Dee Murray - How did he get that tone?

[mankybass]

I read somewhere that he used a gibson eb3 on 11-17-70, defaulting the bridge pickup. Can someone confirm this?

 

[jeff7bass]

Elton John - Funeral For A Friend - Love Lies Bleeding - YouTube

4:22 --> Jazz bass and a pick at Central Park.

That's what I was looking for. THX

 

[mrufino1]

You can find some Elton John multitracks on the Internet if you search a little bit. It is a pleasure listening to Dee’s bass work.

 

[Monkey]

I love Dee's tone on the "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" album, especially "The Ballad of Danny Bailey". Thick and rich, yet articulate. I also love the creative lines in "Rocket Man". He was an awesome player and added so much to Elton's music.

I assumed Dee's tone was usually a Jazz played with a pick, but that is probably because of seeing the photo on the GYBR album cover.

Gone too soon....

 

[iamthebassman]

Jazz with pick was usually the case, especially during the 70s.

 

[Jigmay]

Do you happen to know what kind of strings?

 

[Kipp Harrington]

Dee was one of my first real inspirations as a bassist - his playing yellow brick road stands up, even to this day, as absolutely the perfect combination of aggression and groove - no one ever bought that album for the bass riffs, but ever note he played was just right. Of course, it didn't hurt that he played with one of the great drummers of the time, Nigel Olsson...

And I was always under the impression he played a J bass with a pick (based on the photos in the original vinyl record jacket). He had long hair too - I'm sure that didn't hurt in 1973...

I couldn't agree with you more! I was listening to Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting and Funeral for A Friend recently and the tone he got on that album was incredible!

 

[bobyoung53]

I read somewhere that he used a gibson eb3 on 11-17-70, defaulting the bridge pickup. Can someone confirm this?

I read that somewhere too.

 

[bobyoung53]

Do you happen to know what kind of strings?

Sounds like Rotosound RS-66s like 95% of people who played roundwounds back then used. I've also always seen him with a Jazz and most of the famous stuff also sounds like a jazz.

 

[bradd]

I'm positive that it was an EB-3 with the bridge pickup soloed on 17-11-70. Once you know that sound it's unmistakable. Also, if you go to his wikipedia page, the picture used is Dee playing an EB bass.

 

[Funky Ghost]

I know some basses were mentioned already. I love Dee, he is a primary influence of mine.

What I remember about his other gear;

Ovation Magnum 1 with a metal pick guard.
'82 Steinberger
'82 Fretless Steinberger
At least one more Steinberger from '84
'79 Alembic Series 1

He was known to use a volume pedal.
Also known was a BOSS CE1 (chorus ensemble)

 

[Funky Ghost]

I'm positive that it was an EB-3 with the bridge pickup soloed on 17-11-70. Once you know that sound it's unmistakable. Also, if you go to his wikipedia page, the picture used is Dee playing an EB bass.

There is an interview where they mention that bass with that pickup favored.

 

[Steve Slate]

I've been a big fan of Dee since way back!! Very influential Bass player and very underrated!!
I had an occasion or should say opportunity I could not let past me by.
Dee had moved to Nashville in later years and kept his equipment at a cartage company
downtown. A friend of mine worked for them and had keys. I was with him when
one night when he needed to stop in. It was late so it was just us in there. He pointed and said Dee Murry's
stuff is over there. It was in a caged enclosure and to my surprise was not even locked so I could not resist checking his Bass. It was a JB that looked very much the same as that vid, maybe the same one. It had a set of well used round rounds with pretty high action. I was like a kid in a candy store HaHa!! after a minute of so out of respect, put it right back. I was so excited just to see and touch that Bass. Haven't told that story but a very few times!! this was probably late 70s early 80s.

 

[pbass2]

Sounds like Rotosound RS-66s like 95% of people who played roundwounds back then used. I've also always seen him with a Jazz and most of the famous stuff also sounds like a jazz.

My fave Dee tracks sound like a Jazz with a pick, but flatwounds to my ears. He gets that nice "clunk" on the attack that you don't quite get with rounds (even w old ones, there's still a little more "zing", "twang" or "buzz" nestled in the immediate attack of the envelope w rounds). Like "Saturday Night...." sounds like flats to me, just with some nice grit in the tone:

 

[bobyoung53]

My fave Dee tracks sound like a Jazz with a pick, but flatwounds to my ears. He gets that nice "clunk" on the attack that you don't quite get with rounds (even w old ones, there's still a little more "zing", "twang" or "buzz" nestled in the immediate attack of the envelope w rounds). Like "Saturday Night...." sounds like flats to me, just with some nice grit in the tone:

I agree this definitely sounds like a Jazz with flats which I think he almost always used back then, I was talking about 'Funeral for a Friend' which someone had brought up, it sounds like he switched to a different bass with round wounds on it right at about 5:35. I can't find a video with isolated bass for that one. I agree about the flats vs rounds though, you can set your bass to have some treble and hear the picking sound while it remains deep sounding, you can't really do that with round wounds, even dead ones, they have a lot more mids to them that never really goes away.

This song has a deep sound right up to 4:55 but then sounds like flats with the treble turned up from 4:55 to about 5:35 then it sounds like another Jazz with Rotos to me.

It also could be he was playing with fingers until 4:55 then pulled out the pick and switched to another bass with Rotos at 5:35, or it could even be that they're flats just with a lot of treble but from 5:35 it still sounds like Rotos RS66's to me, I know, too much time on my hands

 

[sc_precision]

Dee played on Alice Cooper’s From the Inside on track 1. Sounds like a jazz and fingerstyle.

 

[Mel McBassy]

Don't know if anyone has addressed this yet. On the live album,"11-17-70", I'm 99.9% sure Dee is playing a Gibson EB-3. If you listen to the in-your-face tone, it is similar to Andy Fraser's tone in the band Free. (Favoring the bridge pickup w/flatwounds) Also the bends Dee does...hard to get it like that on a P or jazz bass. He definitely was playing one at that exact time. Here is some rehearsal footage from 1970. At the 0:33 time stamp you see Dee with an EB-3.

 

[ectoflanger]

Dee was one of my first real inspirations as a bassist - his playing yellow brick road stands up, even to this day, as absolutely the perfect combination of aggression and groove - no one ever bought that album for the bass riffs, but ever note he played was just right. Of course, it didn't hurt that he played with one of the great drummers of the time, Nigel Olsson...

And I was always under the impression he played a J bass with a pick (based on the photos in the original vinyl record jacket). He had long hair too - I'm sure that didn't hurt in 1973...

I remember being 12 and nearly bought that album- a cousin of mine had it and I looked at the gatefold, marveling at the platinum blonde twins Davey and Dee!

 

[ectoflanger]

Elton John's bass player during (arguably) Elton's better musical period. RIP.

I am pretty sure he used a Precision, but I am would like to know any further details about amps, effects, settings, etc.

I loved the tone his tone on "Harmony" and "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding". Love how he comped on "Razorface", "Rocket Man", and "Someone Saved My Life Tonight"1