Overdriven bass tone thread

[phunkyhick]

Ok JPO259, here's your Jeff.

 

Basically, he uses a lot of different basses. He used to use a complicated system of high end gear (mostly SWR), separated into highs and lows. His distortions in these days came from a Pearce preamp, an SWR Interstellar Overdrive, Ampeg SVP, and a SansAmp GT-2, mostly. He switched to Ampeg all tubes around No Code, and then started using a '73 SVT head, Acoustic 360 fuzz, ran though the SVT2 power amp, lows were run through a miked Ampeg B-18. The SansAmp stuck around for a while, he is currently using a Fulltone 70 fuzz (probably replacing the Acoustic 360 pre), and two Fulltone Bassdrives, ran through an SVT and his SWR 6x10's. He currently uses an Ashdown ABM 500 for his upright.

 

Basses:

Wal fretless

Custom Warmoth PJ fretless

Hamer 8 and 12 string

Carruthers SUB1 upright

62 Jazz Bass (main recording bass around time of Yield)

Azola Baby Bass

Modulus jazz basses (one with a Gibson EB0 humbucker in Bridge

Ovation Magnum (I think this also has an EB0 humbucker)

Several Fender Precisions

 

 

His most recent touring rig: http://www.musicplayer.com/lounge/setups/ament.htm

 

 

Riot Act Notes: http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/PearlJam/gear/images/pjgearriot.pdf

 

Live 1998 rig:

 

1998 Letterman appearance "Wishlist": Jeff used an Ampeg Portaflex with an extra extension cab.

 

1996 - No Code: This marks a big switch in Jeff's sound. On the inside of No Code, you can see what appears to be an Ampeg SVT2 Pro on top of his custom SWR 6x10", which he approached SWR with not too long before (these cabs led to development of the Goliath 6x10, which are basically Jeff's cabs with tweeters.) You can still see an SWR amp someplace in the photos, but I'm pretty sure that on the inside cover it is an SVT2 Pro. Also worth noting is that in his Three Fish side project, he WAS using SVT-2 Pros, and 2 Ampeg SVT-BSP preamps ran through his SWR 6x10", as well as a SWR WM12. See the attachment at the bottom.

 

1995 live rig: Complicated live setup, but basically, all the basses used around '98, SWR grand prix preamp, crest poweramp, and SWR Big Bens for lows. Highs is where it got crazy. Sansamp GT2 Distortion, and he had 2 Pearce preamps, lots of midrange capability, one was for his distortion. He had an SWR SM-900 and an Ampeg SVP-Pro (mostly for his upright, worth noting in the distortion thread because on Vs. he got a SWEET distorto tone with his upright on "Daughter")

http://www.fivehorizons.com/archive/articles/gw04952.shtml

 

1993 SNL "Rearviewmirror" and "Daughter" Jeff was using a Fender Blackface head (could be ampeg, but i'm pretty sure it says Fender) and a Fender silverface cab. I'm guessing it was a 2x15, although he did have SWR make those 6x10's for him later on to resemble Fender tweeds. He played upright on Daughter.

 

Early Pearl Jam: Large SWR stacks.

[phunkyhick]

 

Originally posted by jpo259 Question, Mr. Phunkyhick: Do you have any information on precisely what gear Ament used to get the tone he has on 'Yellow Ledbetter'?

 

 

Not specifically, but I'm guessing that being from '92 that it would be on his P-J custom fretless through his SWR rig, and that he used a SansAmp pedal.

 

Here is a BP article from '94: http://www.fivehorizons.com/archive/articles/bp0494.shtml

 

Jeff Gear notes: http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/PearlJam/gear/jeff.html

 

Also worth mentioning is that I believe I heard that he used a ProCo Rat distortion at some point. Not sure about this.

[phunkyhick]

A great, fat, punchy, driving tone, I love it. He nailed it on "Highway to Hell". It is a bass>cable>amp type overdrive. Great stuff. He uses a pick most of the time I think. I believe someone on here knows more than I do about this, please post some more if you got it.

 

Basses:

 

-Fender P?

-EB Stingray (this is what he was using around Highway and Back in Black)

-Bass with 3 pickups, 2 soapbars with a P pickup in between, probably had active electronics.

 

Amps:

 

Ampeg SVT

[phunkyhick]

Great tone, this is easy. Easily heard on "Blitzkrieg Bop" or "Teenage Lobotomy" when guitar cuts out.

 

Pick, Fender P, cable, Ampeg SVT 8x10. Crank it.

