D-L-B

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1388103357' post='2318635'] One in the classifieds. Heh. :-) [/quote] Shhhhh! Keep it down! It's me that's trying to shift it! The price of the original WH-1 has remained high despite numerous reissues so I'm hoping the same goes for the bass whammy. I actually have two and it's my spare that's for sale as I'm not in a band or gigging at the moment. I still plan on keeping one of them as I love the sounds I get out of it. I can honestly say that this is not a panic sale. Newer better tracking pitch pedals just don't do it for me in the same way. Similar to how the Boss OC-2 is still so popular.

I kind of see it like the guy who comes onto the football pitch at half time and does loads of keep ups and tricks. He's there as a novelty, he's not what it's really all about though.

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1382584823' post='2253982'] I'm just thinking in terms of practicality. Like with many effects, they're fun for minute and then the novelty wears off and you realize the band needs a bass player. [/quote] Maybe you've only ever encountered poor bass players who've used effects poorly for novelty without any playing to back it up but that would be no more of an argument than saying you saw someone with poor tapping technique once so tapping should never be used. And no band "needs" a bass player, there are plenty of examples out there. Listen to anything recorded by my band, a lot of the songs rely heavily upon my use of effects, then tell me where they're lacking a bass player. There appears to be a large contingent of unimaginative players on this forum who hide behind what they perceive as rules for the role of bass. I've lost count of the number of times an opinion has been expressed by someone about something which they basically can't do and don't understand; i.e. expanding the tonal possibilities of their chosen instrument whilst still writing good music. By searching for a particular sound the OP will discover other possibilities with his instrument which will no doubt expand his playing in the future. (Thanks for the kind comments about my song, I didn't intend to hijack the thread in that way!)

This is my "mobile" set up at my girlfriend's flat. [IMG]http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr155/spider_lad/e72c92c7bc597ed3893712be37f1d6d9.jpg[/IMG]

I once was chasing a similar sound in my head to what you describe here. I even described it as a bit of a mad cow like sound. It was on this track: https://alphamaleteaparty.bandcamp.com/track/mutha-hubbard-wha-choo-doin-in-ma-cupboard At 1:45, 2:01 & 2:18 I chuck in a few slides with more of a mooing feel than a traditional bass slide. Then immediately after it kicks in with a more pronounced sound. This finished version ended up having a more extreme tone than originally planned as it suited the song more but the drunken cow was definitely achieved along the way. It would take an age to list the gear and settings I used but you'll need to double track to get something satisfying. Emphasise the mids and use a bit of overdrive for the slide but you'll need a clean more sub tone underneath it to hold it down. When a cow lows you hear the raspy throat/nasal sound most prominently but there's always the bass note from their chest resonating underneath it. The sound in that track above from 2:18 onwards was done with a bass whammy just sweeping up an octave but with a clean sub tone along side it. I ended up using an auto wah and some pingy short delay with it to bring it out in the mix more but before that it was very much the cow sound!

Old: Dirty Movies, not my first band but the oldest I have access to without a good rummage through my boxed up belongings (I'm in the middle of moving). This was a bit of a tongue in cheek band which me (bass) and my cousin (singer) started with an old school friend of his on guitar. There's questionable/comedy lyrics and cheesey EVH guitar solos at times but it was great fun at the time. http://www.broadjam.com/artists/songs.php?artistID=30485&mediaID=234024&play=true New: Alpha Male Tea Party, my last band. I recorded all the parts for this EP shortly before leaving a while back. They finally got around to releasing it a couple of months ago and are still going with a new bassist. It's kind of "mathy" stuff but again not taking itself too seriously. It's also far more technically evolved than the stuff I used to play. http://alphamaleteaparty.bandcamp.com/ Enjoy

I've had countless dirt pedals come and go but the Turbo Rat used with a Boss LS-2 has always remained. My Rat has had a bass mod done but I still prefer to use a clean blend. I always use a blend with dirt pedals.

Not much going on with the bass tone here, to my ears. Pretty standard flumpiness.

