Jump to content

The Ibanez Bass Guitar is not dying


Recommended Posts

  • Members

Okay, I have to say, I do not know much about Bass Guitars. I grew up with Wind and String instruments and Keyboards. The bass is my favorite sound but never really paid attention.

Recently I collaborated another artist online, I sent him a song and I was shocked when he sent me a version with the Ibanez guitar (bass) he had played.

 

It was like a completely different song, Immediately started getting goose bums just listening to the rift, it was powerful and connected emotionally.

 

So is it the guitar or the playing assuming all base guitars don't sound the same.

 

In fact, my track of the Month is Calvin Harris: Feels.

 

The Ibanez just takes over and it was mentioned in the credits of the song, which makes me curious.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
It's both the player and the bass (and everything associated with the bass' date=' including strings, pickups, amp if appropriate, whatever). [/quote']

 

That is very interesting, I have a different view since that recording. All it takes a one sound. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Bass is crucial. Even though I have access to all kinds of bass sounds, I prefer the sound of electric bass (usually played from keyboards) for electronic/rock productions. The bass is one-half of the rhythm section, so it has to work right with the drums.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Bass is crucial. Even though I have access to all kinds of bass sounds' date=' I prefer the sound of electric bass (usually played from keyboards) for electronic/rock productions. The bass is one-half of the rhythm section, so it has to work right with the drums.[/quote']

 

Whereas I painstakingly enter each note on the piano roll. One of us isn't stupid....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a Ibanez SR1100, which is my main bass. It's from 1989, and apparently was the top of the line that year, but you can't find much about them online - I think that particular model is fairly rare, but it's from the exceptionally popular Sound Gear line, and there are a ton of those in various models out there. It's a great bass, and Ibanez makes some nice instruments, but they're hardly alone in the manufacturing of nice basses... and I don't think it really matters so much which bass you use as long as the tone - and the bass lines - are appropriate for the song and work with the rest of the arrangement. As Craig said, it's got to work with the drums.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
I have a Ibanez SR1100' date=' which is my main bass. It's from 1989, and apparently was the top of the line that year, but you can't find much about them online - I think that particular model is fairly rare, but it's from the exceptionally popular Sound Gear line, and there are a ton of those in various models out there. It's a great bass, and Ibanez makes some nice instruments, but they're hardly alone in the manufacturing of nice basses... and I don't think it really matters so much which bass you use as long as the tone - and the bass lines - are appropriate for the song and work with the rest of the arrangement. As Craig said, it's got to work with the drums. [/quote']

 

 

After reading this I decided top go back to the music video credits to see what they played in the Calvin Harris song, "Feels":

It's an Ibanez 1200 according to the credits.

 

Until I heard the name, it did not matter but the guy I worked with whom I met over the net at another forum explained that he used an Ibanez. Which sparked my interest because I am asking, why is he telling me what he played? I assumed it meant something because the sound was very transformational both the playing and the instrument itself.

 

Thanks for the insight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
I prefer the sound of electric bass (usually played from keyboards) .

 

Really, you are kidding right? smiley-happy

I have always thought of people who played bass on Keyboards as people who cannot play on strings, that will include me.

 

Which is why I had someone play the bass for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

After reading this I decided top go back to the music video credits to see what they played in the Calvin Harris song, "Feels":

It's an Ibanez 1200 according to the credits.

 

Until I heard the name, it did not matter but the guy I worked with whom I met over the net at another forum explained that he used an Ibanez. Which sparked my interest because I am asking, why is he telling me what he played? I assumed it meant something because the sound was very transformational both the playing and the instrument itself.

 

Thanks for the insight.

 

Sure - any time. :)

 

Do you know Jeff Klopmeyer? He used to post here quite a bit. The album we did under his Zak Claxton alter ego used that SR1100 on every track that has a bass on it IIRC.

 

[video=youtube;4laILq43pmE]

 

 

zak_ibanez.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Bass is crucial. The bass is one-half of the rhythm section' date=' so it has to work right with the drums.[/quote']

 

You're so right. Unless it's jazz...Then it seems like the Bass can be all over the place and it's cool. 'Course...it has to be a Jaco or someone with close to that level of player for that to work...