[phunkyhick]

His distorto comes from the same place that Dee Dee's and Cliff's did. Played with pick for more drive, fingers for reggae stuff. Used a few different basses.

 

Basses:

-Rickenbacker 4001 (around time of first album)

-Wal (used on Give 'Em Enough Rope, the bass tone is a bit cleaner on this album)

-Fender P

[Texas Noise Factory]

I love a little distortion in my tone... I use my RD, my Cutlass 1 and L-2k through my Fulltone BassDrive, and my SVT...

 

Now I'd love to have a Maestro Bass Brassmaster or one of the newer clones to mess with to get some really outrageous tones...

 

I used to love the sound of my RD through my Proco Rat. I wish that the Proco Juggernaut sounded like that... I'd have one in a heartbeat. especially with the mix knob. The Proco worked best in a multiamp/or studio situation tho.....

[phunkyhick]

Here's another long one. I'll go through it chronologically.

 

1992: First Album (monk on fire): EB ash/maple stingray, SWR Goliath cabs, and I believe an SWR head. His distortion pedal is the Marshall Guv'Nor.

 

1993: He is using Ampeg 8x10's on stage. Not sure about what amps he is running. Probably Ampegs.

 

1996 Evil Empire: Ash Maple Jazz Bass with Badass bridge and Rickenbacker 8-string, also heard of him using a Fender P at some point (beginning of War Without a Face, possibly). Using two SVT-II and Ampeg 8x10 classic cabs, one rig for clean, one for distortion, with Guvnor. Never seen him use the 'Ray after this album.

 

1999: Battle of LA: Tim has less treble in his sound, still using the Ampegs, but has yet a different distortion sound on this record. On this record, he is using a wah, not sure what kind.

 

1999-2001: Tim's sound gets more and more distorted, watch Mexico City DVD, then watch their last concert. Way more distorted at last concert. He has a couple silver things in his rack sometimes, not sure what they are.

 

2001: Renegades: Even more distortion, and I believe he is using an Octaver (I think its an EBS Octabass, heard rumors that it is a Boss octaver, but it appears to be Octabass to me you can hear it on I'm Housin')

 

AUDIOSLAVE: http://www.musicplayer.com/lounge/setups/tim.htm

 

Basses: Ash body Jazz Basses w/vintage pickups rewound for hotter output, maple neck. One has a Hipshot tremolo, others have Badass Bridges. All tuned BEAD with a .130 B string.

 

Pedals: 2 wah pedals, one custom distortion box, one Jim Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Distortion. Boss Delay.

 

Amps For the album and early on, he used 3 SVT II's, modded with thicker wires going to the tubes, and Telefunken preamp tubes. One was his clean sound and it fed an Ampeg PR-810, the other two were for his distortions, and they each ran to an Ampeg PR-410.

 

Tim has been changing his rig around, he uses an M-Pulse 600 for clean sound, one of the Ampegs for the mild distorto, and an Ashdown ABM head (modded to handle being in the red all the time) for the heavy distortion.

 

I also just read on a message board online that he is now using a Mesa/Boogie 400+ in there. Can't confirm that.

[phunkyhick]

Originally posted by Texas Noise Factory I love a little distortion in my tone... I use my RD, my Cutlass 1 and L-2k through my Fulltone BassDrive, and my SVT... Now I'd love to have a Maestro Bass Brassmaster or one of the newer clones to mess with to get some really outrageous tones... I used to love the sound of my RD through my Proco Rat. I wish that the Proco Juggernaut sounded like that... I'd have one in a heartbeat. especially with the mix knob. The Proco worked best in a multiamp/or studio situation tho.....

 

You got any clips of the Rat? I've been interested in trying one.

[Mr. Pants]

I hate distortion on bass. It just messes things up and ruins your bass tone.

 

Buuut... that little hint of overdrive that gives you that crunch is just lovely. Geddy Lee is the best at this, I think. He uses (now) a SansAmp RBI for his distortion. Still sounds like a bass, just meaner.

 

A voodoo labs Sparkle Drive works wonders as well. It's got a nice smooth overdrive with a clean blend so you can mix your bass back in. Just enough to turn your sound into sandpaper, but not so much as to turn it to quicksand.

 

-b

[phunkyhick]

Time to call it a night. I'll be posting more.

