Grindy Chris Squier sound

[Delberthot]

Right, a few years ago I decided to go with a Rickenbacker 4003 to get the Chris Squire sound.

Sounded nothing like him. listened to him a bit more, well a lot more, in fact I'm listening to Yes right now.

He seems to get the same grindy tone regardless of what he's using so I'm guessing its down to the amp he uses.


I'm happy with my GK but I can't get it to quite grind enough for me.


I've been extensively looking for something that will replicate his tone and have got it down to a couple of possiblities.

[url="http://www.tech21nyc.com/products/sansamp/characterseries.html"]Tech 21 VT Bass[/url]

[url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=441722&highlight=vt999"]Behringer Vintage Monster VT999[/url]

[url="http://www.ehx.com/products/bass-blogger"]EHX Bass Blogger[/url]


I've purposly linked to a talkbass thread about the behringer rather than the Behringer website


Right, that's the pedals I've picked. The sound I am trying to achieve is [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0HnIr6jYWU"]this[/url] which just so happens to be one of my favourite songs.



Looking forward to the replies and, please, I know the reputation Behringer has so no need to bring it up. Thanks

[dudewheresmybass]

I've got to something similar before using either the Dist side of an MXR bass DI+, and also with a pork loin.
The VT would get closest from your selection IMO

[SS73]

There was a thread on Talkbass a few years ago on his early 70's sound, and reference to an article he made in the 70's, but haven't managed to find it, but basically the amp's were not so much the sound, treble pup clean loud and crisp and bass pup through a fuzz box to a Marshall.

I think Close to the Edge was the best sound he produced, just superb.

[Alien]

I read an interview with CS a few years back, and he reckoned a big part of his sound came from the way he holds his pick. Apparently he plays downstrokes only, with the barest minimum amount of pick protruding past his finger, and catches the string with the edge of his thumb on the way past. He said it gives the harder attack of a pick, but softens out because of the contact with his thumb.

A

[Tuco]

didnt he use a brassmaster at some point????

[SS73]

[quote name='Alien' post='998790' date='Oct 24 2010, 12:52 PM']I read an interview with CS a few years back, and he reckoned a big part of his sound came from the way he holds his pick. Apparently he plays downstrokes only, with the barest minimum amount of pick protruding past his finger, and catches the string with the edge of his thumb on the way past. He said it gives the harder attack of a pick, but softens out because of the contact with his thumb.

A[/quote]

Yes heard that too and tried it and it does produce an interesting sound. Along with all the other things, Roto swingbass strings inc all goes towards that sound.

[umph]

think alot of his sound was cranked superbasses and technique, personally i'd go for a tube screamer clone with a clean blend to get his sound

[The Twickerman]

Picking technique, the bass (the use of the Brassmaster occasionally) and playing through a Vox AC30!

[Delberthot]

Hmm, its possible that I may already own the solution to this.

Whilst browsing the GK manual, all of the suggested settings for different sounds feature the boost control at the 12 o'clock position so I've just plugged my amp in with one of the cabs and cranked the boost control up and its really dirty.

Jeez I've used these amps for so long I never realised they could go that dirty. What an idiot.

I'm going to try it out at tonight's gig to see what it sounds like at gig volumes.

[absolutpepper]

I remember having a discussion with a Hartke rep on this (don't ask). Apparently they had been in discussions with Chris for a deal on providing tour backline. He said that Chris would bi-amp (not uncommon with the Ric's, presumably using a Rick-O-Sound) and run a bass amp for the low end signal and a guitar amp for the high end signal. Apparently the guitar amp was EQ'd to drop all the bass and the bass amp set completely flat.

I'm not sure how much of this would be true but i've often thought it would make a fun little experiment with my trusty 4003.

[Delberthot]

I used to split my signal between guitar and bass amp when I had the 12 string and did exactly that and it was very good.

[alanbass1]

[quote name='absolutpepper' post='1005290' date='Oct 29 2010, 03:10 PM']I remember having a discussion with a Hartke rep on this (don't ask). Apparently they had been in discussions with Chris for a deal on providing tour backline. He said that Chris would bi-amp (not uncommon with the Ric's, presumably using a Rick-O-Sound) and run a bass amp for the low end signal and a guitar amp for the high end signal. Apparently the guitar amp was EQ'd to drop all the bass and the bass amp set completely flat.

I'm not sure how much of this would be true but i've often thought it would make a fun little experiment with my trusty 4003.[/quote]

Chris' bass does not have the Rick-O-Sound so if he is bi-amping it's with a single output from his bass. I saw him back in the mid 70's on the Relayer tour and he was using Marshall amps. He seemed to have a number of different speaker cabs, large and small, but not really sure what they were.

[Delberthot]

Right, just back from the gig. when the boost was full on it was so close to what I wanted but I just needed that tiny bit more so am going to have a look out for a mild overdrive pedal to just take it over the edge cos at the minute its Close to the Edge

[SS73]

[quote name='alanbass1' post='1005919' date='Oct 29 2010, 11:50 PM']Chris' bass does not have the Rick-O-Sound so if he is bi-amping it's with a single output from his bass. I saw him back in the mid 70's on the Relayer tour and he was using Marshall amps. He seemed to have a number of different speaker cabs, large and small, but not really sure what they were.[/quote]

His Bass was modified to have a split signal. He always ran ric's like this.

[SS73]

[quote name='absolutpepper' post='1005290' date='Oct 29 2010, 03:10 PM']I remember having a discussion with a Hartke rep on this (don't ask). Apparently they had been in discussions with Chris for a deal on providing tour backline. He said that Chris would bi-amp (not uncommon with the Ric's, presumably using a Rick-O-Sound) and run a bass amp for the low end signal and a guitar amp for the high end signal. Apparently the guitar amp was EQ'd to drop all the bass and the bass amp set completely flat.

I'm not sure how much of this would be true but i've often thought it would make a fun little experiment with my trusty 4003.[/quote]

I think the Lead head was a Sunn coloseum Lead as he didn't like the Bass version. But all these various Live amps, Marshall, Fender, Sunn etc all worked well, but studio work was I think Vox AC30. The important part is that Fuzz on the Neck pup.

[The Twickerman]

[quote name='SS73' post='1006046' date='Oct 30 2010, 08:18 AM']I think the Lead head was a Sunn coloseum Lead as he didn't like the Bass version. But all these various Live amps, Marshall, Fender, Sunn etc all worked well, but studio work was I think Vox AC30. The important part is that Fuzz on the Neck pup.[/quote]

SS73 is right. Chris's basses were not biamped (in the sense of using a cross-over to separate bass from treble frequencies), but he did have his mono bass modified to output the two pickups independently (exactly like the ric-o-sound). I have heard that regardless of the stacks on stage, in the early yes tours, Chris's sound was taken from an AC-30, hidden behind and miced up.

I also think it's true that he used the fuzz on the neck pickup (not the bridge pickup, as you'd perhaps have been more likely to think).

What I don't know is where he actually uses this fuzz - I'd have thought that most of his grind was from pushing the AC30s.