Does Fieldy (KoЯn) use all 5 strings?

[lowfreqgeek]

He should probably not quit his day job as bass player for Korn to become a composer.

The ideas here are rather generic and mediocre, at best.

Your average amateur bedroom electronic music midi compositions with bass noodles on top.

I mean it is not bad, just rather uninspiring.

But at least it does sound like he had fun, if in a bit constipated too controlled way.

I think I got the concept, I just wish he had taken it further, so it at least would have been an interesting listening experience.

I didn't say it was a Magnum Opus. But as someone who's never listened to Korn and pretty much blown Fieldy off since the 90s, I'd say it was not what I expected. No, he's not on the level of the Bass Pantheon of History, but there's some groove, there's some melody, there's a variety of bass tones.

Could I play all that? Maybe. I have different skills. Could I put it all together and make an album of it? Probably not. I think its pretty cool that he did it.

 

[meisi]

I'm not sure if he uses the G string or not. I don't recall any interviews where swimwear preferences were discussed. He seems like a more traditional mid thigh swim trunks guy to me. Basic black would be my guess.

Mid thigh trunks? In Bako? You’re nuts!

Mid-shins, homie. With a coldie in hand.

 

[Dincrest]

Oh, and if bands like Korn, Slipknot, etc. are the kind of music someone's inspired to play, I would also encourage checking out some of the newer bands out there influenced by that style of music.

Although not as bass heavy as we'd like, this new-ish band called Tetrarch kicks butt: Tetrarch - Official Website and Store

Chaoseum totally wears the Korn influence on their sleeve:

There's definitely Korn-esque syncopation in many of From Ashes to New's riffs: From Ashes to New

And I'm getting into this band LYLVC (pronounced "Lilac") who blend nu-metal influences with contemporary sonic textures. I like their music a lot. Invalid Link Removed

And having a 5-string giving you ready access to low notes and the ability to hit the "money notes" in second position (6th fret E on the B string is a shorter reach than 1st fret F on the E string) is nice too. Makes some songs easier to transpose.

 

[Dincrest]

Typo on above. I meant to write "6th fret F on the B string is a shorter reach than 1st fret F on the E string."

And it's too late for me to edit. Figured I'd say that before all the detail nit-pickers on the Internet jump down my throat about it.

And as a tangent, here's a great video of Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne, Soften the Glare) talking about his experience filling in for Fieldy during part of a Korn tour when Fieldy went back home for the birth of his 5th child.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

I'm still not really a Korn fan in the sense of my choice of music to listen to, but this thread has given me a new appreciation for the band, and for Fieldy's contribution to both Korn and Nu Metal in general - especially considering he's been at it for more than 30 years.

 

[Dincrest]

I remember when KoRn's first album came out. I was in high school and starting out on bass. It blew my mind because that was the first time I'd heard bass be loud, proud, large, in charge, and an un-ignorable aural presence in metal music. Most metal I'd listened to back then had bass either buried or more "sitting deep in the mix." (The other metal album that blew my mind like that was Wolverine Blues by Entombed which had very audible bass too).

Fieldy is a big reason why many folks in my age bracket (I'm 46) became bassists in the first place. So props to him for inspiring youth to pick up an instrument and create music too. (Some of KoRn's songs really helped me survive high school and inspired me to try and write songs that could help others the same way their music helped me).

Ryan Martinie (who's been mentioned often in the thread) is regarded as an elite-level player who has inspired a younger generation to play bass (he doesn't just cut through the mix in Mudvayne's LD50 album; he IS the mix). Yet he himself lists KoRn (and Fieldy) as one of his influences. (Interesting that when he subbed in for KoRn, people were all lderisively saying stuff like, "Yeah, finally KoRn with a real bassist. This guy runs circles around Fieldy. Ryan is WAAAY too good for KoRn" or whatnot. And while Ryan may be a far more technically proficient player (his chops are unreal), how did he sound with KoRn? Honestly, I thought KoRn with Ryan sounded too tight maybe too "clean/good" like it was missing that loosey-goosey devil-may-care vibe that Fieldy brings with his bass playing. Ryan himself even said that he doesn't have that "cool" vibe that Fieldy has.

You may not like Fieldy's playing, but can you imagine any other bassist with KoRn? Even a "better" one? In much the same way, people don't like Geddy Lee's singing voice, but can you imagine Rush with any other voice?

Anyway, I think a good rule of thumb in terms of gear for modern metal...
-a solid 5-string (nowadays even 5-strings at lower price points have decent low Bs)
-a loud/powerful amp (because you need the wattage to compete with a gorilla-fisted drummer and two guitarists whose nicknames are "Loud" and "Louder").
-stainless steel strings (to get that extra aggressiveness in your tone). I recommend D'Addario ProSteels or DR steel Lo-Riders.

And though Fieldy likes to scoop his mids (smiley face EQ curve), I would recommend taking the Ryan Martinie approach and boost your mids (frowny face EQ curve). Because when the guitarists (who might favor 7-strings with low tunings) are boosting their bass, boosting their treble, and scooping their mids, boosting your mids on your bass and/or amp fills up that sonic space to add meat, heft, and aggressiveness to the sound. An obnoxious "honky" midrange-heavy tone may sound horrid when you're practicing by yourself but will sound great in a band.

