60s bass? Someone will be a mine of information on this...

[RFH]

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?

[gjones]

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

[MrFingers]

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

[EssentialTension]

[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

[Cat Burrito]

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

[EssentialTension]

... and don't play too near to the bridge.

[franzbassist]

[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!

[EssentialTension]

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]

[chris_b]

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.

[RFH]

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.

[chris_b]

[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.