My fave Jazz Bass sound

[ped]

How sweet is the bass on this tune. Bassist is David Barard who is a tone hero of mine. I first heard him playing with Dr. John and was blown away by his 70s Jazz Bass sound, to me it exemplifies everything I like about that sound with its open treble and clanky bottom end. 

I've finally got around to learning this tune and thought I'd share it because it's such a nice groove. @bubinga5 I think you'll like this album!

Barard plays a Sadowsky and sounds pretty much straight to desk with light strings or at least a fairly heavy touch and low action. I love the fret rattle and the way the notes sound slapped when he digs in. I am able to get this bang on with my Celinder but my playing is nowhere near as tight!

I think he's on Facebook actually so I might try to contact him, seems like a cool guy.

[ped]

Another track:

 

[binky_bass]

📢 BROMANCE ALERT BROMANCE ALERT 📢

[Stingray5]

@ped that second number, "Livin' On Love", put me very much in mind of one of my all-time fave bands, Little Feat. The feel and groove and even a touch of slide guitar. So I checked out the credits and, blow me down if one of the co-writers of that song isn't Craig Fuller who was a member of 'Feat from 1988-1996. Loved the bass on both tracks btw - right in the pocket!  

Edited March 29, 2021 by Stingray5

[Marc S]

@ped yes, it's a good Jazz bass sound - I think that slight fret rattle sounds great, it seems to add a little "bite" to the sound
Though I think it's a delicate balance.... For me, it's just about edging on "too much".

Scott talks about it on one of his YouTube videos (from quite a while back, if my memory serves me). He talks about setting his basses up to be "fret-buzz-free", and then he lowers the saddles by a tiny amount, until he's satisfied that he's just just the right amount of rattle. I agree, this guy sounds a great player. Not heard of him before.  

EDIT: I wanted to add - after a while, that "rattle" might end up getting on my nerves... a bit, in that I mightn't want it on every song
Ah well, just have to own two Jazz basses then eh?

Edited March 29, 2021 by Marc S

[ezbass]

1 hour ago, ped said:

Another track:

 

Too... much... goodness...

I need to lie down after so much funk and tone. Thanks for posting @ped, I’m going to be sharing this.

[ped]

49 minutes ago, Marc S said:

@ped yes, it's a good Jazz bass sound - I think that slight fret rattle sounds great, it seems to add a little "bite" to the sound
Though I think it's a delicate balance.... For me, it's just about edging on "too much".

Scott talks about it on one of his YouTube videos (from quite a while back, if my memory serves me). He talks about setting his basses up to be "fret-buzz-free", and then he lowers the saddles by a tiny amount, until he's satisfied that he's just just the right amount of rattle. I agree, this guy sounds a great player. Not heard of him before.  

EDIT: I wanted to add - after a while, that "rattle" might end up getting on my nerves... a bit, in that I mightn't want it on every song
Ah well, just have to own two Jazz basses then eh?

It's one of the best things about a good 70s jazz I think - that rattle just sounds so sweet, and with a super low action you can go from bury to kind of a nailed clank which sounds especially good when it's just hitting a limiter. David controls that rattle really nicely, sprinkling it on some grooves like sugar on weetabix. Very addictive sound IMO. I can take or leave a 60s spring jazz sound - never really been happy with that tone.

[ped]

1 hour ago, Stingray5 said:

@ped that second number, "Livin' On Love", put me very much in mind of one of my all-time fave bands, Little Feat. The feel and groove and even a touch of slide guitar. So I checked out the credits and, blow me down if one of the co-writers of that song isn't Craig Fuller who was a member of 'Feat from 1988-1996. Loved the bass on both tracks btw - right in the pocket!  

Ah that's great - I love it when that happens. I think I only found Shemeka through Dr. John - using DIscogs instead of Spotify, old skool.

I'm also a Feat fan, and I discovered them because Warren Hayes with Govt Mule covered 'On Your Way Down' with Sonny Landreth!

Govt Mule's Deep End/Deepest End albums are a brilliant window into tons of artists (Different bassist on every track). 

 

 

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

Really like that @ped - thanks for sharing. The tone reminded me a little of this, which I love. Not sure who it is or what bass is being played, but I know I like it.

EDIT: Dug my CD out and it's Peter Carter on bass. Doesn't really add anything as I don't know anything else he's done 🤷‍♂️.

