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Jack Casady-can you help me get his sound?
- Thread starter eb3
- Start date
COOL! I'm listening to "Bless Its Pointed Little Head" right now!
He used to (maybe still does) use a small, special, rare tube bass amp for the distortion. He mixed it in with the clean amp sound using a volume pedal. I understand he was involved with SWR on the development of the Interstellar Overdrive, so that bit of gear might help you get there too.
He used to (maybe still does) use a small, special, rare tube bass amp for the distortion. He mixed it in with the clean amp sound using a volume pedal. I understand he was involved with SWR on the development of the Interstellar Overdrive, so that bit of gear might help you get there too.
The last time I saw him play he was using a Versatone amp for the dirty sound. It looked like he had a separate volume pedal for the Versatone to control the dirt level that was blended with the clean sound. I don't recall what kind of amp he was using for the clean side.
I agree. This is like the "genetics vs environment" argument but while a portion of his sound is from his equipment (and do not forget the 'Varitone' in his equipment for dirt) I feel that a greater portion of his sound is from his fingers. As ya'll know, he has a very unique playing style.
So how can you make your fingers split between dirty & clean? I know what you're saying, but I don't buy it for this instance.
Jack was on the development team for the SWR Interstellar Overdrive.
Jack was on the development team for the SWR Interstellar Overdrive.
A lot of Jack's late 60's sound was his basses. Not sure if the Water Song recording was made with an Alembic solid body (Jack owned Alembic ser no 1) or the Alembic-modded Guild Starfire. Bless its Pointed Little Head was recorded in late '68 so I believe that would make the sound on that record pretty much unmodified Guild Starfire, with the Hagstrom Bisonic single coils. Dark Stars are a repro of that pickup and do capture that range of sounds (when you put them on a semihollow bass). Jack's playing style (particularly right hand) is so nuanced that combining it with an ultraresponsive pickup (and the interesting amp combination) enabled him to get from clean and clear to raspy or anywhere in between in a heartbeat. Cool sounds. Jack's always been one of my favorites. 
Guys, I'm certainly aware of "the tone is in your fingers" story and no doubt...Jack is in a league of his own.
I just want to know about a set up that will allow me to blend clean and some dirt that will get me The Water Song tone. That tone haunts me!
By the way, I'm a lead guitarist who has recently taken up the bass. So...I'm sure there are lots of experts here who can make some suggestions.
Please do.
I just want to know about a set up that will allow me to blend clean and some dirt that will get me The Water Song tone. That tone haunts me!
By the way, I'm a lead guitarist who has recently taken up the bass. So...I'm sure there are lots of experts here who can make some suggestions.
Please do.
Hello,
My first concert was in May of 1968, Jefferson Airplane.
Jaco said it best, "the secrets in the hands". Jack is one of the FAB FIVE top electric bassists of all time. "Bless it's pointed Little Head" came in '68/69 I do believe. My first amp was of course a 1968 Fender Dual showman with 2 JBL D-140f's. I still have my first bass, A 1967 Fender Precision, Maple cap neck, paddle style tuners. IMHO Jack's best set-up was this: 2 Silver-faced Fender Dual Showmans atop 2 Sunn 200S cabinets with 2 JBL D-140f's inside and his Guild bass. See Woodstock, the new directors cut which has 2 extra Jefferson Airplane Songs on DVD. I live in Kal-ee-Fornee-a and am an old hippie! And I did have a 1968 Hagstrom bass and a 1962 Gibson EB-0. BTW I measure all amps by the Dual Showman because it has such great tone. Brother Berry liked 'em too. Jack Cassady is a bass STUD. Back in 1967 he was and by today's standards still is a bass STUD. Who's Sting and Flea and all these Snapple drinkers? PLease do not be offended. Bottom line, in “Your mind’s Eye” you have a mental vision of what your particular sound is, goal should be to get gear to achieve that sound. So If a Line 6 amp,a Crate 2 x 10” cab and a Cort 5 string does it for you then get that gear and have fun. I currently own a 370 pumped into 2 301 cabs, 2 Sunn Coliseum amps, 3 Sunn 2 x 15" cabs loaded with JBL K-140's, A Sunn MOdel T, and just to pierce the little ones a pair of SWR Goliath III 4x10" cabs. And in reserve a Sunn concert Bass amp, an Acoustic 450, 140 and a spare 406 cab.
Peace and Happiness to all
My first concert was in May of 1968, Jefferson Airplane.
