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Post by windmill on Jun 23, 2022 21:48:04 GMT -5
Hello
One of the groups I play with has always done 1 or 2 beatles songs. Recently it was decided to do a set of Beatles songs, with most of them being from their first few years, up to Hard Days Night and some later ones.
After giving the songs a good listen, on some of the songs the bass is almost the lead instrument, carrying the song, for example All My Loving.
I can't get close to the bass sound of those songs using my precision or jazz basses.
Does anyone have some tips or tricks that will help to sound something like the bass on the recordings ?
Thanks
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Post by themaestro on Jun 23, 2022 22:02:53 GMT -5
I assume that most of the early stuff was done with Paul's Hofner violin bass (probably with flats). Those things don't have much sustain or bright snap. My suggestions would be to try rolling the tone control back, foam under the strings near the bridge and fret hand muting. Don't let anything ring out.
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pdf64
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Post by pdf64 on Jun 24, 2022 10:47:34 GMT -5
The short scale / those foam rubber string dampers at the bridge might have contributed to the tone / response too.
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twangmeister
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Post by twangmeister on Jun 24, 2022 18:49:28 GMT -5
The early Beatles McCartney bass sound has that boomy tone of hollowbody/short scale/flat-wound strings. I use my Tele Bass with the treble turned down and a small chunk of foam at the bridge to get that sound. I never tried to do it with my Pbass.
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Post by Riff Twang on Jun 24, 2022 21:56:59 GMT -5
Ypu may find the linked Youtube video interesting and or informative.
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woody
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Post by woody on Jun 24, 2022 22:04:11 GMT -5
Good info in that video. Thanks Riff Twang.
I use a felt or rubber pick on my tapewound strung Gretsch hollow body bass. Nails the sound.
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Post by windmill on Jun 24, 2022 22:15:35 GMT -5
Thanks for the replies It has given some things to try out.  |
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Jun 25, 2022 9:17:22 GMT -5
Depending on the voicing of your rig, you might have some luck boosting mids/low mids. Short scale and medium scale gives a bit of a honk.
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Jun 25, 2022 15:25:20 GMT -5
This could be totally off base (no pun intended) but one thing I would try in my home recording environment would be putting a short room reverb or delay. Just a tad might get that hollow *thunk* in the signal.
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matryx81
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Post by matryx81 on Jun 25, 2022 19:24:30 GMT -5
If using the J, turn that bridge pickup off.
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gbfun
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Post by gbfun on Jun 26, 2022 5:08:32 GMT -5
Get the right hair cut...  I think the audience doesn't care much about absolute accuracy of tone in this case...the focus is on the vocals and the performance. A tone purist would know that the hollow sounding Beatles bass is not possible on a bass that's solid. Shaping the midrangey bass tone and locking into the feel does the trick just fine if using flatwound strings. Imo. |
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Post by windmill on Jun 26, 2022 19:21:39 GMT -5
Its one of those 80/20 things, to try and get 80% of the way for 20% of the cost. The last 20% is where 80% of the cost is. gbfun, you are right that no one else will actually care, but it is something new to me and just want want to see how othere have tackled the problem. Thanks to the advice people have given, my Squier VI, which does have flatwounds on it, might do the trick but it may mean carrying 2 guitars.  |
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Post by super400 on Jul 1, 2022 10:29:02 GMT -5
A little late to the topic but I'll add what I can. Back in the 80s I was doing the Paul character in a fairly successful Beatles tribute band. All of us were absolutely focused on getting all the tones, instro and vocals, down perfectly. We came close on occasion. One trick that worked amazingly well for the bass was adding an Acoustic guitar emulator pedal, a cheezy Boss AC3. My first try was with my pbass as I was just experimenting. The heavenly choirs sang their approvals! Then when I tried it on the old Hofner, it multiplied the effect beautifully. It's a seemingly subtle change, but it hit the bullseye and I used that for the following 2 years when we ended that fun run.
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Post by hushnel on Jul 2, 2022 12:40:13 GMT -5
For Christmas 1965 I got my first bass. Dad fancied himself a musician, he was actually a good drummer. He was savey enough to spend a day with me at local music shops letting me try out various basses, to find the one I preferred.
It came down to the Hofner Violin Bass, Paul’s choice and the Framus Atlantik, both we’re available at the Post Exchange. In my opinion the Framus smoked the Hofner, one thing about the Hofner I really didn’t like was the head dive, it wasn’t a balanced instrument at all. The Framus is still a viable bass. I’ve used it at recent performances and taken it to rehearsal a couple of times. Since I moved up to the farm I did purchase a Hofner. I gave it my nephew for Christmas a few years back.
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