ROCKPAGE

I'm back in a Faith No More phase again. When I first heard Billy Gould's tone on Epic, I made it a mission to obtain THAT tone. This made me think of what other bassists have my dream tone. Here's my list (in no particular order):

- Billy Gould (dirty, ballsy tone)
- Eddie Jackson (dirty, ballsy)
- Marcus Miller (best slap tone IMO)
- Geddy (just great tone)
- Chris Squire (ditto)
- Mark King (also amazing slap tone)
- Wojtek Pilichowski (crazy European slapper)
- Billy Sheehan ("crystal-like grittiness" is the only way I can describe his tone. It's friggin unique.)
- Freddie Washington (came up with one of my all-time fav bass lines- Patrice Rushen's 'Forget Me Nots') This is one of the fattest P bass tones ever!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td25kTqvl1w
- lastly, Kent Tonkin. The guy's got TONE! He does the impossible by standing out in the mix while sitting well in the mix!


So bassists, whats your 'dream tone'?



And while I'm at it, who has your least favorite bass tone? Oddly enough, my favorite players have my least favorite tone!:

- Wooten
- Myung

i like justins from tool, but i would not use it is unique to him.

i like the guys tone in hatebreed, somewhat overdriven, alot of mids tons of lows,

and of course geezers, smooth and groovy.

geddy lee's tone is the most bestest.

seven_star_customz wrote:i like justins from tool, but i would not use it is unique to him.

i like the guys tone in hatebreed, somewhat overdriven, alot of mids tons of lows,

and of course geezers, smooth and groovy.

I just checked out Hatebreed and that dude does have an awesome tone! I love that sound. It's almost identical to the bass tone on James LaBrie's album 'Elements of Persuasion':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2YRWmMSnGk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHniwcLBQdo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y38tfrbF ... re=related
(It's difficult to hear the bass in these vids, but it comes thru great on the album. That mid-filled tone is definitely a cool and unique tone.)

And I should note that I do oddly like Myung's tone on their first album, 'When Dream and Day Unite'. I also love his tone from the 'Awake' days when was using Tung basses and did his instructional video. It's a very processed sounding tone, but I dig it.:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7BKCaQIA4A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87UVbOIY ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs1iT2do ... re=related

Pat McGinnis has one of the best tones ive heard

my favorite tone of all time is the dude from the bouncing souls.

My favs:

Tony Levin: Depth, warmth, distinctness, and percussion all while being audible yet not dominating. His tone is a miracle.

Justin Chancellor: Love that high-treble pick sound with chorus. He was my biggest inspiration for my "Grimm" sound.

Ryan Martine of Mudvayne: LD 50 is one of the biggest showcases for the "Warwick sound" that I've ever heard.

Jeff Clapper: Eden, SWR, or other....Jeff always sounds like Jeff and I WANT his tone!

Rob Deleo: His bass sound on "Number 4" is pure evil.

Manring: Nasal fretless without being annoying (btw, he uses D'Addario's, you haters!)

Dug Pinnick: His tone is mid-less but somehow full. I wish they'd quit covering his lines in so many guitar overdubs in the studio.

Whoever played on the Pretenders' early albums: I want that guy or gal's tone!

My two cents...

Bassist - Group - Song(s) used for example/comparison - comments. (also not in any order)

The trick that I have no ear for is figuring out if its the bassist tone that makes it cut, or just an outstanding mastering job that makes it cut.


Matt Wong - Reel Big Fish - Join the Club, The Set Up, Song #3 - Fat bottom end while still remaining tight and defined in the upper registers.

Eric Wilson - Sublime - Bad Fish, 40oz to Freedom - Just plain stanky bottom end you can't ignore.

Mike Hachey - Suburban Legends - This Cherry, Hey DJ - You can't ignore the bass (no trouble following every move he makes) and the tone fits the music to a 'T'.

Tony Kanal - No Doubt - Spiderwebs, Different People, Total Hate '95 - Just enough to not sound like anything else.

