I want to get the flea sound

#41
Stingray and a GK rig. You. Won’t go wrong, proven role solid tone out of both.

Haven’t played the new ones (but have heard good things) but for 20 years I ran GK 800rb, then 700rb, then 1001rb. I recently switched to Mesa but you’ll get a lot of the time you want on the GK gear. The new Neo cabs are good too.
 
#42
Flea is really one of those bassist I have to agree with the "Tone is in the fingers."

RHCP early songs were my go to inspiration and even today I was listening to then getting hit with the blues that I can not wait to have free time to play bass again.

Flea has use so much gear, his early songs he just did a lot of simple slap and pop lines, and used a jazz bass.
As other said he used a Wal, Stingray (I think) he made his own bass the flea bass (which is just a music man/stingray don't bother getting one imo.)
He has his own sig jazz bass out, go watch his behind the gear video, he has loads of basses and one of his basses has duct tape on it to keep it at a perfect setting he liked on it.

Unless you fall in love with a bass he used, don't get it to create his sound just get a multi effects pedal or your amp head and mess around with it. There are millions of post on here on how to get in the park of his cab settings/amp settings for each album. Someone I remember maybe preloads on the Zoom pedal, I feel like with any rounds but DR and Boomers on a jazz I can get into his ballpark of tone especially I was able to get that sound for One Hot Minute.

Good luck, welcome to the bass world, don't be OCD about tone I was, it helps to get in the ballpark but just have fun and learn basic theory and learn RHCP songs along the way.





Here's a guy using 300 basses for one song
Here's a guy using one bass for all songs.
Both awesome.

You got it man.
 
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#43
Aledal said:
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.
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There was video of Flea teaching slap bass, no amp. I mean he sounded like himself it was amazing, he plays a lot of lessons with no amp.
Agree 100% I feel like on my jazz I can get a flea sound just using some fresh rounds, fresh DRs I felt got me close to One Hot Minute and some of their later albums after Californication.

EQ is key with Flea's tone IMO.
 
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#44
Nice try, Flea. Welcome to TB.
ACIDFORTHECHILD said:
I don't know what to buy to play flea's bass lines.

I want to buy a new bass that can generally cover the album blood sugar sex majik and californication and by the way

I have made researches and know that the options are stingray or modulus basses ( btw I don't want a 5 string bass although i can not play funky monks 😭 but i can get that later )

So do you think I should buy a modulus or a stingray?

Also, what pedals should I buy?

My budget is about 10000$ for the bass and pedals and amps. But I can adjust it.
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Nice try, Flea. Welcome to TB.
 
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#46
ACIDFORTHECHILD said:
Do you think it is ok to have that one retro 70s stingray?

This one : Retro '70s StingRay Bass

This one seems to be really cool becaue I feel like it sounds like this one :
and also sounds like flea in general in my opinion

What do you think

thanks
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Live, Flea was mostly using a 3 band StingRay (with the EQ set flat in the centre detent) from the late 80's, throughout the 90's.

I think the only time he used a 2 band, was the period he was using an old Music Man Cutlass (a StingRay with a carbon fibre neck).

Late 80's / early 90's he was using Trace Elliot stacks (and sounded incredible), then he went through a Mesa Boogie phase, before a Gallien Krueger era.

Definitely worth scrutinizing the making of BSSM documentary "Funky Monks", there's quite a lot of clues as to what equipment he used on the album, and the techniques used to record it.

Also very revealing, regarding Fleas "sound" are the isolated bass tracks from BSSM - particularly the track "Naked In The Rain", which in context sounds very consistent, with a natural flow; but in isolation (particularly during the bass solo) is a jarring compilation of improvised takes, with wildly different tones, crudely punched in, and edited together - so in that regard you couldn't say he has a sound.
 
#48
jmattbassplaya said:
Early albums - lots of StingRay and Sabre MusicMan basses
Mothers Milk - Spector JJ
BSSM - Wal
One Hot Minute - Alembic Epic
Californication and By the Way - Modulus Flea/Funk
Stadium Arcadium and after - 60’s Fender Jazz
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Pretty close, but not 100% accurate ;).
I'm quite sure that he used StingRay while recording One Hot Minute, and StingRay 5 on few songs on BSSM. Also, Stadium Arcadium and after are not all Fender Jazz (probably 60% of songs). Flea has said this on several occasions, and there are videos to.

However, his best sound for me is on One Hot Minute, particularly Transcending and Walk About.
 
