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That 'Punk bass' sound.

#101
SwamiRob said:
I don't get the hostility toward playing punk with decent gear though, to me punk is about playing music regardless of your circumstances cos you want to
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bam! i do believe we have the answer to what punk is! :hyper:


i mean...that is the whole reason behind so many bands...ramones, the clash, black flag, X, FEAR, all these bands are the direct result of the mid-late 70's arena rock gods...who played music that most "common folk" could not imitate.

hence the super simple style of punk.

i wrote my thesis in college on american punk rock. haha my advisor laughed at first (i was a history major...punk barely counts as history).
 
#105
I wouldn't say treble is what your always after, although alot of the more modern punk sounds have a fair bit. Bear in mind, alot of what you think might be treble is actually high mids.

troyus said:
The only thing worse than arguing about what PUNK is. Arguing what a PUNK BASS is. :rollno:
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He was asking for some generalisations, so we have provided them, I don't get what all the arguing is about in relation to what the punk bass sound is when people are just giving examples.

Mikeyd74 said:
some crazy double bass Tama rack drums
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2 bass drums?! Not punk! :p
 
#106
Lowbrow said:
The new sunburst modified RI Tele bass? I've always wondered if that bass was any good -- what do you think of it?
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I've test driven a few of those new Tele basses.

Great value, and I really dig the tone of that big humbucker.

Definitly not the mud machine that you'd expect with a humbucker up close to the neck.

It's a great souniding pickup, and the tone is definitly still in the P bass "family".

Sounded great finger style, and had a real nice bark with a pick.

My only gripe would be that then necks don't feel finished enough for me. The fret work is decent enough though.
 
#109
stolen basses:
i recall an interview with the sex pistols, the comment was something like, "well we didnt have any money, so we played instruments we could steal from other bands, and we always tried to steal the best"
 
#112
oh as for punk tone (might as well contribute here too :) )i dont think it really matters...i use a hot rodded p bass, both the p and j pups open full, treble maxed.

i also use a MTD kingston artist...

just grab something you like and rock it, doesnt matter what it is...hell...look at some of defiance's music...i swear the bassist (siagon...crap...i dont remember the second part of his name) is using fingers not a pick...but his tone kicks ass with the style defiance has.
 
#113
I have been playing in punk bands since the early 80's, my first bass was a pawn shop Fender Tele, Sunn head i bought off a band called the Rim-Pest and 2x15 Fender cab. It was all I could afford and sounded pretty good. I later got a SVT head and Rick 4001 The sound changed a bit after that but I got what I could afford (and the BAGs, Adverts, Damned and I think Eater that same 4001 too), still play that bass but have since built 2 Franken P's thanks to this site. I have always loved the sound of the bass on the Sid Sings album and have always strived for that sound.
 
#116
Anyone who says you cant use "expensive gear" to play punk rock is full of ****.

I'm all about the DIY aspect of punk rock, and I've been workin my way up the ladder to nicer and nicer gear. But I worked for it.

You dont have to be poor to play punk rock, it may help.

Besides, punk rock is about the attitude not the image. You cant buy rebellion at a store, it comes from the heart.



As far as the punk rock sound, p-bass is one of the best. I've filed the nut down and put a 5-string set on mine and it sounds amazing. I play it through my old school ampeg and it gives off such a rad dirty sound.
 
#117
thanks for you're suggestions, guys, but this threads got "ok then..." written all over it :hiding:

I now play a MIM Precision with Quarterpounders and super bright roundwounds, with a pick, of course, and im investing in either an aerodyne precision or a 70s Jazz, aswell as a line 6 lowdown amp which has an ampeg based setting. Then i'll think about that sansamp pedal. :smug:......



....but i still aint found that sound;)
 
#119
I've been in two punk bands and I always used a pick and a lot of treble, however in the last few months I've changed my sound, it's got a lot of bass and low mids now and it buzzes, there's no growl at all with all that low bass just a buzz in the low frequencies, it's a real break through for me. I'm currently advertising - looking for a post punk band to play in as a side project, there's really no rules about gear or sound.
 
#120
didn't read most of this thread, but wanted to chime in before it was too late. I don't think anything can beat the link below for punk and price. I in fact ABed a Danelectro with an American P deluxe at several gigs, and for depth, tone and punch it killed the P bass. No lie. The entire band agreed too. ONLY $161.00 ALSO IF YOU CALL WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AND SAY "HERO" (PROMOTIONAL CODE).

http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product?sku=516194

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