Matt Freeman - Rancid - Maxwell Murder, Time Bomb, As Wicked - Not real 'punk' but the tone can't be shrugged off as 'not punk', its just too gritty.

Simon Williams - Goldfinger - Here in Your Bedroom, Answers - Mid heavy without sounding cheap.

Roger Manganelli - Less Than Jake - 9th and Pine, Johnny Quest - Has that odd tone that allows very clear expression of fast changes without sounding flubby or snappy.

Mark White - Spin Doctors - Little Miss Can't Be Wrong - Listen to it for the funk.

Larry Graham - Graham Central Station - Hair - You can't fake the funk on this one.

Carlos Dengler - Interpol - Obstacle 1 - Smooth.

Les Claypool - Primus, LC's FFFB - Puddin' Taine (for dirty), Silly Putty, The Pressman, Sgt. Baker, Buzzards of Green Hill (for effects)

Jason Salomone - Vayden - The One You Left Behind - Thick and full while sitting where it should.

Aaron Wills - 311 - Don't Dwell, Feels So Good, Nutsymtom, Nix Hex - Just perfect.

Chris Lawson - The Big'uns - Para Dias Nuevos - I don't know what it is about his tone here, but I love it..

Man, Kent! I'm ashamed I forgot about Pinnick! A pick, a 12 string, and bi-amping or tri-amping are only a few of the tricks I've heard him use. He's gotta have some other magic pedal or box to get that tone though!

MOONDOGGY wrote:Man, Kent! I'm ashamed I forgot about Pinnick! A pick, a 12 string, and bi-amping or tri-amping are only a few of the tricks I've heard him use. He's gotta have some other magic pedal or box to get that tone though!

http://www.12stringbass.net/DougsRig.htm

You couldn't have missed this... In fact I'm certain you've seen this..

Ah yes...I do remember that. His components have changed thru the years, but his idea is the same- bi-amping and lots of EQ! And I've heard rumors that he even tri-amps, but I don't get the point of that. As Kent said, Pinnick's mids are almost non-existent, so I don't know what else a third amp would do.


I'm still convinced that he has some sort of magic to get such an odd and unique tone!

Look at his EQ sliders He is using those graphic EQs as crossovers then, from the looks of it, going into the amps (if the assumption of a top down signal path is correct).

If he is overdriving either of those amps, the tone coming out would be completely different for each one since either one isn't working with the full spectrum.

I could see tri-amping by adding a full range signal from that Traynor or Ampeg pre. That might fill out any sonic gaps that the extreme EQ settings might bring in.

I'd really hate to be the one loading and unloading that left rack... UGH... Then having to grab the right one with that massive transformer/boat anchor making it all top heavy

dUg pinnick has the best rock tone I've heard live or elsewhere bar none. I started playing a 12 because of him but his tone is there whether its a 4 or 12.

I also forgot about the power of Fbasses. George Furlanetto of Canada makes unbelievable sounding basses. I've never heard a tone from these basses that didn't make me smile! They can give any player a 'dream tone'!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cBcL0ia ... C5ECD89F86

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3aXS0q77kw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Canpw8Tz1b0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rybxS5LoG3A

Wow I can't believe I left Robert DeLeo off my list... Especially since if there were one person I've tried to get a tone close to live, it would be him. Even though I despise Schecter basses (but as far as I've heard the songs I used as reference for his tone were played with a G&L in studio)...

MOONDOGGY wrote:I also forgot about the power of Fbasses. George Furlanetto of Canada makes unbelievable sounding basses. I've never heard a tone from these basses that didn't make me smile! They can give any player a 'dream tone'!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cBcL0ia ... C5ECD89F86

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3aXS0q77kw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Canpw8Tz1b0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rybxS5LoG3A

Those sound like synths The actions all look so low in each video that you'd need a really delicate touch to keep them sounding good. Thats just the way I like them.

Every Time I Die's bassists tone I like alot.

Also Timmy Commerford from Rage Against The Machine on the Evil Empire album.