Tone - Let it Happen - Tame Impala

[deepvibration]

Yes this is another "how do I get this tone" thread. Of course, there's a jazz bass but there is a certain compressed or dark but amazing thump to this tone.



Any suggestions? There seems to be pedal board in use for this new album.

 

[Blu bro]

my guess... flatwound strings and a tube amp. but maybe ask the effects forum.

 

[Tom Bomb]

Beautiful song! Enjoyed it immensely. Thanks to the OP How are you approaching this mysterious tone? I mean to say, do you have a jazz bass, or are you going to make a compromise? And do you have something similar to play through? Sounds like he's rolled the tone off, and the neck PU's at least very dominant in the game, for starters.

 

[rodl2005]

Tame Impala do great stuff! Live on Jools they did a couple of great shows too.

Listen to both ELEPHANT & Feels Like We Only Go Backwards by Tame Impala just like this -great songs and wicked bass tone (well, on Backwards anyway)

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

Bass sounds like a bass to me - nothing particularly tricky going on. Sounds kinda compressed... and he's playing with a pick, so that will make it sound different.

 

[deepvibration]

Yeah the tone on their older albums comes from a Hofner. Yeah, I got flats on a P but I cant get it that dark. Of course I got a bright amp (GK RB) and Lawerence p46. My tone cap is a .022. Notice that there's an even darker bass sound when the drummer plays the pads. Maybe he hits an EQ pedal?

 

[Tom Bomb]

Not sure. Maybe. One thing he is doing though - he's not overplaying it. I bet that helps. Dude can play. And, together, they're a formidable rhythm section. Seamless.

 

[wintremute]

It's a backing track.













JUST KIDDING!

 

[deepvibration]

It's a backing track.













JUST KIDDING!

haha.

 

[nate56]

keep in mind the band is also probably going out into a mixer so there is some eq'ing going on. As far as tone. It sounds like typical flats and svt action. I'm sure Cam palm mutes sometimes too.

 

[Tom Bomb]

Had another look at the clip. "Karaoke Klowns! Fo' Shame!" But if you look at the frames around 1:25, those strings look distinctly black (and nylon) against those frets. That's a pretty strong indication though it's not a sharp enough glimpse, at least on the youtube clip, to tell definitively. Certainly sounds correct - could be rotosound, or la bella maybe, or any number of other brands? - There's a distinct edge there for you, I'd reckon, by the look of it. Nate's got a good point regarding the board too, which is potentially not an unsubstantial input - they could easily hammer down any undesirable brightness there. And, like Harry, I do hear some, very tasteful, compression in there. That could be happening at the board or from a pedal. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter, at least in part. Magic

[ed] Had yet another look Hee Hee… If you look at the frames around 4:16, when the house lights are up, those strings don't look so dark. So, flats maybe instead, as has been said ^

 

[grenadilla]

he picks near the bridge and keeps the tone a little bassey (mutes some)

 

[BazzTard]

Elephant is in Rocksmith, I'll fire it up and look at the Tone Designer for that song,should list all the effects used.
Just EQ (scooped mids) and Comp

 

[F-Clef-Jef]

Am I the only one that can see theInvalid Link Removed on his bass? Although it has been a long day...