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Rush - Tom Sawyer tone

#21
There's a Youtube interview where Geddy says Tom Sawyer was the Jazz and Red Barchetta was the Ric.

I've heard him play Red Barchetta on the Ric and he gets his signature tone on it too. A lot of his tone is in the finger attack and amp set up.

He could play a wash tub bass and make it sound right.
 
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#23
moles said:
I should be clear that I'm aware there is plenty of grit inherent in either of his setups....whether the Rick or J, but it's at least Augmented Considerably by that guitar amp sound. :)
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I'm just going by the fret clank and the general grunginess of the bridge pickup, which sounds just like my '73 Ric, more than the grit.

As an example, listen to this Ric:

Thank God It's Not Christmas

Rics get this certain treble thing going on that's much different from a Jazz bass.
 
#25
SGD Lutherie said:
I'm just going by the fret clank and the general grunginess of the bridge pickup, which sounds just like my '73 Ric, more than the grit.

As an example, listen to this Ric:

Thank God It's Not Christmas

Rics get this certain treble thing going on that's much different from a Jazz bass.
Click to expand...

I get what you're saying, but unless Geddy is lying or senile, then Tom Sawyer was indeed played on a Jazz. He seemed pretty sure of that in the interview.
 
#29
SGD Lutherie said:
Sounds like a Ric to me. It has that fret clack from the low frets on the low strings. It also has a different treble resonance than a Jazz IMO. Sounds just my Rics always did.
Click to expand...
From careful listening to a variety of isolated bass tracks some time ago, I seem to recall that the Tom Sawyer sounded more like the Jazz, while Red Barchetta and Limelight had the signature Ric sound. I think that the distortion on the Tom Sawyer clip might add some midrange which is somewhat reminiscent of the Ric.

For comparison: Rush- Limelight Bass Track - YouTube
 
#32
bigchiefbc said:
I get what you're saying, but unless Geddy is lying or senile, then Tom Sawyer was indeed played on a Jazz. He seemed pretty sure of that in the interview.
Click to expand...

Well you just said here:

bigchiefbc said:
But he also says that he thinks (doesn't seem totally sure) that Limelight was Ric as well.
Click to expand...

See? People forget things that were done a while ago. I have recordings I have done, and I don't remember what bass I used or even how to play some of the parts!

Ric pickups are wound totally different from Jazz basses. They have less turns and are wound with very thin 44 gauge wire. So the resonant peak of the pickup is higher. It gives them a different top end than a Jazz, which is more upper mids. If Jazz's sounded like Rics, then all the prog rock guys would have been playing jazz basses. ;)

Also if you look at the old Sansamp RBI ads from 2001, Geddy says:

Fri. 10 Aug 2001 16:38:29
“I love the way it sounds. Nice depth and very controllable distortion.
I seem to be able to recreate some of my old Rickenbacker® top end with it while using my Jazz®!"
Click to expand...

So he seems to think they sound different as well!

Link Removed
 
#34
SGD Lutherie said:
Also if you look at the old Sansamp RBI ads from 2001, Geddy says:

“I love the way it sounds. Nice depth and very controllable distortion.
I seem to be able to recreate some of my old Rickenbacker® top end with it while using my Jazz®!"

So he seems to think they sound different as well!

Link Removed
Click to expand...

interesting, I can play a spector through the sansamp and it comes out sounding like a rick to me....in fact...although I like the sansamp sound, I find that it makes my basses all sound alike.
 
#37
SGD Lutherie said:
Well you just said here:



See? People forget things that were done a while ago. I have recordings I have done, and I don't remember what bass I used or even how to play some of the parts!

Ric pickups are wound totally different from Jazz basses. They have less turns and are wound with very thin 44 gauge wire. So the resonant peak of the pickup is higher. It gives them a different top end than a Jazz, which is more upper mids. If Jazz's sounded like Rics, then all the prog rock guys would have been playing jazz basses. ;)

Also if you look at the old Sansamp RBI ads from 2001, Geddy says:



So he seems to think they sound different as well!

Link Removed
Click to expand...

Agree on the Rick upper mids, it the Rick magic. My Geddy gets close to my 4003, but the Geddy is brighter regrading highs, while the high mids are not as ringing/ singing as on the Rick.
 
#38
smcgov said:
interesting, I can play a spector through the sansamp and it comes out sounding like a rick to me....in fact...although I like the sansamp sound, I find that it makes my basses all sound alike.
Click to expand...

Right, but he didn't start using any SansAmp stuff until 1996 when he got a PSA-1. The first SansAmp pedal came out in 1989. Moving Pictures came out in 1981.

I agree that they make everything sound alike. I tried the original in a studio in 1990 and didn't care for the way it mushed out the tone of my bass.

Anyway, sounds like a Ric to me based on having played Rics starting in '73.
 

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