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The obsession with distortion
- Thread starter RED J
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- distortion obsession
50+ for bass players? Not really...from the mid 70s until the early 90s there wasn't that much use of distorted bass. That was a period where mainstream bass sounds got very clean, with high powered amps, active electronics, "hi-fi" cabinets, etc.
Really? I didn't know that. I have to check that out. I always assumed he had a clean guitar sound.
I don't know. When I'm playing rock, I'll sound like Geddy Lee. Overdriven and crunchy. When I play Jazz, I'll sound more like Jaco. More poppy and percussive.
I just love distorted bass, it sounds badass!
I just love distorted bass, it sounds badass!
How ' bout the 1st guy to rip his speaker and use tape on his cones to create the fuzz/buzz fx.
I always thought it was more of a thing for the guitards out there. Do you ever see a guitar demo on YT without tons of overdrive/distortion etc?.
This is true. I think Dave Davies was one of the first. He says he slashed the cab with a razor after a fight with his girlfriend. Ended up recording "you really got me now" with a ripped speaker cone.
I,for one,don't use distortion.
I tend to favor the Jazz Fusion bass sound.
Clean,clear and round.
I tend to favor the Jazz Fusion bass sound.
Clean,clear and round.
Only Allan Holdsworth has succeeded in replicating the saxophone in sound,tone and technique.
And that's in the Jazz Fusion context.
Not Rock.
- Jan 26, 2014
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- I teach lessons and perform live music in and around San Diego CA. Sometimes I even make money doing it!
I do see plenty of distortion threads. Your post may be an exaggeration, but I see where you're coming from. I don't know myself either, I've used distortion from time to time myself, but it's not a common effect for me, seems to get a lot more attention here in relation to how often it's actually used. Even most of the guys known for distortion just use a dusting of it, very few Lemmys and Cliff Burtons in the real world, and very few people even on these pages consider theirs "good bass tones." Why does everyone demo basses slapping all over the place, when slap bass is heard on .0000024% of the recordings ever made? I don't know that either. They are fun sounds to goof around with I guess.
Great post RED J.
Did you get a "bit O' the green" today and decide it'd be fun to razz the kids?
Did you get a "bit O' the green" today and decide it'd be fun to razz the kids?
to me, the only time distortion or fuzz sounds good on bass is when it's the only instrument in the band with that effect on. if bass is to be distorted, the other instruments need to give it some sonic space or it just gets kind of lost. i'm sure you aficionados out there can correct me, but that's just been my experience.
Ric5
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- Jan 29, 2008
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
If all we wanted was a pure fundamental note then we would play synth bass. Bass is about overtones. That is why basses are made of wood. Wood colors the overtones ... also distortion adds color and character and noise to the signal ... this makes the bass notes more interesting and more pleasant.
That being said ... too much distortion makes for just unpleasant noise ...
I find it interesting that people mention metal in this thread, when I play metal I suck to clean sounds tbh.
I like fuzz for certain things. But distorting the crap out of it is something I only do when I feel it's warranted. Usually I just add a little bit of light overdrive to give the clean sound a little extra body or I'll run clean. In my new band where we write everything, I'm doing nothing but dirty and effected sounds, and I throw the hammer a little harder with them. but my basic sound could easily be mistaken for clean in a mix. A little hint of overdrive gives the mix a bit of glue so everything sticks together. And even fuzz doesn't always come off so insane sounding in a mix, either. It can, but there are some fuzzes that tend to disappear into the woodwork. I don't like those kinds of fuzzes. I want a blowtorch.
I think the reason people like distorted guitar and bass is for the same reason we love those Precision, Jazz, T-Bird, EB-3, Ric 4003 bass sounds, because so much music we have heard was made with these instruments and amps that had tube distortion.
It has often been the sound of our favorite music.
It became a comfortable likable reference point for many people.
I have always liked dirt in my music, my first favorite songs were all early/mid/late 60's rock that was on the dirtier side of things.
It has often been the sound of our favorite music.
It became a comfortable likable reference point for many people.
I have always liked dirt in my music, my first favorite songs were all early/mid/late 60's rock that was on the dirtier side of things.
