Bass Tone On Boston Albums

[JOLLY]

You know, as a musician, and especially a bass player at heart, I just constantly analyze all music that I hear. There are so many great bass tones out there that have been recorded, but it's funny that I was thinking about the Boston bass tone today when I heard them on the radio. The bass tone on those albums is just amazing in the mix. It is super punchy, has tons of bass without being over bearing, and just has such a nice compression to it. It just sits in the mix perfectly. It is without a doubt one of my favorite bass tones of all time. I have looked for some isolated bass tones from them before, but this is the first time I have ever found one, and it was by accident. Anyways, once again.....what a great freakin' bass tone, man. Oh yeah, and the playing? Fuhget about it!! Killer!!

You reckon' that Scholz just ran that bass direct and compressed it just perfectly? That's my guess.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

I'd say that you guessed right. Probably a P-bass at that.

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[NegativeEase]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

Pretty positive that's a Fender Jazz bass direct into a pre. Pbass has a rounder bass heavy sound.

 

[zionstrat]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

Yeah there is no doubt that Fran Shehan nailed the tone on the live gigs with the jbass... Much to lively and articulate for a pbass unless there was major eq.

... I saw them several times in the 76-77 tours and the bass ( and everything else) tones we're absolutely true to the album..

Sidebar, the thing that was significantly different we're the arrangements...

They started this big, full band introduction to a song with lots of unison's and 5ths playing a really thick Melody that sounded more like a grand Arron Copeland timpani theme... Ba Da Dummm BaDum BaDum ending on a big V chord with tons of sustain.

And about the time our brains were begging for resolution, the sonorous More Than a feeling arpeggio wafted out even more delicate than the album because it was so "sweet" compared to the initial fanfare...

Litterally the best live interpetation of any song I have ever heard live and it was their first album...

Obviously had a big impact on me but I still wonder how much Shultz originally recorded as opposed to the original band.

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[Demanic]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

Pretty positive that's a Fender Jazz bass direct into a pre. Pbass has a rounder bass heavy sound.

On second listen, I suppose that you're right.

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[NegativeEase]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

On second listen, I suppose that you're right.

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If you roll the bass on a Pbass and play it near the bridge -you can get a "jazz" sound -so it's not necessarily a Jazz -but if it's not it's a P doing the jazz thing!

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

It’s direct with compression. Pretty standard recording style.

It could be a P bass. With a pick and round wounds that’s the tone you get.

Scholz played the bass on the albums. Fran Sheehan played a Jazz with fingers. This is clearly with a pick.

I had read Scholz used a Gibson Victory bass.


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[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

Well here’s a surprise. It’s a Gibson EB 0 with a Jazz pickup!

“Do you have a special bass you like to use?

I have a Gibson EBO with the whole middle part of it milled out where the pickups would normally go. It has a Fender Jazz pickup mounted on it. It's a very unusual bass and nobody else can play it except me. In fact bass players have picked it up and gone ugh, you play this?”




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[NegativeEase]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

Well here’s a surprise. It’s a Gibson EB 0 with a Jazz pickup!

“Do you have a special bass you like to use?

I have a Gibson EBO with the whole middle part of it milled out where the pickups would normally go. It has a Fender Jazz pickup mounted on it. It's a very unusual bass and nobody else can play it except me. In fact bass players have picked it up and gone ugh, you play this?”




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Wow.... totally surprised on that.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

Well here’s a surprise. It’s a Gibson EB 0 with a Jazz pickup!

“Do you have a special bass you like to use?

I have a Gibson EBO with the whole middle part of it milled out where the pickups would normally go. It has a Fender Jazz pickup mounted on it. It's a very unusual bass and nobody else can play it except me. In fact bass players have picked it up and gone ugh, you play this?”




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Uggghh he plays THAT????


Yikes

 

[Demanic]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

Uggghh he plays THAT????


Yikes

Funny, knowing what he plays doesn't change how it sounds to me, not in the slightest. It still sounds great.

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[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

Funny, knowing what he plays doesn't change how it sounds to me, not in the slightest. It still sounds great.

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Doesn’t matter what instrument someone plays. Just the music they make with it.


