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Tim Commerford - Rage Against The Machine...tone...?

Grahams Groove

Grahams Groove

Never succinct...
Supporting Member
Apr 13, 2001
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#1
Does anyone know what gear Tim Bob used on Rage's self titled album? I know he used a MM stingray, but on take the powerback, it seems like his tone has a bit more balls and punch than the standard stingray tone...Anyone know what else he is using?
Cabs, pedals, any of the stuff?
 
#2
yeah, he used a stingray, as for the amps, as i'm sure everybody read in bass player magizine, he is very secretive about amps. i do believe though, he used SVT II head, with ampeg cabs, i guess he did a lot of modding on his amp heads, he never specifically said, but one trick he did let out was that he used telefunkin tubes. i don't know how much tubes change the sound since i've never had a tube amp. as for effects, he uses three distortions, but he said he usually used the marshell govn'r for ratm. thats about all i can tell you.
good luck, Charlie
 
#3
On the first album, it was pure Stingray into a big SWR rig. His tone changed drastically to the big, fat, distorted J-Bass through an SVT rig on Evil Empire. The distortion came from a Marshall Guv'nor pedal, as already stated. How do I know this? I saw RATM live just before the first album came out at the Underworld in London, and I stood right in front of Mr Commerford... :D

Russ :bassist:
 
#4
Originally posted by Grahams Groove
Does anyone know what gear Tim Bob used on Rage's self titled album? I know he used a MM stingray, but on take the powerback, it seems like his tone has a bit more balls and punch than the standard stingray tone...Anyone know what else he is using?
Cabs, pedals, any of the stuff?
Click to expand...

I believe that he also used an EQ pedal to boost the highs which was how he got that grinding type of sound he had going on. I don't know what you guys think, but personaly, I preferred his tone on the first album the best. I know he's worked hard on perfecting his distortion sound, but I really think that his original sound would be worth pursuing again.
 
#6
Originally posted by XO-Bionic
I saw RATM live just before the first album came out at the Underworld in London, and I stood right in front of Mr Commerford... :D
Click to expand...

wow, i bet that was cool, i would have loved to see ratm live, but 1.) in 92 i was only 7 and
2.) i didn't get into RATM until 2000 a little bit before renagades came out and a little bit before they broke up :bawl: anyways, thats why i've resolved to go to an audioslave concert even if it kills me!! (please don't break up audioslave!)
Charlie
 
#9
officialjlox said:
speaking of tim's jazz...

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Is that a thumb rest above/next to the bridge pickup?
Click to expand...

Yeah it is. :-) He also mounted one on his Stingray(s) he used in early 90s. Also hes making/modifying the pickups, the distortion pedal, and amps he use, as related 6 years ago, in this thread. And for those, yeah it is a Marshall Guv'nor, also modified. :hiding:
 
#12
I've always preferred his tone on Evil Empire. It's really his most dynamic recording. I like how his mellow sections are really smooth and his aggressive sections are super raw sounding. On later recordings I feel like he went for more of a compressed sound and lost some of that contrast, but that's IMO.

He used a pretty simple set up back when the did the self titled album, relatively speaking.
 

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