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The Cure's Simon Gallup

#161
Hi,

Long time Cure fan here. They're the band who confirmed I wanted to play bass at 16. Although for me it's also thanks to Gallup's predecessor, Michael Dempsey. This said, the 2 albums I always come back to are Faith and 17 Seconds.

After purchasing a couple nice monitors this week, I decided to revisit those 2 albums to test them out.
I got really intrigued by Gallup's sound on Other Voices. Some people suggested he might be using a chorus. I was thinking maybe some mild octaver... But I only have very little experience with either effect. Would someone know?
 
#162
Raman said:
Hi,

Long time Cure fan here. They're the band who confirmed I wanted to play bass at 16. Although for me it's also thanks to Gallup's predecessor, Michael Dempsey. This said, the 2 albums I always come back to are Faith and 17 Seconds.

After purchasing a couple nice monitors this week, I decided to revisit those 2 albums to test them out.
I got really intrigued by Gallup's sound on Other Voices...
Click to expand...

Flanger and compressor are a must.
I'm a long time Cure fan too. Simon also brought me to playing the bass.

I send you a small demo recorded at home with my phone
 
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#163
vincent69 said:
Flanger and compressor are a must.
I'm a long time Cure fan too. Simon also brought me to playing the bass.

I send you a small demo recorded at home with my phone
Click to expand...
In the meanwhile, I'd stumbled upon this.
Invalid Link Removed

Years ago, I'd auditioned for a The Cure tribute band. The guys were damn good too. I got the gig but it ended up conflicting too much with my other original project so I couldn't join in the end. Now that I'm without a band, I sometimes think that could be a fun project to set up... :)
Though I'd definitely want to aim at their earlier stuff personally. Everything from Cult Hero all the way to Disintegration.

Thanks for the tip and the demo!
 
#165
The MAN!!! :)
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#166
image.jpg
Longtime Cure fan signing on! Simon Gallup made me want to play bass. I would like to give an update to existing info online about his pedalboard (from Equipboard which links to this October 2004 Bass Player magazine article)

The Cure 2004

Attached is his pedalboard for their 2016 world tour, taken straight from the official tour programme.

It seems he has changed the Chorus Ensemble for the Bass Chorus, swapped out the Metal Zone for ODB-3, taken out the Noise Suppressor and put in a Graphic Equaliser. Other than it looks like he's just using newer versions of tuner, delay & flanger.

I must say that Simon is great to watch live. So much energy after all these years and looks to be loving playing. Cure fans show yourselves!
 
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#167
I don't want to diss on Gallup after my previous post, but after watching recent YouTube videos and reading the comments (not something I generally take any notice of), I couldn't help but agree that on some of the more recent stuff, his overdriven bass just sounds like total overkill. I know it's an ODB-3 but I guess he has just totally cranked it, to the point where it grates really.

The overdriven tone on the album version of Fascination Street is noticeably different to recent live versions. What does anyone who plays Cure songs use as their overdrive? I know that Gallup uses chorus, flanger etc but I'm wanting that kind of Disintegration mild overdrive
 
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#168
dmc79 said:
I don't want to diss on Gallup after my previous post, but after watching recent YouTube videos and reading the comments (not something I generally take any notice of), I couldn't help but agree that on some of the more recent stuff, his overdriven bass just sounds like total overkill. I know it's an ODB-3 but I guess he has just totally cranked it, to the point where it grates really.

The overdriven tone on the album version of Fascination Street is noticeably different to recent live versions. What does anyone who plays Cure songs use as their overdrive? I know that Gallup uses chorus, flanger etc but I'm wanting that kind of Disintegration mild overdrive
Click to expand...
Probably, there were Stingray with steel strings and flanger BF-2 (a bit)? Compressor?
 
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#170
F Street was in the Stingray-era, my thought is hard playing, strings lower, no chorus or flange ( I thing he started to get a bit away from tones he largely used on the two previous albums. I use the overdrive in an older Boss multi pedalboard for our Cure tribute, but don't use it much. Some warm fuzz and the right rate on the flange to mimic the synth bass on The Walk for example.
 
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#171
dmc79 said:
I don't want to diss on Gallup after my previous post, but after watching recent YouTube videos and reading the comments (not something I generally take any notice of), I couldn't help but agree that on some of the more recent stuff, his overdriven bass just sounds like total overkill. I know it's an ODB-3 but I guess he has just totally cranked it, to the point where it grates really.

The overdriven tone on the album version of Fascination Street is noticeably different to recent live versions. What does anyone who plays Cure songs use as their overdrive? I know that Gallup uses chorus, flanger etc but I'm wanting that kind of Disintegration mild overdrive
Click to expand...

