Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

[mlove]

By the looks of my Spotify daily mix its turning into High School nostalgia week.
Getting old sucks.

 

[xJasonSmithx]

I also just kept my pre flat when I was using my SR5 in my old hardcore band, That Was Then. I loved how well it cut through in the mix and I never had a problem w/ lows lacking. I kept my amp pretty flat for the most part.

Maybe these links will work? My old hardcore band That Was Then out of Memphis, TN. We were active from '03 - '08.

 

[mpdd]

changing my sound, because after years of slamming the mesa d180 with a vintage L2000 strung with dunlop nickels i needed a tone that wasn't just harsh harsh thick od all the time

just to qualify this i'm still using the custom fuzzrocious rat tail and dark driving with the markbass and gk solid state stuff at the practice space rental for that kinda jesus and marychain/nirvana deep grind i love, but my mesa d180 has always been a little complicated to navigate from a pedal perspective

recently i started playing a custom LB100 with TI flats, because it is super easy to play and the flats give me this kinda subby light od thing with the moog where i don't need to worry about stepping into anybody else's sonic space and i can drive the mesa only slightly giving it a little dark od, but without sounding super goth industrial if you know what i mean

 

[Nashrakh]

I like the idea of incorporating some instruments other than just guitar\drums\bass. The stoner\doom world is too focused on sounding 70s, while ignoring some of the experimentation that 70s bands like Sabbath engaged in.
When releasing something, there are two sides to the coin- art and marketability. In terms of art, I can tell the first 12 minutes has meaning to you. In terms of marketability, I as a consumer fast forwarded through it, looking for when the album "starts." Just something to keep in mind.
I dig the distortion on the bass. Nice and even without being overly wooly.

Thanks for the thoughts. I know exactly what you mean, and I can relate. It's a bit of a dilemma, because I see value in both, the fast hook to reel the listener in, and the careful, slow build.

Since we are fully aware of our status as niche musicians, we were going straight for the concept album and all the non-marketable consequences that might have.

 

[Novarocker]

Thanks for the thoughts. I know exactly what you mean, and I can relate. It's a bit of a dilemma, because I see value in both, the fast hook to reel the listener in, and the careful, slow build.

Since we are fully aware of our status as niche musicians, we were going straight for the concept album and all the non-marketable consequences that might have.

That's good dude, it's awesome. Really built up well. Reminds me a bit of my buddy's band. I'll find their page and post up when I have time.

 

[Ti-Ron]

@Nashrakh i have listenend to and shared your album to a group of friends.

I will add to the choir of sound/instriments experimentation. This is refreshing and I encourage you to go further that way! Keep up the good work, I really enjoyed it!

 

[C_nut]

Maybe these links will work? My old hardcore band That Was Then out of Memphis, TN. We were active from '03 - '08.

That bass is nice and tight! Cuts through really well

 

[xJasonSmithx]

That bass is nice and tight! Cuts through really well

Thanks! It can be tough to find a place in the mix with two scooped half stacks.

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

Finally I have a band offering. My band The Sleeping Legion's first media release.

The Sleeping Legion

 

[cornfarmer]

So a former drummer from a no-longer-together band emailed me to see if I want to try out for a thing he's auditioning for. It's some kinda bluuuoooz/R&B/funk/southern rock thing intended to play high end gigs, built around a (supposedly) very capable female singer(s). Sounds like some corporate event cover band horsesheeeit based on the little info he gave me. My knee jerk reaction is to say forget it, pal.

For some reason, I find I'm on the fence about it. I think I'll probably dislike the music, but not necessarily hate it. The drummer is very good, and we locked up great together....I assume the other people will play at a similar level. I've never played as a hired gun in a for-hire band for actual pay. I could do it, but I've always gone with original bands for as long as I've played. Like someone posted here in the past, I didn't pick up a bass to make people dance, and I kind of feel the same way. But after my last band went into a coma and then experiencing a so-so attempt at revival last week, PLUS the constant, year after year void of anything remotely cool going on in my area..........I am feeling a little desperate.

What should a stoner/doomer do?

 

[bassboysam]

in my opinion, play whatever, whenever. best way to learn

 

[Novarocker]

in my opinion, play whatever, whenever. best way to learn

I have the same sentiment. You can overall improve as a player and performer, make some cash to fund more lead sleds, pedals, basses, synths, etc. and you might even learn/create a lick or two that you may wanna use for your own stuff. You can always walk away from it if/when you get sick of it. Oh and you never know if you'd run into another doomer.

Thanks for all the replies so far. Much appreciated!


