Home› Musicians and Gearheads

"Go" - The bass sound

JR195650JR195650 Posts: 7
edited January 2009 in Musicians and Gearheads
This is something I've been wanting to know for years, but never found out. Quite possibly it's now well known so excuse my ignorance:

Does anyone know how Jeff's bass sound in "Go" was acheived? There's the deep distorted bass and then there's a metalic scratchy sound on top of that. I think it's also used in Blood, but not so prevalent.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Sounds like a Musicman Stingray or something similar to that... one of his Modulus basses, could be. Almost sounds like an 8-string or 12-string, but I doubt that, more likely a subtle chorus or maybe an octave effect. I'm almost certain it was played with a pick, which is getting that higher metallic string noise you mentioned. And I wouldn't be surprised if there's a subtle envelope effect in there, or a static wah or something that would cause some subtle mid-shift. It's definitely a really cool bass tone, very iconic.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • RG15525RG15525 Posts: 4
    I agree with the chorus and emod. I was always leaning towards its just playing with the thumb slapping the strings (hard) through a lot of distortion, but I can sort of see the pick. But that metallic tone sort of shows up pretty clearly when your slapping the strings with your thumb.

    Tough to say, but this like a million other things I'd love to know "how it was really recorded".
  • xtremehardy388xtremehardy388 Posts: 2,759
    If it's more than a 4 string, it's a hamer. It almost sounds like the bass is being mic-ed with no amp, just an electric bass unplugged. I agree with the chorus. I'm very sure it's not the 12 string Hamer, though.
    Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
    JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
    "Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
  • JR195650JR195650 Posts: 7
    Ok, maybe a breakthrough. I recently found an early live clip of Leash (pinkpop '92 I think) of Leash. Jeff is playing the 12 string on stage - the recording of Leash on v.s. has a similar sound to Go and Blood - just less scratchy. In Blood the scratchyness comes in during the choruses i.e. when he might kick in a distorion.

    So I'm going with 12 string, pick, heavy distortion and heavy handed playing.

    I haven't played around much with Chorus but perhaps that was added to get the harmonically rich quality of the sound. The 12 string would have a little natural chorusing between the twin octave strings - so perhaps he went with a bit heavier chorusing.

    I do think the sound may be recorded on a seperate track (for Go at least) so he'd have two signals going in - two mic's. amps, eq's, effect lines. One for the bassier sound and one for the scratchy sound. One of my favourite recorded bass sounds is on the song Heart Attack And Vine by Tom Waits. Sounds like the upright has a mic in the usual place - down at the f-holes (or a pickup) and a mic further up the neck to get the sound of the strings hitting the finger board.

    I suppose in the end you can do anything in a studio. You'd really have to ask the man himself or perhaps Brendan O'Brien. Or try and dig up an old bass mag, but I haven't been able to find anything online about it.
  • xtremehardy388xtremehardy388 Posts: 2,759
    Yeah, now that I think about it, it's probably the "Jeremy" Hamer. It's an acoustic/electric. If it's played with a 12, there's probably no chorus (since the extra strings can compensate.) For distortion, in that era, I'd look at Stone's Tech 21 Sansamp Classic (The "You Are" distortion), since I know Jeff had used that, in early years.
    Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
    JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
    "Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    I was pretty sure Jeff actually used the bass version of the SansAmp:

    http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com ... sku=480206
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • xtremehardy388xtremehardy388 Posts: 2,759
    He might have. I know he used Sansamp. I just thought it was the classic but it'd make more sense if he used the bass version.
    Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
    JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
    "Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
  • RG15525RG15525 Posts: 4
    Those do sound great.
  • JR195650JR195650 Posts: 7
    I have the Bass DI Programmable (not the deluxe). I bought it to have two levels of Distortion for a side band but then realised it doesn't do the distorion I was after. That and the bass I was running through it was a Highway 1 P bass with a Quarter Pounder pickup fitted. The head could not handle that amazingly high output pickup running through the SansAmp (effectively an active EQ) unless I hit the attenuator button, but that took the edge of the amps sound. I then upgraded to a US standard Jazz and that sounds awesome on it's own - straight into the desk in the studio. Live it runs into a GK 700RBII and then into an Ampeg half fridge (the 4x10 4 ohm cab) so I really don't need sound enhancement for it.

    So right now the sansamp is sitting in it's box. I do know what an awesome piece of equipment it is though so I am keeping it. I saw a second hand one on ebay going cheap - the owner had written that he has three others he uses as general DI's in his studio, so he really had no justification for a forth. That's a pretty good review.
Sign In or Register to comment.