Hey Justin, just watched a clip of Beck performing in New York, and couldn't help but notice the thundering tone. Just wondering what kind of set up you were using, looks like a bass with 3 lipstick pick ups? The video's here:
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Monster tone in New York Beck performance
- Thread starter Captain567
- Start date
love that bass too. i think justin said it was a custom schecter hellcat, but i can't remember how it's customized.
Hi all!
Those are Kent Armstrong lipsticks in there, as well as a buffer style preamp (no eq controls) with a flat-head screwdriver adjustment on the back. I can't remember where Schecter sourced it. Sounds good. Was thinking of busting it out some more....maybe put a less ostentatious guard on it.
Sigh. I have to say, for those that saw this band during this era, they are lucky because they will never see anything like that again. No joke. We just didn't give a f*** and threw down hard without ever holding back. We would show up at festivals and take over the backstage area and run s***, every day was a party and a freak show, always us trying to out-weird each other and make people just a bit uncomfortable. The day would begin with clean suits and end with us sweaty, covered in mud, blood, or any manner of things. Different days!!
Anyhoo, enough horn-tooting/nostalgia. Fun stuff, thanks for reminding me about that bass; I think I'll bust it out of the garage.
JMJ
Those are Kent Armstrong lipsticks in there, as well as a buffer style preamp (no eq controls) with a flat-head screwdriver adjustment on the back. I can't remember where Schecter sourced it. Sounds good. Was thinking of busting it out some more....maybe put a less ostentatious guard on it.
Sigh. I have to say, for those that saw this band during this era, they are lucky because they will never see anything like that again. No joke. We just didn't give a f*** and threw down hard without ever holding back. We would show up at festivals and take over the backstage area and run s***, every day was a party and a freak show, always us trying to out-weird each other and make people just a bit uncomfortable. The day would begin with clean suits and end with us sweaty, covered in mud, blood, or any manner of things. Different days!!
Anyhoo, enough horn-tooting/nostalgia. Fun stuff, thanks for reminding me about that bass; I think I'll bust it out of the garage.
JMJ
I still have a VHS copy of that show from Sessions at W 54th with Ben Folds Five as well. You guys absolutely smoked that set. That was the first time I had seen Beck play live (so to speak) and was just blown away. Tight as hell.
Where did you get that intro? Love it.
That tape has - Intro - Devils Haircut - Debra - Jackass - Where Its At. What are your other favorite arrangements from that tour? I need to do some hunting for audio.
I actually won tickets to your Dallas show on that tour and had to give them away due to travel for work.
Where did you get that intro? Love it.
That tape has - Intro - Devils Haircut - Debra - Jackass - Where Its At. What are your other favorite arrangements from that tour? I need to do some hunting for audio.
I actually won tickets to your Dallas show on that tour and had to give them away due to travel for work.
Thanks for answering! Definitely gassing for a 3 lipstick pick up bass now.
Sounds like a fun, wild time.
Sounds like a fun, wild time.
i just got a two-lipstick pickup bass for christmas (a danelectro longhorn), and it's totally a fun, wild time! it's completely obnoxious and totally smooth at the same time. this is my first bass with lipsticks and i love it.
Note that Armstrong SplitTubes today come stock in different impedances from around 4.5K to 7.5K and I know of at least one custom set of 10Ks out there too. Cool bass and great sound but the guts in those pickups could be anything. Over the years and especially in that era Kent made all kinds of stuff for damn near anyone who asked.
I must agree, that tone is KILLIN! It's very nice to hear the bass that much "forward" in the mix too.
jeff, how does the difference in impedance affect tone? i can't find much info about them on the net.
I've used them in different instruments but never swapped hi for lo in the same bass so I dunno how much I could really say that's meaningful. The main thing I noticed is that the lower impedance p.ups disappear volume-wise almost immediately when you start to roll off the pot....so they're pretty much either on or off. Since I'm happy with a bass that gets one great sound this never bothered me a bit. The higher impedance ones you can roll off and mix for a wider tonal palette like you can with a Jazz Bass.
hmmm, that would be cool to have more control. there are a lot of in between sounds that would rock but you're right...they disappear if you turn the volume down even a little.
Oh yes, I love that clip. I've watched it several times over the past couple years. Killer tone, Justin!
Man, I wish I could've seen the band during that era. I don't know if you guys didn't come to South Florida during that period or I just plain missed it, but I didn't see Beck live till about late '02/early '03 in Boca Raton. Justin wasn't on that tour, or at least didn't play that show. I think Jason Falkner was on bass. Still a great show, of course. Bonus: The opening act was a then-unknown band called the Black Keys.
Another bass that uses two Armstrong lipsticks (with a preamp) is the Lakland Jerry Scheff model. It's been discontinued, sadly, but I've played one and loved it. The pickups are close to the neck and bridge, so you can get a lot of different tones out of it. They come up for sale used on occasion.
Man, I wish I could've seen the band during that era. I don't know if you guys didn't come to South Florida during that period or I just plain missed it, but I didn't see Beck live till about late '02/early '03 in Boca Raton. Justin wasn't on that tour, or at least didn't play that show. I think Jason Falkner was on bass. Still a great show, of course. Bonus: The opening act was a then-unknown band called the Black Keys.
Another bass that uses two Armstrong lipsticks (with a preamp) is the Lakland Jerry Scheff model. It's been discontinued, sadly, but I've played one and loved it. The pickups are close to the neck and bridge, so you can get a lot of different tones out of it. They come up for sale used on occasion.
Ahhh I have the audio of that whole show. It's amazing.
I have to say Hotwax is my favorite of that set. "Got some technical possibilities." That song is torn a new one. Ended on Little Drum Machine Boy too.
Great version of Rowboat in there too.
I have to say Hotwax is my favorite of that set. "Got some technical possibilities." That song is torn a new one. Ended on Little Drum Machine Boy too.
Great version of Rowboat in there too.
What a great performance, looks like a ton of fun! I'm sorry if this is already well known, but what rig were you playing in that clip?
Mesa Boogie 400+ head w/ 1x15" cabs. That tone is one of the greatest ever. Still have, and adore, those cabs.
JMJ
JMJ
Without a doubt, Sessions at West 54th has to have been one of the best live music tv shows of all time. They really knew how to stage live music at Sony studios, and that video really shows you why. I was lucky enough to get to attend a taping of the show featuring PJ Harvey and the vibe in that studio was awesome, and the sound was just phenomenal.
