TDM Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 (edited) Rage Against the Machine has always been one of my favorite bands so I decided to learn all of their first album today, only took about 2 hours. Looking back I remember it took me weeks to nail Bombtrack and Wake Up when I first started playing Anyway, does anybody know what bass Tim used to record the albums with? I've read that that "Rage Against the Machine" was a Stingray - an anyone confirm that? I can't hope to get his exact tone, especially since most of it is amazing production on the recordings but I'd like to get closer. Although I reckon my Jazz wired in series can sound similar. I think I'm gonna work on "Evil Empire" now, Rage songs are just so fun to play! Edited July 22, 2009 by thedonutman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I used to love jamming along to their first album as a kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higgie Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 (edited) First album is indeed a Stingray, a 2 Band EQ model IIRC. It can be seen in the Bullet In The Head video Edited July 22, 2009 by Higgie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauBass Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Have a look here...all you ever wanted to know it's there: [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=265221&highlight=tim+commerford"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.p...=tim+commerford[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasted Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 [quote name='PauBass' post='547725' date='Jul 22 2009, 03:38 PM'] Have a look here...all you ever wanted to know it's there: [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=265221&highlight=tim+commerford"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.p...=tim+commerford[/url][/quote] And loads of minutiae that you didn't give a crap about too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I love RATM so much. Possibly my favourite band. And the tone on Evil Empire is unparalleled. "Yeah, we better turn tha bass up on this one!" Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 [quote name='alexclaber' post='547748' date='Jul 22 2009, 04:01 PM']I love RATM so much. Possibly my favourite band. And the tone on Evil Empire is unparalleled. "Yeah, we better turn tha bass up on this one!" Alex[/quote] Take the Power Back is the only slap song I can play. I think I know what I'm going to do tonight with my newly acquired Stingray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Protium Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 [quote name='alexclaber' post='547748' date='Jul 22 2009, 04:01 PM']I love RATM so much. Possibly my favourite band. And [b]the tone on Evil Empire is unparalleled.[/b] "Yeah, we better turn tha bass up on this one!" Alex[/quote] +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy_Marsh Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 i spent like 2 weeks of my summer when i was about 13 learning every single song off the first three albums Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJE Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 (edited) Brilliant band and the I remeber when I first heard Bombtrack, blue my mind, so angry, so groovy, so honest, just full of rage which is exactly what you want when you are a teenage boy! oh and one of the best bass tones ever IMHO Anyway yes he used a stingray with no pickguard if I remeber (not that that would affect tone) but he did use some jazz basses (75 American Reissue?) as well or was that just with Audioslave? I know I have seen him somewhere using Lakland as well so I would think he can get somewhere close tone wise with a Jazz. Edited July 23, 2009 by NJE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s_u_y_* Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Just dropping by to show some Timmy C love. Absolutely love RATM. Got into them just after they broke up and thrilled when I saw live for the first time in Antwerp last year. One of my main influences as a player for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 RATM is one of my favourite albums ever, you so rarely get so much passion locked into a music track like that, one of the only albums iv listened to that i can truly say blew me away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 One of the great things about BassChat is it points you in new musical directions when you hear people speaking passionately about bands. I've never really listened to RATM, apart from Killing In the Name (cos of the swearing!). Prompted by this thread I downloaded the first album and its great! What's more TC's slapping (eg Take the Power back) is very simple and straightforward and even I can manage it, so its given me a leg-up playing-wise. Cheers folks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasted Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Try Evil Empire. That's a fantastic record. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Evil Empire is such a meaty sound. I use it to compare all my masters to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MythSte Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Might be making this up, But im sure i read somewhere that he winds his own pickups? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 [quote name='MythSte' post='548705' date='Jul 23 2009, 11:18 AM']Might be making this up, But im sure i read somewhere that he winds his own pickups?[/quote] Yep, says so somewhere in the TalkBass piece. Sounds a bit OTT to me! And Toasted/Joe, am downloading Evil Empire as we speak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 (edited) I remember reading an interview with him in Bass Player a few years back and feeling sorry for him. Apparently he does stuff to his pickups that he'll never reveal so nobody can truly copy him. It must be terrible to feel that insecure. Edited July 23, 2009 by dlloyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 [quote name='dlloyd' post='548712' date='Jul 23 2009, 11:22 AM']I remember reading an interview with him in Bass Player a few years back and feeling sorry for him. Apparently he does stuff to his pickups that he'll never reveal so nobody can truly copy him. It must be terrible to feel that insecure.[/quote] He also keeps his pedalboard chain a secret and allegedly includes dummy pedals to throw would-be copiers off the scent! Seems a bit weird for such an accomplished and respected bass player Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Is it possible that he's making up some of the secrecy stuff for a laugh? He must get bored with the same routine interview questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 [quote name='Adrenochrome' post='548733' date='Jul 23 2009, 11:37 AM']Is it possible that he's making up some of the secrecy stuff for a laugh? He must get bored with the same routine interview questions.[/quote] Heh, yes, I think so. Maybe he does it to try and turn his tone into a legend. He doesn't realise that he managed it without the hype! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 He's definitely a bit nuts but he really understands tone and groove. I believe it was a Stingray on RATM, Jazz thereafter. Then on Audioslave a Jazz tuned BEAD initially and I stopped taking much notice after the eponymous album. Amp-wise it was a dual SVT/810 rig on Evil Empire, one clean, one dirty. On Audioslave it was a triple amp/cab rig, one clean, one overdriven, one fully distorted. Clean rig always running, then adding other rigs on top. Pedals only going to dirty rigs. High action and rather Jaco right-hand technique - lots of attack and lots of dynamic range thanks to the good plucking technique and high action. Although his gear is very tweaked in I bet he'd get his sound on almost anything. Very little work for the engineer, almost everything just being the sound coming from his rig plus a smidgeon of DI (yes that's between 4 and 6 channels on the board!) Evil Empire isn't as accessible as RATM, their debut album was a blinding combination of hooks, groove and attitude, but the bass tones need to be heard by all. Battle of Los Angeles is cool too but a bit more of the same - Calm Like A Bomb, Testify, Guerrilla Radio and Sleep Now In The Fire being the stand-outs. I rather like Renegades, which is their 'covers' album - although some are relatively straight covers some are much further removed, like the final track Maggie's Farm - a classic RATM hard-grooving riff monster with lyrics by Bob Dylan. The first Audioslave album is worth hearing, especially from a bass tone perspective, but Brad's drumming doesn't work so well in a more traditional rock context and it's far from finding the magic that happens when there's an angry De La Rocha providing the lyrical ooomph. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben604 Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 RATM & Renegades are their best albums imo. Awesome riffage, especially the main riff from Freedom, and halfway through Township Rebellion, yeah! Very satisfying to play along with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotnwhy Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 i'll come and join in with what a lot of other people are saying: when i first picked up the bass and 13, i spent the first year or 2 learning and playing every single RATM song (not that well, obviously). i had a folder with tabs for every song that i covered in pictures of basses i could only dream of owning. bar the ken smith, i've now owned them all and can play the songs much better too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 [quote name='alexclaber' post='548745' date='Jul 23 2009, 11:47 AM']I rather like Renegades, which is their 'covers' album - although some are relatively straight covers some are much further removed, like the final track Maggie's Farm - a classic RATM hard-grooving riff monster with lyrics by Bob Dylan.[/quote] A fabulous album! I play it more than the other RATM albums but that might be cos Rage's own tracks still get played in the pubs/clubs etc so I hear 'em fairly often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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