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Tic Tac bass

B

BassBob185

Oct 25, 2007
780
1
Rocking Chair
#1
I was reading one of my bass books and came across the tic tac bass reference. I understand it is bass doubling such as when a 6 string Danoelectric bass doubles an upright.

Would one of the songs representing that style be I Walk the Line by Johnny Cash? Is there another example that better uses that style? Was a Jazzmaster or Jaguar VI used for this technique?

Thanks
 
#2
I can not think of any examples off hand but they were quite common in Nashville and many rock recordings from the late 50's thru the mid 60's that used tictak basslines particularly songs with prominent bass lines or riffs. Recording that style really helped the bass parts pop off of those mono recordings and 6x9 car radio speakers. The usual basses used for TicTac were an DanElectro 6 string bass and a Fender Bass VI and on rare occasions a Gibson EB-6. Those 6 string basses were all 30" scale, flat wound strings and were strung like a 6 string guitar tuned an octave down. Originally these instruments were meant for guitar players who wanted to "double" on bass.
One of the reasons that Carol Kaye and Joe Osborne worked so much is they played electric bass with a pick and could get that sound for only 1 paycheck.
 
#3
6 string Dano's, Fender Bass VI, and baritone guitars were most the common tic tacs.

In addition to doubling an upright, you'll find some pretty cool lead parts (Dwight Yoakum's guitar player, Pete Anderson does some great baritone leads).

Check out vintage Buck Owens, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Johnny Horton, Patsy Cline and many others for examples.
 
#4
The Johnny Cash stuff is Luther Perkins on Telecaster. Exemplary use can be found on almost any country shuffle recorded in the late 50s through the 60. Lots of Texas producers still use it; check out recordings by Justin Trevino, Bobby Flores, Tony Booth, Jake Hooker, Amber Digby, to name a few. For some non-country TicTac use, check out the easy listening genre recordings of Bert Kaempfert.
 
#5
salcott said:
The Johnny Cash stuff is Luther Perkins on Telecaster. Exemplary use can be found on almost any country shuffle recorded in the late 50s through the 60. Lots of Texas producers still use it; check out recordings by Justin Trevino, Bobby Flores, Tony Booth, Jake Hooker, Amber Digby, to name a few. For some non-country TicTac use, check out the easy listening genre recordings of Bert Kaempfert.
Click to expand...

Any Glen Campbell songs have a tic tac?
 
#6
Easy8 said:
6 string Dano's, Fender Bass VI, and baritone guitars were most the common tic tacs.

In addition to doubling an upright, you'll find some pretty cool lead parts (Dwight Yoakum's guitar player, Pete Anderson does some great baritone leads).

Check out vintage Buck Owens, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Johnny Horton, Patsy Cline and many others for examples.
Click to expand...

Johnny Horton's North to Alaska was one of my favorites, tic tac?
 
#13
salcott said:
The Johnny Cash stuff is Luther Perkins on Telecaster. Exemplary use can be found on almost any country shuffle recorded in the late 50s through the 60. Lots of Texas producers still use it; check out recordings by Justin Trevino, Bobby Flores, Tony Booth, Jake Hooker, Amber Digby, to name a few. For some non-country TicTac use, check out the easy listening genre recordings of Bert Kaempfert.
Click to expand...

+1
Berthold Kämpfert was one meeeen-mutter-(shutyourmouth!), can Ja dig it? :D


But yes, he used tic-tac. Red Roses For a Blue Lady!
 
#16
Easy8 said:
6 string Dano's, Fender Bass VI, and baritone guitars were most the common tic tacs.

In addition to doubling an upright, you'll find some pretty cool lead parts (Dwight Yoakum's guitar player, Pete Anderson does some great baritone leads).

Check out vintage Buck Owens, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Johnny Horton, Patsy Cline and many others for examples.
Click to expand...

What songs?

YouTube?
 

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