Alright so Ive finally found the tone thats been in my mind since i ever started bass. Cake's songs , "The Distance" and "I will survive" have that tone, but i can find no information on his rig anywhere. does anyone have any information? Thanks!
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Ive found My Perfect Tone, But
- Thread starter MonsterBass101
- Start date
sorry i should have been more clear. I know what the tone is, but i cant find out how he got it. sorry for any misconceptions. I just heard he was using GK equipment. Can anyone vouch for that?
He is saying that the tone he loves is the tone IN he songs, not his current tone.
Best of luck OP.
And just because he has that sound on those songs does not mean it has anything to do with his rig or bass. Not everyone records with their live rig, and in addition there are a whole lot of variables in recording that contribute to the sound. Sorry to be a bummer, but more than likely buying his exact rig won't do it. Lastly, there is his personal touch and his playing style ...
whitespike - Right on the dot.
You WILL NEVER GET that exact tone you hear on those albums......processors, effects, digital emulation and other gizmos contribute to the magical tone you hear. There are too many variables to pin down to get close to that tone. My advice is to get the gear you like and tweak it to get the tone you desire. Just because a tone sounds cool does not mean that you will like playing with that tone all the time....I learned that the hard way.
Rex Brown of Pantera, Geezer Butler and Cliff Burton all have tones I love. They used Ampeg, Laney, and Mesa gear live and god knows what in the studio. I use a Mesa 400+ (which I bought because of it's reputation and the fact that Cliff Burton used it back in the 80's), a thick sounding bass (which gets close to Geezer's tone and is the same bass Rex Brown of Pantera employed on several Pantera tours) and I use a Tech 21 XXL Bass Edition Distortion pedal to get whatever dirt these guys employed live. I get really close to their tones and I could not be happier with what I have right now. Could I get my tone closer to theirs? Yes, but will the audience notice it or really care? Heck no!
You WILL NEVER GET that exact tone you hear on those albums......processors, effects, digital emulation and other gizmos contribute to the magical tone you hear. There are too many variables to pin down to get close to that tone. My advice is to get the gear you like and tweak it to get the tone you desire. Just because a tone sounds cool does not mean that you will like playing with that tone all the time....I learned that the hard way.
Rex Brown of Pantera, Geezer Butler and Cliff Burton all have tones I love. They used Ampeg, Laney, and Mesa gear live and god knows what in the studio. I use a Mesa 400+ (which I bought because of it's reputation and the fact that Cliff Burton used it back in the 80's), a thick sounding bass (which gets close to Geezer's tone and is the same bass Rex Brown of Pantera employed on several Pantera tours) and I use a Tech 21 XXL Bass Edition Distortion pedal to get whatever dirt these guys employed live. I get really close to their tones and I could not be happier with what I have right now. Could I get my tone closer to theirs? Yes, but will the audience notice it or really care? Heck no!
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I've seen Cake live a few times and their bassist has used a P bass into a GK head out an Ampeg fridge.
I've always liked Cake's taste in bassists too.
I've always liked Cake's taste in bassists too.
I also fell in love with this exact same tone. To get it I use a very similar set up to the one mentioned above, except I use an Ibanez Artcore with tapewounds instead of a p-bass. That said, I'm sure a p-bass with flats will get very close to the same sound.
I read a teeny interview with him in Bass Player, the issue had Dirk Lance on the cover. He said that he uses an 800RB on the road, but I've forgotten what cabs he uses. A fridge would make sense.
I have also become obsessed with that tone! Victor Damiani was the bassist on that album (Fashion Nugget) and I figured out that he played a '70s Fender Telecaster Bass with flatwound strings on the record. I used to think it was a P-bass but after repeated listening to the intro of "The Distance", I realized that the tone was murkier and not as punchy as a Precision. The stock pickup in the Telecaster bass was a humbucker way up in the neck position which gives it exactly that kind of wonderful low-end flatulence. Damiani's Tele bass is clearly visible in the video for "The Distance" at :55 and 1:16
YouTube - Squier Vintage Modified TB
YouTube - Squier Vintage Modified TB
