nhcomp45aol.com Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 How come so many Rock Bassists want to have a clean dynamic smoothe jazz sound in the Rock world of overdrive and distortion. I love that sound but it just doesn't fit Rock as well as the dirty sound of Gibson basses and tube amps. To me a clean bass in a Rock band is like bringing a church girl to a porn movie. Any thoughts, Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 Originally posted by nhcomp45@aol.com: Any thoughts, There's more than one way to skin a cat. Alex Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeronyne Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 Originally posted by nhcomp45@aol.com: To me a clean bass in a Rock band is like bringing a church girl to a porn movie. Any thoughts, Paul.A distorted bass in a rock band is like watching a porno movie while having sex with the porn star. There are technical reasons why it's not a good idea. It's bad enough when two guitar guys are phase-cancelling like crazy, but add another distortion? Bleah. But yes, if your brand of feline epidermis removal involves muddy lows and invading an already crowded part of the audio spectrum, I won't criticize. To each his own. Geddy's sound is fairly growly these days...of course, he's not really known for earth-shattering lows. OK, too much metaphor mixing. Peace out. EDITED a single word that completely changed the intent of my post. "For instance" is not proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddiePlaysBass Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 Originally posted by zeronyne: A distorted bass in a rock band is like watching a porno movie while having sex with the porn star.Idunno zeronyne, sounds pretty cool to me ;-)))) As far as the distortion goes, here's my 2 cents : I just joined a metalband that plays loads of Metallica and Machine Head. 2 guitarists already, and a lot of distortion. Half the time I'm copying one of their riffs already, so if I'm gonna add distortion to that, who will notice me? I mean, what use will I have in that band then? I try to provide the basis and all that stuff we low ends do, but I wanna be heard in some way ;-) So, providing that it sounds good, I just adjust my bass to sound a bit sharper. "I'm a work in progress." Micky Barnes The Ross Brown Shirt World Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Wilburn Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 I use distortion to duplicate a rhythm guitarist, but it's essential that any pedal I use have a blend control to keep my original signal there. Otherwise, like 09 said, I'll just fade into the background. There's also something awe-inspiringly rock, I think, about a huge, hungry clean bass looming over the distorted guitar. Sometimes you don't need distortion to sound bad-ass. Tim Commorford's bass sound was clean a significant amount of time, but it was still huge and scary. Four String Riot the myspaces, we hates it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc taz Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 As with anything, it depends on the situation. My fav band that uses distortion on bass is Voivod. If you listen to the albums "Dimension Hatross", and "Nothingface", you'll notice that it does fill the sonic space nicely. The reason it works in those albums is that the bassist isn't mirroring the guitarist all the time. In other words, counterpoint. He does clean up when needed, though. sevenstring.org profile my flickr page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Someone Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Originally posted by Thomas Wilburn: Sometimes you don't need distortion to sound bad-ass.I have nothing else to say.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonderdog Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Yep dude - you answered your own question. What could be more crazy-hot than taking a church girl to a porn movie? Maybe she would even have on one of those catholic school girl uniforms with... uhhhh, I'll stop there. I think it compliments the dirty guitars and helps accentuate and give tone to the beat produced by the drummer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbroni Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 To me a clean bass in a Rock band is like bringing a church girl to a porn movie. Any thoughts, Paul. mmm! church girl mmm! porn Together all sing their different songs in union - the Uni-verse. My Current Project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenLoy Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Sometimes, distorted bass is what makes the song. Other times, a clean tone is what is required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraub Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 I second Ben's blue text. That's why it's cool to play bass (among other reasons). You can define the song, lead the song and the band, and lead the audience. Big resposibility. And with this power comes the inherent job of the maintenance of your leading ability. And your ability should be limited to: Fingerstyle, pick, slap. ABG, URB,Electric. Effects, none. Clean, dirty. Not either/or. More of a when/if. " When I hear the song, if the song calls for it, I'll play _______." That's my approach. Peace, wraub I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 I guess there are some outfits that focus on one band sound - and the instruments have a consistent tone. There are some that vary what the instruments are playing (but not necessarily the tone of individual instruments). Elvis Costello's Attraction work was like this - Bruce Thomas didn't change the tone much, but made the music vary. For myself, I like playing various types of music. When I'm at Mass on Sunday, I like a tone without too much high zing. In my rock band, I change it up - some are fat tones, some are "bass with click" tones. I don't do too much distorted because I like owning the low end. nhcomp - you used the term "rock", which is a bit broad. I think of Allman Bros, Aerosmith, Fountains of Wayne, and Lenny Kravitz as rock (to name a few). Lots of clean (but not much modern/jazz) bass throughout. Give us an example of a rock group with your style of grungy bass and a group whose bass you think is too clean. Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Unless one is playing a lot of different covers, every band eventually evolves into it's own "sound". I just went a bought a bunch of effect pedals a while ago. I find when I'm playing along with a CD featuring a three piece (ZZ, Motorhead, Cream, et. al.), I like a little more distortion. Helps me stand out a little. With somthing a little more complicated, like a four piece with two guitars (Metallica, AC/DC), or a guitar and a keyboard (BOC, Steppenwolf), I like a little less. The extra fuzziness seems to get lost in the mix, and a cleaner effect seems to stand out a little more. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhcomp45aol.com Posted July 20, 2004 Author Share Posted July 20, 2004 Hi Guys, Thanks for the reply's. Tom I Guess I'm thinking a lot more about live bands I see in clubs. As far as Rock bands I think early Grand Funk and Mountain are similar along with the Live at Leeds sound to what I like live. When I'm in the studio I play a lot cleaner because it just doesnt sound right too dirty. I like the sustain I get more than the tone. I like my chords to sound like my Taurus pedals. Sometimes I sit in with other bands on jam night and when I use someone elses bass and amp I feel like somethings missing. I just crave that overdriven bass sound, It's a sickness I guess, Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dohhhhh6 Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 By no means is it a sickness, brother. It's called taste. You, choose dirty because you like it, not because it's what the cool guys do or whatnot. You've thought out your decision on dirty. You are righteous. Don't worry about it In Skynyrd We Trust Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveAG Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 listen to the "lady"...to each their own..... let's not forget about Cliff on "Pulling Teeth"(overdrive/distortion hell/heaven!)...... love to listen to it...don't care to play it.. (but I can!..hehehehe).... cheers' Have you hugged your bass today? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddiePlaysBass Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Originally posted by DaveAG: forget about Cliff on "Pulling Teeth"(overdrive/distortion hell/heaven!)...... love to listen to it...don't care to play it.. (but I can!..hehehehe)....funny, I'd care to play it, but I can't Lack the skills (and pedals ) to pull it off. That and I haven't practised it enough ... "I'm a work in progress." Micky Barnes The Ross Brown Shirt World Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveAG Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Oh Eddie... (luv the icon by the way...Steve Harris is one of my heros)...BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO Uncle Bruceski ? like the saying goes.. "how do I get to Carnegie Hall?".... practice,practice,practice..... Pulling Teeth is a rippin' piece...took me over a whole summer to nail it...and that was with the help of Cliff's old bass teacher!!! Have you hugged your bass today? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Bear Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Seeing Rush last week. I heard more distortion on Geddy's bass than ever. Yet, when the band was playing at full, you couldn't tell there was any distortion. Thus brought on a beer buzzed conversation with a fellow bass player at a gathering this weekend. I little grind won't totally mess up the works. If everyone is doing different things than of course you'll stick out a bit differently. I agree with Taz, Voivod has a good bass tone. Even check out Anacrusis? A student brought me in AFI doing Nine Inch Nail's "Head Like A Hole". That guy has a great bass tone with some grind in it. Everytime I hear a tone like that, I can't fight some of my students who wanna use a pic. It's the sound that's prominant in the bands they care about. There is the distortion that I use occasionally. The full overdrive. Sans Amp GT-2. Which I use for 6 string solos (very seldom). Sometimes I use it to try to fill the distorted and low end at once if the guitarists are both too high up on the neck. It's kinda like a Meshuggah bass distortion off the EP None. For those who are familiar. I can't get any fast right hand stuff going in the lower register, it won't track a low "Bb" in a particular tune. Hmm wonder why =). I play in a band with 2 guitarists using Mesa Boogie Mark IV heads. It's really loud and we work so it's heavy but the guitars arn't trying to pull an "..and Justince For All" on me. I like to sit way below the guitars but get some right hand finger attack in there too. The Sans Amp BDDI helps me get that. With the right EQing and playing, I get to turn down and still be heard. Recently, I've been messing with my tone again. I don't know why. I've been unhappy with my amp for a few years now. I usually end up with all the knobs in the middle. Mike Bear Artisan-Vocals/Bass Instructor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenstrum Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 I like a good STRONG sound. And every now and them, get my Fender 1200s to throw in a little dirty "fuzz". Tenstrum "Paranoid? Probably. But just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face." Harry Dresden, Storm Front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddiePlaysBass Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Originally posted by DaveAG: Oh Eddie... (luv the icon by the way...Steve Harris is one of my heros)...And mine !! Only discovered Iron Maiden a couple of years back, and only started to really pay attention to the bass (prominent as it is) since I started playing the 4 (now 5)string myself and every time I hear Harris I am totally blown away. But to be honest the icon was just a happy coïncidence :-) I play bass, I call myself Eddie and then I found that pic, of Eddie, playing bass. It all seemed to make so much sense practice,practice,practice.....Oh I do, but I usually try and focus on the stuff I need to know for band practise. Plus, Pulling Teeth is one of those songs that I take out occasionally, practise on for a week or so and then forget about it altogether, thus losing what little skill I had gained in the process Dream Theater's "Erotomania" is another one of those ... Pulling Teeth is a rippin' piece...took me over a whole summer to nail it...and that was with the help of Cliff's old bass teacher!!!Damn You're better off than me My bass teacher is a guitar player actually, but he's a licenced one and he knows what he's talking about. Funny thing by the way, he's always making me play modern stuff, like Rage Against The Machine, and I always wanna do older stuff ... "I'm a work in progress." Micky Barnes The Ross Brown Shirt World Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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