 

Doug Pinnick - King's X

Dirk Lance - Incubus

Ben Kenney - Incubus

Allen Woody - Gov't Mule

Duff - Velvet Revolver

Wyzard - Mother's Finest

Entwistle - The Who

Robert DeLeo - STP

Justin Chancellor - Tool

Shavo - SOAD

Claypool

Kim Gordon - Sonic Youth

Billy Cox - Hendrix Band of Gypsys

Geddy

Mike Dirnt

Chris Chaney

[SB]

I get really nice grind by using my fretless J, digging in hard with a pick close to the bridge and the obligatory frown on the EQ.

 

Drive those mids!

[PowerMetalBass]

The best distortion I've ever used was a gibson ripper bass played through a hiwatt amp with two JBL 15" cabs and sometimes a 4x10" with a JBL 15.

I traded that gibbo on a spector which has a really nice natural distortion or overdrivey tone by itself. Unfortunately I sold that amp , it was the 6 x EL34 version 200watts or 150 watts or something.

[bnyswonger]

I use a rack mounted Ratt R2DU it's - basically just two ratts side by side. When I'm just using my SVT>15"s rig, I've got one side set for a pretty smooth overdrive & the other a bit hairier. When I biamp, separate distortion for highs & lows - that's really useful!

[Lanefair]

Primus: The Brown Album

 

The entire album is distorted/overdriven. Bass, drums, guitars, vocals. But it's done in such a sweet way. I don't think any of the tracks would sound the same if they were clean.

 

You can't go wrong with a bit of overdrive, it's adds so much tone to your bass sound, and in all the right places.

[FGABassGuy]

Although i am more of a tool fan since chancellor joined the band, d'amour had maybe the sploogiest(??) bass tone ive ever heard. his ricks and rays sound like something straight out of hell. granted, i realize that his idea of tone was pulled form assorted predecessors, but his tone on "flood" off of undertow kills me every time. (the song is especially crazy live.)

 

Chancellor is just insane. his bass doesnt even sound like bass 1/2 the time....but i think thats why i like it.

[timmerz]

I don't have any use for a distorted sound in my playing, the styles of the bands I'm in don't require it so far, and I really like a full fat bass tone, myself....but the stuff that I listen to occasionally crosses that threshold, and I listen with pleasure if it actually lends a good tone to the music.....for instance, Tony Levin with Liquid Tension Experiment....I don't know what his set-up is, or what he recorded it with, but DAMN, there's some talented distortion happening there....and I like the way he A/B's it, so that there is still a bass there as well as the distorted track...

[Texas Noise Factory]

 

Originally posted by phunkyhick You got any clips of the Rat? I've been interested in trying one.

 

 

I'll have to find some time to record something. The Second generation Rat sounds best to me BTW... (small box)

 

I'll keep ya posted.

[Texas Noise Factory]

Originally posted by bnyswonger I use a rack mounted Ratt R2DU it's - basically just two ratts side by side. When I'm just using my SVT>15"s rig, I've got one side set for a pretty smooth overdrive & the other a bit hairier. When I biamp, separate distortion for highs & lows - that's really useful!

 

I've got one of those. They kick ass. I use mine for running drum machines through, but it has the same tone as my Smallbox Rat. Supposedly, running an R2DU in series is what begat the Turbo Rat. 2x the gain!!!!

[megadan]

props to phunkyhick for all the info so far

[jpo259]

 

Originally posted by Mr. Pants I hate distortion on bass. It just messes things up and ruins your bass tone. Buuut... that little hint of overdrive that gives you that crunch is just lovely. Geddy Lee is the best at this, I think. He uses (now) a SansAmp RBI for his distortion. Still sounds like a bass, just meaner. A voodoo labs Sparkle Drive works wonders as well. It's got a nice smooth overdrive with a clean blend so you can mix your bass back in. Just enough to turn your sound into sandpaper, but not so much as to turn it to quicksand. -b

 

 

Yellow Ledbetter, Pearl Jam, is a cool tune. Maybe not your cup of tea, BUT, I played that song for about 4 weeks using just a clean fretless. It DID NOT sound right. Jeff Aments sound on that trak is really, reallly,....well, rich. So, I give it a listen, and I determined that he used a fretless with a SansAmp. I had no problem whatsoever dialing up a very similar overdrive on my POD, but LET ME TELL YOU WHAT!! THAT MADE THE SONG!!! Not only did the other guys in the band apprectiate it, but the crowd LOVED IT!!!! And, it allowed me to play the song more like the original. Very cool song to play with distortion!!! I am pretty much a clean tone guy, but, distortion is fun, and it adds whole new opportunities for expressing yourself. It's good stuff.

