It's one of the first F-bass. A guy in College had one ('84). You can see the "F" on the headstock in the picture on the 'ALBUM' cover with him and Carla.
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F Bass + Steve Swallow = Beautiful!
- Thread starter Lorenzini
- Start date
It's one of the first F-bass. A guy in College had one ('84). You can see the "F" on the headstock in the picture on the 'ALBUM' cover with him and Carla.
Sorry...I don't know why this is bothering me but the correct spelling for the basses Steve Swallow plays is Citron. I believe Citroen is an old car company...
- Jun 25, 2007
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- Artist:TC Electronic RH450 bass system (original test-pilot)
First time I heard Steve was in Kansas City. They used to have free concerts in the big concrete spillway down-town. He was playing with Gary Burton. The show had already begun, and the first thing that hit me was "who's the guitar player soloing?"
Of course there wasn't one.. It was Steve...and the acoustics in the spillway really made his tone sound great. This was in 1980 I think..It struck me as very melodic playing and is one of the best live performances I have seen for bass.
Of course there wasn't one.. It was Steve...and the acoustics in the spillway really made his tone sound great. This was in 1980 I think..It struck me as very melodic playing and is one of the best live performances I have seen for bass.
I really enjoy Steve Swallow's playing!Sorry...I don't know why this is bothering me but the correct spelling for the basses Steve Swallow plays is Citron. I believe Citroen is an old car company...
And you're right about Citron, but Citroen is still building cars in France!
Sorry...I don't know why this is bothering me but the correct spelling for the basses Steve Swallow plays is Citron. I believe Citroen is an old car company...
Citroen's still around. Cool cars, though I don't think they're sold anywhere in the Americas... or at least, not the northern part.
Oh, and I *love* the look of that F Bass.
An amusing aside, regarding the pick thing: about 10 years ago I saw Steve Swallow at Jack's in Cambridge MA playing in a quartet consisting of Adam Nussbaum on drums and two guitarists, John Abercrombie & Mick Goodrick...and it struck me as hilarious that Swallow was the only guy onstage using a pick!
Steve started as upright player till he came across a Gibson EB-2, I think at a Namm show and decided to make the el. bass his instrument. I think he started his pick tech. from his years with the Gibson and then just stuck with it. I've seen F-basses like that one, a very early model from the late 70's, I'd guess.
Every time I see him play he looks totally at peace with himself and his playing.
Every time I see him play he looks totally at peace with himself and his playing.
I thought it was OK but nothing special - but what annoys me is that I'm thinking it sounds just like guitar - why not just play guitar 
- it's not bass at all.
OK - annoyed is probably too strong - but it just sounds like a lot of Jazz guitarists I've heard, who use thick strings - it's not like a bass solo - it's just a guitar solo!
- it's not bass at all.OK - annoyed is probably too strong - but it just sounds like a lot of Jazz guitarists I've heard, who use thick strings - it's not like a bass solo - it's just a guitar solo!
I thought it was OK but nothing special - but what annoys me is that I'm thinking it sounds just like guitar - why not just play guitar
OK - annoyed is probably too strong - but it just sounds like a lot of Jazz guitarists I've heard, who use thick strings - it's not like a bass solo - it's just a guitar solo!
I hear what you are saying here. That clip is not really that representative of his tone at this point in time. He has a very unique concept of using that E to C tuning on a five string so that his solo's with a pick to move a touch into the guitar universe, but his tone when walking and 'non soloing' is much more toward the DB side of things than a typical EB in a jazz setting.
His current tone is much darker and 'woodier'.
Love it or not, he really does have a unique take on both his phrasing, technique and tone for an EB in a jazz setting.
I have some albums with John Scofield and the bass sound is "metallic and clangy" rather than "woody" 
- I hate that metal pick for bass lines!
- I hate that metal pick for bass lines!
Not!