 

But rock? Yeah...I really like the Bass and the drums locked up pretty tight. Usually, for better or worse, I play bass guitar for the bass track. The one exception being a track I did called "Big Freeze", which despite a guitar part is mostly electronic music. I played a "Midi Bass" module on that one.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Yes, Da Weasel??

 

Wow! Very impressive song. I am listening on an AKG headset, very great.

 

This guy is very talented.

 

For heaven's sake, don't tell HIM that! ;):lol:

 

Yes, El Jeffe da Weasel is very talented in several areas. He's a great guy too. I always enjoy working with him. :philthumb:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Really, you are kidding right? smiley-happy

I have always thought of people who played bass on Keyboards as people who cannot play on strings, that will include me.

 

Which is why I had someone play the bass for me.

 

Haruomi Hosono of Yellow Magic Orchestra played both electric bass and keyboard bass, often switching back and forth for live gigs. He's one of my favorite bassists.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

For heaven's sake, don't tell HIM that! ;):lol:

 

Yes, El Jeffe da Weasel is very talented in several areas. He's a great guy too. I always enjoy working with him. :philthumb:

 

 

So Phil, did you record this?

Love the production and I have extremely low tolerance for bad sound. There are songs I love but cannot really stand listening because of the recording.

 

This recording is very easy on the ears almost threw me off for a Santana/Rob Thomas sound.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

So Phil, did you record this?

Love the production and I have extremely low tolerance for bad sound. There are songs I love but cannot really stand listening because of the recording.

 

This recording is very easy on the ears almost threw me off for a Santana/Rob Thomas sound.

 

Yes, I recorded and mixed it, co-produced, and did some playing and BGV's here and there... :0

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Yes, I recorded and mixed it, co-produced, and did some playing and BGV's here and there... :0

 

 

Well, my friend, one of the most self described critical music listener (me) thinks this is great recording. I mean the crash is smooth and the guitar just breathe so freely in the stereo space. You know everything is there but you can't really tell.

 

Personally, there are good songs and there are well recorded songs. This is both. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I played guitars for decades before I ever tried to play a bass.

 

I quickly discovered how sensitive the tone and the vibe were to the most subtle changes in right hand touch, hand position, finger motion. With an acoustic or electric guitar, you can strum or pick them easy enough in a generic fashion early on, but with a bass, you have to develop a real feel right off to just get to square one. Square two is muting.

 

Square three is rhythm, which if you can't nail on a bass, pick a different instrument where precision in rhythm is not as crucial. Like an autoharp or something.....

 

nat

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

You're very kind. Might have to pop along to your studio sometime. I have one or two songs that could do with being recorded 'properly' :philthumb:

 

 

 

Mark your music is very good. Listening to your songs feels like getting an all inclusive package, there is something cosmopolitan about it.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Really, you are kidding right? smiley-happy

I have always thought of people who played bass on Keyboards as people who cannot play on strings, that will include me.

 

Which is why I had someone play the bass for me.

 

 

I play bass with strings but I also play synth bass on keys. I've borrowed and sampled several Gibson basses--the Les Paul, Midtown, Thunderbird, and EB - and they all have a distinctive sound and because they're sampled, those sounds are available even though all the basses aren't. As a result I have about 15 "go-to" bass sounds, and it's much faster to call them up in a sampler than deal with physical instruments.

 

Another aspect is that I really worked on those samples - I mean, REALLY worked on them for consistent tone. Also, the notes are not multisampled - I use the audio engine in Rapture Pro to add levels of expressiveness you normally don't get with sampled bass (e.g., tying parameters like brightness, not just dynamics, to velocity). Over the years, I found myself playing bass less, and playing keys more because I could get the sound of physical bass but the feel of playing synth bass. I also sample slides and such, which adds to the realism, and do editing to make sure that (for example) there's a space between hitting notes, like with a real bass.

 

As you may know if you've read a lot of my stuff I have this fascination with the audio equivalent of CGI - e.g., making "idealized" guitar amp sounds instead of trying to replicate a Marshall or whatever. The keyboard bass helps toward that goal. If you listen to my music, it sounds like someone is indeed playing bass - but playing an ideal bass, recorded in an ideal manner. Here are two examples.

 

[video=youtube;pNEGfXp_7eY]

 

[video=youtube;upUZz1zxB1s]

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...