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[NegativeEase]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

Doesn’t matter what instrument someone plays. Just the music they make with it.


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Well after some thought, I guess he did exactly what makes sense, if you think about it -Gibson's EBs LOOK cool but honestly they are terrible compared to most contemporary basses at the time -so he took a cool looking bass and put an amazing pickup in it... makes sense.

I always thought it was interesting that Gibson could make utter trash like most EB basses but also make the Ripper and Thunderbird basses which are just glorious sounding.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

I don't really like the looks of any Gibson basses.
Alembic, Warwick, Jackson or Schecter any day. Or Rickenbacker.

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[NegativeEase]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

I don't really like the looks of any Gibson basses.
Alembic, Warwick, Jackson or Schecter any day. Or Rickenbacker.

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Rickenbacker is the best. Praise be to the Ric 4001 and 4003. GOAT of basses.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

Chris Squire and Geddy Lee.
Though Geddy later switched to Fender Jazz.
Oh, and can't forget Lemmy.

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[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

Well after some thought, I guess he did exactly what makes sense, if you think about it -Gibson's EBs LOOK cool but honestly they are terrible compared to most contemporary basses at the time -so he took a cool looking bass and put an amazing pickup in it... makes sense.

I always thought it was interesting that Gibson could make utter trash like most EB basses but also make the Ripper and Thunderbird basses which are just glorious sounding.

I wouldn’t call a Jazz pickup “amazing.” It’s a very simple average pickup.

Gibson never made great basses, but the old EB series was very distinctive sounding. And it worked for Jack Bruce, Trevor Bolder, Colin Moulding, and others.

Same with Ricks. I’d rather hear those than a Jazz Bass. Too generic sounding. [emoji2]

The Ripper, Grabber, etc., were designed by Bill Lawrence. The Victory bass was pretty cool too. But I guess people never warmed up to them.

Kind of the way Music Man basses were popular but not the guitars.

I used to own this. It was fun to play, but too quirky sounding. And lots of feedback. lol. Traded it for a ‘74 P bass.

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[Demanic]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

The Jazz bass might be generic. But then, I can't forget what Jaco did with one.

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[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

Rickenbacker is the best. Praise be to the Ric 4001 and 4003. GOAT of basses.

I have two ‘73 4001 Basses. Got one of them new when I was 15.

I don’t care for the new Ricks. The necks are like baseball bats and the pickups are overwound. Too dark sounding. Still cool looking though.


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[NegativeEase]

Re: Bass Tone On Boston Albums

I have two ‘73 4001 Basses. Got one of them new when I was 15.

I don’t care for the new Ricks. The necks are like baseball bats and the pickups are overwound. Too dark sounding. Still cool looking though.


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That dual truss rod baseball bat is keeping that neck in the right place though...lol

Even more so than a 4001, the Ric 4003 are definitely an acquired "feel" . they are not the kind of bass an Jass or Pbass player can pick up and like instantly because of the string height, tension, neck profile, radius, etc etc. (It's similar to a 60s Gibson guy picking up a 60s Mosrite or Vintage Fender 7" Radius neck -just strange) but after a couple days, aside from the mid range wooden magical tone they would hear on moment 1, they start to catch on the other thing happening -and even more on a 4003 than the original 4001 , Rickenbacker have a string response against your hammering that makes for a very rhythmic style if you indulge it and time it -it's basically the Chris Squire bouncing between fretting and open string style -The Rics' just have this in spades -and like few other basses -it makes for such a fluid, full and fun way to play music.

Music Man -I had a 78 -I loved the feel of it, but hated how scooped the pickups are with that super pinny highs and giant bottom. Fugazi is the only band I think I liked the way MM Bass sound was used -it worked right for their sound.

I think you are under selling the Jazz pickup -probably because you are an expert at the pickups that came later to improve on it -but in it's day -it was great (Is that an acceptable superlative? )

Never knew Lawrence designed the Ripper and Thunderbird pickups -that explains with they are so different than the EBS. Most EBs are terrible

The bass you have is soooo cool looking -but those style basses -as you know -always seem to look better but not perform better than the solid body alternative. looking cool sometimes costs a heavy price!