Martin Turner - Wishbone Ash

[melt]

Sorry to resurrect such an old thread but I played on the same bill as Martin in June 17 at the Acoustic Festival of Britain and had a lengthy chat with him; he followed my band onstage, which I didn't realise was happening until we went on, and which came as a bit of a shock! He was playing a '72 Ric in deep Burgundyglo, much like his old 21 fretter; ironic because my 2 main basses are both '72 Rics, although I was playing acoustic bass (Warwick Alien) at the show and didn't have them with me. Although I forgot to ask at the time, he confirmed on his Facebook page a little later that he used a Ric on Argus.

Have to say he was just the nicest, warmest, funniest, most down to earth bloke; an absolute legend. I've got even more respect for him now than I had before.

Oh, and his set was great! Check his current band out if you get chance.

 

[bluesblaster]

Love his playing on the New England record, saw them in the 70's and again a couple years ago, still kicks ass

 

[thunderstation]

He was one of the guys that got me to play bass (Dennis Dunaway & John McVie being the other two.). I loved his work on all of the original wishbone Ash records. I did get a chance to see him with the Argus/Wishbone 4 line-up. pretty hard rocking group.

 

[Kenova]

Oh man how I love this guy and his playing. One of the best sounds in rock! 'Bird is singing in his hands!

 

[IMMusicRulz]

Martin Turner mostly played a Fender Jazz bass, which was rented on the first album and used on tracks like Phoenix and Lady Whiskey.

By the time Pilgrimage was recorded, Martin started using a Rickenbacker 4001 Jetglo, and would continue to use that on Argus. However, this Rickenbacker, which was a 22-fret Rickenbacker, wound up getting damaged, when it was being loaded off a plane. Martin then bought an alpine white Gibson Thunderbird bass directly from Mott The Hoople bassist Overend Watts. Almost every album from Argus up to Just Testing were cut with the white Thunderbird, as well as a sunburst Gibson Thunderbird bass. But on the album There's The Rub, Martin used to mid-60's Fender Precision basses, one with a maple fingerboard and one with a rosewood fingerboard. He also started using a Hamer Explorer bass on the albums Locked In and New England.





In later years, he also used a 21-fret Rickenbacker Jetglo, and has used it on many solo albums.



His tone was primarily through Orange amps, which Andy and Ted also used. I think I started using Orange amps mainly because Wishbone Ash used them!

Other than that, I have many Wishbone Ash albums and consider Martin to be a landmark in the group's success.

 

[XsoGol]

Martin Turner mostly played a Fender Jazz bass, which was rented on the first album and used on tracks like Phoenix and Lady Whiskey.

By the time Pilgrimage was recorded, Martin started using a Rickenbacker 4001 Jetglo, and would continue to use that on Argus. However, this Rickenbacker, which was a 22-fret Rickenbacker, wound up getting damaged, when it was being loaded off a plane. Martin then bought an alpine white Gibson Thunderbird bass directly from Mott The Hoople bassist Overend Watts. Almost every album from Argus up to Just Testing were cut with the white Thunderbird, as well as a sunburst Gibson Thunderbird bass. But on the album There's The Rub, Martin used to mid-60's Fender Precision basses, one with a maple fingerboard and one with a rosewood fingerboard. He also started using a Hamer Explorer bass on the albums Locked In and New England.





In later years, he also used a 21-fret Rickenbacker Jetglo, and has used it on many solo albums.



His tone was primarily through Orange amps, which Andy and Ted also used. I think I started using Orange amps mainly because Wishbone Ash used them!

Other than that, I have many Wishbone Ash albums and consider Martin to be a landmark in the group's success.

Thank you so much for this @IMMusicRulz!

Was all of There's The Rub recorded with the P-bass? I always wondered why I could achieve the F-U-B-B sound so much better with my Birdsong Corto with the reversed P pickup than the Thunderbird with 60s style pickups (using Roto strings in both cases)...if that song was recorded with the P-bass, that is going to blow my mind.

That F-U-B-B tone along with John Wetton's tone on We'll Let You Know off Starless and Bible Black are two of my grail tones (the third in the holy trinity of tones for me is John Glascock/Ian Anderson's bass tone on Somethings On The Move off of Stormwatch). All P-basses apparently...

 

[XsoGol]

Sorry to resurrect such an old thread but I played on the same bill as Martin in June 17 at the Acoustic Festival of Britain and had a lengthy chat with him; he followed my band onstage, which I didn't realise was happening until we went on, and which came as a bit of a shock! He was playing a '72 Ric in deep Burgundyglo, much like his old 21 fretter; ironic because my 2 main basses are both '72 Rics, although I was playing acoustic bass (Warwick Alien) at the show and didn't have them with me. Although I forgot to ask at the time, he confirmed on his Facebook page a little later that he used a Ric on Argus.

Have to say he was just the nicest, warmest, funniest, most down to earth bloke; an absolute legend. I've got even more respect for him now than I had before.

Oh, and his set was great! Check his current band out if you get chance.

I'm so glad you did resurrect this @melt. Love to talk with you all about one of my favorite players and biggest influences.