Cuzzie Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 7 minutes ago, Naigewron said: Nah, the cheat line is clearly drawn at 13 or more strings. I’ll wear my big panties then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 1 hour ago, Cuzzie said: I pretty much only play in a 3 piece a bass sound - bit of compression and a bit of drive (whatever your flavour) and it will all stay knitted together. My fave way to achieve this the tech21 dUg Ultrabass amp or the Tech21 DP3X pedal - it was made for this Same for me in my old band, though it was the Tech21 Para Driver for me. In a 3 piece the guitar solos need to be worked out well so that they lift the song, with the bass staying largely where it was but maybe digging in a bit more, and the drummer using the ride cymbal stops the arsend of the song falling away. Having the bit of compression helps greatly as although you can dig in more the volume doesn`t really jump, just the amount of drive increases so filling out nicely. I also do a bit of Macca style note choice, same fret but one string down or one string up/two frets up, or some ghost notes on open strings, or maybe same string but either one or two frets down for one note here & there, it keeps to the original format if the solo is on a verse but just brings a little extra in. I`ve recently watched some live shows of bands like The Jam and Oasis, and on songs where they were originally recorded/played live with certain guitars (Rickenbacker for The Jam, Gibson 335 for Oasis) both have swapped on those songs to Teles for some reason. When the solos have kicked in it`s almost been like the band have downed tools for tea break, whereas before on live shows where they`ve stuck to the original guitar types the solos have really lifted the songs. So if one instrument lifts a solo, and another flattens it is it the solo arrangement that`s wrong or the instrument choice? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 I don't think that you have to fill any gaps. The problem with going full Jack Bruce under guitar solos is that it's almost more of a jazz style where you are reacting to the soloist and almost having a conversation with them, and a lot of rock players don't do that. They often just start playing busier for the sake of it without any real meaning. It's the same with drummers. Cream worked well because Jack and Ginger applied their jazz improvisation background in a rock and blues context and were reacting to what everyone played. Sometimes it sounds bigger to just play simpler, solid lines with good tone. Hanging out in the lower register, especially on 5 strings, can leave a big sonic gap in the mids, so it can sound fuller if you play in the lower midgrange of the instrument. 3 hours ago, ezbass said: There’s also the tritone/chord option. Tritones are cool, but in this context it's normally better to use them as passing tones rather than playing them as chords (Unless you're playing a diminished chord ,in which case-go for it). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 2 hours ago, Cuzzie said: Oh and sometimes I use a 12 string bass - is that cheating? No, that’s a feat of heroism. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 I play have played, and still do play, in single-guitar/bass/drums lineups - some on guitar, some on bass. When I’m on guitar I consider it my job to maintain a suitably ‘big’ sound during guitar solos. Some of this comes from what I play e.g. chord stabs between notes, playing lines an octave lower, letting open strings ring; some from the guitar sound e.g. echo, fat drive/fuzz, volume boost. Some guitarists make the mistake of adding too much gain and not enough extra volume come solo time - what sounds great at home playing along with the original recording may be inadequate in a live situation. When I play bass in such a setup I rarely play differently during a guitar solo unless that is what happens in the original recorded version. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 McMillen 12-step with chords programmed in and MIDI sound module. I was using a string sound but after having built my soft synth module, I may also go for a large swelling organ. But mostly I don't use that, just carry on playing. With what the HX Stomp gives to me, I may also do 15-string emulation, having used an actual 10-string quite effectively on one track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 2 minutes ago, tauzero said: I may also go for a large swelling organ. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawford13 Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 9 hours ago, Ed_S said: We're actually a 5-piece but we'll play gigs with the rhythm guitarist missing and our singer only sings, so I'll join in. On those gigs I haven't changed my tone, but I've sacrificed a few twiddly-bits where it's better to just keep the rhythm driving, and I generally don't play super low to begin with; I find that if you're thundering around at the bottom of the B string when the guitar switches from rhythm to lead it's a much starker contrast when the 'middle drops out' than if you're routinely based half way up the E and A strings so there's still plenty going on in the mids to connect everything together and the bass part was just never that low. I totally agree with this when the guitarist starts soloing the mid frequencies disappear and the music sounds less full, so start playing a little higher. It sounds counterintuitive but play the actual notes higher and kick on an octave pedal to keep the bass frequencies going. