awesome bass

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The Flame

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Bass sound post

hey guys, i am looking for that awesome bass sound John Entwisle of the "The Who" used to have, in later songs such as "bargain", Who are you". I also heard that same exact bass sound in sgt. peppers lonely hearts club band. it is a very warm sound, you cant hear the frets. it is very deep but does not get muddy and the high end still comes out. Another example is on "L.A. woman" by The Doors. I tried micing my amp with good settings, and going straight into my firepod, nothing worked. i am considering getting a cheap di/tube pre, either art or project series vtb-1. Will this help get that awesome sound i am dying for? any help will be greatly appreciated. thanks
Flame
 
I was walking around in New York the other day, and this guy with a guitar came up to me and asked "How do I get to Madison Square Garden"....and I said "practice".
 
ez_willis said:
That was bass pedals, dude.
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Actually Dude it wasn't. The Doors used real bass players in their studio albums. (except for Waiting for the Sun). Either way if you want that Bass sound you gotta start with the Bass and Amp. after you get those the bass sound will make itself. Oh yeah. don't forget to play as well as Paul and John Entwisle did.
 
Burn!










I don't know what that means. I heard this guy say it at work after he just used someone.



Bitchin'
 
mrT said:
Actually Dude it wasn't. The Doors used real bass players in their studio albums. (except for Waiting for the Sun). Either way if you want that Bass sound you gotta start with the Bass and Amp. after you get those the bass sound will make itself. Oh yeah. don't forget to play as well as Paul and John Entwisle did.
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Carol Kaye! She played on Light My Fire and other Doors hits.

I'd second the suggestion that most of a great sound is in the playing.
 
thanx

ok guys thanks for your feedback. should i use a direct box or mic up my bass cab with my akg perception 200? i am not getting that warm sound i hear also on all the beatles albums as well as every rand b song. its a standard sound, but both my ibanez btb and my friends shector diamond series dont have that warm sound i am lookin for. pretty much any song on abbey road has it. i dont want to hear any more frets! thanks
josh
 
i think if i screw around witht he amp and lower the highs and mids a bit more it can happen. but does a di rreally help to change the sound, will it be any better than my firepod pres?
 
The Flame said:
i think if i screw around witht he amp and lower the highs and mids a bit more it can happen. but does a di rreally help to change the sound, will it be any better than my firepod pres?
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I have learned this much. Yes, the firepod you use can make a difference. The quality of the bass and amp you use, can make a difference. But, the only thing they make a difference in is this....If you have practiced and applied, and can play well, then those things I mentioned will really accentuate what you can do..good or bad...but even if ya played on not so great gear, and you are good, your talent will still be apparent...period. If you do not play well, using the good gear, you are going to still sound crappy and your lack of skills will still be apparent .....with no excuse for sounding crappy.....cause you're using good gear. :D

Yes, you can sound better and finding those kick butt tones are just part of the experience....don't get robbed of it....good luck. :)
 
ok.....this might help you...you want that twangy sound that john from the who gets......go direct and mic up your bass cab and eq where you get mostly mids and highs from the cab and get the lower end from the direct source.....mix to get the right amount of twanginess and bass
 
I didn't notice anyone else mentioning this, but in that era, pretty much evertybody used flatwounds on bass. The sound you describe, if I understand you, has a lot to do with flats, imo.
 
Carol Kaye and the 60's bass.

I believe Carol Kaye used flat wounds on a Fender P-bass. The secret come from palm-muting the strings while playing with a pick (or your thumb). I believe Paul McCartney did the same with his litte hofner bass. Most 60's and 70's R&B bass players played with a Fender bass with a foam mute. Listen to almost any Motown song, and that's James Jamerson playing his Fender P-bass with worn out flatwounds and a foam mute.

Also, it really helps to have an open arrangement without a lot of chunky guitars, which tend to compete with the low-mids needed to get a good vintage bass tone.

Hope that helps!

heemusic.blogspot.com
 
thanx guys

thanx guys. i play like funk rock, flea is the man! i also play jazz and all, i have been playing for 5 years, i am can play so i dont think thats the issue in this case. i can def use these tips to get that sound i want. i am gonna practice with placement to see what comes of that, that really helped me record my drums.i like to use roundworund for slap, but i think i can make em sound a little smoother. thanks for the help, it was realy awesome. you guys rock
Flame
www.myspace.com/joshsalant
 
there's also the mixing techniques that the engineers were using. a di box will generally not warm things up the way you're looking to, especially not the cheaper tubes ones (which i used to own a couple). try micing your amp with a mic for a bass drum like the beta 52 and also running a direct out from the amp or DI box if you pick one up. blend to taste. then there's compression, EQ, sometimes limiting (though i doubt that anything of that era was heavily compressed or limited at all). then you have to keep in mind the fact that stuff was on tape and tape sounds fatter in general. even if you're listening to digital cds...it's still a big step up from an all digital recording.
 
The Flame said:
thanx guys. i play like funk rock, flea is the man! i also play jazz and all, i have been playing for 5 years, i am can play so i dont think thats the issue in this case. i can def use these tips to get that sound i want. i am gonna practice with placement to see what comes of that, that really helped me record my drums.i like to use roundworund for slap, but i think i can make em sound a little smoother. thanks for the help, it was realy awesome. you guys rock
Flame
www.myspace.com/joshsalant
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I've seen footage of Flea micing his strings when recording, then blend it with the rest of the track.
 
thanx guys

thanx! i have to try those methods. i usually have to compress cause the bass clips alot. i cant seem to find a good volume for a bass, especially the way my bass player plays, with random slaps and and bangs here and there. and ya, i wish i had tape! thank though, i think it will help.
Josh
 
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