 

Edited March 29, 2021 by hiram.k.hackenbacker

[Reggaebass]

Not a song but for a nice jazz bass sound I like this video from, vintage guitar Oldenburg, he demos lots of the basses they have , great sound from the 62

 

[ped]

11 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Really like that @ped - thanks for sharing. The tone reminded me a little of this, which I love. Not sure who it is or what bass is being played, but I know I like it.

EDIT: Dug my CD out and it's Peter Carter on bass. Doesn't really add anything as I don't know anything else he's done 🤷‍♂️.

 

Cool tune!! That sounds like the back pickup of a 60s jazz to me, very tight and funky. 

[Cuzzie]

Nice tune @ped thanks for sharing that - her voice and phrasing reminds me a lot of Ann Peebles who is one of my fave artists

[ped]

Another thing I like about David’s playing (I call him Dave, we’re mates) is that he plays a 4 string tuned to drop D, which I always do too - it makes his lines easier for me to play but mostly only cool people play in D

[Cuzzie]

23 minutes ago, ped said:

Another thing I like about David’s playing (I call him Dave, we’re mates) is that he plays a 4 string tuned to drop D, which I always do too - it makes his lines easier for me to play but mostly only cool people play in D

For which i am a firm club member

[ped]

26 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

For which i am a firm club member

Good lad. I’ve always done it I think, feels really weird playing in E. strangely fine switching to a 5 string though but then again my five string is 16” scale so that’s the least of my worries 

[Cuzzie]

9 minutes ago, ped said:

Good lad. I’ve always done it I think, feels really weird playing in E. strangely fine switching to a 5 string though but then again my five string is 16” scale so that’s the least of my worries 

A lot of my fave artists were in drop D, so its a natural ear for me and its really freeing in how you get about. I do have a hip shot on my fave basses just for ease, but its always drop D usually down half or a whole step as well

[Mister RLP]

6 hours ago, Reggaebass said:

Not a song but for a nice jazz bass sound I like this video from, vintage guitar Oldenburg, he demos lots of the basses they have , great sound from the 62

 

This is rather good. Great tone. Stumbled on this whilst watching the above vid. Would really love to be able to play like this. Good to find out he is a pro. Don't feel so bad now. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3U-QNIYqXM

 

[ped]

Yeah it does sound nice - it’s definitely a more ‘plummy’ sound than the 70s spacing. I just don’t gel with it as much. 

[Reggaebass]

7 hours ago, Mister RLP said:

This is rather good. Great tone. Stumbled on this whilst watching the above vid. Would really love to be able to play like this. Good to find out he is a pro. Don't feel so bad now. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3U-QNIYqXM

 

I didn’t know he was a pro, I came across him a few years back when I went to look at a 65 jazz, I was reading up on the  jazz and this video came up 

 

[Mister RLP]

Sorry, it was the chap in my link who is the pro. Can't seem to find a way to attach the YouTube clip to the post. Any ideas? 

Wondering how he makes it look so effortless. Lots of ghost notes? 

Edit :
Youtube: 'Share', 'Copy'
Basschat : 'Paste'

That's all, Folks. 

Edited March 30, 2021 by Dad3353

[Mister RLP]

Quote

Wondering how he makes it look so effortless. Lots of ghost notes? 

Edit :
Youtube: 'Share', 'Copy'
Basschat : 'Paste'

That's all, Folks. 

Brilliant. Thanks for sorting this out. Will give it a go. 

[ped]

3 minutes ago, Mister RLP said:

Brilliant. Thanks for sorting this out. Will give it a go. 

When you paste the link it might paste it in a different font which will prevent it embedding, so look out for a little bar that appears at the bottom of the reply window where you can click ‘paste as plain text’ which will then sort it

[Dad3353]

56 minutes ago, ped said:

When you paste the link...

Clever-clogs..! 

[Geek99]

3 hours ago, Mister RLP said:

Sorry, it was the chap in my link who is the pro. Can't seem to find a way to attach the YouTube clip to the post. Any ideas? 

Wondering how he makes it look so effortless. Lots of ghost notes? 

Edit :
Youtube: 'Share', 'Copy'
Basschat : 'Paste'

That's all, Folks. 

So ridiculously talented, if I’d started practicing before I was born I still wouldn’t be that good  

[Mister RLP]

Quote

So ridiculously talented, if I’d started practicing before I was born I still wouldn’t be that good  

I tried transcribing this today so that I could try and play it. Nope. No chance. 

Here's his website...

http://www.rogiervanwegberg.com

...and who he has played bass with:

http://www.rogiervanwegberg.com/artists.html