I saw him playing a BC Rich eagle with one precision element. Alltho everybody knows him on a Musicman stingray. So my question. What basses did Bernie play through his career. What do we know from that career?
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Bernie (Bernard) Edwards (Chic) his basses.
- Thread starter Muziekschuur
- Start date
An Amazing bassplayer!
When i googled, most Pictures had him playing a MM Stingray or a BC Rich Eagle with a single P pickup. (I read somewhere that Andy Taylor of Duran Duran bought this bass?).
But I´m pretty sure I´ve seen videos with a P-bass also. Flatwound strings most of the time? At least it sounds like that.
When i googled, most Pictures had him playing a MM Stingray or a BC Rich Eagle with a single P pickup. (I read somewhere that Andy Taylor of Duran Duran bought this bass?).
But I´m pretty sure I´ve seen videos with a P-bass also. Flatwound strings most of the time? At least it sounds like that.
NicJimBass
Flossin'? I thought your name was Munson!
It was John Taylor (Andy is the guitarist), and IIRC, Bernard gave him the BC Rich. They worked together on the Power Station album.
Bernard also left John his StingRay, that was used on Good Times. More info at around the 6:30 mark:
That image of that BC Rich Eagle with single pickup. Epic. Thank you. No signature basses made for him?
NicJimBass
Flossin'? I thought your name was Munson!
For John Taylor? He actually did have a Peavey sig for a little while, the Liberator. I believe it was a collaboration with his wife's company, Juicy Couture, and was sold exclusively at Neimann Marcus. The case had an amp built into it, and it had some other goodies included. They were made overseas, I believe, but in small quantities, so if you see one in the wild, at all, it'll be pricey, especially if it has everything included. I don't think the bass itself is super special... looks like the Zodiac body style with Foundation-esque pickups.
In this thread from years ago, Roger Sadowsky recalls making two basses for Mr.Edwards.
Bernard Edwards - Sadowsky Model
Bernard Edwards - Sadowsky Model
Bernie?!?!?
Not even his Mum called him Bernie!
That's like calling James Brown, Jimmy or Trump, Donny!
Not even his Mum called him Bernie!
That's like calling James Brown, Jimmy or Trump, Donny!
Nope . That’s a Jazz bass. And for a minute I thought they had John Lennon sitting in on lead guitar.
So glad they lost the lead vocalist and guitarist.
Chic , the disco/funky/ r&b power trio with the 2 female vocalist worked out and sounded much better.
Thanks for the link. That thread was full of useful yet not widely known information. Very informative . Especially how Marcus Miller was trying to cop Bernard’s tone with BC Rich and went out and bought one. Couldn’t get the tone and asked Bernard how he got it out of that BC Rich. Turns out it was just a prop for pics and Bernard actually used a Fender Pbass to record.
Bernard and Marcus. 2 fine bassist. I’m glad Marcus went on to find his own tone. But it just goes to show you how we can be inspired by others yet evolve into our own playing style and signature tone.
I honestly think the BC Rich was more of a visual prop. Not sure he actually played it live or recorded with it (I could be wrong). He really liked the Stingray and I think he recorded with it. Early on I'm sure he played a P Bass.
Edit: See above post. Same info I heard.
Edit: See above post. Same info I heard.
I played some BC Rich instruments. They are really well thought out designs. Esspecially the electronics. Mend to get the best out of a tube head. One of the bassplayers of a well known jazz/funk band played such a BC Rich Wave. And he stuck with that instrument for decades.
I think this is exactly right - he also played that 77 Stingray on his last performance ever. Which suggests he really liked it.
Generally you can hear where he's playing the Stingray in that late 70s/early 80s period just from the sound. That bass came with flatwounds - he said he didn't change them.
It is quite easy to get a Chic sound on a Stingray - not so easy to play like Bernard Edwards though! Ive never been able to on a Precision - to thin sounding and not enough punch - I thought he played a Jazz on the earlier stuff. John Taylor referred to the Stingray as the 'Good Times bass' as Bernard told him he recorded the song with it. He played lots of different basses through the 80s - I've seen film of him playing a Yamaha BB in the studio with Power Station - at the desk.
Do you mean Jerry Preston with Maceo Parker?
Fantastic playing on the Shake Everything You Got video. . . . . and probably on everything else he did.
I know this is a zombie thread, but I saw Chic in 1980, and he was playing his BC Rich.
