Does anybody happen to know what brand and model of bass "The Cure" bassist Simon Gallup used on the "Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me" album in 1987, specifically on their hit "Just Like Heaven?" Also, where the best place to purchase one would be (depending on how much it costs). I play the acoustic/contra/upright/double bass so I am a novice to electric bass guitars, but would like to take it up. Thanks.
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Simon Gallup's bass '87
- Thread starter awesomeness
- Start date
In 1987 his main bass was a Ernie Ball Music Man. Black with white pickguard, maple neck/fingerboard. You can see and hear it by watching any of the clips from The Cure In Orange on YouTube.
He was playing a black gibson EB-2 bass guitar(on just like heaven).
He started is career with a black Fender precision
I also used a Musicman Stingray (live) sometimes during is career, some Kramer acoustic basses also
BUT he played many different Gibson or from the gibson family instruments....
He started is career with a black Fender precision
I also used a Musicman Stingray (live) sometimes during is career, some Kramer acoustic basses also
BUT he played many different Gibson or from the gibson family instruments....
I remember him playing his black precision bass on the Hot Hot Hot video. I could be wrong but I think the black hollowbody was not a Gibson but a Eccleshall holowbody bass. Peter hook has one as well.
haha check this out. I don't think I've ever seen him play this bass (even if he is miming his part)
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+1 stingray w/chorus for 'just like heaven'
i think he used the stingray 2 EQ and peavey amps/cabs for recording- head on the door, disentigration and wish, but only used the stingray for the head on the door tour.
used the EB-2 and longscale EB2 custom made copy through peavy amps/cabs for live tours: kiss me, disentigration and wish.
switched to the thunderbird and ampeg studio and live for wild mood swings on (sometimes used a ric for a song or two)
used p-bass (sometimes ric) for 17 seconds, faith, pornography.
pretty sure robert smith used a p-bass for japanese whispers, the top.
find video of the offical primary video both robert and simon are playing matching black and maple 70s p-basses (although on record it is a bas and fender bass VI) neato.
the stingray is a perfect bass to nail the cure tone from the late 80s early 90s.
i think he used the stingray 2 EQ and peavey amps/cabs for recording- head on the door, disentigration and wish, but only used the stingray for the head on the door tour.
used the EB-2 and longscale EB2 custom made copy through peavy amps/cabs for live tours: kiss me, disentigration and wish.
switched to the thunderbird and ampeg studio and live for wild mood swings on (sometimes used a ric for a song or two)
used p-bass (sometimes ric) for 17 seconds, faith, pornography.
pretty sure robert smith used a p-bass for japanese whispers, the top.
find video of the offical primary video both robert and simon are playing matching black and maple 70s p-basses (although on record it is a bas and fender bass VI) neato.
the stingray is a perfect bass to nail the cure tone from the late 80s early 90s.
I saw them twice on the 'Kiss Me tour' (and actually met them at the backstage party in Wembley Arena on one of those nights
. Brag, brag 
) and, as already mentioned, Simon was using the black/maple/white pg MusicMan StingRay bass, which I think was the same one that was originally used by Phil Thornally (who played bass during Simon's absence in the mid-'80s, on 'The Top').It's unmistakable on most tracks on the 'Kiss Me' album, but I'm not too sure about 'Just Like Heaven' - I'd have to hear it again
.Depending on just how close to that tone you want to get, you could try buying a Sterling Ray34 (cheapish option), an Ernie Ball MusicMan StingRay (medium price option), or the real deal. which would be an early (pre-Ernie Ball) StingRay (pricey)! MusicMan have just released what I consider to be the best StingRay of all time, in the shape of the StingRay "Classic". One of these would give you that tone alright, but they cost about $1,700
.Good luck!
I sometimes wonder what songs his EB2 was actually used on. The bass tone on the neat remix of "Close to me" with the saxophone/trumpet solo that ended up being more popular than the original is really thuddy, maybe it's indeed the EB-2? Or maybe it wasn't Simon who played on it? I'm not sure.
I mean, the EB-2 sure does look cool but I really don't think it's ideal for the bright and focused tone Simon usually liked.
I mean, the EB-2 sure does look cool but I really don't think it's ideal for the bright and focused tone Simon usually liked.
Total necro, but I was just watching a video of their live concert in Berlin in 2002 on YouTube.
http://youtu.be/10NmOuKkn9Q
At 2:58-3:00, obsessing over what bass that is. Obviously a Stingray, but...it appears to have the mute bridge (though I can't tell if mutes are attached), and more importantly, it appears to have four knobs and the jack on the control plate—but so far as I am aware, the 2-band EQ version (with three knobs, not four) is the only model with the jack on the control panel.
At first I thought it was a 3-band EQ + piezo, like mine (which has five knobs and a side jack), but at 2:58, the bridge pieces don't look large enough to be piezo, and at 3:00, his lead clearly comes from a jack on the front. So far as I know, such a model has never been released?
update: OK, I was finally able to get a clear shot of it at 2:58. It has three knobs and a jack, so the same Stingray Simon has always had.
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http://youtu.be/10NmOuKkn9Q
At 2:58-3:00, obsessing over what bass that is. Obviously a Stingray, but...it appears to have the mute bridge (though I can't tell if mutes are attached), and more importantly, it appears to have four knobs and the jack on the control plate—but so far as I am aware, the 2-band EQ version (with three knobs, not four) is the only model with the jack on the control panel.
At first I thought it was a 3-band EQ + piezo, like mine (which has five knobs and a side jack), but at 2:58, the bridge pieces don't look large enough to be piezo, and at 3:00, his lead clearly comes from a jack on the front. So far as I know, such a model has never been released?
update: OK, I was finally able to get a clear shot of it at 2:58. It has three knobs and a jack, so the same Stingray Simon has always had.
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Simon Gallup. The Man. My first bass "teacher" courtesy of my very well worn vhs tape of The Cure In Orange. He rocked that MusicMan bass in that show.
