• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Coheed and Cambria's bass sound

M

mcblahflooper94

Aug 31, 2011
762
8
#1
I can't get over the bass sound this guy is getting, it's crisp, with rich low end, and can be heard in the mix beautifully. I did some research, and a lot of people say it's just a P/J spector sound. Any more tips on how to get that tone? Thanks as always, :bassist:
 
#8
CBNJ said:
Please tell me you're talking about Mic's sound (original bassist). I can't stand Zach. I LOVE Coheed and Mic.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

Whats wrong with Zach? He's every bit as good of a bass player as Mic, and not a thieving drug addict.

You can get Mic's tone with just about any bass, fresh roundwound strings, tone control all the way open, and kind of hammer at the strings, don't just pluck them. They need to sort of bounce off the frets, to get somewhere between a plucked and slapped tone.
 
#9
TheEmptyCell said:
Whats wrong with Zach? He's every bit as good of a bass player as Mic, and not a thieving drug addict.

You can get Mic's tone with just about any bass, fresh roundwound strings, tone control all the way open, and kind of hammer at the strings, don't just pluck them. They need to sort of bounce off the frets, to get somewhere between a plucked and slapped tone.
Click to expand...

Just find Mic's basslines much more creative and interesting to listen to, while Zach seems to mimic Claudio's parts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
 
  • Like
Reactions: Blackhawks55
#10
CBNJ said:
Just find Mic's basslines much more creative and interesting to listen to, while Zach seems to mimic Claudio's parts.
Click to expand...

Haven't listened to much of the new albums eh? Check out Evagria and Iron Fist, some great playing in there. I'm a huge Coheed fan, have been since SSTB, and have met Mic on a few occasions. He was a great bass player, but that doesn't mean Zach isn't. He's very good, very expressive especially live. Maybe not as many little fills and things in there on the albums, but there some good ones.

As far as the Mic tone, he's used a lot of different basses, and what he used live doesn't always mean that's what he used in the studio. He was using Spectors P/Js for a long time but switched to fenders - both jazz and P - for a few tours/albums, then went to a mix of fender and spectors the last time I saw him (SSTB:neverender tour). I think in the early days he was using something other than spector too, fender and something else.
 
#11
coreyfyfe said:
Haven't listened to much of the new albums eh? Check out Evagria and Iron Fist, some great playing in there. I'm a huge Coheed fan, have been since SSTB, and have met Mic on a few occasions. He was a great bass player, but that doesn't mean Zach isn't. He's very good, very expressive especially live. Maybe not as many little fills and things in there on the albums, but there some good ones.

As far as the Mic tone, he's used a lot of different basses, and what he used live doesn't always mean that's what he used in the studio. He was using Spectors P/Js for a long time but switched to fenders - both jazz and P - for a few tours/albums, then went to a mix of fender and spectors the last time I saw him (SSTB:neverender tour). I think in the early days he was using something other than spector too, fender and something else.
Click to expand...

I've been a fan for years and seen them many times - I think it just comes down to preference. Zach is good, but I prefer Mic's playing and writing style. SSTB is one of my favorites of all time.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
 
  • Like
Reactions: Blackhawks55
#13
Mic>Zach but Mic had the room to do whatever he wanted before Coheed was big. Zach kinda has to stick to a script. Plus Mic lost alot of his uniqueness when he switched from Spector to Fender IMO.
 
#14
Mic's sound up until Good Apollo 2 consisted of a Spector Euro P/J and an Ampeg SVT rig. His Spector did a lot of the hard work, though. He then started using Fender Jazz and Precision basses on tour and on Year of the Black Rainbow.

But realistically, his sound was all in his fingers. If you listen to his isolated bass tracks, you'll find his technique really brought out the sparkle in his tone. The quality of his gear helped a bit, not denying it, but he had so much character in his playing.

On a side note, I don't know why anyone would bash Zach aside from pure bitterness. He's every bit as talented and creative as Mic as a bass player. His playing on Domino the Destitute completely floored me when I first heard that song. Kid's got chops for days.
Mic brought some flare and energy to the band through his bass but Zach brings a more solid foundation to the table.

I'll agree with one of the earlier posts here that Mic had a a lot more room to do what he wanted since he was playing since the beginning. Zach has huge shoes to fill and has to stick to a forumula that's worked for the band up until Mic's departure. The kid's doing a great job so far and really smashing it at shows.
 
#15
I really like what Zach is doing, but I agree that he's much less "inventive" than Mic. That might have more to do with the songs they're playing these days, which I really enjoy, compared to the songs they were playing on older albums, which I also really enjoy.

As for bass tone; I think my favorite album for tone was No World for Tomorrow. The way the bass sits on Feathers always makes me smile.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Blackhawks55
#16
My favorite was Second Stage and Good Appolo I. I actually took bass lessons from Mic over google plus. My last lesson was 6 months ago. It was very interesting to see his approach to writing. He taught me god send conspirator and here we are juggernaut, then we moved past coheed to some Jaco stuff. He really is a great musician, just unfortunatly went through some hard times. He said he regretted switching from Spector but inked a deal with Fender so that's why you'll see Zach playing all Fender basses, amps, and cabs. I truly believe Coheed would never have blown up were it not for Mic and Joshs intricate rhythm section. I may or may not have bought the euro 4 he recorded good appolo with...
 
  • Like
Reactions: the baint
#17
And I agree with what you said about Zach not being quite as inventive. Though then again he wrote those bass lines on the spot after joining the band after they had already gone in the studio to record. I would assume he would step it up with the creativity and have more room on the next album. I have seen them with Zach live though, and that's where the big difference is between he and Mic IMO. Mic was nuts live and his tone cut through and he had crazy presence. Hell, Mic would bust out Jaco during the final cut and have a whole part of the set to himself. Zach seems to kind of approach everything like a generic bassist would, where as Mic strived to stand out and be unique. I'm kinda contradicting myself because I want to give Zach a chance but I watched Zach play Mic's old lines and they were very watered down as to where Mic would spice them up even more. It was alot more "holding down the low end" with Zach where as Mic would really cut through the mix AND hold down the low end. The last time I saw them was 3 weeks ago so that's a pretty recent observation.
 
#18
HOLY ****. I just found this interview and apparantly Zach had to record "Good Night Fair Lady" with a pick. It's the one song that I thought sounded closer to Mic's punchy playing, but he didn't do it fingerstyle?!?! I hate to be one of those finger over pick eliteists but damn, that's disappointing.
http://www.bassplayer.com/TabId/177/Default.aspx?ArticleId=151048
 
  • Like
Reactions: Blackhawks55
#20
Agreed. There's nothing wrong with pick playing. The first time I heard "Goodnight Fair Lady" I thought they were going for a Thin Lizzy thing. Between Claudio's vocal delivery, the guitarmonies, and the picked bass, it feels very Thin Lizzy, and that makes the pick playing all the more appropriate. Great song.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back