Need a "hippie" bass... suggestions?

[DLESSING]

Are you after the look or the sound?
Most of the stuff from 64 - 70 was played on a fender j or p thru ampeg or fender amps. So your Squire j will probably get the right sound (or close enough) leaning on the neck pup and rolling off the treble on the bass and/or amp.

I defer to the artwork already posted for the look. But the look I recall (and yes, I'm old enough to have been there), was a leafy substance in rolling paper lit and held under the strings at the headstock. The red glow traced arcs thru the dark stage as the bass player moved the neck in time to the groove. Of course you would comply with all local laws and fire codes before adopting this.

 

[P. Bass]

Just wear a tie dyed & some fringes & nobody'll be lookin' at the bass.

 

[countrybass007]

It's a Pontiac Solstice, not a BMW, and I'm still having as much fun as I did in the 60s with my Vox Wyman bass and my Standell 600 watt four 15s. Just the vehicle and my gear have changed, the whole hippie attitude and the tye-dye are still there.

 

[KramerBassFan]

600 watts from a Standel?

 

[Stumbo]

Just wear a tie dyed & some fringes & nobody'll be lookin' at the bass.

+10

I sometimes wore an open leather vest with 2 foot fringe on it. No shirt, bell bottom pants and barefooted. Yeah, I know....a vest something like this:

Sheesh...at a Halloween costume shop no less....oh well.... it was cool at the time...hippie dippie chicks and such....

Hey, there are lots of costumes on this site ([Invalid or Expired Link Removed]) that would instantly make you a "hippie" and save you a bunch of cash(not buying a new bass). Just use the bass you have. No one will notice it if you have a '69 reissue hippie outfit.

 

[GM60466]

Dan Armstrong

 

[Passinwind]

He meant the rich,BMW driving ,pseudo-hippies of today.

Yep, as opposed to the rich VW bus driving pseudo-hippies in my high school in the late 60s.

 

[5StringBlues]

Fashion is smashin' the true meaning of it.

 

[Passinwind]

Fashion is smashin' the true meaning of it.

Get a job!

 

[5StringBlues]

^ Honey,is that you?!?

 

[johnk_10]

600 watts from a Standel?

maybe that's what it pulls from the AC outlet in the wall?
either that, or he has multiple amps. i used to have a late 60's standel 'artist bass' (a vertical combo w/2x15's) and i really dug it, but i doubt that it had more than 100 watts RMS of actual output.

 

[barboom]

I think my old Goya is pretty hippie lookin. and it sounds pretty old school too.

Do you have any soundclips of this lovely looking bass? I dig the look of it. What are the functions of its many little bits?

 

[Dan B]

maybe that's what it pulls from the AC outlet in the wall?

This reminds me. I was somewhat excited to see the number "200 watts" on the back of my Peavey TKO until I realized that's how much power it took in.

 

[REAPER52]

I think i jazz standard would able to do the job.

 

[COBRARI]

Lots of garage bands when I was in high school. 1968.
Yes... Dan Armstrongs and I remember seeing Harmony H22's.
Vox shaped basses were popular too. Nobody had the dough for Fender and Gibson stuff in my neighborhood but the Harmony H22 could belt out "My Generation and the Blues Magoos "We ain't seen nothing yet" pretty good.

 

[bigntasty]

this

+2.

Squier would also work fine if you're not a brand snob. I love my 60s CV Jazz! White wasn't the most prevalent color for a bass, but you can buy a new one for ~$350 and it definitely sounds like it's from that period.

 

[MAJOR METAL]

Fender paisley or blue flower just screams hippie to me !

 

[mellowgerman]

Epi EB-0 with a pickup upgrade would be ideal. Jack Bruce and Chris White both used a Gibby EB-0.

 

[KramerBassFan]

maybe that's what it pulls from the AC outlet in the wall?
either that, or he has multiple amps. i used to have a late 60's standel 'artist bass' (a vertical combo w/2x15's) and i really dug it, but i doubt that it had more than 100 watts RMS of actual output.

I want to think Standel had a 200w amp... maybe he used two of them? Eh, either way, no big deal. I just love old amps.

I saw a Standel 100w head and either a 4x12 or 4x15, man it was cool. Didn't plug it in... and probably wouldn't care too.

 

[barbarbass]

Definitely the Ric. Either a 4001 or 4003.