Gear for vintage blues/jazz tone

#41
SpacedBard said:
These events took place in the 60's thats pretty vintage to me. If its the blues and jazz part youre refering to these guys were all playing heavily improv based music using blues theory as its basis. There may have been heavier elements like distortion and the like but its still very much in the spirit of blues and even jazz at least thats what i think:)
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Well, what you're talking about is "vintage hard rock tone". Nothing wrong with that! It's the sound of my youth!

But vintage blues is guys like Willie Dixon and Robert Johnson, and vintage jazz on bass starts with someone like Pops Foster and runs through Wellman Braud, Jimmie Blanton, Walter Page, Ray Brown, Paul Chambers, Oscar Pettiford, Charles Mingus, Ron Carter, etc.

What you're asking about is "vintage hard rock tone". Which, of course, is by no means a monolith; Peter Albin, Jack Bruce, Bill Wyman, John Entwistle, John Paul Jones, Phil Lynott, Noel Redding, etc., didn't all sound the same, nor use the same gear, and most of them changed their tone concepts and gear over their careers too.

Fortunately, because of the vast sea of rock journalism in that period, you shouldn't have any trouble figuring out what gear and setups your particular favorites used, and then try to replicate that. You don't necessarily need 60 year old stuff to sound like a guy did 60 years ago.
 
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#42
SpacedBard said:
Ive always been the type who likes instruments more than gear, if i could find a cheap digital pedal that will continue to be supported for the forseable future and can approxiamate the tone im looking for i wouldnt be opposed.
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..... Youtube is a wonderland... and the rabbit hole goes deep. Lots of videos there. Some digital, some analog like the Trilobite.

Edit: SushiboxFx.com is tube pedal goodness that is analog (I think... you dont need a computer or need to update). I dont think there's too many YT demos though. I dont own one yet, but every user on TB that has a sushibox loves it fwiw. And again, he's one of us. one of us...
 
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#44
According to the gatefold pic on the Cheap Thrills cover Albin appears to be using a Gibson EB-3 through a Fender Bassman at whatever gig that is. "Ball and Chain" is the only live cut on that album but his sound there would verify that's highly possible. I got the idea from some of the Monterrey footage, the Canned Heat set for instance, that a backline of Fender Bassman and Bandmasters or some such were provided.
As a long-time, steady-gigging blues player I finally arrived at my ideal sound over the past 10 years going with low-powered tube amps - specifically Bassman 100T (25 or 100 watts) and Ampeg PF-50T (50 watts) paired with 1x115, 2x115 (Ampeg PF-115HE's) or 1x410 (Fender 410Neo) and using Fender slabs with single coil pups and well-aged flat wound strings, no pedals other than a tuner. I've never been more thrilled with my sound.
 
#46
The best small tube amp I've ever heard for blues was a 50W Sovtek Blues Midget head through a Sovtek single fifteen cabinet. It was a component (head/cab) rig but was smaller than the Peavey TKO I was using at that time. The owner played a P through it and I played a J loaded with Dimarzio Model J pickups and it was outstanding with both.
 
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#47
I'd approach this with a P Bass potentially with flats.
My guess was that was the bass on the video...but it appears thats a Gibson.
However, to position yourself in todays bass playing world, I'll stick with P Bass.
Amp is less important but if you are all in on the style, vibe and sound, P Bass and 15inch Cab.

Depends how nuanced your technique is...and I'm guessing 3 yrs is not really enough to get too far down that road, then the above set up will be a good start.

Youtube Sean Hurley for tips on classic PBass tone and technique. He's built his career on it.
Loads of others too...but thats a good start.

And... flats help a lot,
You could mute etc etc to get real close...loads of little tricks here, but fingerstyle, mutes, flats and P Bass is your starter, imv
 
#48
Sorry i havent responded to this thread in a bit, life stuff. So it seems like the general consensus is a head and small cabinet, with some sort of humbucker loaded bass with flats. Are there any good hybrid heads out there that would work well, right now im looking at a musicman and some pedals. Is the cort b4fl hollow body a good match, i know its not gonna be as loud as an archtop but how does it project acoustically? What do you guys think of tapewounds? Thanks
 
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