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Metal Bassists
- Thread starter Zodion
- Start date
The funniest thing is that i'm basically a guitar player, back in the day you could find a pick or two inside every pocket of my jacket )) But whenever i pick a bass i throw the pick and i chug with my fingers. Even though i played guitar for many many years i was always moved and charmed by the bass tones of artists like Paulo Junior, Ric Fierabracci, Jason Newsted, Steve DiGiorgio...but i was frustrated that bass was almost always burried deep in the mix, many famous rock&metal bands gave small space for their bass players to unleash the beast, that's why i was always pushing our bassist's sound upfront, so that everybody (including me) could enjoy those healing low frequencies )) Nothing better than a low b going hand in hand with the bass drums!
I have always played in standard, or DADG if we tune down to D. Even though I like a lot of downtuned music, I think that sometimes it gets ridiculous, or "tuning down for tuning down's sake." I like to hear melody, harmony, counterpoint etc when I listen to music. Just hearing fuzzed out mudd only goes so far with me... I also think that sometimes there is a certain stupid "competition" or stigma that happens: you are not real metal/brutal/kvlt if you aren't in drop Q tuning....
to each his own I guess. the magic of super-drop tuning never came over me...just like rap-metal
to each his own I guess. the magic of super-drop tuning never came over me...just like rap-metal
I just brought my 5 and 6 strings home cause I wasn't using them in the group and I want to play them at home. The sound of the low B is insane but like I said we play in standard and my 4 banger does the job. Plus drop D on that sucker sounds huge. Now I get to have a noodle fest with my extended range basses drool
Just saw this thread and checked out John Campbell, his playing sounds great!
It's awesome to have the thread running again. Thanks for the posts guys!! 
I always keep a couple different tunings around for when I'm learning covers. My band plays in CGCF and BEADG (although the guitarists are technically BADGBE), plus a lot of stuff I like to learn is in D and E. I first learned how to play using standard tunings, then switched to D when I got into a Grind/Death band. We tried C but it was too muddy for our cheap equipment at the time.
I know it will sound stupid, but lower tunings and more distortion are metal; period. This isn't new either. Kiss and WASP both played a lot in Eb. People try to attribute playing in B to Nu Metal bands like Korn, but Carcass and Bolt Thrower did before they did.
Play how ever works best for you and inspires you to write.
I know it will sound stupid, but lower tunings and more distortion are metal; period. This isn't new either. Kiss and WASP both played a lot in Eb. People try to attribute playing in B to Nu Metal bands like Korn, but Carcass and Bolt Thrower did before they did.
Play how ever works best for you and inspires you to write.
If i'm not mistaken death metal bands were the first to take seriously low tuning as a game changer, i think of Amorphis, Asphyx, Carcass, in addition to Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse who used 7 string guitars back in the day! And you are absolutely right about the gear which couldn't cope with what the guitarists tried to achieve at the time! Today there are crazy tight and clear amplifiers that can take 8 string guitars like a charm! But i admit that the lower it gets the more it bugs me ))) that is just me though...
I'm sort of a sommelier of metal. What specific bands with low tunings bother you?
What current bands do yoy like?
Fates Warning does a lot of low tunings, surprisingly. "Firefly" from their most recent album is in Drop-B, I know they've used Drop-D (or Drop-something anyway) before as well. Arch/Matheos, side project of the same, used a lot on their album.
Bands with low tunnings that bother me? I think of bands like Suicide Silence, whitechapel, Bring me the horizon, Periphery...i'm a firm believer that taste is subjective, i just enjoy whatever i like, and if i dislike Taylor Swift it doesn't mean i'm going to terrorize her fans
Since you did mention Fates Warning then i would be glad if you to listen to these guys, maybe you know them, maybe not! All i can say is: God bless the bass player!
A lot of stoner/doom bands use lower tunings that might be more your speed. Less growling and break downs.Bands with low tunnings that bother me? I think of bands like Suicide Silence, whitechapel, Bring me the horizon, Periphery...i'm a firm believer that taste is subjective, i just enjoy whatever i like, and if i dislike Taylor Swift it doesn't mean i'm going to terrorize her fans
Are you familiar with High On Fire, The Sword or Cathedral?
I've heard of them before, can't say I'm a big fan of the mixing, despite the bass-forwardness. It kind of gets into an opposite problem of losing a lot of heaviness from the guitars. That said, they're clearly stellar musicians, especially the bassist.
Yes they pushed the bass and made the guitars lean back a bit, for me the bassist is a prog metal Jaco Pastorius on steroids!
Leo Smee has a great tone with Cathedral. High on Fire has some pretty gritty bass. The Sword is very Sabbathy.
Down tuning can work depending on its application.
This one might be a stretch but check out Black Crown Initiate. Good tech Death Metal. Low tuning without abusing it.
