Double Bass Ben Street live sound

[tito mangialajo]

do you know what set-up Ben Street has in this video and how he amplifies the bass live?
I'm searching for this sound, and I think I found it when I'm practicing at home or in studio.
But live it's hard.
I plays old german flatback, gut strings, underwood, fdeck pre 2, gallien krueger 200mb.
suggestions?

 

[Kai Sanchez]

He's seems pretty consistent on the pickup (full circle) for a while now. It seems from images and videos (and the sound he's getting) on the internet that he's using spirocores (maybe weichs) on the E and A, and Velvet garbo or some type of gut (with a loop type on the tailpiece) on the D and G strings.

 

[Earl]

I saw him a few months ago and he was using a Realist Lifeline pu and the Sonores Wraps strings.

 

[Ric Vice]

do you know what set-up Ben Street has in this video and how he amplifies the bass live?
I'm searching for this sound, and I think I found it when I'm practicing at home or in studio.
But live it's hard.
I plays old german flatback, gut strings, underwood, fdeck pre 2, gallien krueger 200mb.
suggestions?

Well, his playing concept, note choice and execution are beautiful, but I can't imagine that what your hearing on this video, is the sound of a Full Circle, unless it's running into an Avalon U5, or something comparable. Even then, I still think there's a microphone in that mix. Personally,
I wouldn't ever attempt to try and reproduce another players sound, as I'd rather be comfortable in my own skin.
As I look at your setup, it should sound perfectly fine. Players make the sound, pickups and amplifiers just reproduce it. IMHO


Ric

 

[tito mangialajo]

Well, his playing concept, note choice and execution are beautiful, but I can't imagine that what your hearing on this video, is the sound of a Full Circle, unless it's running into an Avalon U5, or something comparable. Even then, I still think there's a microphone in that mix. Personally,
I wouldn't ever attempt to try and reproduce another players sound, as I'd rather be comfortable in my own skin.
As I look at your setup, it should sound perfectly fine. Players make the sound, pickups and amplifiers just reproduce it. IMHO


Ric

I'm with you, Ric. Players make the sound, pu and ampli just reproduce it.
Ok.
But, I'm satisfied with my acoustic sound, at home and on recordings, but I'm not so happy when the sound comes off the amplifier. And sometimes I have to set the volume at high level because the drummer beat at very high level. Maybe, in the chains of my (our) sound, the drummer plays a major role...

 

[MR PC]

Drummer problem? Turning up your amp will only make him play louder, won't it? You are on a sinking ship my friend if you put up with that s***. Go ahead and let yourself be drowned out by the drummer then. Nobody's fault but yours..

 

[pace of bass]

Personally, I wouldn't ever attempt to try and reproduce another players sound, as I'd rather be comfortable in my own skin. As I look at your setup, it should sound perfectly fine. Players make the sound, pickups and amplifiers just reproduce it. IMHO
Ric

Fender Rhodes: a poor facsimile that turned out o.k. Miles Davis: a poor Dizzy Gillespie wannabe that turned out o.k.

I love Ben Street's sound and wouldn't discourage anyone from copying it, or another bassist's sound that they what to emulate for the following reasons:

1, you're probably not going to get it. (But, if you did, you'd be working more.)
2, Even if you don't get his sound, you'll eventually find "your" sound through the process.

Back in the day, down in Miami, I knew a tenor player that listened to and transcribed so much Coltrane, that snarky musicians would fault him for it. Now the guys recording with Gonzalo Rubalcaba and has his "own" sound.

Ric's "its the player that makes the sound" is 100% correct. But again, "the player" is the sum of his influences and experiences.

 

[Ric Vice]

Fender Rhodes: a poor facsimile that turned out o.k. Miles Davis: a poor Dizzy Gillespie wannabe that turned out o.k.

PB these are all good points, there's nothing wrong with a Fender Rhodes, it does one thing, but does it well, while a Grand Piano does it better. Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie's sounds are the yen and yang of each other, Miles was indeed
influenced by Dizzy, that can't be denied, but Miles' style and sound are unique, and came from his individual search for something unique.

I love Ben Street's sound and wouldn't discourage anyone from copying it, or another bassist's sound that they what to emulate for the following reasons:

I think you miss the point here, all of us, including myself, listen to other players and emulate what we love about their sound, but since we all have different instruments
and technique, what we end up with is hopefully unique to us. Just to be clear I was commenting on the fact that I didn't think Ben's unique sound is produced from
using the Full Circle pickup. It comes from his head, heart and hands

1, you're probably not going to get it. (But, if you did, you'd be working more.)

I assume you talking of "your" in the general sense. Just by way of example,
back in the day, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, and Lester Young were all at
the top of the "first to get the call" lists. That was because they all had a sound
that was distinctly their own. They strived for that.

2, Even if you don't get his sound, you'll eventually find "your" sound through the process.

That's certainly one very valid way to expand your playing.

Back in the day, down in Miami, I knew a tenor player that listened to and transcribed so much Coltrane, that snarky musicians would fault him for it. Now the guys recording with Gonzalo Rubalcaba and has his "own" sound.

Malcom Gladwell's 10,000 hours works very well, it's just different for each individual bassist. Transcriptions only part of the picture, a big part mind you, but there are other things that are just as important.

Ric's "its the player that makes the sound" is 100% correct. But again, "the player" is the sum of his influences and experiences.

I can't disagree with that in any way. I do find it odd that you've chosen to re animate a thread that was essentially finished last September.

 

[slinkyphil]

I spent 2 weeks with him last November on the Guimaraes Jazz Festival. Besides being a awesome guy with a great sense of humor, he also can sound like himself playing any bass. I've heard him play 4 or 5 different basses, with different setups and he is always there. And yes, even amplified...
Nevertheless he told me that he either uses Ampeg or Markbass amps.

 

[pace of bass]

Good points, Ric, and I mean no offense with the post and you certain know your sh**.

Perhaps the core of what I wanted to add would have been more simply put in the frame of Clarke Terry's "three step" process: Imitate, Assimilate, Innovate.

My reason for quoting you was it seemed to me that you gave a valid "step three" answer to the original poster's valid 'step one' question - what 'gear' does Ben Street use to get his live sound? Of course your answer is valid and correct – be comfortable in your skin and try to sound like yourself. I also like your last reply, which is gospel-level truth - Ben's real 'gear' is his head, heart, and hands.

I only suggest to the original poster that it is that is o.k. for him to try to "imitate" Ben's sound/vibe/concept by possibly by trying the the brand pickup, strings or amp that Ben uses. My Fender Rhodes and Miles Davis examples are only meant support the idea that through the process of "imitating" a particular jazz musician, one can progress towards finding their own 'step two and three.'

In the end, I think we'd both agree that pickups, strings, amps, even basses are just tools of the trade and Ben would sound like himself on most any setup (which I know is also implicit to your original post).

But can't a guy get gear-nerdy and a little bit fan-boy on TB? That's what I was looking for in reading the thread. To that end, I've seen Ben use the Realist Lifeline in NYC, like Earl stated. But to your point, they're just tools of craftsman and Ben's going to sound like himself on any bass, pickup, strings, amp, etc.