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 Sorry if it's already been mentioned but the Fishman Fission pedal may also be worth a look. I use one on some songs in a blues rock trio to help fill the sound out on solos. You need to be a bit careful with the set up and not get overly busy with what you're playing, though the tracking is usually pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 Hmmm... I've never been in a 3 piece, always had rhythm 7 lead or guitar +keyboard. If the sound goes thin and weedy when the guitarist starts a solo - it's their fault, they are probably using a Line 6 Spider, or just haven't put the effort into their sound. Here's a great example of utterly simple and repetitive bass supporting a very sparse solo, and it sounds good to me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christhammer666 Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 I always play with quite a bit of gain and dirt to my sound so it fills quite nicely with one guitar but as stated above octaves go a long way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 I honestly think the guitar player should boost his sound during a solo so that not only is it overdriven but thickens the sound of having just bass and drums. Obviously I am talking from a rock type background but any guitar solo sounds better with over drive to thicken it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Smalls Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 I don't think thickening either guitar or bass sound is necessarily needed during a guitar solo, just keeping rhythmic interest... Here's one of my favourite solos, admittedly with sax and piano too, but it comes in beautifully trading melodic lines with the sax, then when it gets going, bass and drums play the main song groove, with regular rhythmic stabs by bass drums and piano. Works beautifully! Helps that the band are seriously good too - this is live: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 7 minutes ago, ubit said: ... any guitar solo sounds better with over drive to thicken it. You've obviously not heard me play a guitar solo. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah5string Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 Distortion to 11? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12stringbassist Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 On 31/05/2021 at 11:34, Cuzzie said: Oh and sometimes I use a 12 string bass - is that cheating? No it's not. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuzzie Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 You are a legend 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernaut Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 On 31/05/2021 at 08:54, Nail Soup said: Starting this thread as a dedicated thread for the topic raised in the "three piece' thread. So you're in a 3 piece, and when the guitarist switches from rhythm to lead you feel that the song goes 'empty'. What can you do? Opinions welcome from "Embrace the Space" comments to tech tips etc. Played in three pieces / one guitarist bands for years, pretty much my whole playing career. I would recommend... Guitarist has humbuckers or minimum P90s. Single coils just don't cut it for three pieces. Bass player has some sort of light/medium OD gain for solos to 'fill' it out. Also, lock in tight with the drums and keep the rhythm steady. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuzzie Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Supernaut said: Played in three pieces / one guitarist bands for years, pretty much my whole playing career. I would recommend... Guitarist has humbuckers or minimum P90s. Single coils just don't cut it for three pieces. Bass player has some sort of light/medium OD gain for solos to 'fill' it out. Also, lock in tight with the drums and keep the rhythm steady. Respectfully disagree about the guitar -humbuckers and P90’s are great - but you can make a strat or a tele sound huge as well Ty Tabor uses a Strat live and has used various strat like ones over the years as an example - it depends on how it all fits together Edited June 2, 2021 by Cuzzie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 58 minutes ago, Supernaut said: Guitarist has humbuckers or minimum P90s. Single coils just don't cut it for three pieces. You can't argue with that! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 I was really confused when I realised what guitar was used in this performance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diskwave Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 (edited) As above really....and the main thing is to stay musical, u dont need to start shedding....compliment the guitarist/drummer. A good example of a bassist keeping it cool and not panicking, chk this out. @3.10 Edited June 2, 2021 by greavesbass 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naigewron Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 (edited) 33 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said: You can't argue with that! I agree that single coils can definitely work for a three-piece, but these three pics are all of humbucker-equipped guitars. Edited June 2, 2021 by Naigewron 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawford13 Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 22 minutes ago, Naigewron said: I agree that single coils can definitely work for a three-piece, Yup single coils can definitely work in a trio, listen to Try! By the John Mayer Trio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 “Thickening “ can have the opposite effect sometimes- as drive increases so does compression. Take it too far and it sounds much smaller. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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