Ok, i just got one question. Mostly, i play Metal and Blues. But i really want to do Psychedelic rock. ANd i wonder, is there any bass out there that can satisfy my needs? =)
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Psychedelic rock
- Thread starter Maglic
- Start date
I play in band with much of that style now...I started with a MIA Jazz, then a P...but I ended up with a G&L2000....seems to do the bill.
I think more P or really a humbucker style, my Sterling also sounded nice...
I think more P or really a humbucker style, my Sterling also sounded nice...
dude, any bass can be used to play anything. i've never seen a hang tag on a bass that says:
"only use this bass to play (fill in the blank) music.
now if you're talking about an image thing, that's a different story. would i use a six string single cut fodera in a punk band? of course not, but i could. the bass doesn't care what music you play on it. i'm sure that whatever you've got will be fine for what you want to do UNLESS you need (want?) more then four strings.
"only use this bass to play (fill in the blank) music.
now if you're talking about an image thing, that's a different story. would i use a six string single cut fodera in a punk band? of course not, but i could. the bass doesn't care what music you play on it. i'm sure that whatever you've got will be fine for what you want to do UNLESS you need (want?) more then four strings.
Whatever bass you are using for blues, I can't see why you couldn't use that for your psychedelic rock.
I'd say anything passive would be your best bet, if it's the sort of old-skool phsycedelic stuff you're looking to do. I'd have to give an extra vote to a Rickenbacker, though. I used to listen to a lot of that old stuff, and also a tonne of it's red-headed stepchild in the form of that whole Manchester sound from the '90s, and there were Ricks all over the place, it seemed. A nice P would do the trick, too.
I'm gonna suggest a Ric if you can get your hands on one. Although whatever bass you're using now will be fine, I think Rics were used a lot when Psychadelic rock was popular.
Jack Casady, EPI signature model. I almost bought one of those, but decided to get a used Gibson EB-4L instead.
Ric's, Jazz's, and P's would work fine. I would focus more on effects pedals and fine tuning your sound.
Gibson's, Guilds and Epiphones (not the Gibson copy basses they make today there were their own company) shortscale semi hollow body basses and solids were very popular back then and were the basses of choice for most bass players in those bands. They also used distortion boxes called fuzz boxes back then along with flatwound strings.
No such thing as RW strings for the most part during the late 60's when Psychedelic rock was big. Jack Cassady as someone mentioned was one of the best, he used a Guild shortscale Starfire bass, a fuzz box and usually Fender amps. Rics and fenders were not that common amongst the psych bands. The humbucker sound was big along with distortion.
No such thing as RW strings for the most part during the late 60's when Psychedelic rock was big. Jack Cassady as someone mentioned was one of the best, he used a Guild shortscale Starfire bass, a fuzz box and usually Fender amps. Rics and fenders were not that common amongst the psych bands. The humbucker sound was big along with distortion.
I agree with the post above (lived through the period myself) with the exception that I saw a LOT of Fender P's and J's during those years. Shortscale basses were popular, including the "Beatle Bass" and the 335-style hollows such as the Guild Starfire mentioned above. The comment about fuzz is right, too - there weren't many effects available except fuzz boxes. I have a 60's Univox Superfuzz and it's the wildest effect you've ever heard - in fact, too much for bass playing in the stuff I do now.
But flatwounds, always flatwounds, back in those days of "wAAAAooooooowwww, man, dig that..."
There are a lot of good suggestions here.
I'd like to add the fact that a Fender Mustang was good enough for Wally Allen of the Pretty Things for their psychedelic material.
I'd like to add the fact that a Fender Mustang was good enough for Wally Allen of the Pretty Things for their psychedelic material.
are you asking about cream, vanilla fudge, iron butterfly psychedelic or modern stuff like the warlocks, brian jonestown massacre? either way, it's all about the paint job.
i hear that blue waves and rainbow tie-dye basses sound best for the older stuff, especilly if you have a few birds flying around.
i haven't heard the paisley p-basses yet, but i would think that it has a little too much twang... better for psychobilly.
for the modern stuff, fire is best.
old guilds, anything with hammon darkstar or vintage hagstrom pups, ovation magnums... really.
i hear that blue waves and rainbow tie-dye basses sound best for the older stuff, especilly if you have a few birds flying around.
i haven't heard the paisley p-basses yet, but i would think that it has a little too much twang... better for psychobilly.
for the modern stuff, fire is best.
old guilds, anything with hammon darkstar or vintage hagstrom pups, ovation magnums... really.
