sixties sound

[JoeWPgh]

Mudbuckers were a popular workaround to the limitations of 60s amps. The amps didn't produce much low end by today's standards. The mudbuckers help bring a little thump.

 

[vickde]

Why bass players used Bassmans in the 60's

I remember that the Beatles supposedly stopped performing live because they couldn't be heard over the fans. They were hardly loud.

I played rhythm guitar for a R&B band in the mid-60s. Several vocals, horns, B-3, lead guitar, bass, drums and me. I played through a Epiphone Pathfinder using a pair of 6v6s. Put out what, maybe 12-15 mighty watts? It was a very clean sound, and I had no trouble being heard.

 

[BassGuy97x]

I don't think you need to get an old amp to get a '60's sound. It's about the right bass, flatwounds and tecnique. Amp and speaker selection certainly make a difference, I would avoid using any tweeters/hf drivers and maybe lean in the direction of 12's or 15's.

If you are looking for that tube experience at a lower cost than a 60's Fender you might look into the Music Man and Traynor amps from the late 60's to mid-70's.

+1
having the right kind of bass is a biiiig part of having a classic sound. i use a '79 twin and with the e-140's and 421-8h's i got it hooked up to, it sounds nothing close to a classic with my ibanez SR-495 and my synapse stienberger custom bass. however on the flipside, with that same rig setup, my '68 tele bass, with its mudbucker and everything, sounds much more like the sound people call the "vintage, or classic" sound

 

[chris stopa]

I played bass in the 60s and 70s professionally and almost all of the bass amps were subpar. They distorted at low volume even in the music store. Some tried to use Fender Dual Showmans with 2 15 inch speakers but they were sealed cabs and were not a great improvement.
Then Sunn and Acoustic started to become popular, especially the Sunn 200s and 2000s - both with 2 15 inch JBL speakers. Almost everybody used them. The Who, Hendrix's bass player, Jefferson Airplane, and many more. They had a very strong driving sound, not as mushy as the Fender Amps. They projected super well. I had a Sunn 200s and clubowners told me that I vibrated the front windows of their clubs as well as the chests of the patrons standing at the bar far away from the stage. Unfortunately Fender bought Sunn and just about buryed it. I tried Fender and Ampeg before the Sunn. The Ampeg B15 sounded good but did not project. The Fender also did not project like the Sunn.
Funny thing about the Sunn 200s. Sounded great for Fender Bass but not for guitar.

 

[Korladis]

The term "sixties sound" is vague. It would help if you were more specific about who's sound you are looking to emulate.

There also can be a difference between what amps were used for recording and which amps were used at large venues.

+1

There were quite a few different bass sounds in the 60's. Is the OP talking about Jamerson's, Sir Paul's, Redding's, Bruce's, or Entwistle's?

Edit: I guess he's mainly talking about a more thumpy sound? Probably a foam mute and a pick and some really mild overdrive (just a tiny bit) then.

 

[johnpbass]

My first "bass amp" back in 1968 was not even a bass amp. It was an Ampeg Reverberocket with 1 12" Jensen.

 

[Lowbrow]

I've had some luck getting a 'woody' 60s McCartney/Ronnie Lane sound using the Aguilar Tonehammer with the AGS engaged the gain set very low or zero, which will 'vintageize' the tonality overall IME. Then you can zero in on the mid you want to push with the mid frequency/boost knobs, and even dial back the bass and treble slightly if you really want to go mid-forward. Personally only did this on a few recordings; I go for a more present Precision tone normally.

 

[Russell L]

I was mostly a guitarist in the 60s, but played some bass using my bud's Gibson EBO bass through a Standel combo with a 15." Now that was different.