Classic Rock Bass sound

[slagheap]

I love Bobby, always a super cool guy whenever I ran into him back in the day, but ain't gonna lie - it was tough getting back on stage after he sat in for me ( with my encouragement, ) at a couple of East Bay jams.

 

[Standalone]

I personally feel that classic rock tone comes from seeking the most direct connection to the amp. Others are echoing this sentiment here.
I like the suggestion of an EHX bass soul food.

Something like this in the classifieds also might work nicely: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/ashdown-original-tube-valve-pre-di-pedal.1636593/

 

[pbass2]

I personally feel that classic rock tone comes from seeking the most direct connection to the amp.

Yep, it was pretty straight ahead then. And actually, while there were sometimes bass amps in play in the studio for rock, much of the recorded bass you hear from that era is just a DI'd passive bass, hitting some tasty analog goodness in the recording and mixing process.

 

[Marc A Valero]

I’d run a tuner, a compressor and a drive into the zoom pedal. The zoom would be just for the modulation and filters. For a good grand funk type of drive, I suggest the TC Electronics Mojo Mojo.

I got the MOJO MOJO about 2 months ago and really like it.

 

[Gabbs]

It's stupid simple to get a good oldschool tone out of the Blumes. My guitar player loves that it gets me almost completely out of lead space. You can hear us both all the time.

 

[FranciscoJP3D]

Thanks guys for all this great info, You know I am a 3D Artist and I usually post questions in related forums and I never get as much value info as I am getting here. You can really tell you guys are passionate about Bass, this is great.
I am 50 year old this month and as mentioned I have quite a while playing bass but for a heavy metal band, think of Angra, Stratovarious, Helloween type of music. any ways by then I had my SVT and a Boss pedal only when doing some solos and taping, the rest was some compresion, that really help me to maintain a consistent sound because of the speed we used to play.
I am also a believer of simple setup. and I would love to just plug the head and crack until you get the sweet tube distortion, but today's equipment doesn't work the same way. So we rely a little more on pedals and stuff. I would be fine with just a distortion to get a thick crunch on the bass, but I have notices that a compressor really help me, maybe is the way I play I don't know. I am testing different combination on the Zoom pedal, cabinets head and effects, and I think so far I have a pretty decent tone, pretty close to what I want, but I noticed that the distortion seems a little 'fake' is hard to explain but in the high sound thin, I am nip picking but when playing with the Ampeg was way more robust. Although I always felt the Ampeg kind of sound a little lose in the low compared with the Harke that it feel tight in the whole spectrum, well at least for me. I have seen some preamp pedals from Ampeg, have you guys tried?
I'll try to check all the pedals you guys have mentioned here and hopefully I'll report how it worked out for me, it can help someone else also.

 

[pbass2]

Although I always felt the Ampeg kind of sound a little lose in the low compared with the Harke that it feel tight in the whole spectrum, well at least for me.

I hear you--I have played through many SVTs over the years and determined I prefer something like a GK with what feels like a "tighter" response.

 

[Hounddog409]

Hello, everyone. I am new here, but I am not new to playing Bass. I am starting a classic rock band with some friends. Nothing too serious like before, but we are planning to do some gigs around town. I have a Fender Precision bass and a Harke Head and cab. I haven't played in years, so to practice at home, I got a Zoom B1. But now with the band I wonder I will need something better. I used to have a Boss pedal board because I am not a fan of having many small pedals. I like simple sounds for now. We are paying Grand Funk, so I have a very thick sound with Zoom, and it sounds OK to practice, but I would like something a little more real.
Sorry for the long intro, guys; My question is, Would you recommend getting a bigger Zoom like a B2 or something similar in the multi-effect realm, with all these new 'Modelers', or should I go the route of single pedals? I think for me, it would be a compressor, something to flex my sound (EQ or pr amp), a distortion such as a Tube screamer. Maybe Chorus? or reverb? Delay? I haven't heard that on Grand Funk Bass or Deep Purple stile.
Thank for your input guys, I have been following this forum for years, Just now I decided to write. Cheers!

Um...pbass with hartke head and cabs is all you need for rock and roll.

 

[Hounddog409]

Classic rock?


Bass -> amp. Maybe an overdrive, ehx soul food is cheap.

Yeah, save the $$$. Plug in and go.

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

If you're convinced effects are the way to go: BOSS GT1-B.

Job done.

 

[aprod]

I would get a good tuner and an EQD Blumes and be done with it. Keep the B1 around for playing at home and experimenting with effects. Then when you need a specific effect, you have a good starting point.

Loving my Blumes. Gigging it this weekend.

 

[Aussie Player]

I have been playing classic rock for over 50 years and have never used a pedal. Even my tuner is used offline before starting.
Guitar into cord into amp, same as my mentors.

 

[75Ric]

I play mostly classic rock 60s - 80s and Motown. The only pedal I use is a compressor. The only other pedal I would consider that hasn't been mentioned here is a high pass filter. My amp has one, but if it didn't, I would be sure to use one. It's very useful to clean muddiness from the tone, and especially helpful in boomy rooms. With other amps, I've used an fdeck and Broughton HPFs. Both are excellent.

 

[Tim Schnautz]

You want Mel’s tone with Grand Funk? Well. , here y’go
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/what-did-mel-schacher-use.47930/

 

[pbass2]

I have been playing classic rock for over 50 years and have never used a pedal. Even my tuner is used offline before starting.
Guitar into cord into amp, same as my mentors.

Yep, I remember back then, nobody had a tuner onstage with them. In my first bands we had what I would now call "vintage tuning". But, hey, it worked!

 

[Laurent]

Nope. Get a rock rig ++: SVT head and 8x10 or rock rig+: Orange AD200-B + Bergantino NV610.

 

[QweziRider]

The only thing I can add to the "bass --> amp" equation is I have fallen in love with flats for classic rock (and country) in the last couple years. And this coming from a life-long round wound player.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Hello, everyone. I am new here, but I am not new to playing Bass. I am starting a classic rock band with some friends. Nothing too serious like before, but we are planning to do some gigs around town. I have a Fender Precision bass and a Harke Head and cab. I haven't played in years, so to practice at home, I got a Zoom B1. But now with the band I wonder I will need something better. I used to have a Boss pedal board because I am not a fan of having many small pedals. I like simple sounds for now. We are paying Grand Funk, so I have a very thick sound with Zoom, and it sounds OK to practice, but I would like something a little more real.
Sorry for the long intro, guys; My question is, Would you recommend getting a bigger Zoom like a B2 or something similar in the multi-effect realm, with all these new 'Modelers', or should I go the route of single pedals? I think for me, it would be a compressor, something to flex my sound (EQ or pr amp), a distortion such as a Tube screamer. Maybe Chorus? or reverb? Delay? I haven't heard that on Grand Funk Bass or Deep Purple stile.
Thank for your input guys, I have been following this forum for years, Just now I decided to write. Cheers!

Just plug your bass into your amp, and play. You've already got the perfect tone for what you're playing.

 

[DaveParker39]

bass-tuner-hartke
most hartkes you can run a little bit dirty if you want, or keep it straight up and clean. and they almost all have built in compressor/limiters.
you have a rig already that is pretty industry standard for a rock band bass gig. keep it simple.

 

[ximun]

The only thing I can add to the "bass --> amp" equation is I have fallen in love with flats for classic rock (and country) in the last couple years. And this coming from a life-long round wound player.

+ 1 if you haven't you can try flats + changing the technique (fingers, pick etc) and change the position of the hand.
Just this on a precision + cable in a modern Ampeg = great rock sound with a band in my opinion.