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I want to get the flea sound
- Thread starter ACIDFORTHECHILD
- Start date
FFS, buy whichever gear your heart desires, spend all the money you want. It won't mean a flippin' thing if you don't learn the music.
As folks have noted, you can’t get there with gear alone. That said, get a StingRay.
What you read everywhere is that he used a Wal for most of BSSM and his Modulus sig for most of Californication, and the Jazz Bass after
He was on GK for most of his career, then at some point switched to Ampeg in studio, and eventually live too.
There was some quote in Bass Player or one of those mags where he said he doesn't swap basses out live because they'd have to redial in the amps, so he doesn't switch from the Jazz to the Modulus or whatever. He's playing it all on the same rig really. So that just proves that he feels he can get sounds he needs for their whole catalog with the SVT and Jazz Bass I suppose.
*Edit - found a quote:
“To be honest,” Flea continued, “I’ve always thought it doesn’t
matter. You’re bringing your heart and your fingers and that’s all that really matters, but I’ve been really enjoying [the SVTs] – they are the center and the character of the sound that I love.” (link)
He was on GK for most of his career, then at some point switched to Ampeg in studio, and eventually live too.
There was some quote in Bass Player or one of those mags where he said he doesn't swap basses out live because they'd have to redial in the amps, so he doesn't switch from the Jazz to the Modulus or whatever. He's playing it all on the same rig really. So that just proves that he feels he can get sounds he needs for their whole catalog with the SVT and Jazz Bass I suppose.
*Edit - found a quote:
“To be honest,” Flea continued, “I’ve always thought it doesn’t
matter. You’re bringing your heart and your fingers and that’s all that really matters, but I’ve been really enjoying [the SVTs] – they are the center and the character of the sound that I love.” (link)
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I see a lot of these comments on the web, about the new stingrays not sounding like a stingray anymore. Which ones is this, and how are they different?
You can do a lot with EQ and pickup selection to shape the tone. Even with all the quality basses mentioned, you may find one that just simply plays better for YOU that enables you to play more naturally and ultimately get the difficult runs and licks in given your own physical make up. Lots of good suggestions here and given your budget I would buy and sell used on TB here until you found the best fit for you. There are many boutique basses in your budget that can accomplish the flea sound and much more. You could also invest in a high end effects/amp modeler to help narrow things down or open up opportunity for more sounds in that regard as well. Cheers
I would get a Stringray. These days you can get the cheaper Sterlings that get you alot of the way there for alot less than a US model. If you are just playing at home, look for a used GK 400 or 800 rb amp with any decent cab. I would go used.
They're talking about the Stingray Specials. In my opinion, the specials' sound is geared towards the historically non-ray player. People, like me, who have been playing rays for a long time aren't interested in a ray with ED.
My opinion, if you have the scratch go for the flea signature jazz bass. It’ll sound like one of flea’s sounds, Tim Commerford used a j bass (w/ Audioslave at least), and it will be plenty versatile for other generes and gigs that want you to play a “normal” bass.
you don't have to buy anything, just put the action of your string so low that every fingered note is a "slap". that's 99% of Flea's sound.
without that "smash" of the strings against the frets you won't get his tone. you can try every bass in the world, still won't sound how Flea sounds, because 99% of his sound is made by this percussive characteristic.
Watch this and the other 30 Flea instructional videos on youtube...
I have vague memories of him talking about playing without his bass plugged in and ensuring he could hear his lines acoustically (on an electric bass) to ensure he's playing them hard and clean enough. I may have dreamt that, but it is a great way to practice playing hard and clean.
Also, use newish roundwounds on an active bass, turn everything up and you'll not be a million miles away from the flea flicking you're looking for. I'm pretty sure there's a thread somewhere on here about his EQ settings too.
I have vague memories of him talking about playing without his bass plugged in and ensuring he could hear his lines acoustically (on an electric bass) to ensure he's playing them hard and clean enough. I may have dreamt that, but it is a great way to practice playing hard and clean.
Also, use newish roundwounds on an active bass, turn everything up and you'll not be a million miles away from the flea flicking you're looking for. I'm pretty sure there's a thread somewhere on here about his EQ settings too.
I'll just throw this in the punch bowl, a p-bass with what looks like TI flats 
90's Ibanez ATK is worth a look if you come across one, otherwise yes any Stingray type should get you close enough, plus the RH technique. For "later" RHCP stuff, why not get a flea sig RW Jazz? I love mine. I put flats on it and play nothing like flea, but when I was a "kid" in the mid 90's I learned pretty much every bass part from BSSM. Huge influence on my desire to be a bassist. So it's fun nod to the man.