Smooth Operator Bass Solo?

[yorks5stringer]

Did a quick search and can't see anything about it, but does anyone know what sort of FX the Bassist uses for the Bass solo on Sade's 'Smooth Operator'?

We are rehearsing this and my solo sounds a bit 'weedy'.

Failing identifying the exact FX, does anyone know what would be required to get a soundalike effect please? Is it just a bit of Chorus?


[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOI8ae3Lub8"]https://www.youtube....h?v=sOI8ae3Lub8[/url] solo comes in at 1 minute 50 seconds.

Edited October 5, 2015 by yorks5stringer

[Conan]

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1444043113' post='2879648']
Is it just a bit of Chorus?[/quote]

I would say so - although it may have been double tracked...

[Naetharu]

To my ears it just sounds like a bit of chorus to thicken up the sound.

[lowhand_mike]

year chorus, but if you listen closely it sounds like they have double tracked it like conan suggested by playing the root notes as an underlying chord, theres definately a dusty end notes (solo) and low notes, which is why you are finding your version weedy, you could but a sub octaver in there to really thicken it up

[cybertect]

You'll need a fretless '79 Stingray, too

[yorks5stringer]

[quote name='cybertect' timestamp='1444044486' post='2879673']
You'll need a fretless '79 Stingray, too
[/quote]

......and a very short strap!

Thanks guys!

[leschirons]

We do this and I have an old Zoom 707 multi effects (about £20 s/h) that I use as an on stage tuner. The "fretless" patch sounds spot on for the number.

[cybertect]

I stand corrected. It seems he used a fretted '78 Stingray.

[url="http://members.tripod.com/~j0hn_e/bp997.txt"]http://members.tripo...0hn_e/bp997.txt[/url]

Originally published in the September 1997 issue of Bass Player.

[b]Paul Denman's Search for Space - Grooving the Gap with Sade & Sweetback[/b]

[quote][color=#000000]---What's the secret behind your deep tone?[/color]

To me, it's in the fingers and in the way you develop over the years.
The other thing, of course, is the instrument. I bought the Music Man
StingRay I'm using right now in 1978, and I've used it regularly ever since.
I've bought other basses, but I always go back to that one, because it's just,
you know... it's me. Everyone's got that certain bass or guitar; it becomes
[color=#000000]part of you. When I strap on this bass, it feels as if it's part of me.[/color]

[color=#000000]---What other basses do you own?[/color]

I have one that's pretty much the same as my '78 StingRay, but it's a
'79; those two have natural finishes. I also have a '78 sunburst-finish
StingRay. I have a '85 Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay 5-string, and '85
fretless StingRay, a Washburn AB40 acoustic bass guitar, and Azola Baby Bass,
a 3/4-size upright made by Emanuel Wilfer, a Gibson EB-3 from the '70's and
a really weird Premier short-scale bass from the '50's that has a glitter
finish.

I've got a ton of effect from the '70's, too. Not that I've ever
used any of 'em- I've just been buying them lately 'cause they look cool!
[Laughs.] I've never used effects with the band; I just buy them to have
fun and mess around.

--- Which instruments do you use on the road?

I use the StingRays most of the time. I've used the Wilfer acoustic
on every tour I've done since '86. And most of the songs on Love Deluxe were
played on the Washburn, so I use that.

I play through Trace Elliot amps, and I always have. I just really
like 'em. I'm using AH600SMX amp with a 4x10 and a 15- that's it. I got my
first Trace rig in '84 when we signed a deal and I got some money; before
that, I used anything I could.

In the studio, I just plug straight into the mixing board. The sound
you hear on our records is just me and the bass with maybe a little
compression.[/quote]

[yorks5stringer]

Just realised I can only play this on one of my Basses as the P and Starbass cut-aways and my large hands are not conducive to playing it up the dusty end.

[Bilbo]

Of course it was a '78 Stingray not a '79!! Can't you hear the difference????!!!

[drTStingray]

I have had to play this several times in a band I dep with. I generally use an HH three band Stingray but I did once use a Classic 2 band for it - it makes little difference to be honest and it always sounds fine without effects - one of my band mates picks out the core chords (probably on the first note of each bar) which adds a little soft backdrop.

I did try it on a Stingray fretless and whilst sounding great, did not reflect the sound in the recording as well as a fretted Stingray, and in any case, I thought better of trying it live - my fingers are too fat and I'm too impatient to play accurate notes above 12th fret on a fretless!!!

Edited October 5, 2015 by drTStingray