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#49
Stingray or Jazz
GK

He used the GK 800RB and 2001RB if I recall correctly, but my experience is that many if not most of the modern GK amps are eq'd with those classic amp tones in mind.
 
#51
MartialDylan said:
GHS Boomer strings. They have high tension which gives the tone the strong attack.
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I think a big component to any bass tone is the strings. Flea endorses GHS Boomers 45-105 (and, from what I understand, the Flea set and regular set of GHS Boomers are practically the same except one has Flea's name on it).

But GHS Boomers are a love it/hate it string. Some people think they die/dull out quick whereas others say they break in quick and hold that broken-in tone for several months. Flea's tone is probably crispy because he gets enough strings from his GHS endorsement deal that he can change 'em every show and get the fresh Boomers sound every time.

But, yeah, for strings a stiffer nickel-plated-steel roundwound is the way to go if you want to do the Flea thing.

GHS Boomers are a relatively stiff string. Stiffer than D'Addario XLs in the same gauges. Rotosound RS66 nickels have similar tension numbers to GHS Boomers and they're a pretty sizzly NPS round. And I'll always recommend DR Lo-Rider nickels simply because they're a great, long-lasting string.
 
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#52
_Obra_ said:
Pretty close, but not 100% accurate ;).
I'm quite sure that he used StingRay while recording One Hot Minute, and StingRay 5 on few songs on BSSM. Also, Stadium Arcadium and after are not all Fender Jazz (probably 60% of songs). Flea has said this on several occasions, and there are videos to.

However, his best sound for me is on One Hot Minute, particularly Transcending and Walk About.
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Yep, StingRay was on Aeorplane, and Ray5 was on parts of Funky Monks. Like I mentioned, some guest appearances from other basses on these albums but wanted to get the general point across.

Like other posters, I’d recommend getting an older, non-Special StingRay. His Modulus, Flea Bass, and one iteration of his Fender signature were all based around the idea of a humbucker in the sweet spot, just like his StingRay.
 
#54
OK! so :

A stingray
GHS boomer string
GK rig ( with the right eq, although I need to research what is even a eq 😂 )
and lots of practice and mental investment to this instrument

is overall what I need

Thank you everyone!!

( and specific pedals for each occasion )
 
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#55
ACIDFORTHECHILD said:
OK! so :

A stingray
GHS boomer string
GK rig ( with the right eq, although I need to research what is even a eq 😂 )
and lots of practice and mental investment to this instrument

is overall what I need

Thank you everyone!!
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You’re on the right path. Sounds like you want a new bass, so I agree shopping for a stringray is a good start - don’t forget to look at the For Sale section of TalkBass, & consider becoming a Supporting Member and placing a Wanted ad on TB, too. Might be worthwhile to also visit some stores & get your hands on some prospective basses.

Just to give you some options (& the names get confusing), there’s the Ernie Ball Music Man Stingray, the EBMM Stingray Special, the EBMM Sterling, & the Sterling by Music Man. Some will insist only a EBMM Stingray will sound like a stingray - another reason to hold & play some basses. A non-Ernie Ball company, Sire, has a new stringray-inspired model, the Z3, but it sounds like you want a bass that Flea used.

I’m not sure if you’re looking for an amp to gig with, but as I was reading the thread I thought about an Ampeg SVT Micro VR (imagine a 1/2 of a SVT) in addition to a GK amp. But once you get your technique down & the bass you want to play RHCP covers with, several amps can do the job.
 
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#58
For years I always associated Flea with a musicman stingray, but later learned that he jumped around a lot (haha pun intended :)) i think more often than not though, at least since the early 90s, he and his producer were really going for a classic fender jazz sound, regardless of what he actually played. It makes sense this is where he seems to have landed.
 
#59
For the BSSM or later albums the sound it’s probably easier to get close to with a jazz or other 2 pickup bass. The exception is californication which sounds very much like a stingray (modulus probably). But as others have said: learn how to get the sound with your hands. I would like to add that setup is super important as well for this type of sound. Pretty flat neck and low action. Learn how to do setups yourself (it’s not rocket science) and you can save a lot of money and trouble!
 
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#60
Nuisance said:
Learn to play on ANY bass. 90% of Fleas sound is in his fingers/playstyle, the other 10% is gear.
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EXACTLY!

Please forgive my side comment on Flea's sound but have you ever heard him play unplugged? (YouTube) Hideous! Sounds like he's beating the strings with a fly swatter!

While playing with the band, he sounds OK.
 
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