Pino Palladino -- Not TIs?

[attackz]

Hey everyone,

Really digging Things Have Changed by Bettye LaVette which Pino played on recently. Of course he killed it

Listening to the recording, e.g this track it sounds like he's using something a little heavier than TI flats. Whenever I've used them I can't get the attack he's getting out of them in this. Or maybe he's just doing the thing where he plays with his thumb and palm mutes to get that sounds out of them.

Any ideas?

 

[Selim]

That's the kind of rich sound you can get with a P bass and flats at Brooklyn Recording.

A lot of it is his touch (and how those TIs are set up on his bass), but some of it also is how the bass is tracked and then how it's mixed.

Anyway, I like this album, too (vinyl!). Pino's playing is as always so tasteful, never overplays, and the bass sound is warm & clear (which is what those TIs sound like to me in my head).

 

[attackz]

Thanks for the reply!

I came across your thread when I was searching for the answer prior to posting, TI jazz flats string height. Whenever I've had TIs they lack the "ping" that I hear on this record.

To me they sound pingier than other Pino recordings, e.g. .

Very well could come down the studio!

 

[Selim]

Thanks for the reply!

I came across your thread when I was searching for the answer prior to posting, TI jazz flats string height. Whenever I've had TIs they lack the "ping" that I hear on this record.

To me they sound pingier than other Pino recordings, e.g. .

Very well could come down the studio!

A lot of variables going on. Live/studio, amplifiers, what the engineers are doing ...

 

[Luckydog]

I thought I read previously that he uses TI on his signature bass, but has some Labellas on some others.

 

[michael_t]

I thought I read previously that he uses TI on his signature bass, but has some Labellas on some others.

One of Pino's P basses is strung with the La Bella 1954 Originals (aka Jamerson), tuned to DGCF.

 

[Gaebrial]

It's not the strings, it is the technique. Like the OP suggested, it sounds muted. I can get the same type of sound out of this P with flats by palm muting right in front of the saddles, playing with my fingertips (not thumb), and rolling the tone way back. Doubtless it has some compression on it, too, and maybe slight saturation/drive?

Of course, getting the sound 100% would probably need the same pickups and strings, but just but having a P with flats, palm muting, playing with fingers, and rolling the tone back got me more than 90% of the way there. If my left hand was good enough and I was able to get a quality, clean recording...

EDIT: After writing this out I realize that I have no idea what flats on are this P (my friend's), so maybe it is strung up with one of those sets. But I still think the point stands. The main qualities I hear are an accentuated attack and low sustain (from muting), and very "round" and "warm", or rolled off highs and less harmonics (from the tone knob, I assume). My thumb, at least, makes the attack too mushy, but using my fingers gets that soft little pop right at the beginning.

 

[JTE]

He uses a lot of different strings for different basses and for different projects. Big heavy LaBellas (showcased on the D'Angelo stuff), TI on some, really really light Rotosound stainless rounds in the fretless StingRay used with Paul Young.

 

[Timmah]

I remember hearing somebody say that his tech described his bass strings on the Mayer tours as "the lightest set of LaBella flats I'd ever felt."

 

[michael_t]

"the lightest set of LaBella flats I'd ever felt."

May be it should be "the lightest set of flats I'd ever felt"?

The Fiesta Red P bass Pino uses for the John Mayer Trio wears a set of TI's for sure. In fact, the Fender Custom Shop Pino Signature P bass is factory-equipped with TI's.

 

[e-flat]

It's not the strings, it is the technique. Like the OP suggested, it sounds muted. I can get the same type of sound out of this P with flats by palm muting right in front of the saddles, playing with my fingertips (not thumb), and rolling the tone way back.

There are a few quick shots of Pino's technique utilizing a variation of this style in this Gretchen Parlato live performance:

 

[Luckydog]

It's not the strings, it is the technique. Like the OP suggested, it sounds muted. I can get the same type of sound out of this P with flats by palm muting right in front of the saddles, playing with my fingertips (not thumb), and rolling the tone way back. Doubtless it has some compression on it, too, and maybe slight saturation/drive?

Of course, getting the sound 100% would probably need the same pickups and strings, but just but having a P with flats, palm muting, playing with fingers, and rolling the tone back got me more than 90% of the way there. If my left hand was good enough and I was able to get a quality, clean recording...

EDIT: After writing this out I realize that I have no idea what flats on are this P (my friend's), so maybe it is strung up with one of those sets. But I still think the point stands. The main qualities I hear are an accentuated attack and low sustain (from muting), and very "round" and "warm", or rolled off highs and less harmonics (from the tone knob, I assume). My thumb, at least, makes the attack too mushy, but using my fingers gets that soft little pop right at the beginning.

I get sort of the same thing when I mute like you. Its a little bit awkward for my wrist when I palm mute by the bridge while playing fingerstyle, because the fingers are striking diagonally across the strings, rather than perpendicular. But it works.