[jpo259]

Originally posted by phunkyhick Ok JPO259, here's your Jeff. Basically, he uses a lot of different basses. .

 

 

:D THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. PHUNKYHICK!!!! Playing in this cover band has really got me motivated to find different tones and textures. NOW, I put my rig together after I got the part for 'Evel Knievel-The Rock Opera'. The songs of the rock opera are based on '70's-era hard and progressive rock'. And, the writer, who is also a drummer and ProgRock fanatic, has given me the green light to experiment and/or rip off tones of those awesome 70's tunes we ar e, im, uh*...never mind. Anyways..... .....so, I got the Bass POD Pro XT so that I could dial up a Squire sound (WITH DISTORTION!!!), a Wetton sound, a G. Lee, a JPJ sound, etc. etc. etc. The POD allows me to do this, in real time, live. So, here I am, playing in a cover band while I mark time waiting for the rock opera to come alive, and this band is great!! We play both Yellow Ledbetter and Daughter in this band, rather well, I must say. I jumped into this band with no rehearsals, no CD's, just walked in on a Saturday night and watched the singer/guitarist and listened to the drummer, and replayed all these songs in my head from when I heard 'em in the past. It's an adequate method....

But, the more I played the Pearl Jam songs, the more I felt something was missing (This from the in-head memory radio!) So, the singer gets me 3 CD's of the set's music a couple of weeks a go, and I really did st down and listen/play along. WOW!!!!!!!!!!! A POD OWNERS DREAM!!!!!!!!!!!! So damn many different tones and styles!! Pick, fingers, thumbs, clean, fat, etc!!!! I love it! But this Yellow Ledbetter thing has really got me interested in distortion. Such a tasteful sound on that recording. And I did kinda figure he just used a fretless and a SansAmp. Not a difficult 'sound' to get on the POD at all. And it so, so so very satisfying to play that song with distortion! We play Daughter, too, and I kinda suspected he played fretless or EUB on that. ( I saw the Bass Player article on his gear a few months ago. Kinda skimmed over it......way too much junk. I am a believer in the KISS rule). Anyway, thanks so much for this thread, and hooking me up with the Ament thing!!!! And I do mean Thank You!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*'Borrowed from'

[megadan]

jpo259, dude man, do you work for POD or something?

 

 

[beam]

 

Originally posted by lug Timmy C

 

 

We have a winner.

[jpo259]

Originally posted by megadan jpo259, dude man, do you work for POD or something?

 

 

WHAT!!!!???? I'm about as unemployed as a mother{censored}er can be right now!!!! And it SUCKS!!!! No, I have never had any contact whatsoever with Line 6. I bought a Bass POD back in late '99 early 2000. I like it!! I have, since then, wanted to get the rack-mount version. Well, last year, Iwas ready, and the XT model is out!! It blows away the old PODs', and it is very, very, VERY capable!! I have known for years that a POD being used in front of another amp/preamp, or through the effects loop, just doesn't cut it. BUT, using it as a dedicated preamp, or sending it staright to the house, or both, really lets it shine. So, I run mine through a QSC amp into Aquilar speakers. And it sounds fantastic! To get the variety of tones and effects I get with that, I'd need a grip of equipment. I agree with some who say it doesn't come close to sounding like, say, an Ampeg. I, personally, can't stand the Ampeg sound. So, my POD never tries to sound like an Ampeg!!! But, I can get such a diverse range of tones instantly. And effects. It is a very, very capable thing. And while I know that there are lots of bass players who rave about getting 'the perfect tone' with whatever combination of bass, amp, cab, and effects, I'm not one of them. The POD does allow me to get really, REALLY close approximations of just about any tone I hear. Chri Squire? No problem. Deep, fat, round low end? Next!!! Punchy, midrangy, with distortion?? Coming right up!!! ANYTHING I hear I can dial up in the POD. Once I have it 'dialed up', it's right at the tip of my foot to get it live with the floorboard. It'sa fun, capable.....thing!!!! But, working for Line 6????? I WISH!!!!!!

[bassplayinguy]

I wish people would be able to find out more about cliff burtons tone, Id love to know exaclty what kind of morley wah he used, cause i used to have a morley bass wah and it sucked, must of been one of those Silver power wahs from the 70s that ran off AC cuase mine didnt sound anything like his

 

I wishi could nail that tone, im getting rid of me ODB-3 and im getting a bassdrive