Any relatively modern Bootsy bass with natural tone (no effects)?

Billyzoom

Billyzoom

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Mar 1, 2011
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#1
I've seen old Bootsy footage (with James Brown), and he's clearly a monster bassist. In looking for more recent stuff (even in the last 25 years or so), I find it difficult to identify his lines or even enjoy his basswork, as I wish he still used more classic, unaffected tones on occasion.

I know the Bootsy persona is a huge part of who he is and what made him a star, and I like it. I just wish I could find some of the music in more recent years, where he played some more fingerstyle and it wasn't so processed sounding.

I don't think I'm alone in this..any of you relate? Or, if I'm off the mark, I'd love some examples.
 
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#6
bassbrad said:
To me looking for Bootsy not playing with effects is like asking for Hendrix with out the distortion or Jamerson with effects.
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I'm just the opposite: I think Bootsy's extensive use of effects often obfuscates his true genius as a bass player. To my ear the thing that makes him one of the most revered bassists in all of funkdom isn't his tone, it's his note placement. Where he chooses to go "bip, bomp, ba-diddle BE blowww" is way more ground-breaking and groovalicious than any amount of fuzz/phasor/filter sounds he gets while doing so.
 
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#7
I appreciate both.

I love his both clean work with James Brown and his effects driven solo and Parliament Funkadelic work. IMO, well to my ears at least, I can hear his note placement whether he's playing through a Mu-Tron III, Big Muff, Echoplex or the like.
 
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#8
Bob_Ross said:
I'm just the opposite: I think Bootsy's extensive use of effects often obfuscates his true genius as a bass player. To my ear the thing that makes him one of the most revered bassists in all of funkdom isn't his tone, it's his note placement. Where he chooses to go "bip, bomp, ba-diddle BE blowww" is way more ground-breaking and groovalicious than any amount of fuzz/phasor/filter sounds he gets while doing so.
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Fair point but I does dig the "bip, bomp, ba-diddle BE blowww"!
 
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#9
Bo0tsy said:
I appreciate both.

I love his both clean work with James Brown and his effects driven solo and Parliament Funkadelic work. IMO, well to my ears at least, I can hear his note placement whether he's playing through a Mu-Tron III, Big Muff, Echoplex or the like.
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Exhibit A:


Bootsy would have never had the freedom to do a bass line like this with James Brown. The note placement is clear, and perhaps even enhanced in this example, by his brilliant use of effects.

Bootsy's stuff with James Brown is killer. Bootsy's stuff with P-Funk is killer. I'm just glad I get to enjoy both as much as I want!
 
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#11


Here's some modern Bootsy, and while the bass isn't clean necessarily, the envelope follower tone is super clean and you can really hear his playing on this track. I love this one - a great example of a simple line being effective as hell.

Hope I didn't derail the thread too badly, but I couldn't help but share this one. :D
 
#13
Bob_Ross said:
I'm just the opposite: I think Bootsy's extensive use of effects often obfuscates his true genius as a bass player. To my ear the thing that makes him one of the most revered bassists in all of funkdom isn't his tone, it's his note placement. Where he chooses to go "bip, bomp, ba-diddle BE blowww" is way more ground-breaking and groovalicious than any amount of fuzz/phasor/filter sounds he gets while doing so.
Click to expand...


Quite right so. Bootsy's note placement just tickles your ear-drums in anticipation of the Mighty One. And that combined with those luscious effects. Impeccable.



@ Alex J. Great choice of a tune. Would have been my choice, too.
 
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#14
I know its not newer like the OP specified, but theres a lot of Clean Bass on "The One That Giveth, The Count Taketh Away" album.....more specifically: theres multi-tracked bass parts, and some are clean and some arent.....Bootsy plays a ton of "cleaner" lead bass on this song....very bluesy lead lines in a funk context...Great use of pentatonics and blue-notes in particular.........................

The problem with being a fan of Bootsy and wanting to emulate his playing is that it usually only works with Bootsy material....try doing what he does in most bands and youll be shown the door for severely overplaying lol

 
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#15
nolaguy said:
Check out A Blow for You A Toot for Me by the Horny Horns. Bootsy plays fairly clean on that album.
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Impeccable Bootsy playing on that album! Shame it's not well known.

bassbrad said:
To me looking for Bootsy not playing with effects is like asking for Hendrix with out the distortion or Jamerson with effects.
Click to expand...
He's know for that stuff, but I think anyone who knows Bootsy would say his best basslines were clean or with only a MuTron.





Playing like this is what I've been striving for ever since I started playing.


That said, I'm not a fan of Bootsy's solo stuff aside from his first 2 albums. Not quite as much groove as in P Funk.
 
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#19
I had to spend about 4 hours in the car, going back and forth from the beach to feed the cat.

Anyhow, I listened to this album and wish I'd thought of this tune earlier in the thread. Pretty apropos except for the 25 year thing:


Disclaimer: I've seen Prakash John listed as bassist on this track, but it sure sounds like Bootsy to me(cf. Uncle Jam)
 
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