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American bass tones 60s/70s


Paultrader
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I remember listening to alot of 60s 70s stuff in the 70s which was mainly from my mom and dads record collection with a couple of mine thrown in and it was on a radiogram which was probably the bees knees at the time and the one thing that sticks out more than anything was how lovely those deep bass tones filled the room ,i wasnt playing at this stage it would be another 8 or so years before i picked up my first bass ,but i am sure thats what planted the seed!

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My first love is and always will be British post-punk circa '78 - 85 (Joy Division, Magazine, Siouxie, Smiths, Jam, Japan (who were more Roxy/Bowie throwbacks, I know).........etc) but I've always had a soft spot for the great music in this thread - the soundtrack of my childhood after all. Maybe one reason why most of my basses are old (60's / 70's) and American.

When you see a band like the Eagles or the Allman Bros playing live you've just got to marvel at their incredible technical proficiency, the telepathy between them, and the sheer in-the-grooveness of it all. So many great session players around in that era too. Standout for me would have to be John McVie, and I was really glad Stevie Nicks bigged him up in a recent TV documentary as he rarely gets the recognition he derserves. One example of his genius; I usually have Radio 2 on in the car (see how post-punk I am?), and a while back Richard Madely was filling in for Chris Evans (one knob for another, really) - he put on "Dreams" saying "this for me is the best bassline EVER made" ........... it's just 2 notes, repeated, in a lovely, laid-back groove with the drums. :)

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[quote name='Shaggy' post='1185171' date='Apr 1 2011, 06:37 PM']One example of [McVie's] genius; ... a while back Richard Madely was filling in for Chris Evans ... he put on "Dreams" saying "this for me is the best bassline EVER made" ........... it's just 2 notes, repeated, in a lovely, laid-back groove with the drums. :)[/quote]
McVie commented that, on "Dreams", the best thing for him and Fleetwood to do was keep it simple, as the song needed "air". A perfect illustration that keeping it simple dosen't mean making it boring.

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Funny reading this thread. I was listening to Wishbone Ash 'Argus' on my drive home from work yesterday, top down (wife's beetle convertible) with the music up. Martin Turner's bass is just so huge and punchy, yet not at all bright. Seems he used a Thunderbird - I had no idea Gibson could make a bass that wasn't all wobbly and flabby sounding. Loved that tone.

And yes, I do like many of the bass tones described here. I'm trying to learn how to shape my tones and playing technique to get the sounds I hear in my head (just as I do for guitar).

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[quote name='Beedster' post='1187095' date='Apr 3 2011, 09:09 PM']So if a guy has the perfect bass (pre-CBS Precision), perfect strings (La Bella heavy flats), perfect amplification (loads of tubes), what's the best cab for the American 60s/70s tone we're talking here.....?[/quote]

Studio or live?

Studio - an old Ampeg B15 fliptop
Live - an old SVT 810

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[quote name='Beedster' post='1187095' date='Apr 3 2011, 09:09 PM']So if a guy has the perfect bass (pre-CBS Precision), perfect strings (La Bella heavy flats), perfect amplification (loads of tubes), what's the best cab for the American 60s/70s tone we're talking here.....?[/quote]


All I can say is that I seem to have all the wrong stuff!

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With my Sunn 300W all Tube Amp, i use live a Sunn 2x15 Cab and for me..it is perfect :)
against the usual oppinion these cabs do not sound dull. As i am a fan of 4x10 cabs (i sometimes use 4x10 neodyme cabs with 1000w), i fell in love from the first tone with this sunn 2x15 cabs.
But i just only use the 760Fl, shame on me :)

Edited by 73Jazz
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[quote name='Beedster' post='1187095' date='Apr 3 2011, 09:09 PM']So if a guy has the perfect bass (pre-CBS Precision), perfect strings (La Bella heavy flats), perfect amplification (loads of tubes), what's the best cab for the American 60s/70s tone we're talking here.....?[/quote]


Not sure myself; but in my quest for "bassy yet punchy" I'd love to try my P through a 1 x 18" - a decent one (EV, JBL etc) rather than the flabby under-powered 18" Fane in a chipboard box I owned many moons ago........

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Thanks for a great response to this thread - it's great to know that there are lots of us out there still listening to this stuff.

Now off to listen to 'Redneck Friend' by Jackson Browne. Yes, the slide guitar is brilliant, but my low-end orientated brain filters it out and what I hear is the gorgeous bass rumbling along like an express train underneath!

Cheers All.

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[quote name='cetera' post='1187501' date='Apr 4 2011, 10:36 AM']Studio or live?

Studio - an old Ampeg B15 fliptop
Live - an old SVT 810[/quote]

[quote name='73Jazz' post='1187516' date='Apr 4 2011, 10:42 AM']With my Sunn 300W all Tube Amp, i use live a Sunn 2x15 Cab and for me..it is perfect :)[/quote]

LOL, I drive an Alfa :)

[quote name='Shaggy' post='1188054' date='Apr 4 2011, 06:03 PM']Not sure myself; but in my quest for "bassy yet punchy" I'd love to try my P through a 1 x 18" - a decent one (EV, JBL etc) rather than the flabby under-powered 18" Fane in a chipboard box I owned many moons ago........[/quote]

Never tried an 18", perhaps I should?

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[quote name='Telebass' post='1188694' date='Apr 5 2011, 10:59 AM']Not if you value your intervertebral discs...

A 2x15 would be my personal choice. If I could lift it...

:)[/quote]

Slaves are cheap in times like these :)

You definitely need 2 persons for this and then it is no problem. I think it is healthier to lift a 2x15 by 2, then a 4x10 alone

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[quote name='Beedster' post='1188644' date='Apr 5 2011, 08:56 AM']....Never tried an 18", perhaps I should?....[/quote]
Noooo! I used a Vox Foundation when I started. It was heavy, woolly and couldn't take any volume, and they didn't even bother to put any handles on it!!

Every cab I've owned since, including the MB 115, Aguilar GS112 and AE112 cabs, beat it for definition, bass response and all the other tones that you can get from a bass these days.

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[quote name='Beedster' post='1188644' date='Apr 5 2011, 08:56 AM']Never tried an 18", perhaps I should?[/quote]
Keep your fantasies to yourself, please.

Well anyway ... I think the fat ol' cabs of the time definitely had an effect. I remember hearing a 4x10 with a horn (fnarr) for the first time and thinking "My God, it's so tinny!"

Edited by skankdelvar
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[quote name='Paultrader' post='1183629' date='Mar 31 2011, 05:50 PM']And then there was The Doors...

How did Ray Manzarek do that - he must have had two brains![/quote]

Ah The Doors, I totally love that band. Riders On The Storm is probably in my top 3 of favourite songs. I find the bass tone smooth and creamy.

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