Who likes this guy? He played with the black crowes, train and plays for skynyrd now, and I just want to see what the general opinion is on him.
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Johnny colt.
- Thread starter thunderbird&eb-3_564
- Start date
Saw him with the Black Crowes back around 1995. They played a great show that night and Johnny sounded pretty good. He definitely brought the groove. IIRC he was playing an early 70's Gibson Les Paul signature bass, complete with the gold top.
I don't know why he parted ways with the brothers Robinson. But from what I've read it seems that they have departing band members sign non-disclosure agreements when they would depart the Black Crowes. I've read that they had guitarist Marc Ford do that, too. And now that they've folded? Who knows what to expect, although I think their first 3 or 4 records were really their best work.
I don't know why he parted ways with the brothers Robinson. But from what I've read it seems that they have departing band members sign non-disclosure agreements when they would depart the Black Crowes. I've read that they had guitarist Marc Ford do that, too. And now that they've folded? Who knows what to expect, although I think their first 3 or 4 records were really their best work.
Vintagefiend
I don't care for 410 cabinets at all.
Vintagefiend
I don't care for 410 cabinets at all.
The best records were the ones that had both Marc Ford and Eddie Harsh (RIP) on them...
Vintagefiend
I don't care for 410 cabinets at all.
I loved the Southern Harmony & Musical Companion album when it came out, but stopped listening after that. All this time later, I happened to see that the drummer Steve Gorman had written a book, so I got it and it got me back into SH&MC. It's a great read - I was in a band back then (late-80s/early-90s) and was trying to make it around the same time, so nice to read someone talking about really doing it! Kind of sad to read though, sounds like a very toxic environment to be in. I've actually been kind of in a slump, not playing much, but this album just got me fired up! Such great bass playing - not a single note wasted, incredible grooves. When I first started playing along I was using way too many ghost notes - had to clean up! I've been recording a few, here's one:
(And apologies for the thread necromancy!)
(And apologies for the thread necromancy!)
Huge Johnny Colt fan! One of those players with a great sense of both melody and groove whose lines have to be played pretty close to note for note or the songs just won't sound right… like Carl Radle, McCartney, Robert DeLeo… and Colt's tone on "Southern Harmony and Music Companion" is one of the Holy Grails of tone for me!
I have been trying to mail that down for years! His primary live bass around that time was an early 70s jazz pace with a maple fingerboard. (The Les Paul Signature, Ripper and T-Bird showed up later). I've read articles where he said he owned a '58 P-Bass, and I always thought that his "Southern Harmony" tone sounded more like a P-Bass than a J, but i'm often wrong about P or J, so who knows? I sure would like to, though!
So the Ampeg Scroll bass in the Remedy video is just a prop? Was wondering if maybe that was part of the sound. The high end is interesting. I was guessing flats and both neck & bridge pickups on the Ampeg, but also know that videos have nothing to do with what actually happened on the recording...
This was the song that grabbed me btw - I saw it on tv around when it came out and was like WHAT IS THAT?!
Here's a fairly well recorded live show fro 1993 (the year after SHAMC). Johnny Colt is playing his early 70's Jazz Bass. To me, the tone is pretty similar to "Sting Me" and "Remedy" from SHAMC.
Dude - cool video! I think you're right - I'm just listening to the first song so far and can already tell it's that sound. He's picking a lot closer to the bridge than I do, I'll have to experiment. Not that I need or want that sound, but it sure is a good sound! Gonna hook up my PJ and see what I get.
So I recorded a snippet of No Speak No Slave with my Alembicized "70s" P-Bass. Forgot to experiment with pick positioning, was just having fun getting the sound I want. I don't think I got close to the original with this one, though that wasn't my goal either:
Also put up another one with the Les Paul Triumph, but with graphite pick. I feel like it might be closer, though it could also be related to the original recording - I didn't remove anything, just playing along.
Also put up another one with the Les Paul Triumph, but with graphite pick. I feel like it might be closer, though it could also be related to the original recording - I didn't remove anything, just playing along.
OK, one more post - this one is an "appreciation" video, talking a bit about my experience digging into the Southern Harmony & Musical Companion album and Johnny Colt's bass playing therein, as well as some thoughts on two other bassists I've been digging into lately - Geddy Lee & Phil Lesh (all three pretty different from each other!)
I thought for sure Johnny Colt used a Thunderbird on SH&MC. His attack has a distinct *pong* to it that makes me think dual humbuckers. I suppose it could be a jazz with flats and close bridge picking.
I just found a really good live recording from July of 1992, just a couple of months after SHAMC was released. It's a soundboard recording, and happily the bass is just a bit too loud in the mix. To my ears, the tone is the same tone I hear on SHAMC. Every picture I've ever seen of Johnny Colt on stage from 1992 shows him using the same Jazz Bass. The pickup placement and location of the thumb rest tells me that it's a Jazz bass made some time between late 1970 and mid 1974. Of course, as always, I could be wrong.
