed Berg “Mini-Stack” HT112 plus Ex112. Believe me, no one in the room at the gig will care if you don’t sound exactly like the recording, as long as you hit the licks and get the feel right.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: JRA

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back