Post-Rock Bass

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Kasey

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Im looking to buy a bass. I've been a guitarist for over 5 years, and have played bass for bands at time and have been told i play bass pretty well, but i know nothing about actual bass's themselves. so i need help with getting a bass that will give me the sound i'm looking for. If anyone has ever heard any post rock bands (godspeed, mum, and in this case especially sigur ros), thats pretty much the sound im going for. A ton of sustain, a very full sound. Maybe this just has to do with me tweaking knobs, but i want a very mellow tone, i dont want to be able to hear any string noise or attack. i'm going for an almost "distant fog horn" sound. anyone get what i mean? might be able to help me out?

oh and im a student...that should tell you enough about what i can afford.
 
Godspeed-ybe uses Fender basses through Ampegs just like every other band.

There's nothing special about a "post rock" bass.
 
I'd love to have a jazz bass. If I ever get really serious about playing bass that's what I'd buy. I have a pbass special clone (with the split pickup in front and the jazz in the back) and most the time I just use the jazz pickup because it sounds so much better (in my opinion).

A mexican (or jap) fender shouldn't be too expensive, and if they're out of your price range start hunting a squire. (If you choose to go the jazz bass route).

For what it's worth I say jazz bass. :D
 
I'd suggest using a bass with a higher action and lots of bottom end. Jazz basses are pretty sweet I say go with a jazz
 
I used to play in a band that had some post rock-ish parts. I used a vintage Gibson and a Fender Active Jazz through a Boss Bass Overdrive into a silverface Fender Bassman and Ampeg 8x10 SVT cab. The amp was cranked up pretty hard to kind of smooth things out and give it a little grit, but not too much. I'd leave the Boss pedal off for the mellower parts and turn it on for the heavier stuff, which I'd liken to a more riff-oriented ISIS or Neurosis sound.
 
What is post-rock? Did rock expire while I wasn't looking? :confused:
 
A term used to refer to bands like Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Mogwai, Slint, A Silver Mount Zion, Sigur Ros, Explosions In The Sky, etc etc etc...generally long, atmospheric pieces with sparse vocals, if any at all.
 
I don't mean to sound like an idiot.... But did "Mogwai" have a song or cd called "hunted by a freak" ?

If so, I've been trying to figure out who did that forever........ I saw it one time at like 4 am on vh1 and I've been dying to know.
 
JazzMasterWil said:
I don't mean to sound like an idiot.... But did "Mogwai" have a song or cd called "hunted by a freak" ?

If so, I've been trying to figure out who did that forever........ I saw it one time at like 4 am on vh1 and I've been dying to know.
Click to expand...

Apparently they do, I googled the phrase "hunted by a freak" (if you put quotes around it, google only returns the EXACT phrase) and this was the first result: http://www.mogwai.co.uk/video.html
 
Yes, "Hunted By A Freak" is the first song on their last studio record, Happy Songs For Happy People. Good record, if you ask me. I think you can download the mp3 from the Matador Records website.

And since its kind of fitting on a recording forum, the aforementioned Mogwai record comes with a demo version of Cubase and the audio tracks for "Hunted By A Freak" so that you can mess around with it and remix it and such.
 
mogwai is very good stuff. i also highly suggest that everyone listen to the appleseed cast. simple, layered, interweaving guitar parts, not to mention that the drum production on mare vitalis is amazing.
 
I have a CD by Godspeed YBE which was very impressive. It's difficult listening sometimes because it's not always that tuneful, but I liked it alot.
 
mithra6 said:
I have a CD by Godspeed YBE which was very impressive. It's difficult listening sometimes because it's not always that tuneful, but I liked it alot.
Click to expand...

Which GYBE record is it? My personal favorite is Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada, but I like them all a lot.

The Appleseed Cast is also a great band. They have a new record coming out soon, though Josh Baruth (drummer on Mare Vitalis through Two Conversations) is no longer in the band, which is a bummer because he was phenomenal to watch live.

Since we're bringing up other bands, I'd also suggest:

A Northern Chorus
The Album Leaf
Tristeza
Rachel's

etc etc
 
Any passive bas that you like the feel of should do the trick. Then just try amps till you find the sound you like. Ive played though passive G&L basses that I REALLY liked, but fender basses are good too. Ive played an ernie ball I liked and A Hamer as well. My friend has a washburn that I like the sound of.
If you dont want sensitivity don't bother getting an active bass.

Hope this helps,
Todd
 
Kasey said:
A ton of sustain, a very full sound. Maybe this just has to do with me tweaking knobs, but i want a very mellow tone, i dont want to be able to hear any string noise or attack. i'm going for an almost "distant fog horn" sound. anyone get what i mean? might be able to help me out?
Click to expand...

Your description of the sound you want ('cause I don't know from "post-rock" or any of the performers you cited) suggests ...

FRETLESS.
 
Adam P said:
A term used to refer to bands like Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Mogwai, Slint, A Silver Mount Zion, Sigur Ros, Explosions In The Sky, etc etc etc...generally long, atmospheric pieces with sparse vocals, if any at all.
Click to expand...


.....Oh. Why is it "post" and not "atmospheric" or "instrumental" rock? :confused:
 
Adam P said:
A term used to refer to bands like Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Mogwai, Slint, A Silver Mount Zion, Sigur Ros, Explosions In The Sky, etc etc etc...generally long, atmospheric pieces with sparse vocals, if any at all.
Click to expand...


.....Oh. Why is it "post" and not "atmospheric" or "instrumental" rock? :confused:
 
I dunno...I didn't come up with it. And not all of it is instrumental.

Here you go:

"The term post-rock was coined by Simon Reynolds in issue 123 of The Wire (May 1994) to describe a sort of music 'using rock instrumentation for non-rock purposes, using guitars as facilitators of timbres and textures rather than riffs and power chords.'" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-rock)
 
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