70's Punk - whats the ideal bass ?

[PaulWarning]

44 minutes ago, Bolo said:

Play the bass you like most, no punters will know the difference.

 

 

TBH, there's a lot of truth in this, it's more about the look than the sound

[dmccombe7]

7 hours ago, PaulWarning said:

TBH, there's a lot of truth in this, it's more about the look than the sound

With hair down to my waist the look is gonna be off anyway. 😂

[tegs07]

Second hand Squire CV P bass. Everything you need and no need to be precious about it at less than £300.

[dmccombe7]

1 minute ago, tegs07 said:

Second hand Squire CV P bass. Everything you need and no need to be precious about it at less than £300.

Been looking at them too. Going imnto Glasgow next week to try some basses out.

Dave

[NancyJohnson]

Being around that time, it was primarily Precision basses or Rickenbackers.

 

Interestingly, mainstream bands aside, there was a lot of boosted mids going on; if you want to saunter over to Spotify and dial up 'Batman In The Launderette' by The Shapes, that's the tone right there.

 

[dmccombe7]

25 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

Being around that time, it was primarily Precision basses or Rickenbackers.

 

Interestingly, mainstream bands aside, there was a lot of boosted mids going on; if you want to saunter over to Spotify and dial up 'Batman In The Launderette' by The Shapes, that's the tone right there.

 

Just had a listen and that nails the tone spot on.

Dave

[Doctor J]

Whatever bass you stole.

[NancyJohnson]

27 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Just had a listen and that nails the tone spot on.

Dave

 

A few years back I used the word ponk to describe a dull, lifeless, flat, tone - Brian Helicopter of The Shapes used a Rickenbacker 400* (he still does) - and pretty much nailed ponk with mids with The Shapes, if that makes sense.  I suppose ponk with mids (Allegrissimo) was pretty much the punky tone/style of my youth.  Or yoof. 

 

We have to remember that EMI/CBS/Polydor/UA (and to a lesser extent RCA/Stiff) were the big money behind those early definitive releases and in truth they weren't going to release anything that sounded too shoddy because it wouldn't sell.  Noisy, yes, badly produced, no (although I'd say the first Clash album does, for a band that adored ska, sound very thin).  It was all about money, even then.  So what you hear on those old records shouldn't necessarily be the start point for a definitive tone. 

 

I guess (from recall) everyone who played bass locally used flats and in hindsight, ponk was the thing; I didn't even know roundwound strings existed until I broke a flatwound G and replaced it with a roundwound because the local music shop (Adam Music, Staines/RIP) only sold singles in rounds.  I couldn't get over how zingy it sounded and I then went on to play almost everything on the G-string.  Happy days.

 

[Supernaut]

A Gibson Ripper would be a good choice too. 

[Marky L]

12 hours ago, Jonesy said:

I think everyone has pretty much nailed it already, but I'll throw my 2 cents into the hat......

 

I'd look to get my hands on a grubby beaten up p, whack some aggy pups in it like EMG gzr, model P or SD quarter pounders, whack a sansamp bddi in your chain and grab a thick pick. Don't forget the snarl, gob on the front row and glass someone after the gig. You're all set!

That's my set up! 😅

[PaulWarning]

21 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

 

A few years back I used the word ponk to describe a dull, lifeless, flat, tone - Brian Helicopter of The Shapes used a Rickenbacker 400* (he still does) - and pretty much nailed ponk with mids with The Shapes, if that makes sense.  I suppose ponk with mids (Allegrissimo) was pretty much the punky tone/style of my youth.  Or yoof. 

 

 

 

The Shapes Wot's for Lunch Mum (not beans again), is great, the bass is really up in the mix and superb playing, I was almost tempted to get a Ric when I heard that, almost 

 

Edited October 6, 2021 by PaulWarning

[Guest MoJo]

12 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

No choice for me regards the pick. I'm just not fast enough with a pick.

 

I used to say the same and would play everything with my fingers. It was only my guitarists insistence that I play 'No More Heroes' with a pick that forced me to persevere and now, although I'm more comfortable playing with fingers, my pick playing has come on leaps and bounds and the punk songs in the set sound so much better for it

[4000]

15 hours ago, Jus Lukin said:

I think there will be a strong consensus here!

