Pino Early 80's sound: How-To? (Personal story included)

He was using real light gauge Rotosound stainless rounds, the 'Ray (a pre-EB with the 2-band EQ BTW), and I think it was Trace/Elliot amps at the time. Except he said the secret to a good stage sound was "bribe the sound guy to put the bass in the side-fill monitors", so the amp wasn't critical.

He's said the only effect he owned then was the Boss OC-2 octave pedal, and that's not on this track (but he rules with it on "Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down"). It does sound like there's some light chorus or flange on the bass, however, which could have been added post-recording.

jte

 

Stainless steel is all I know. Paul Young played locally, and a buddy of mine was on the local crew. He was a bass player too, and he got Pino's old strings when Pino restrung the 'Ray. Larry brought the strings into the store the next day to show me, and they were really light.

I'd think any good stainless steel roundwound would get you into the territory. And I don't even think the pre 'EB 'Ray is critical as there's a lot of active basses that'll get you into the territory. The real key is the varied right-hand attack, the space in the arrangements (a huge factor in how you can EQ a bass to get sounds), and copping the feel and the notes.

John
jte

 

I read that Pino used .95's Rotosounds. Producers usually put chorus on his tone too. I wouldn't try to recreate his sound from back then. It's outdated.

 

I wouldn't call a .105 a light, but like SteamerDavid says, it's the really lght ones, probably a 0.95 or maybe even smaller.

John

 

Things only seem outdated for a little while, I remember when nobody would touch Rhodes, Wurlitzers or B3s. Everything comes around, keep playing the "outdated" stuff until it spins in your direction and you will seem ultra-hip to have "foreseen" the trend.

 

Back when he was playing the Stingray fretless, Pino used the classic orange package Rotosound Swing Bass stainless steel set in the .040-.095 gauge.

 

I played that Stingray when it was in for service. A truly "I'm not worthy" moment. Pino is the reason I wanted a fretless back in the 80's and still have one now. Add chorus and octaver and you're in Pino heaven, a sound that has inspired numerous players, check out Guy Pratt on the end of Madonna's Like A Prayer, Pinotastic!

 

Fair comment

 

Heh-heh. Listen to the harmonic slide he does at 0:43. Wicked. He's a scary player.

 

I was with the Paul Young band once.











OK, I was only with them in a bar in Luton, which is where my band used to rehearse in the 80's and is where Paul Young comes from. Bumped into him in the pub just down the road from Quest Studios (which may ring a bell for bassists of a certain age and locality). The drummer in my band (who was also from Luton) knew him vaguely from school...so we had a beer and hung out for an hour or two. Pino wasn't there though....otherwise I would've whacked him with a pool cue and stolen his talent.

 

Remember also that Pino had an ebony fingerboard on his 'Ray.
Something EBMM doesn't do/offer anymore.

I LOVE his fretless tone.
Outdated????? I don't think so.
I don't think a good sounding fretless can get out dated.

 

pino"s stingray has a rosewood fingerboard, they didnt make ebony boards until 80" and his is a 79" it sounds like the bass is recorded direct with possible a bit of reverb, it also sounds like theres a tiny bit of vibrato on the bass track as well.

if i was trying to cop that sound the stingray is the important thing, i wouldnt worry about gauge too much, maybe getting a vibrato pedal might help but i dont even think thats even that important, theres loads of live versions on youtube where his tone is pretty dry.

btw i had a look at Pino's stingray a while ago as well, seriously lovely bass.

Dave

 

very light strings by the look