• 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.

Geddy Lee & Chris Squire sound

#81
dog1 said:
Wow. I thought I would get dumped on for that post. Thanks for the +1.

All I can say is, find your tone. Go with it. Squire and Lee did it. Why not you? Your bass, your amp, your speakers. Your tone. Catch the ball and run with it.
Click to expand...

I'll "dump" on you, but with all due respect. If the OP wants a certain sound and has the time, energy, and money to chase it, then that is what the OP should do. It is an oversimplification to say that those players just showed up with their sound. They each chased the sound in their head based on their childhood heros. They each evolved a sound over years. Squire playing through a J-bass with flats and a solid state amp with a fuzz pedal and a mid-cut EQ won't sound like Squire playing a Ric with rounds through a pushed tube amp with a mid-boost EQ.

We have no idea his motivation, or you don't for not reading through the thread, so your reply is a disrespectful too-cool-for-school easy way out, adding little value to the thread. Perhaps the OP is in a cover band that does Yes and Rush tunes. Maybe the OP has his sound close but wants to fine tune it, or create a foundation to fine tune from. Maybe the OP thinks like a sheep and wants to copy someone.

This has no bearing on which option I would take if I had to select either finding my sound or copying someone's sound.

Honestly, I mean this Devil's Advocate post with respect, not to offend.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Plexico
#82
Neck pup, gain, treble, HIT THE FREAKING BASS. That's what I've done when I neeed that grindy sound. Of course Chris is Chris, but I got fairly close with a Sting P Bass(51 style). It was strung with bright strings, and a really low action(string rattle was a big part of his sound, IMO). I tried it on a real Rick(4003)a while back. The neck pup was a little too dull, so I rolled up the bridge a little until I got the right sound. Hole this helps.
 
#83
poorbassist15 said:
Neck pup, gain, treble, HIT THE FREAKING BASS. That's what I've done when I neeed that grindy sound. Of course Chris is Chris, but I got fairly close with a Sting P Bass(51 style). It was strung with bright strings, and a really low action(string rattle was a big part of his sound, IMO). I tried it on a real Rick(4003)a while back. The neck pup was a little too dull, so I rolled up the bridge a little until I got the right sound. Hole this helps.
Click to expand...

Might work on a Sting p bass, but remember that that pup is position way back the Rick neck pup. On a Rick as you've noticed you will need help from the bridge pup. Chris btw plays quite "nice" with very nice pick strokes, while Geddy is really hitting the strings. If you hold the pick in such a way that the pick is sticking only about 1mm out between your fingers the string will bounce in a way which creates that tone without playing hard.
 
#84
monsterthompson said:
I'll "dump" on you, but with all due respect. If the OP wants a certain sound and has the time, energy, and money to chase it, then that is what the OP should do. It is an oversimplification to say that those players just showed up with their sound. They each chased the sound in their head based on their childhood heros. They each evolved a sound over years. Squire playing through a J-bass with flats and a solid state amp with a fuzz pedal and a mid-cut EQ won't sound like Squire playing a Ric with rounds through a pushed tube amp with a mid-boost EQ.

We have no idea his motivation, or you don't for not reading through the thread, so your reply is a disrespectful too-cool-for-school easy way out, adding little value to the thread. Perhaps the OP is in a cover band that does Yes and Rush tunes. Maybe the OP has his sound close but wants to fine tune it, or create a foundation to fine tune from. Maybe the OP thinks like a sheep and wants to copy someone.

This has no bearing on which option I would take if I had to select either finding my sound or copying someone's sound.

Honestly, I mean this Devil's Advocate post with respect, not to offend.
Click to expand...

+1 to this! And actually, we're talking about tone, not playing. We all know that no one will have the same sound than anyone else as everyone plays differently. It's just to find the fundation of our own sound. And I'm sure no one here truly thinks he can perfectly nails the sound and playing of Chris Squire but we can get close to it and build our own sound :bassist:
 
#86
When I got my first 4003, I was disappointed when I couldnt get the Geddy/Squire tone right out of the box. There are some people on youtube that play Rics and its THAT sound and you think all of them sound like that, but mine didnt. I since got another 4003 (a 2009) that gets me closer along with a much (MUCH) better neck and fit/finish. Overall its a great bass but it doesnt necessarily give me that classic Ric tone. I wonder if it is in the pickups as someone previously mentioned (i.e. toaster in the neck, horseshoe in the bridge)
 
#90
Hydromantic said:
+1 to this! And actually, we're talking about tone, not playing. We all know that no one will have the same sound than anyone else as everyone plays differently. It's just to find the fundation of our own sound. And I'm sure no one here truly thinks he can perfectly nails the sound and playing of Chris Squire but we can get close to it and build our own sound :bassist:
Click to expand...

Nobody is Chris, but this guy is almost Chris, Miguel Falcao (Miguelbass on YT) from Portugal!
Here is his cover of A Venture. Watch the pickup switch position. First he use the neck pup, then by the end he switch to the bridge and plays back the horseshoe.

Just watch his channel, he is the one who put most effort in playing bass cover of Chris, and the result is in my opinion fantastic.
 
#92
robchorz said:
How can I get the Geddy Lee & Chris Squire sound of the 70's. I have the Rickenbacker 4003 and Fender and Ampeg amps. What should the EQ settings be set to to acheive that sound (Low, Mid Lo, Mid Hi, Hi, Low boost and Hi boost)? Thanks. Please be specific and offer your opinions. Please do not give open ended answers that ask more questions. Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
#93
The squire sound has been a mystery to all us ric bass users for many years..Most of his sound comes from his rics point of responce.for example..you could line up 20 ric basses and every one will sound different..we must not forget that chris has had his bass stripped and re-painted several times..this will greatly effect its sound too...quite a few years ago i had mine re-painted..it now sounds closer to the squire sound...amplification can get you closer to his sound...but the biggest factor is how he hits the strings with his plectrum and thumb at the same time....there
 
#94
Geddy and Chris were the reason I started playing bass. Permanent Waves and Drama got me started. I used to go for the dirty and clean sound with my old Peavey MK III bass head. 2 channels, and you could A B or Combine them. I'd have one channel clean and loud, and the other dirty and just under the clean one in volume. Sounded like 2 amps to me.
 
#95
Try this it works for me..if you run a stereo set up..dedicate one amp for bass and another for treble..neck pickup..use a nice rounded sound..not too much bass that brings out the full character of that pickup..bridge pickup..back off most of the bass..dial in 35% mid and then as much treble as u can..you will have to experiment with the pickup balances i do that on the bass it self..its trial and error im afraid..your bass will no doubt sound different to mine
 
#97
Scottkarch said:
Geddy and Chris were the reason I started playing bass. Permanent Waves and Drama got me started. I used to go for the dirty and clean sound with my old Peavey MK III bass head. 2 channels, and you could A B or Combine them. I'd have one channel clean and loud, and the other dirty and just under the clean one in volume. Sounded like 2 amps to me.
Click to expand...
 
#98
We rickmen are always trying to make our basses sound like geddy lee's or chris squire's..check out martin briley's rick bass sound on greenslade's time and tide album it is fantastic...just what a 4001 should be
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back