 

[MrAB4003]

As many know, Fieldy uses a 5 string bass for songs in studio and live (when he was still active with them). However, from what I can tell he never/very rarely actually uses the most tenor string.
I am looking to move from guitar to bass, and was hoping to be able to play KoЯn songs, and I am not sure if getting a 5 string is necessary.
Thanks in advance

Yes! Not only does he use his F string, but he plays a 15 string bass (5 strings in triple courses) on this song and he uses all the strings:

 

[nikmel5150]

OP sorry you have to deal with the old man thinking they are funny.
Trust me I was never a fan of Nu-Metal but I respect every genre and artist for their contribution to music, some of my musical opinions and dislike may get me burn at the stake here lol.

On a serious note, in theory yes you can use some heavy gauge strings and use a four string, but honestly in my experience you are better off go five, the tuning they play I hate to agree is pretty much impossible to hear, his playing is mostly that slap stringy sound he does play some riffs, licks and fills in songs, I mean Freak On A Leash does have a bassline. A five string would help a lot, that low B will be way easier to detune to their sounds. Honestly I find their music is easy to figure out by ear so don't stress it, but some tabs are good.

I'm not a fan of Fieldy and Korn, I have some opinions on some of their lifestyles, but you know they made money, have fun playing their music. They are more successful in my opinion compare to most of us I would say...

Look into cheaper five string ibanez, I mean Fieldy pretty much started that way, cheap five string Ibanez and he just stuck with it. You probably know them but check out Mudvayne you may dig them.

This is my very first post. I haven't even been a member all of 20 minutes (I admit get some caffeine before opening your mouth but F-it) I'm waiting for a 90s soundgear and bg250 as I type. I admit I'm using this (Invalid Link Removed) as a reference. I have no idea what talking about! As I was laying in the hospital bed after getting an artificial heart valve and pacemaker at 47! I thought to myself (nicely doped up) "my hands are so small I never could "get" a guitar. Korn is and always will be my favorite band! Maybe I can do fieldys bass."
Anyway it's the "I have opinions of their lifestyle" line I'm having huge opinions of . Yes it's the lifestyle that contributed to me laying in the hospital bed bla bla. I personally don't like reading about lifestyle choices in a bass forum. That's my opening chorus, I'm sure everyone i will have many questions in the future. Thanks for having me!

 

[Dincrest]

About 3:53 to the end of "Blind" has Fieldy doing a cool upper-register lick so, yeah, Fieldy does utilize the range of his "extended range" bass. And on one of KoRn's most well-known signature songs to boot. So, yeah, a 5-string tuned ADGCF is what might feel most natural to play KoRn songs on since that's the kind of instrument Fieldy created his parts on.

 

[nikmel5150]

My new bass. Has dr neon on now. Still don't know how to play but the price was right

 

[Dincrest]

Nice!

I remember once playing one of the older K5s (an early 2000s version with the oil-finished padauk/mahogany body) in a music store and digging it, especially with boosting the mids in different ways using the VariMid controls.

 

[nikmel5150]

There's one one market place for I think 350 I'm like dam I wish I wasn't broke

 

[Dincrest]

There's one one market place for I think 350 I'm like dam I wish I wasn't broke

And that, my friend, is what we at TalkBass refer to as GAS-pain. GAS= Gear Acquisition Syndrome and the pain of wanting a piece of gear but still gotta pay the mortgage, bills, etc.

That's a big reason why I'm a "gotta try 'em all" string-GASer. Because strings are the cheapest and easiest mod to make the most dramatic difference in the tone and feel of an instrument.

I often feel like when chasing "the" tone and copping the gear our idealized player uses... I never quite get there. But when I alter a little something-something there that my body and soul says, "Aww yeah!" to, I feel like I get closer. It's not exactly "idealized player's" tone but it's my version of it. Kinda like how I will never duplicate my mom's chana masala (a chickpea curry from India) but I'll still get a damn tasty one. And some people might like my cooking better than my mom's.

So I will say, if Fieldy and that style of music is an influence, start with 5-string bass (budget 5ers with good low B strings is easier to get than when I was starting out), throw on some stainless steel strings (maybe some DR Lo-Rider steels or DDTs), tune down a whole step (BEADG to ADGCF), and play with your amp's EQ settings. Fieldy's scooped mids might not work for you/your band, but Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne)'s boosted mids tone might work. Both slap and pop in bands with heavy downtuned guitars.

What I respect about Fieldy and what makes him so cool is that he has a voice that's distinctly his. You hear his playing and you immediately know it's him. So why not try and be cool like that and discover YOUR tone, YOUR sound? My body and my touch are different from those of my heroes, so I want to be my best me. I feel like any bass I pick up, I sound like myself. I pick up a Fieldy K5, I sound like Dincrest on it. And if someone else picks up my bass, they'll sound like them on it.
(And go figure, some of the most lauded bassists like session god Leland Sklar don't really have a signature tone. Like, Lee Sklar's tone has to be as neutral as possible to fit the myriad styles of songs he plays on. But maybe that's his voice- the one that fits everywhere).