Jaco said it best, "the secrets in the hands". Jack is one of the FAB FIVE top electric bassists of all time. "Bless it's pointed Little Head" came in '68/69 I do believe. My first amp was of course a 1968 Fender Dual showman with 2 JBL D-140f's. I still have my first bass, A 1967 Fender Precision, Maple cap neck, paddle style tuners. IMHO Jack's best set-up was this: 2 Silver-faced Fender Dual Showmans atop 2 Sunn 200S cabinets with 2 JBL D-140f's inside and his Guild bass. See Woodstock, the new directors cut which has 2 extra Jefferson Airplane Songs on DVD. I live in Kal-ee-Fornee-a and am an old hippie! And I did have a 1968 Hagstrom bass and a 1962 Gibson EB-0. BTW I measure all amps by the Dual Showman because it has such great tone. Brother Berry liked 'em too. Jack Cassady is a bass STUD. Back in 1967 he was and by today's standards still is a bass STUD. Who's Sting and Flea and all these Snapple drinkers? PLease do not be offended. Bottom line, in “Your mind’s Eye” you have a mental vision of what your particular sound is, goal should be to get gear to achieve that sound. So If a Line 6 amp,a Crate 2 x 10” cab and a Cort 5 string does it for you then get that gear and have fun. I currently own a 370 pumped into 2 301 cabs, 2 Sunn Coliseum amps, 3 Sunn 2 x 15" cabs loaded with JBL K-140's, A Sunn MOdel T, and just to pierce the little ones a pair of SWR Goliath III 4x10" cabs. And in reserve a Sunn concert Bass amp, an Acoustic 450, 140 and a spare 406 cab.
Peace and Happiness to all
get a dark star equipped hollow body bass, record through a tube amp, use a tube LDC to mic the cabinet, run it into a vintage type console (langevin, UA etc), record to and master to tape
and the fingers
and no snapple! LMAO Sunnmon that was a good one
and the fingers
and no snapple! LMAO Sunnmon that was a good one
A lot of Jack's sound is definitely his fingers. He got the same sound using a Fender Jazz before the Guild. Just play close to the neck or even over the end of the neck and bang the strings down on the frets for emphasis.
Guys, I'm certainly aware of "the tone is in your fingers" story and no doubt...Jack is in a league of his own.
I just want to know about a set up that will allow me to blend clean and some dirt that will get me The Water Song tone. That tone haunts me!
By the way, I'm a lead guitarist who has recently taken up the bass. So...I'm sure there are lots of experts here who can make some suggestions.
Please do.
You can also use an overdrive pedal that lets you blend the dry and distorted sound. The EHX Bass Metaphors let me do this.
Yeehaaa! Snapple drinkers and hell raisers.
I seem to remember he still got that cello like sustain using a rack full of Phase Linear power amps. He did have the tinkering gene and built his first amp out of a tube Bogen PA system, I'm pretty sure he he continued using that for a long long time though whatever else got stacked up behind him. Man those stacks got big!
The last time I saw him he managed to sound like a giant through an SWR Baby Blue. And those fingers, like a tarantula.
Yeah, I took a master class with Jack and he emphisized this simple thing-If you want a meaty sound, pluck with the meaty part of your finger, not the tips. Very basic, but very effective.
tHANX FOR THE laughs guys. Nice to know I ain't too "weird" by thinking Jack Cassady is awesome. He got me on this road.
His fault! I like his philosphy...of keeping it simple. Nice to be associated with more sophisticated people than myself...he he
I consider my self a perpetual student of the Electric Bass.
Skool is out so I go home to my bass Pagoda. The secret IS in the HANDS. For a meaty tone I use my Ex-mother-in-laws Stump, She's missing a wheel. ah, That's the other side of this life.
LAter
His fault! I like his philosphy...of keeping it simple. Nice to be associated with more sophisticated people than myself...he he
I consider my self a perpetual student of the Electric Bass.
Skool is out so I go home to my bass Pagoda. The secret IS in the HANDS. For a meaty tone I use my Ex-mother-in-laws Stump, She's missing a wheel. ah, That's the other side of this life.
LAter
tHANX FOR THE laughs guys. Nice to know I ain't too "weird" by thinking Jack Cassady is awesome. He got me on this road.
His fault! I like his philosphy...of keeping it simple. Nice to be associated with more sophisticated people than myself...he he
I consider my self a perpetual student of the Electric Bass.
Skool is out so I go home to my bass Pagoda. The secret IS in the HANDS. For a meaty tone I use my Ex-mother-in-laws Stump, She's missing a wheel. ah, That's the other side of this life.
LAter
Jack is great but I've never been able to get into the Jefferson Airplane.
