John Entwistle Woodstock 1969 Bass Tone/Sound

[James Garside]

Hey Guys! I have recently been really interested in John Entwistle's bass tone at Woodstock particularly when he plays 'My Generation'. It's a really really really loud and fuzzy/distorted sound but it is also so clean and crisp at the same time...does anyone have any suggestions on how to mimic that sound if you dont have his equipment? Thanks!!
My Generation Live At Woodstock:

 

[Wasnex]

Hey Guys! I have recently been really interested in John Entwistle's bass tone at Woodstock particularly when he plays 'My Generation'. It's a really really really loud and fuzzy/distorted sound but it is also so clean and crisp at the same time...does anyone have any suggestions on how to mimic that sound if you dont have his equipment? Thanks!!
My Generation Live At Woodstock:

I have no idea, but this TB member does: Basses and Amps of Woodstock. 50th Anniversary Thread

 

[hbarcat]

I use the Tech21 "Leeds" pedal. It emulates the Hiwatt amp and I find that it gets remarkably close to the Entwistle bass sound all on it's own.

The pedal is discontinued and is difficult to find on the used market because nobody seems to want to part with theirs.

 

[biguglyman]

I have no idea, but this TB member does:

Calling @godofthunder59

 

[godofthunder59]

Hiwatt DR103 amps, with 4×12 and 4x15 cabs loaded with Fane speakers, Fender Precision with a maple neck (John was using Slab Precisions at the time) and Rotosound strings, treble and presence cranked. Played with pick or fingers depending on the song.
Now I realize you may not be able to run out and buy a Hiwatt rig. A Ibanez Tube Screamer will get you close for cheap, don't bother with the bass one get the one for guitar. If you want to go the tube amp route here are some "budget" solutions. Just about any 100 tube head would be a good start, Marshall, Hiwatt, Traynor, Sound City etc. Pair with a 4×12 cabinet (loaded with bass drivers Eminence are a good choice) Marshall, Peavey, Laney, Randell all come to mind, a 4x10 will also work. Oh yeah a Orange Terror Bass will do this tone in spades.
One last thing get your action set as low as possible. As John said "on the other side of the frets. Hope this helps. Here's my Entwhistle rig.

 

[godofthunder59]

PS if you want to go the digital route a Kemper modeling amp will do the job, kinda pricey though.

 

[godofthunder59]

Oh I almost forgot! I have a Fender Rumble 800 combo that has a Hiwatt model in it, sounds pretty convincing.

 

[Goatrope]

Hiwatt DR103 amps, with 4×12 and 4x15 cabs loaded with Fane speakers, Fender Precision with a maple neck (John was using Slab Precisions at the time) and Rotosound strings, treble and presence cranked. Played with pick or fingers depending on the song.
Now I realize you may not be able to run out and buy a Hiwatt rig. A Ibanez Tube Screamer will get you close for cheap, don't bother with the bass one get the one for guitar. If you want to go the tube amp route here are some "budget" solutions. Just about any 100 tube head would be a good start, Marshall, Hiwatt, Traynor, Sound City etc. Pair with a 4×12 cabinet (loaded with bass drivers Eminence are a good choice) Marshall, Peavey, Laney, Randell all come to mind, a 4x10 will also work. Oh yeah a Orange Terror Bass will do this tone in spades.
One last thing get your action set as low as possible. As John said "on the other side of the frets. Hope this helps. Here's my Entwhistle rig.View attachment 4287350

Out of an immense sense of curiosity, I have to ask, what’s the impedance distribution for that rig?

 

[godofthunder59]

Out of an immense sense of curiosity, I have to ask, what’s the impedance distribution for that rig?

Obviously some things are sitting there doing nothing. the DR201 powers the 2150 and one 4x12, the DR103 two 4x12s some nights its just the DR103 running with one 4x12. The Hiwatt 100 bass is a backup.

 

[legalbass]

Based on what he said in various interviews from the 1980's forward, when he had all the rack mount stuff, he spoke about running one set of amps/cabinets dirty and another set of amps/cabinet clean, so he got all the distortion and effects but also had a clean bottom end. He could have been doing something similar in the Woodstock/Live at Leeds era but I'm unsure. If he was running different cabinets with different sized speakers (back then, given technology limitations, speaker size did matter far more than it does than today) that may be some indication he was doing just that.

 

[seamonkey]

Don't forget the venue, recording methods, and tape all affect the sound.
And if the video is from the film it as mastered for theaters of the time. Theaters and home theaters have huge improvements since then.

You might get the sound using amp sims in the studio, but getting it live is a different situation, getting it record the same live is even more of a challenge.

With all the good gear these days - come up with your own sound.

 

[Oatis]

In one interview he said that one head was for treble and one head for bass.This was before he used a lot of distortion. I think there was no crossover; just the tone controls were set differently. When he went to Sunn in the 1970s he ran the line out of one amp to the next head.