Beedster Posted November 21 Author Share Posted November 21 1 minute ago, Cosmo Valdemar said: I respectfully disagree. His tone changed massively over the years, depending on his bass and amps. And he played at least 50% of the time with a pick in the 60s and early 70s. His style and technique was entirely his own of course, but even that developed hugely. But, this is going to lead us down the "tone is in the fingers" abyss and we really don't want to go down there do we? 😄 We agree then, fingers (you need them in the left hand as well) and amplification/volume. I think that’s what I said? But the tone was not in a slab body Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted November 21 Author Share Posted November 21 Just now, Cosmo Valdemar said: It's the maple cap neck. Aside from the slab body, that was the only difference. The pickup and circuit were standard. And as that tone was retained on Live At Leeds, where he was playing Frankenstein, logic points to the neck being responsible. I used to own a replica built by @Rick's Fine '52. Maple cap neck from a Roger Waters sig, if I remember correctly. Steve Harris pickup. It had that definite extra snap and grit to the top end, so I'm content to believe the secret sauce was in the neck. Well JE said he was sure it was the circuit, I’m going with him 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted November 21 Author Share Posted November 21 … but either way, if I played that bass I would never get that tone, he could play an Encore and would probably get close 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted November 21 Share Posted November 21 24 minutes ago, Beedster said: Well JE said he was sure it was the circuit, I’m going with him 👍 Slabs had ordinary pickups and circuits, honestly. JE was wrong on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted November 22 Author Share Posted November 22 7 hours ago, Cosmo Valdemar said: Slabs had ordinary pickups and circuits, honestly. JE was wrong on this one. I’ll see if I can dig out the interview, have to admit that if I were going to identify the active ingredient of tone in a Precision I’d have put the circuit quite low, but I suspect JE had a good feel for this stuff. When I first read the interview I remember thinking he might have found himself with an instrument with a mutant, even faulty, circuit, that just did the thing he wanted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted November 22 Share Posted November 22 1 hour ago, Beedster said: I’ll see if I can dig out the interview, have to admit that if I were going to identify the active ingredient of tone in a Precision I’d have put the circuit quite low, but I suspect JE had a good feel for this stuff. When I first read the interview I remember thinking he might have found himself with an instrument with a mutant, even faulty, circuit, that just did the thing he wanted? It's something I've seen him mention in a few interviews - I remember buying a copy of bassist magazine when I was 13 because he was on the cover - I didn't even own a bass yet 😄 Of course that sent me down a rabbit hole for many years trying to find out what was so special about the mythical Slab circuit 🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burns-bass Posted November 22 Share Posted November 22 2 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said: It's something I've seen him mention in a few interviews - I remember buying a copy of bassist magazine when I was 13 because he was on the cover - I didn't even own a bass yet 😄 Of course that sent me down a rabbit hole for many years trying to find out what was so special about the mythical Slab circuit 🤣 There is no magic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverBlackman Posted November 22 Share Posted November 22 43 minutes ago, Burns-bass said: There is no magic. Are you sure JE didn’t write Magic bus and they changed the lyrics? I don't care how much I pay (Too much, Magic bass) I wanna play my bass to my baby each day (Too much, Magic bass) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bremen Posted November 22 Share Posted November 22 7 minutes ago, OliverBlackman said: Are you sure JE didn’t write Magic bus and they changed the lyrics? I don't care how much I pay (Too much, Magic bass) I wanna play my bass to my baby each day (Too much, Magic bass) Beedster: I waant it, I waant it, I waant it All: Caaant havvit!!! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted November 22 Share Posted November 22 55 minutes ago, Burns-bass said: There is no magic. I know that now. The 13-year-old me was a lot more naive 😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bremen Posted November 22 Share Posted November 22 56 minutes ago, Burns-bass said: There is no magic. You haven't heard Live at Leeds, have you? 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted November 22 Author Share Posted November 22 There is no magic in a circuit, in a body, or in a neck. There is magic in the way the musician uses them, and perhaps makes them sing more than he would a different combination. Live at Leeds is magical 👍 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted November 22 Share Posted November 22 (edited) As per @Beedster Live at Leeds is magical, always wished I could play like JE and have that tone, never going to happen though. As for the magic, I want it, I want it, I want it, I want it You can have her for just one hundred pounds Edited November 22 by 3below spelling typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted November 22 Share Posted November 22 Too much! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted November 23 Author Share Posted November 23 Interesting evolution 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted November 23 Share Posted November 23 That said, about magic in the circuit or ghost in the machine 😉 , the special tone of Edward van Halen comes from a defective pickup, the special tone of Peter Green comes from an error in the wiring putting the pickups of his Les Paul out of phase in the center position, the special tone of Brian May comes from the accumulation of mistakes in the building of his guitar by his father (neck wood and building not allowing a standard gauge but an ultra light one, ultra low output homemade pickups needing an external buffer and booster, an overall very poor construction of the guitar giving such a thin sound he had to do a lot of tricks), ... So yes, the magic can reside in the circuitry Chris. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassApprentice Posted November 23 Share Posted November 23 1 hour ago, Beedster said: Interesting evolution If only there was a high output bass with a P pickup and woofer ready to go.... Looks cool though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverBlackman Posted November 23 Share Posted November 23 1 hour ago, Beedster said: Interesting evolution Pretty sure I saw him play this bass with D’angelo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted November 24 Share Posted November 24 14 hours ago, Beedster said: Interesting evolution Interesting indeed - he clearly felt that the neck mudbucker was something missing from the original (basically Thunderbird) pickup placement. As a big fan of Thunderbirds, but also of humbuckers placed right up at the neck, I've been very intrigued by the Mike Lull Tom Petersson model - anyone tried one? Mike Lull Unveils Tom Petersson Signature Bass – No Treble 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted November 24 Author Share Posted November 24 So, opted for this…….. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted November 24 Share Posted November 24 17 minutes ago, Beedster said: So, opted for this…….. Which, when you follow this thread carefully, is a totally logical move. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted November 25 Author Share Posted November 25 7 hours ago, ezbass said: Which, when you follow this thread carefully, is a totally logical move. I was hoping the BC collective was going to tell me that the Jag was absolutely 100% without question the bass I needed............ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted November 25 Share Posted November 25 9 hours ago, Beedster said: I was hoping the BC collective was going to tell me that the Jag was absolutely 100% without question the bass I needed............ No, what you really need is this: https://reverb.com/item/70395452-dean-john-entwistle-spider-bass-limited-edition-only-25-made-fenderbird-2019-natural (sadly sold) Or maybe http://www.alembic.com/info/fc_spyders.html Or perhaps https://reverb.com/item/541029-dean-john-entwistle-spider-electric-bass (also sadly sold) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted November 25 Author Share Posted November 25 7 minutes ago, tauzero said: No, what you really need is this: https://reverb.com/item/70395452-dean-john-entwistle-spider-bass-limited-edition-only-25-made-fenderbird-2019-natural (sadly sold) Or maybe http://www.alembic.com/info/fc_spyders.html Or perhaps https://reverb.com/item/541029-dean-john-entwistle-spider-electric-bass (also sadly sold) I suspect I'm going to find what I have is m ore than enough to be going on with 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted November 25 Share Posted November 25 20 minutes ago, Beedster said: I suspect I'm going to find what I have is m ore than enough to be going on with You must have found enlightenment of the one true path, surely it is not possible to have too many basses? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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