A Rick kicks out a hell of a punk tone but is very expensive and an acquired taste to play. A P can be had very easily and makes a very suitable noise- rounds with the tone up gives a good throaty clank, and rolled back for more of a pummeling pump, Dee Dee style! The 70's sound is often quite lo-fi, too; quite mid-focused, and I find that a sealed cab without a horn tends to shape the voice in an appropriate way for the mix. EQ can be used to roll off highs and deep lows while emphasising the mid range of course. Certainly, ultra-deep sub bass tends to detract from the punky punchiness.

I agree on the horns bit, definitely. I almost never use horns and the majority (if not all) of the people I like sonically, most of whom have very aggressive sounds, don’t use them either. 

[Eldon Tyrell]

Great suggestions but all very expected and therefore all very unpunk. Punk is against the establishment so if you want to be really punk, you don't play a P or any of the usual suspects. Play a cheap Hofner Beatles bass copy, or a Danelectro Longhorn or a Burns Bison bass or maybe the new Nordstrand Acinonyx. Or whatever someone does NOT affiliate with punk. 

[tauzero]

Variax.

[NancyJohnson]

1 hour ago, PaulWarning said:

The Shapes Wot's for Lunch Mum (not beans again), is great, the bass is really up in the mix and superb playing, I was almost tempted to get a Ric when I heard that, almost 

 

 

Leamington Spa's most famous band.  I bloody love(d) The Shapes.  I'm not sure whether they did a Peel Session, but it was certainly Peel who played them.

[SteveXFR]

Surely for 70's punk it should be whatever bass you either find in a skip or steal from a crusty in a squat. If the tone isn't quite right, hit a few people in the face with it, the blood and skin should condition the strings.

 

To be honest, I don't think they actually went for a specific tone back then. They just used whatever gear they could steal or borrow, put on a long strap and hit it hard with a pick and generally abused it.

[ubit]

You have to ask yourself what most of the originals were using. I would agree P bass all the way. obviously there are a few exceptions but in general that's what folk used. P bass with the treble turned up.

 

I'm sure you will come up with a decent sound mate as the sound in your classic rock set up is spot on.

[itsmedunc]

Precision, Rik, Yamaha, Greco etc etc. Rounds,  Fender, ampeg heads and cabs. Maybe knackered Marshall cab if you're there thinking JJ 😂. There were so many bands and differing gear available, it's hard to nail. Paul Simonon just used (and still does use) a heavy USA P bass and Ampeg gear. That setup is a no brainer. It's a quality all rounder really. He ditched the Rik.

[SteveXFR]

As mentioned above, plenty of treble but also plenty of dirt. Isolated bass tracks from early punk are hard to find but ones I've heard sounded really dirty in isolation with not an awful lot of bottom end.

[PaulWarning]

on the subject of Rics in punk, I can think of 3 players that changed from Rics to P basses, Michael Bradley of the Undertones, Bruce Foxton, and Glen Matlock, can't think of any that went the other way, though someone will not doubt think of one

[2020Jazz]

[Lozz196]

25 minutes ago, PaulWarning said:

on the subject of Rics in punk, I can think of 3 players that changed from Rics to P basses, Michael Bradley of the Undertones, Bruce Foxton, and Glen Matlock, can't think of any that went the other way, though someone will not doubt think of one

Paul Simenon in that club as well

[Cat Burrito]

They all seem to play identikit low slung white Precisions these days. I'd rip up the rule book by playing a headless 6 string bass with LEDs, right up high! Surely punk is about not having rules? 😂

[dmccombe7]

2 hours ago, MoJo said:

 

I used to say the same and would play everything with my fingers. It was only my guitarists insistence that I play 'No More Heroes' with a pick that forced me to persevere and now, although I'm more comfortable playing with fingers, my pick playing has come on leaps and bounds and the punk songs in the set sound so much better for it

When i joined this punk band about 4 wks back i started learning the songs with a pick but i kept getting cramp and i was holding the pick lightly. My fingers literally seized up. I might try and get back to it even if its just some songs and slowly change over to pick for them all.

Dave