Even earlier evidence of Flea with Stingray....

[stingrayPete1977]

Well after all the nonesense I see about Flea not using Stingrays, which for some reason the anti Ray people seem to think that anyone who happens to own one (or three, ) will explode at the thought that all their hard earned cash to emulate him has been wasted when in fact I think enough non Flea fans use them anyway for that not to be an issue! Last time the old he only ever used a Wal crap came up I found some footage from 1985 of him with an EBMM Ray making it a very early transition period bass, a one off? Not really as I found another clip from a different gig a few months after where he now had a maple board instead of the earlier rosewood. Ok so thats early 1985 from a band with a debut album in 1984 then after many years of not looking at the Red Hot Chili Peppers album sleeve from 1984 (which has a 3and1 headstock on the cover BTW!) inside I have noticed a picture of him playing a Ray with a 3 bolt neck making it a 1981 at the latest. Looks to me like our Flea has Rays running through him like a stick of rock And even if it is another bass trying (succeeding?) to sound like a Ray in the studio what is it that they say about Immitation and flattery?

This is all.....................

[hairyhaw]

Funny, I've only ever associated Rays with Steve Querault from Ride...

[stingrayPete1977]

I bet he only used a Wal in the studio too

[LukeFRC]

i've read some of the rants 'well flea only sounded good with x bass' with a little confusion. Like who really cares? Where is any vested interest one way or another? why would anyone want to be anti-ray? really no one is forcing you to play one.

actually if you do have struggles with ray hate and hate one, ill take it off your hands for you. esp if it's that old one flea used to use

[daz]

I have seen him in old magazine adverts with a stingray.

Edited September 17, 2011 by daz

[Randy_Marsh]

I got my Ray because I really dig Tim Commerford's sound on RATM self titled. But I must admit, I do like the sound of Flea's Ray tone... Especially on BSSM

[E sharp]

I remember Flea once saying that the album "One Hot Minute" , was all recorded on an Alembic . With maybe "Aeroplane" done on a Stingray .

He was a tad sketchy on this , athough he was pretty sure .

I think most bass sounds on record (apart from a handful) , will be impossible to instrument pinpoint .

[lojo]

[quote name='hairyhaw' post='1376039' date='Sep 16 2011, 10:51 PM']Funny, I've only ever associated Rays with Steve Querault from Ride...[/quote]


Ride, one of my favorite lesser known bands, never get bored of them

[Delberthot]

I think he may have changed around cos I found this from 1985

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JAM-UDQT5M"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JAM-UDQT5M[/url]

It wasn't the one I was loking for. there's an even earlier live recording where Anthony climbs up the lighting gantry during a song

[JMT3781]

theres a chad smith drumming video where flea accompanies him throughout... on a stingray. That is all.

[Kiwi]

I don't understand what the fuss is all about. I remember him using them in the mid 80s.

[Delberthot]

[quote name='JMT3781' post='1376160' date='Sep 17 2011, 08:22 AM']theres a chad smith drumming video where flea accompanies him throughout... on a stingray. That is all.[/quote]


and vice versa - the one where River Pheonix interviews him

[apa]

Could we sumise from this discussion and evidence provided that Flea played/plays, like pretty much every other bass player and infact pretty much every other musician that ever lived, a variety of instruments but does, on occasion favour one particular brand? Now there is a radical concept!!!

Just on the 'Used XXX bass during recordings' debate. Considering the vast array of electronics that the signal goes through I would imagine it would be possible to make a Sue Ryder sound like an Alembic and visa versa.

A

[matski]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='1376166' date='Sep 17 2011, 08:37 AM']I don't understand what the fuss is all about. I remember him using them in the mid 80s.[/quote]

This. I thought it was pretty common knowledge.

In fact the Music Man he used for at least the first RHCP album was a Cutlass I.

Have a look on YouTube for their first couple of vids - 'True Men Don't Kill Coyotes' etc - and you will see it in action. It's the bass totally covered with stickers.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

[quote name='Delberthot' post='1376175' date='Sep 17 2011, 09:09 AM']and vice versa - the one where River Pheonix interviews him[/quote]
What a waste of money that dvd was

[stingrayPete1977]

I was not suggesting that he never used one until the Give it away video in the 90's more that from a lot of comments I have read over the years some people like to make out that it was more of a fleeting thing or maybe just for the cool factor live as if Rays were inferior to every other bass other than in looks, what I was high lighting was that these are numerous different basses over many years and if anything he used one less and less until not at all after the period he is most associated with them, which is odd.

As you say Matski that 3 bolt neck cutlass 1 is on the stand waiting in the wings in that you tube clip

[stingrayPete1977]

More evidence that to me its all in the fingers (and electronics up the line) too which was another debate in another thread, I was in the minority with a few others in that thread but to me Flea sounds the same (awesome) on an MM, EBMM, Jazz, Modulus, Alembic, Wal and now thanks to that clip a P bass

[dc2009]

[quote name='Delberthot' post='1376175' date='Sep 17 2011, 08:09 AM']and vice versa - the one where River Pheonix interviews him[/quote]

I had that one! Some cool stuff in there, Chad is a hero!

Does anyone know what Flea has used on Stadium Arcadium and the most recent offering whose name escapes a hungover me at present?

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='hairyhaw' timestamp='1316209897' post='1376039']
Funny, I've only ever associated Rays with Steve Querault from Ride...
[/quote]

For me it was William Potter from Cud. In recent years he's been playing Jazzes though.

I think Flea sounds like Flea whatever he's playing.

Edited September 17, 2011 by thisnameistaken

[walplayer]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1316211198' post='1376057']
I bet he only used a Wal in the studio too
[/quote]

Not sure i'm following the drift of this post but if it's any help there's a clip of him talking about his wal mk2 and where he used it here

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6WRfLfM5Qw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6WRfLfM5Qw[/url]

That album would have been great whatever bass he used though .Imo ,i don't think they came close to anything as good after that .

I also read he wrote airplane on the Treker Louis Johnson bass then recorded it on the alembic or stingray.

[mrtcat]

Not sure I understand this thread? Surely it's a non issue. Flea has used a variety of basses and at some point that was a stingray at another it wal at another alembic. All are really nice and nobody is questioning that are they? The production process on any album pretty much negates what bass was used as the plug ins used on any instrument are numerous and the recorded sound rarely sounds anything like the post production sound.
Fleas playing is fantastic and has certainly inspired me. I don't care what bass he used I just love his bass lines.

[stingrayPete1977]

I wonder why he rarely ( if ever?) uses a Wal or Alembic for live shows?

[Mokl]

I always associate him with a Stingray for the earlier stuff, although I would swear some of the tracks on the first album were recorded with a P Bass. Some of the slapped stuff just sounds exactly like a slapped P Bass to me.

[hairyhaw]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1316301241' post='1376436']

For me it was William Potter from Cud. [/quote]

Cud! my best mate adored Cud. Crazee band they were. Their cover of Tull's "Living in the Past" always made me smile.

Should also add I also always associate StingRays with Ned's Atomic Dustbin - the low parts tackled by a Ray, the high parts by a Rick. The ultimate bass players band in a way.

Edited September 18, 2011 by hairyhaw

[Prime_BASS]

Mark hoppus used to use a ray.

That is all.