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1375615455' post='2163413'] Oh dear....here we go again, someone is having a bad day. Apologies for asking the question that seems to have upset you.....but you have the choice to simply ignore it. [/quote] How so? I simply put an honest reply, not a heated rant. I've heard far more interesting tones from Geddy than this one, that's all. Your questions might be easier to ignore if you were to title the topic appropriately.

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1356617955' post='1911681'] I rarely even use EQ of any sort. I have the tone controls on my active bass set flat, and never move the tone controls on the amp more than one or two notches either side of 12'oclock. I dont even ever change the pickup selector or mix - always a 50/50 mix of both pickups. That approach has worked for me in all the bands I've played in: soul, blues, rock. I also only consume bread and water. I wear only white shirts and black trousers and shoes. [/quote] I'll go out on a limb and say that while it's "worked" for you it probably hasn't universally worked for the context of the song or the audiences ears.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1375607054' post='2163265'] IME chasing someone else's tone is a fruitless exercise. And doubly so when you're listening to something on a studio recording where the sound is so much more than just the player instrument and the amp. Plus the thing that makes any instrument sound great is not the instrument on it's own but how it fits in with all the other sounds in the arrangement. Change any one of those other instruments and the chances are that you'll also have to change the tone of the instrument that you are so admiring in order to make it sound great in the mix again. [/quote] Totally agree. The amount of "tone chasing" on this forum is ridiculous. It just shows a lack of musical understanding, IMO. Even the original artist doesn't actually sound like what you're listening to. The tone on a recording is a concocted sound moulded out of what was captured on the day, often quite distinct from the raw sound actually captured. Listen to a band live and the tone can vary considerably from gig to gig depending on conditions. The music of Rush leaves me cold. They're like a joke band, I can't take them any more seriously than I would Spinal Tap. However that doesn't stop me admitting that I have occasionally admired Geddy's tone. This however is not one of those occasions. It sounds pretty bog standard and a bit thin to me, like a programmed bass sample. I believe I could approximate it, as well as anyone including even Geddy, on most of my basses with a pick and the tone rolled back.

I really can't hear anything special in the bass tone here.

[quote name='mike257' timestamp='1368474388' post='2077564'] Dan, I've seen your board close up, the reason you don't need heavy duty Velcro is because its big enough to have its own gravitational field. I'm pretty sure it was attracting all nearby pedals into its orbit! [/quote] That's why I have to organise my tours to coincide with the phases of the moon. [quote name='Kev' timestamp='1368476431' post='2077603'] Have to say, i have used that velcro before and i found it fairly poor, would be okay for light little pedals but for heavier pedal i dont think it would hold, depends how much of it you use i guess! [/quote] You're just not prepping it right. I took this board on tour, nothing budged, the Carl Martin Octa-Switch is not what I would call a light, little pedal...

I've always used this and it's never let me down. http://www.wilko.com/carpet-accessories/wilko-hook+loop-stick-on-tape-black-1m/invt/0190336 You just need to clean the surface you're sticking it to with alcohol and maybe give it a little roughen up.

This one's from about a year ago. There's been some movement through the revolving gear door since then. [IMG]http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr155/spider_lad/1b381d08.jpg[/IMG]

Just admit it guys, if we get right to the bottom of it, it's simply down to lack of imagination. Amirite?! Huh?!

Here's lots of riffs all rammed together for you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyBnWs5RTvQ&sns=em

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1362133512' post='1996134'] Has said replacement also got an awesome bass tone? [/quote] I can't comment yet as I haven't got to see them live but I'm sure he knows what he's doing Here's the video to the tune "Tuffles" from the forthcoming Alpha Male Tea Party EP. Entirely self produced. Although the recordings are all mine I don't appear in the video as it was made after I'd left and it's only fair that the new guy features since it'll be him promoting the songs by playing them live. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyBnWs5RTvQ&sns=em

I read the first few pages then had to skip to the end so I don't know if anyone else has said this. The main skill involved in producing a modern hit pop song is not in the writing, production or even the performance, it is in the marketing. Assuming a basic level of competency in all the other areas it is all down to the marketing. Look at the charts and tell me that these songs are triumphs of songwriting skill.