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Raconteurs Bass Tone

R

reverend7

Guest
Mar 27, 2012
12
5
#1
New to the bass forum and first post. Interested in a bass tone that takes up a lot of sonic space given only one guitar. Jack Lawrence's tone is something I'd like to emulate in recordings. I've read that he uses either a Ric 4003 or a Gibson hollowbody into an Ampeg Classic SVT.

I don't get to play bass too much. I have a Fender P-Bass and wondering how difficult it is to duplicate this tone? The Ampeg SS I'm playing through seems a little too slick and wondering if there's something on its eq I can do? Also, I know he's got a pedalboard and curious if he's using additional eq or pedals that are on all the time to get this sound? Maybe take the P-bass's tone knob down?

Thanks in advance for everyone's help.:bassist:

The Raconteurs - Level - YouTube
The Raconteurs Hands - YouTube
 
#4
I've only seen a little bit of live footage of The Raconteurs from It Might Get Loud. In those scenes he was using a Rickenbacker 4003 into an Ampeg SVT with the 8x10" cab. Based on what I've heard on the records I think his tone is coming from his technique and the string mutes on the Rick. It's thumpy, but there is some attack there from a pick.
 
#5
Thanks guys. This helps. I'm not familiar with string mutes and tried doing a search on them. I imagine they dampen the strings a bit when plucked and if so, wouldn't they impact sustain? Is this something that can be added to a P-bass? :confused:
 
#6
Of course they impact sustain. That's the point. Precisions used to come with a bridge cover that had a piece of foam glued to it for muting. But you can do it with a piece of sponge or something similar if you don't want to drill holes in a Precision that doesn't have a bridge cover.
 
#7
just stick a piece of foam or sponge under the strings between the bridge and the pickup. you don't want the foam to be so big that it chokes the strings. you just want it to dampen them. i usually cut the foam to be a little too big at first, then gradually cut it down until it is muting the strings an appropriate amount. (this "appropriate amount" is entirely at the player's discretion.)
 
#8
the rocket said:
just stick a piece of foam or sponge under the strings between the bridge and the pickup. you don't want the foam to be so big that it chokes the strings. you just want it to dampen them. i usually cut the foam to be a little too big at first, then gradually cut it down until it is muting the strings an appropriate amount. (this "appropriate amount" is entirely at the player's discretion.)
Click to expand...

THIS.

The thickness of the foam you use for muting is totally predicated on string height at the bridge. Try measuring your string height at the bridge with a mechanics ruler. Measure from the body to the underside of the string. Take that measurement and add 1/8" to 1/4", and that's about how thick the foam should be.

Also, take note that doing this WILL affect your intonation as you move up the neck. You won't notice it quite so much in the lower register, but this WILL affect your tuning and your intonation.
 

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