What did he use? Specifically YesSongs. I searched, and got conflicting information. I've always heard he used SVTs and Marshalls, but looking closely at the YesSongs DVD, I'm not sure anymore. Does anyone know? 
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Chris Squire amp question
- Thread starter poorbassist15
- Start date
+1 Seemed like a combination of Marshall guiter amps for I assume the bridge pickup on the Ric (Ric-o-sound) and then a variety of low end amps through the years for the neck pickup. Sunn, then Dual Showman's (I remember seeing him with those on stage) and then SVT.
On my Keys to Ascension tape, he's definitely using a Super Bass and 3 Ampeg 8x10s. I've seen him with Dual Showmans on several TV appearances.
Seems like he always had a bit of a different rig going on. His tone live was always wonderful to me. I assume the 'Super Bass' is a Marshall bass amp that he used for his grind?
I do remember him having two Dual Showman's on stage back in the day.... not sure if he used the Ric-o-sound thing, one pickup into each, or if he just ran mono in that era.
His tone has always been very consistent through the years, and I assume he always had those cabs mic'd.
Wonderful player and tone!!!!!
Chris pretty much showed how much destruction could be had with a Rick with treble all the way up. Here's a good vid with what I believe to be Dual Showmans.
1:26 looks like a Y cable going to both amps.
Interview in the October, 1973 issue of Guitar Player Magazine (quotes from the book "Rock Guitarists", Guitar Player Publications), says...
"When Yes was being formed, Chris turned to Marshall 100-watt amps, but a year after the band started going on the road he switched to two Fender Dual Showmans with four Fender speaker cabinets. He says, "I was used to that size of a unit, but not the 15" speaker sound. I wanted something like them, though, so I decided on Sunn cabinets with two six-by-twelves in each one.""
"He was still using Fender amps, though, when Yes planned its first U.S. tour, but was told there'd be plenty of American equipment available. He was given a Sunn amp with four-by-twelve cabinets, but didn't like the bass sound. As a result, he played the first tour using the lead guitar amp."
"When we returned to London", Chris says, "I went to Sound City to order a Sunn. They said Sunn had given one like I wanted to Eric Clapton and he had sold it to Sound City. It was the Coliseum lead amp. So I bought it right then. It's the one I still use."
The article later says "The settings on the Sunn, which Chris states without hesitation, are 6 on the volume knob, 4 on the low frequency control, 3 on the high frequency, 5 on the mid frequency, and 10 on the treble. The volume and tone controls on the treble pickup are both run wide open. The volume on the bass pickup is near full, and the tone knob sits at 4."
Of course, that won't make you sound like 1973 Squire...
John
"
"When Yes was being formed, Chris turned to Marshall 100-watt amps, but a year after the band started going on the road he switched to two Fender Dual Showmans with four Fender speaker cabinets. He says, "I was used to that size of a unit, but not the 15" speaker sound. I wanted something like them, though, so I decided on Sunn cabinets with two six-by-twelves in each one.""
"He was still using Fender amps, though, when Yes planned its first U.S. tour, but was told there'd be plenty of American equipment available. He was given a Sunn amp with four-by-twelve cabinets, but didn't like the bass sound. As a result, he played the first tour using the lead guitar amp."
"When we returned to London", Chris says, "I went to Sound City to order a Sunn. They said Sunn had given one like I wanted to Eric Clapton and he had sold it to Sound City. It was the Coliseum lead amp. So I bought it right then. It's the one I still use."
The article later says "The settings on the Sunn, which Chris states without hesitation, are 6 on the volume knob, 4 on the low frequency control, 3 on the high frequency, 5 on the mid frequency, and 10 on the treble. The volume and tone controls on the treble pickup are both run wide open. The volume on the bass pickup is near full, and the tone knob sits at 4."
Of course, that won't make you sound like 1973 Squire...
John
"
Wonderful! Amazing how good the sound is considering that is 40 years old
I know! It sounds like sonic sex, really. Off to find some Showmans, now.
(YIKES at the prices. I think I'll be better off with my current rig!)
Ric5
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I remember him using the Sunn amp with the 6x12 cabinet. I think he used Marshall in the studio. In the old days he used Fender amps. and more recently he uses a Marshall and an Ampeg svt.
I can't vouch this is all accurate or complete.
I can't vouch this is all accurate or complete.
I saw them around 1972 but have no recollection of what he used. They played and sounded great but having been a Dual Showman amp user myself I find it amazing that he could get enough out of it for such large venues. Ah well we all did without a lot less (and more) back then.
That was only for his near field monitoring. There was always a mic in front of those cab(s), and the volume you heard was of course from the massive front of house systems they used at the time.
Interesting in all these interviews with him he doesn't talk about his signal splitting into two amps, etc. (the Ric-o sound thing).
True but there still was a lot to compete with. Guitarist w/ Marshalls, Organ, Drums, ambient noise of the crowd, etc.
Ya know Ken, I've often felt that we had better (much better) FOH sound in those days. Sure they got better PA's now but I don't think they run them as well. Just MO.
+1 there. I don't remember all this awful sub bass in every mix like today. Even in large venues, I remember most concerts sounding quite good (unlike today). Maybe it was the ganja
I saw Van Morrison a couple of times over the last few years in Detroit (amazing... he can be awful or amazing, and he was amazing in those concerts), and the front of house was beautiful. Moderate volume, and no 'extended sizzle and massive boom' at the edges... just sounded like a nice bass amp, a twin reverb on guiater, a B3, a nicely tuned drum set... rare these days!
That is exactly what I was thinking. I never ever had any trouble hearing any of the instruments. Nowdays, I can't tell the bass for the bass drum. Awful.
