RFH Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I need to record a bass sound very similar to that used on the Herd's 1967 track 'From the Underworld' (on YouTube for ref.) I can't find a ready answer on the net for the way they got that very clicky top end and bags of watery low end, and I was wondering if there were any old fellas from the 60s who had experience of studio recording during that golden age of valves and tape. I'm getting pretty close by doing the following: split the signal onto two tracks, take all the bass and middle off one and add a little reverb, on the other remove the middle and top and put it through a Leslie. I won't bore you with the filter and compression settings, or the different use of DI and speakers I've been playing with. I'd love to find out from someone who knows. I confess to being a bit of a groupie for 50s and 60s recording techniques. Could somebody, who was there, write a book please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 (edited) They used to use what was called tick tack bass a lot in the sixties where one bass was used for the deep part and the click was added later by doubling the part using a early 6 string bass/baritone guitar. You can get a similiar sound by damping the strings at the bridge with foam and using a pick. This may help [url="http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html?db=&topic_number=765236"]http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html?db=&topic_number=765236[/url] Edited May 30, 2012 by gjones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFingers Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 It sounds indeed like a Fender Bass VI, but you can get in the same vibe with a P-bass, strung with flatwounds, use a thick pick, and mute the strings with a piece of foam. I do it all the time. Qua amps: amps weren't really used in the studio, the bass just went "straight in the wall", maybe via a tube compressor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP4h39IxLDE Here you see a lipsynch from that song, and here a jazz-bass is used. Herbie Flowers, the British recording artist is known for it's tick-tack sound, and he uses a 1959 (yes, it's a prototype) jazz bass, strung with thick flatwounds, and a pick: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8Le8bH3Y8U Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 (edited) [quote name='MrFingers' timestamp='1338408906' post='1674250'] It sounds indeed like a Fender Bass VI, but you can get in the same vibe with a P-bass, strung with flatwounds, use a thick pick, and mute the strings with a piece of foam. I do it all the time. Qua amps: amps weren't really used in the studio, the bass just went "straight in the wall", maybe via a tube compressor. Here you see a lipsynch from that song, and here a jazz-bass is used. Herbie Flowers, the British recording artist is known for it's tick-tack sound, and he uses a 1959 (yes, it's a prototype) jazz bass, strung with thick flatwounds, and a pick: [/quote] [i]Everlasting Love[/i] is Russ Stableford not Herbie Flowers but otherwise, yes, Jazz bass, flatwounds, heavy gauge pick. Edited May 30, 2012 by EssentialTension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I'm not "an old guy" but as a 60s obsessive I can confirm flatwound strings with a pick is usually the answer to most things when it comes to getting that vintage vibe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 ... and don't play too near to the bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1338409975' post='1674276'] ... and don't play too near to the bridge. [/quote] In fact, rest your forearm on the neck pickup cover of your P bass and pluck with your thumb of a pick right by the neck join! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Check this thread too: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/123001-late-60s-beat-pop-bass-stylesound"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/123001-late-60s-beat-pop-bass-stylesound[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I believe the Herd actually played on their records. Gary Taylor played a Fender Jazz bass, with a pick. It was probably no more complicated than that. I'd start there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFH Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 Folks, Thank you so much for the replies and recommendations. Already there with the flatwounds, foam and vintage basses (a Fender Jazz and a Baldwin Burns Vibraslim). Although that's pretty good for a live sound, I'm really trying to refine the recorded sound. I tend to DI and split it as mentioned, and the use of valve compression is a given. There's also a lot of valve and tape emulation available for computer recording, modelling Pultecs and desks etc., which I really like. Some sounds are hard to take apart though. Like John's Children recordings. Great bass on there. Any other advice, anecdotes and wisdom is gratefully received. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 [quote name='RFH' timestamp='1338455289' post='1674715'] ....anecdotes.... [/quote] The band didn't rate Gary's bass playing but he had perfect pitch, so they could tune up in the dressing room, then walk out on to the stage and be in tune with the Hammond. He was more accurate than trying to use a pitch fork in a noisy dressing room or those little tuning things you blew through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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