We wanted to release this on tape first, but technical problems held the physical release back for too long, so we decided to go digital first, and sell tape on demand. The finished record had been sitting on our desks for nearly half a year...

This is pretty much headphone music if it weren't for the bass, but there aren't any actual super low lows in the mix. Which is kinda funny for a recording with a downtuned bass guitar as a 'lead' instrument.

Last I knew they label themselves sludge punk, but hell they go all over the place and flirt with stoner/doom always some rad shows. Lake Side Effect is their latest I think and some of your A side reminds me of it.

CAVALCADE

 

[Korladis]

Ha! I'm gonna bring up the subject of letting him go

And thanks for the input! The MM is kind of glassy to my ear (especially with my B7K) and I think the Jazz can deliver some grindy mid-range to the mix which I hope will cut through.

Although, I'm interested if anyone here uses a MM-type bass for this kind of music? Do you guys have any samples?

Have you tried it with a different pedal? DarkGlass stuff tends to sound kinda shrill to me.

 

[C_nut]

Have you tried it with a different pedal? DarkGlass stuff tends to sound kinda shrill to me.

Hey man,

I did try it with my OCD and Carcosa-Fuzz but the sound was still a bit too metallic for me. I also tried boosting the lows and mids and cutting the h ell out of treble but I still wasn't satisfied. Maybe some day I'll experiment with flatwounds as CL400Peavey suggested.

I ended up setting up my workhorse Jazz to drop C and it works like a charm.

 

[eyeballkid]

man... screeching weasel is so good. I love almost everytime i hear them, but damn, Ben Weasel is such an *******. I almost feel bad saying that, because he is sooooo steeped in being one that he probably wears it as a badge of honor and compliment.

By the looks of my Spotify daily mix its turning into High School nostalgia week.
Getting old sucks.

 

[CL400Peavey]

So a former drummer from a no-longer-together band emailed me to see if I want to try out for a thing he's auditioning for. It's some kinda bluuuoooz/R&B/funk/southern rock thing intended to play high end gigs, built around a (supposedly) very capable female singer(s). Sounds like some corporate event cover band horsesheeeit based on the little info he gave me. My knee jerk reaction is to say forget it, pal.

For some reason, I find I'm on the fence about it. I think I'll probably dislike the music, but not necessarily hate it. The drummer is very good, and we locked up great together....I assume the other people will play at a similar level. I've never played as a hired gun in a for-hire band for actual pay. I could do it, but I've always gone with original bands for as long as I've played. Like someone posted here in the past, I didn't pick up a bass to make people dance, and I kind of feel the same way. But after my last band went into a coma and then experiencing a so-so attempt at revival last week, PLUS the constant, year after year void of anything remotely cool going on in my area..........I am feeling a little desperate.

What should a stoner/doomer do?

Some of the best gig fun I have ever had was in a cover band like that. You learn the music, play it your own way if you like, and then go to work. It will stretch your skill set which is rewarding, and it is a ton of fun playing to a crowd who is enjoying the music on a semi superficial level. They may be more interested in how fun the music is over your technical proficiency in playing it, but a good crowd is a good crowd.

 

[mlove]

man... screeching weasel is so good. I love almost everytime i hear them, but damn, Ben Weasel is such an *******. I almost feel bad saying that, because he is sooooo steeped in being one that he probably wears it as a badge of honor and compliment.

Link Removed

 

[dukeorock]

Been looking at amps way too much lately. Most of my work has been on upright for a long time, so I stopped thinking about tubes. Now I’m thinking about em. One SS amp caught my eye. A Sunn Colosseum 300 for $400. There’s a couple things in Nashville. SVTII non pro for $900 and a Mesa Buster for $650. Don’t know much about Busters. I like D180’s, 400’s and 400+. Trying to get my head around something with enough drive, but also enough headroom not to turn to mush. Really, I just want a Marshall Major, but that ain’t gonna happen

 

[cornfarmer]

Have you ever tried a SVT-III Pro? They have lots of headroom at least to my ears, and sound great. Pretty cheap if you shop around, but they can have problems with bias drift and adjusting it yourself is tricky. I got one cheap that needed it done, and even after letting somebody with experience fix the bias, it was still inexpensive for an Ampeg SVT.

 

[dukeorock]

Have you ever tried a SVT-III Pro? They have lots of headroom at least to my ears, and sound great. Pretty cheap if you shop around, but they can have problems with bias drift and adjusting it yourself is tricky. I got one cheap that needed it done, and even after letting somebody with experience fix the bias, it was still inexpensive for an Ampeg SVT.

I used to have one, actually. All this stuff is very subjective, obviously, but I was never a fan of the III. The II non pro is more my jam