That's what makes the world go round. Interestingly, the last two times I've seen him, his tone was completely dark... NOTHING going on about 1K or so. His tone almost sounded like a PBass with the foam stuffed in the bridge with tapewound flats. Again, not totally my thing, but the notes were SO good.
Man, you guys are brutal. 
Rest assured, though, that he is getting the exact tone that HE wants on any given night. He has also done alot to further the role and acceptance of the electric bass-especially in a jazz setting. On top of that, he is a study on being comfortable with oneself, not to mention having an economy of motion.
Those two clips aren't his best work, but, to be honest, the feel and conviction are still there. To me, this is more important than tone or pick/no-pick.
Rest assured, though, that he is getting the exact tone that HE wants on any given night. He has also done alot to further the role and acceptance of the electric bass-especially in a jazz setting. On top of that, he is a study on being comfortable with oneself, not to mention having an economy of motion. Those two clips aren't his best work, but, to be honest, the feel and conviction are still there. To me, this is more important than tone or pick/no-pick.
Well I haven't heard anything of his that I liked apart from some video clips where he played Double Bass!
What I hear is not conviction, but a case of not making up your mind whether you want to play Double Bass or Guitar?
He is no doubt a great DB player - but who likes to solo like a guitarist - he needs to chose one or the other! IMO of course!
What I hear is not conviction, but a case of not making up your mind whether you want to play Double Bass or Guitar?
He is no doubt a great DB player - but who likes to solo like a guitarist - he needs to chose one or the other! IMO of course!
Bruce Lindfield said:
"He is no doubt a great DB player - but who likes to solo like a guitarist - he needs to chose one or the other! IMO of course! "
Gee B.
That's kind'a harsh for a man in his 60's who's been on the scene since the early 1960's and has proven himself a master musician, player and composer for all these years on countless recordings and stages.
What would like him to do?
Your taxes?
His idea was a marriage of the two instruments.
If someone had just sat him down years ago and told him; "Steve one day a fellow named Bruce will come along....."
_________
"He is no doubt a great DB player - but who likes to solo like a guitarist - he needs to chose one or the other! IMO of course! "
Gee B.
That's kind'a harsh for a man in his 60's who's been on the scene since the early 1960's and has proven himself a master musician, player and composer for all these years on countless recordings and stages.
What would like him to do?
Your taxes?
His idea was a marriage of the two instruments.
If someone had just sat him down years ago and told him; "Steve one day a fellow named Bruce will come along....."
_________
The bass is not a "F" bass from Canada.
It was made by a guy in Conn, for Steve.
Who's last name begins with the letter "F". (Hence the confusion)
I forget his last name?
Only two or three basses like that were ever made.
The bass is not a "F" bass from Canada.
It was made by a guy in Conn, for Steve.
Who's last name begins with the letter "F". (Hence the confusion)
I forget his last name?
Only two or three basses like that were ever made.
That's probably Froc Filipetti - he was a partner with George Furlanetto for a while, or so the story goes.
Froc had an excellent reputation as a luthier and repairman in the CT area, but I never met him or used his services when I lived there.
What I hear is not conviction, but a case of not making up your mind whether you want to play Double Bass or Guitar?
He is no doubt a great DB player - but who likes to solo like a guitarist - he needs to chose one or the other! IMO of course!
I'm not just trying to be argumentative, but why should he have to choose? One of the things I always found interesting about Swallow is that he seems to work on deliberately bridging that gap and bring aspects of both DB and jazz guitar to his playing.
Mike
I can see your points here - why should he change?
Well I'm not saying he should change - just what I like or dislike about his work.
So - when he has settled on DB - that sounds great to me.
OK - his solos sound like guitar - but they are OK - valid in that context..?
But I just think that while it works for his solos, a metal pick just doesn't sound right for basslines in a Jazz context and on recordings I have heard - it just spoils the whole thing for me ...
But that's just my opinion, I'm not expecting that will change anything - but on the other hand I can't change how I feel about it - it sounds bad to my ears - no matter what justification or rationale you want to give.
