Tone of Michael Anthony

[Gilmourisgod]

 

[Root 5]

I know he played a Yamaha bass for years as his #1, at least live, but he played a lot of different bases over the years, and a lot of different amps. I don't recall anything remarkable about his tone you couldn't get with a wide range of gear. I remember reading a quote someplace where he called his technique "the standard two-finger plunk", or something to that effect. I think he used a pick sometimes in the studio, but I don't remember any video where he used one live. He's a very competent, if un-flashy bassist, but his ability to sing those high harmonies and keep things solid while Eddie drifted off into the stratosphere is what made him so integral to Van Halen. I was pretty disappointed to see how shabbily Eddie and Alex treated him at the end. He's still a great player and singer.

Yup. Mike has some serious chops, he just didn’t get to show them in VH.

 

[FRoss6788]

He was a Mesa guy in the 80’s I believe.

 

[fretno]

Compressor. Probably a dbx 160a
Also a little grit. That isolated track sounds like a dbx into a SVT.

 

[Trvbass]

He was a Mesa guy in the 80’s I believe.

 

[WG Plum]

He always sounded a little dirty to me, like his amp was cranked to the point of breakup when he spanked it. It’s a pretty meat-and-potatoes rock tone to my ears.

 

[jtg]

Bruh. Play these back to back.

 

[DuluthDank]

My favorite Michael Anthony basslines were in Van Halen and Van Halen II. It seems like he had the longest leash early on and generally reined it in more and more as time passed.

As far as tone, I don't think he ever sounded better than the live Chickenfoot recordings I've heard. I assume he got that with a Yamaha BB into his Peavey signature tube amp.

 

[SpyderX]

A Guitar World article says he believes he used a Musicman Stingray on Poundcake.


Rotosound rounds and a SWR biamped bass amp.


Sorry I can't help more.

I seem to remember him with MMs about that time

 

[groovaholic]

The wide variety of answers (all correct at various times in MA’s career) should tell you that it’s not a particular piece of gear that gets you his tone.

But if I was going to define a “home base” for his tone, it would be PJ basses and tube amps.

More importantly: listen to his phrasing - listen to his attack - listen to where he stays on the root and where he’ll throw in a quick fill.

Because THOSE aspects of his playing span everything from VH1 to Chickenfoot - even when the gear is vastly different.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

There is no single Michael Anthony bass tone. In the early days of VH, he used a Fender P bass through SVTs, with a pick and fingerstyle. He then added a Yamaha BB series in addition to his Fenders. He then switched from SVTs to Mesa/Boogies. He then used an Aria Pro series bass along with various other somewhat random basses (Pedulla, Spector, Jack Daniels custom bass, etc). THEN he went back to SVTs in the 90s whilst playing Music Man StingRays and Sterling basses. He then went back to Yamaha and started using Peavey tube amps. Nowadays he uses his signature Schecters. He's roughy 50/50 pick and fingerstyle, although it seems like he lean more fingerstyle. This is just for live playing. Who knows what he used in the studio! He owns many basses, including various vintage Fenders along with the aforementioned instruments.

OP, can you site a specific example of (like a song) that you're going after??

 

[Spectrum]

I will use this as an opportunity to drop this here. I have always loved this tune, and MA's killer bass playing is a major part of it. As for his tone, it just sounds like standard rock bass studio tone to me, mixed heavy and played with lots of attitude.

 

[FRoss6788]

I will use this as an opportunity to drop this here. I have always loved this tune, and MA's killer bass playing is a major part of it. As for his tone, it just sounds like standard rock bass studio tone to me, mixed heavy and played with lots of attitude.

Their best album by a WIDE margin, IMHO of course.

 

[Jugghaid]

He was a Mesa guy in the 80’s I believe.

Yup

 

[pbass2]

Whatever he used live for an amp, as in most cases, likely had little to do with what they did in the studio. In VH's case I do think they probably early on recorded an SVT along with the DI signal (always a DI signal) 'cause pretty sure they were into using stage-size rigs in the studio at least at first (but could easily have been a B15 'cause it's just what everybody did). I do remember clearly him saying later on, I think the Chickenfoot stuff, the amp he used for the amp part of his recorded tone was an Ampeg B50R. Yep, A B50R combo. Obviously he didn't use that little amp live.

 

[ElectricBass72]

On Poundcake…Gorilla hands and stamina to lock into a 1/16 note groove for 5+ minutes as a start.

One of the first bands I played in, we covered Poundcake. I was 18 at the time.... and I had to play it with a pick. No way I could pull it off fingered like Michael Anthony in 1991. Just wasn't good enough at that time.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I remember that quote onthe Mesa ad about tone sounding like a "well exectuted fart", and how Mesa was going to fix tyat for you!

 

[Bassdirty]

I think he rarely uses a pick.

I was thinkin this too.

I know it's not Gospel, (or proof of real life), BUT in the POUNDCAKE Video, he IS using his Stingray AND playing with a pick.

Again, I know they're just miming to a track in the vid, BUT I'm guessing they MIME what they want people to see /believe. basically, if MA wanted the world to believe he was playing the song w fingers, he woulda done that in the vid.


Other than my Babbling, I always thought he was a FINGERS guy (but I'd understand using Pick for Pound.

T$

 

[pisces_bass]

Fingers in this version. And the combo of Ampeg stacks + polka dot shirts doesn’t get enough respect

 

[Metal Sombreros]

Straight ass P bass