Personally I love his current OD sound, despite not being able to get that sound out of my ODB-3.

Currently I'm using a Way Huge Pork Loin with a BF-2 and MXR Bass Chorus Deluxe for Fascination Street when I play it. Used to use my Aguilar Agro but with my Geddy Lee Jazz it sounded too "thin".

When Disintegration was recorded I assume Simon used some sort of Boss overdrive with either a Stingray or hollowbody bass.



Haven't tried it yet but I think the Fuzzrocious/MXR Bass Distortion would be fantastic for Cure songs.
 
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#173
winterburn69 said:
I don't like it either. The looks or the sound.

I wish he'd go back to his late '70s P. Sounded great on those Reflections shows.
Click to expand...

Me too. I haven't seen the Reflections shows. I wish The Cure would get on with releasing DVD / Blu Ray of the old VHS tapes like In Orange and Show. And putting Reflections out too. His P really is killer
 

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#174
winterburn69 said:
Personally I love his current OD sound, despite not being able to get that sound out of my ODB-3.

Currently I'm using a Way Huge Pork Loin with a BF-2 and MXR Bass Chorus Deluxe for Fascination Street when I play it. Used to use my Aguilar Agro but with my Geddy Lee Jazz it sounded too "thin".

When Disintegration was recorded I assume Simon used some sort of Boss overdrive with either a Stingray or hollowbody bass.



Haven't tried it yet but I think the Fuzzrocious/MXR Bass Distortion would be fantastic for Cure songs.
Click to expand...

I'm on the hunt for both an Overdrive and a Chorus pedal. The Pork Loin is on the short list, especially if I can get a used one. MXR chorus deluxe is more than I'd like to spend really. Especially when CEB-3 and CE-5's come up on the 'Bay a lot. Does that combo work well for a lot of Cure songs you play?
 
#175
dmc79 said:
I'm on the hunt for both an Overdrive and a Chorus pedal. The Pork Loin is on the short list, especially if I can get a used one. MXR chorus deluxe is more than I'd like to spend really. Especially when CEB-3 and CE-5's come up on the 'Bay a lot. Does that combo work well for a lot of Cure songs you play?
Click to expand...

I'm sure winterbum will chip in soon. Personally i'd avoid the CEB3...i found it way too subtle unless its all maxed out. The CE5 is so much better and was used on so many classic cure tracks afaik. Personally i use a Clone theory for that New Wave chorus effect (Peter Hook/Gallup) which i think it nails really well...although a lot of people find it too noisy. The EHX small clone or the new bass clone are also worth checking out...great warm choruses and not too expensive.

For OD i'd personally recomend (and use) a Joyo American ...def worth checking out. V versatile, gets great reviews and v cheap. Good as a pre-amp, Eq and OD
 
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#177
dmc79 said:
I'm on the hunt for both an Overdrive and a Chorus pedal. The Pork Loin is on the short list, especially if I can get a used one. MXR chorus deluxe is more than I'd like to spend really. Especially when CEB-3 and CE-5's come up on the 'Bay a lot. Does that combo work well for a lot of Cure songs you play?
Click to expand...

Pork Loin is a great OD. They pop up in the classifieds here quite regularly. MXR Bass Overdrive is quite close to the Pork Loin.

Yes, the MXR isn't cheap, but it's fantastic for Cure songs and that '80s chorus sound.

Yeah that combo works quite well for me. I also love using the flanger and chorus at the same time.

When I play through my Cure playlist I'm always using the following:
MXR Bass Chorus Deluxe
Boss BF-2 (MXR EVH Flanger is great as well)
Way Huge Pork Loin
Malekko Diabolik
Malekko Ekko 616
Ampeg SCR-DI

boristhespider7 said:
I'm sure winterbum will chip in soon. Personally i'd avoid the CEB3...i found it way too subtle unless its all maxed out. The CE5 is so much better and was used on so many classic cure tracks afaik. Personally i use a Clone theory for that New Wave chorus effect (Peter Hook/Gallup) which i think it nails really well...although a lot of people find it too noisy. The EHX small clone or the new bass clone are also worth checking out...great warm choruses and not too expensive.

For OD i'd personally recomend (and use) a Joyo American ...def worth checking out. V versatile, gets great reviews and v cheap. Good as a pre-amp, Eq and OD
Click to expand...

Haven't tried the CE-5, but IMO, yes, avoid the CEB-3. For The Cure, it's either a CE-3 or MXR Bass Chorus Deluxe. Avoid the Way Huge Blue Hippo as well. It's a great chorus, but not for the '80s chorus sound. I can't comment on the Clone Theory, I haven't tried it.

I'd also like to try a TC Corona. It's what Tim Lefebvre and Duff McKagan currently use.
 

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