Players with High Bass Turnover yet Consistent Tone

[220_Hz]

Mike Watt

 

[cxcxcx]

Will Lee played a few different basses during his 3 decade run on Letterman. During the CBS years, he played a Yamaha, a Fodera 5 string, a Precision, a Hofner, and a few others aside from his standard Sadowskys. In terms of the mix heard on broadcast, they all sounded pretty close to each other. It was a little easier to hear differences when they were on NBC, but that was a smaller band.

 

[David McIntire]

I always sound like me. Coming to grips with that was one of my most difficult lessons. Once I kind of accepted it, I improved exponentially as a player, both in tone and approach. I spent so much time trying to sound like this guy or that guy, buying basses and amps and gear, that I didn't just play. I was always chasing.

Today, I just play. I've used my main bass for almost 14 years straight. Same amp for nearly as long. Only reason I changed it was because of two relocations. Dragging gear is tough. And gear doesn't matter, either. You asked about guys changing basses and having the same tone. Well, what about changing amps? I can use any amp and sound like me, too.

Freed up from "the hunt", I can worry more bout my playing. And it's a lot more satisfying to me. And, I truly believe that's how my heroes think. They don't care what they use. As long as they get to play.

 

[trothwell]

Abraham Laboriel. Has played lots and lots of basses. His tone doesn't sound identical from bass to bass, but he has a pretty distinctive approach to the instrument.

 

[Swerve]

27420894[/URL], member: 361307"]I always sound like me. Coming to grips with that was one of my most difficult lessons. Once I kind of accepted it, I improved exponentially as a player, both in tone and approach. I spent so much time trying to sound like this guy or that guy, buying basses and amps and gear, that I didn't just play. I was always chasing.

Today, I just play. I've used my main bass for almost 14 years straight. Same amp for nearly as long. Only reason I changed it was because of two relocations. Dragging gear is tough. And gear doesn't matter, either. You asked about guys changing basses and having the same tone. Well, what about changing amps? I can use any amp and sound like me, too.

Freed up from "the hunt", I can worry more bout my playing. And it's a lot more satisfying to me. And, I truly believe that's how my heroes think. They don't care what they use. As long as they get to play.

Lots of musicians suffer from this. I joined a band years ago that sounded really good but they never wanted to record or play shows until they had this or that exact piece of gear. It was always the next most expensive thing that was a "must" have in order to get them to where they wanted to go. Predictably it fizzled out.

What's that old saying, perfect is the enemy of good.

 

[MisterUbu]

Rudy sarzo?

 

[Michedelic]

Bill Wyman, through multiple bass models, amps, and evolution of recording techniques. He's always had a modest but quirky style and sound that's been consistent. The only time during his tenure when the bass jumped out was when Keith, Mick Taylor, or Ronnie did it.

 

[Harper]

How many of the players listed have a sound that you can pick out of a lineup?

McCartney sounded different in the 80s than he did in the 60s and 70s..and to my ears, nothing he's recorded in the last 20 years screams "Hofner".

Geddy pretty famously sounded way different on the Wal than he did otherwise, but yeah...the Rick and the Jazz sounded similar.

I think people might be hearing with their eyes

 

[Green Knight]

I wonder how Roger Waters sounded on that Kubicki. I saw the Radio Chaos tour in Ottawa because I'm old, but I don't remember what he was playing and may not have known the difference anyway due to the fact that as a teenager I didn't care about gear, just playing. Sometimes I wish I could go back to that ignorant state!

 

[Bob_Ross]

Tony Levin, for example, I associate with Stingrays and sticks even though he played a Jazz on Gabriel 1.

Really? Everything I've ever seen/heard Levin play prior to his switching to Stingrays was done on a Precision.

 

[Killing Floor]

Marcus Miller
Nigel Tufnel
Quatro
Mark King
Sting
Dr Cheese
Adam Clayton
Dezron Douglas
Bruce Foxton
Trujillo


Lots of player sound like themselves on any bass.

 

[FRoss6788]

1- All the mentioned players have their own distinctive style, which comes through regardless of what they play.
2- They twist knobs to achieve the sound they like, which clearly doesn't change much.

 

[Green Knight]

Really? Everything I've ever seen/heard Levin play prior to his switching to Stingrays was done on a Precision.

Hey my memory stinks, so I could be wrong!

 

[jdthebassman]

Me 80 basses and counting

 

[Killing Floor]

Bottom line, I have been playing 40 years and I can't tell the difference between a P and a J live. I know nearly nobody can tell the difference on record. Every song was recorded by a P bass, yet half those bassists used Jazz or Ray or Alembic or Ric or Pedulla or Wal…
Just saying,
Basses sound like basses. The 1/8" difference in pickup position or the shape of the outer enclosure of the pickup even though it's got the same magnets and same wire and same turns, most of that doesn't matter. We hear with our eyes.

 

[ERIC31]

While I agree with those who say Flea and a number of others who have a similar tone regardless of instrument, I must vehemently disagree here. Stylistically yes, but tonally these sound vastly different and I think that most bassists would win the "Geddy Challenge" if they had to pick out which was the the Wal or the Jazz/Ric. The J and the Ric do sound similar. The Steinberger was only on one record and even that doesn't sound like either of the others.

Check Rush with Geddy live in 1985 rocking his Steinberger. I think it sounds great and with it he still sounds like him.

 

[Michedelic]

How about the inverse…it occurred to me that this premise is based on the supposition that any particular bass has only one sound, therefore a change of bass model would be the only detectable difference. Considering the stalwart P, for example, and variety of tones possible(and already demonstrated over 70 years), I would think one skilled player could have multiple personalities that could fool multiple listeners.
Then, consider how many think Jack Bruce used a Gibson on Disraeli Gears, let alone Fresh Cream; I've met a few.

 

[Les Fret]

Check Rush with Geddy live in 1985 rocking his Steinberger. I think it sounds great and with it he still sounds like him.

I actually like this tone and the Wal better than his later jazz bass sound, that's my least favorite Geddy sound. His Ric sounds cool too.

 

[PhR75]

Really? Everything I've ever seen/heard Levin play prior to his switching to Stingrays was done on a Precision.

That is correct. Gabriel II and Fripp's Exposure were also played on a Precision. Great overdriven sound on both.

Which reminds me of John Wetton. Until his carpal tunnel syndrome forced him to change his playing style it's kinda hard to tell what he played. He started to use the Jazz Bass on studio recordings in the mid to late '70s but still favoured the Precision on stage.

 

[Neon Blues]

I think when you are changing just one aspect, you still sound like yourself. If you are playing the same attack, the same style, through a similar amp and bass then you aren't changing that much.

For most people, you are really just changing the electronics you are playing through, no different that changing a preamp pedal to a different brand saying you sound the same.

If you are changing your whole setup, then definitely going to sound a bit different.