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How to get Geddy's tone on Tom Sawyer?
- Thread starter Myrriad
- Start date
You need some overdrive and and you need to dig in. His tone (especially with the Jazz Bass on MP) is easier to try to attain than is his Ric tone. Have fun.
low action. newish strings. overdrive. don't worry about a little fret buzz. run everything wide open. hit hard with the right hand. bang those strings!
On your jazz turn both volumes to max, tone wide open. A new set of Roto's or other bright round wound. A bit of overdrive. Low action on the bass. Play pretty hard with your right close to the bridge pickup. EQ is dependent on your gear.
RaginRog
Last guy you want to see is Employee Relations guy
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
- 16,794
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- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
All good advice above.
I just dropped into this thread to see how long it would take for someone drop the obligatory "Tone-is-ALL-in-the-hands-and-you're-not-Geddy-Lee!" comment.
So far, so good.
I just dropped into this thread to see how long it would take for someone drop the obligatory "Tone-is-ALL-in-the-hands-and-you're-not-Geddy-Lee!" comment.
So far, so good.
EQ is important. Roll off gradually below 75 hz (trust me) and cut about 1db in a wide swath from 300 to 3000 hz. Narrow boost about 2db at 120 hz and also at 4000 hz. Gradually roll off above 5000 hz.
As mentioned already, some overdrive is required. Start with the SansAmp bddi, I've found a fairly close Geddy tone using it with most of the controls set close to their middle position- some tweaking required.
Finally, it helps to play directly over the bridge pickup. You'll lose some volume this way (just boost the gain a little bit to compensate) but you'll find some more harmonics.
That said, exactly duplicating a bass sound on a professionally recrded studio album like Moving Pictures with a hobbyist's live rig is an impossible task.
As mentioned already, some overdrive is required. Start with the SansAmp bddi, I've found a fairly close Geddy tone using it with most of the controls set close to their middle position- some tweaking required.
Finally, it helps to play directly over the bridge pickup. You'll lose some volume this way (just boost the gain a little bit to compensate) but you'll find some more harmonics.
That said, exactly duplicating a bass sound on a professionally recrded studio album like Moving Pictures with a hobbyist's live rig is an impossible task.
All good advice above.
I just dropped into this thread to see how long it would take for someone drop the obligatory "Tone-is-ALL-in-the-hands-and-you're-not-Geddy-Lee!" comment.
So far, so good.
Geddy is a good player, and pretty unique. In my opinion he is also a bit sloppy due to his very agressive right hand. If you have heard some of the solo bass tracks from Moving Pictures you would know of what I speak. He also plays more notes than is sometimes obvious thruogh the recordings. I think if you were to totally dupe his playing on a lot of songs and play it in a cover band many guys, including the ones in the band, might ask you what the hell you were playing.
I still don't understand how he can play what he does using only his index finger for most of the notes. . . . You will get a long way towards the "tone from fingers" part of the equation if you can figure that out.
Bridge pickup is how mortals do it. If you want to be authentic Geddy, do it over the neck pickup. You will get some added warmth that is an important layer of the Tom Sawyer onion.
Well the way I see it, you have two choices...either pretend it's not true and continue to live with the delusion that you can buy your way into a particular sound, or you can take the word of nearly every single professional musician in the world.All good advice above.
I just dropped into this thread to see how long it would take for someone drop the obligatory "Tone-is-ALL-in-the-hands-and-you're-not-Geddy-Lee!" comment.
So far, so good.
You're on the wrong track pal, just found out what synth he used on the song and you're done. Trying to synth out your jazz bass is just a waste of time
