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How to sound like Paul Denman...in current gear ?

henrynlouisville

henrynlouisville

Nov 26, 2015
61
45
55
Louisville
#1
Hello,

I fell in love with this 'bass' mindset because of Paul Denman



Heck...pick any Sade song and you will understand this smooth groove that I long for.
So, regardless of guitar skills.....how do I replicate his rig in today's terms?

Question: What gear can I buy that sounds a close as possible to his favorite gear?

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So, basically, he has historically played Trace Elliot AH600SMX with a 4x10 and 1x15

That isn't made any longer. So, if someone wanted to replicate this sound...what to buy these days?
My only stipulation is that I want to purchase from a private or family owned business...no corporations.

Trace Elliot is no longer but some of those guys went to Ashdown.
I love my Genz Benz stuff...and Genzler is probably going to be good...and Mesa Subway or Carbine is going be good (since 'agedhorse' IS IN THE HOUSE)

....but really, what is the current day Paul Denman rig ? ....in your opinion

...and I have just enough GAS to eventually purchase exactly what that would be.

JJB-500 - Ashdown Engineering
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#12
But in the studio it is mostly DI as shown in the SOS article.

"I use the StingRays most of the time. I've used the Wilfer acoustic
on every tour I've done since '86. And most of the songs on Love Deluxe were
played on the Washburn, so I use that.
I play through Trace Elliot amps, and I always have. I just really
like 'em. I'm using AH600SMX amp with a 4x10 and a 15- that's it. I got my
first Trace rig in '84 when we signed a deal and I got some money; before
that, I used anything I could.
In the studio, I just plug straight into the mixing board. The sound
you hear on our records is just me and the bass with maybe a little
compression."

http://members.tripod.com/~j0hn_e/bp997.txt
 
#13
Others have already stated it, but it bears repeating: If you're looking in the Amps forum to replicate Denman's tone, you're likely looking in the wrong place - perhaps the one caveat being that your rig should have a lot clarity, in the GK, EBS or SWR vein.

While it's become a cliché of clichés around here, Denman is a perfect example of how much tone is in one's fingers. That and an early Stingray, and a good set of roundwound strings.

MM
 
#14
Any good amp should do IMO, ones that don't have a hugely baked in tone. Then grab a 2 band eq ray, today's Classic Stingray series is an excellent example and you're set. I have an older MM SUB which is the exact 2 band preamp/pickup that classic rays have, and I can nail his tone no problem.
 
#15
Denman's sound varies depending on the album. Love Deluxe and Lovers Rock, for example, are a lot less raw sounding than albums like Promise or Diamond Life. Live what you'd likely be hearing is a direct-to-the-board signal so the amps he uses aren't really of much importance, other than to perhaps give you a clue as to his personal preferences. Having said that, I suppose I would go with a solid state, very clean sounding amp (Tecamp is the first company that comes to mind, though there are plenty of other options) if trying to get a Denman-esque sound.
 
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