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Blown away by the bass tone

Al Krow

Al Krow

Jan 15, 2018
1,179
1,748
London
#1
We TB'ers spend a lot of time pursuing that elusive tone quest.

What song tracks have you come across on your travels, either studio recorded or particularly live, where you were blown away by the bass tone?

If you have audio or video clips then please feel free to share and if you know the details of the rig, even better!
 
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#3
Lagado above beat me to that Geddy tone. It surely had an impact as to why I play to this day. And there are a few threads here explaining what gear he used for the Exit... Stage Left tour. Ric, Jazz, and Ampeg. But another guy really got my head scratchin...

Tony Franklin, the Firm. I just told this story on another thread. I was doin my first decent sized show. TVs all over showin videos. The Firm came up. Anna dude wit crazy hair was playin behind Rogers an Page, who I was really just learning about.

I watched that video. Never heard a bass sound like that. I had NO clue what it was. I had to ask who the band and players were, and a guy told me bout Fretless Bass Guitar. Huh? Fretless!?! OK...

I was a kid. Just started playin, really. It was all crazy to me. Members of Bad Company, Zep and a drummer I hadn't learned about. Yet. Turns out Chris Slade, the drummer, played with a ZILLION bands I knew, but wasn't up on him or the members of bands I liked yet. And then there was Tony...

Fretless bass was all new to me. I'd never heard one. Certainly not in the context of my style of music, Rock. That video, that tone, changed my ears. I couldn't un hear it. Went out soon as I could, grabbed that disc and started learning.

To this day I can't get close to that tone. Along the way I found my own sound. His individualism, enthusiasm, and tone, really inspired me. Still does to this day. I grab up everything he does. And sometimes still try to nab that tone. I fail. Miserably. Heh.
 
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#5
This will be a very long list. There have been so many fantastic bass tones/sounds.

Doug Pinnick - Kings X, most specifically his 12 string bass tone is incredible.
There are excellent examples recorded, "It's Love", "Dogman", "Black The Sky".
But my contention is that no recording has really done justice to his tone, one has to experience it live to really hear and feel the full majesty of that tone.


Doug uses his own Sansamp gear now but back in the day he split his signal into different amps (Ampeg and Traynor tube amps). One was set to accentuate the high end and had distortion applied, the other set for low end, both sent to 8x10 cabs. He also tuned down, in some cases a whole step.
 
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#6
Al Krow said:
@David McIntire - that's a great story!

I've always really liked Krist Novoselic's tone on Teen Spirit – I'm pretty sure he was going through an Ampeg SVT400. Maybe why I've taken an instant shine to my recently acquired VT Bass DI pedal - that tone was clearly already there in my subconscious!
Click to expand...

Because of the drive in both Geddy's and Tony's tones, I use an ancient SansAmp BDDI. Of course, it hasn't helped me a bit in getting those tones, but I love it regardless. Trying to get their tones with it, I found mine. I also use SWR Gear today because Tony, among others I admired, used it. They say that particular gear is outdated today. I disagree. Great tone does not age. Once I found my sound? I quit lookin fer other gear.

Back in a day, and please forgive me, Nirvana made me mad. In an instant, my technical 80s type metal was gone. I blamed Nirvana. Ha! Truth be told, it was "metal's" insistence on tryin to be the Carpenters with the awful "power ballad" nonsense that killed that style. Every Rose has a What!?! Get out with that crap! Heh heh...

Today, I've grown an appreciation for Krist's tone. The second disc is where I think he hit his stride. And it isn't easy to nab that tone, either. I enjoy that record, and tryin to perform those tunes today. But back then, jokingly, we blamed Nirvana for goin back to Punk. And "ruining" bass guitar. Ha!

And isn't it funny... Tech 21 responsible fer lots of these sounds. Pinnick is ridiculous!!! Great pick (I don't use that word without intent, heh), @Basshappi... Dogman is a seriously bad a$$ disc.
 
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#9
Peter "Mars" Cowling - The Pat Travers Band - Great player and great tone. From the first album through the "Radioactive" album IIRC. I think his best work is on the albums "Makin Magic", "Heat In The Street" and "Crash and Burn".
Their live album ""Go For What You Know" is one of the great sounding live albums of the era. Mars has a sound that not only fits the pocket but actually cuts through with good definition (very unusual for bass in live recordings back then).


I always saw him with a Fender Precision and his recorded tones do sound consistent with it. I'm not sure what amplification but probably Ampeg.
 
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#15
Al Krow said:
We TB'ers spend a lot of time pursuing that elusive tone quest.

What song tracks have you come across on your travels, either studio recorded or particularly live, where you were blown away by the bass tone?

If you have audio or video clips then please feel free to share and if you know the details of the rig, even better!
Click to expand...
Jack Casady's on Somebody to Love and The Other Side of This Life from Bless It's Pointed Little Head.
 
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