Posted by Nick on Tuesday, March 26th, 2013,
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Always good to hear a decent bass rig. A critical sound indeed, no sloppiness to it. A bass sound has to be punchy, clear, powerful & as Glover says, ‘organic’! Gone are the days (thankfully) when bass sounds were sloppy & wet & sounded as if there were a stack of mattresses in font of the rig set up (if you know what I mean). I have always thought about the bass sounds from the old days & that may have been a reason so many players back then played Rickenbacker. They had a tight powerful punchy sound, when the amps may not have been as sophisticated as today’s amps! Bravo!
I know what Roger means, that when you actually hear what you are playing, you become inspired to aspire to be more expressive. I still think every Bass Amp should have a 1969 ‘RUMBLE’ setting for authenticity – a la Space Truckin’ (Live) or any ‘Ten Years After’ track. Don’t get too clinical Rog!!! Just keep playing!!
Was it Rainbow’s Road Crew that used to punish a Misdemeanour by tying someone to the Bass Bins or was it an effective cure for Migraines???
The bass is an under-appreciated instrument that does a lot more than produce the bottom end. It can be a melodic instrument as well, providing counterpoint in addition to filling in the deep end of the sonic spectrum. As such, it is just as important to be heard as to be felt. A good bass player–and a good bass sound–is one that can create a certain amount of attack that can be heard above the mix and not lost in the rumble. Some of my favorite bass playing outside of Deep Purple include Yes’s “Roundabout” and any number of Rush songs.
I became turned on to the bass when I was asked to supervise the jazz band before classes since the regular instructor was not available. I was told to just keep the students busy, so I brought in my Stratocaster and we just jammed. Our bassist was quite good, and I took a different view of the instrument as merely rhythmic or one that plays the root. The school’s bass was generic, but the player really wrung that neck and squeezed out some awesome lines, and he looked good doing it.
I agree those Rickenbacker 4000 series were some of the best-sounding basses with that percussive punch, but I am also a fan of the Fenders in the right hands. Unfortunately, both are out of reach for my budget.
One of my favorite pictures of Roger Glover is the one of him with his Fender, a crumpled hat on his head and wearing raggedy clothes. The giant tuning keys were in the foreground, shining.
T @ 6 – Yes, the Fenders I should have mentioned also, awesome sound in the older days! Was it the ‘Jazz’ or the ‘Precision” or both perhaps! Glover had a great sound back then! I am a big Yes & Squire fan, his bass playing is second to none in my book & in Sydney 10 years ago, his sound was devastating from where I was sitting. Geddy Lee also, brilliant player of melody & syncopated rhythms, Tony Levin with the Chapman Stick, now that is on another level, almost another guitar in many ways, or both! Always like a bass player who explores the neck on a regular basis, much more interesting from a listening perspective & more importantly for me, from a drummers perspective. Love it! cheers!
![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/gillan9.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/gillan2.jpg)
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
I adore Roger! He is simply the best!
Love the shots with Don (and sometimes just his hands) tinkering away in the background!
March 26th, 2013 at 15:52Always good to hear a decent bass rig. A critical sound indeed, no sloppiness to it. A bass sound has to be punchy, clear, powerful & as Glover says, ‘organic’! Gone are the days (thankfully) when bass sounds were sloppy & wet & sounded as if there were a stack of mattresses in font of the rig set up (if you know what I mean). I have always thought about the bass sounds from the old days & that may have been a reason so many players back then played Rickenbacker. They had a tight powerful punchy sound, when the amps may not have been as sophisticated as today’s amps! Bravo!
March 26th, 2013 at 22:30Roger is special mate.
March 27th, 2013 at 13:02Also, with a title of ‘Roger talks gear’, I was expecting something quite different entirely! 😉
March 27th, 2013 at 18:10I know what Roger means, that when you actually hear what you are playing, you become inspired to aspire to be more expressive. I still think every Bass Amp should have a 1969 ‘RUMBLE’ setting for authenticity – a la Space Truckin’ (Live) or any ‘Ten Years After’ track. Don’t get too clinical Rog!!! Just keep playing!!
Was it Rainbow’s Road Crew that used to punish a Misdemeanour by tying someone to the Bass Bins or was it an effective cure for Migraines???
March 27th, 2013 at 22:50The bass is an under-appreciated instrument that does a lot more than produce the bottom end. It can be a melodic instrument as well, providing counterpoint in addition to filling in the deep end of the sonic spectrum. As such, it is just as important to be heard as to be felt. A good bass player–and a good bass sound–is one that can create a certain amount of attack that can be heard above the mix and not lost in the rumble. Some of my favorite bass playing outside of Deep Purple include Yes’s “Roundabout” and any number of Rush songs.
I became turned on to the bass when I was asked to supervise the jazz band before classes since the regular instructor was not available. I was told to just keep the students busy, so I brought in my Stratocaster and we just jammed. Our bassist was quite good, and I took a different view of the instrument as merely rhythmic or one that plays the root. The school’s bass was generic, but the player really wrung that neck and squeezed out some awesome lines, and he looked good doing it.
I agree those Rickenbacker 4000 series were some of the best-sounding basses with that percussive punch, but I am also a fan of the Fenders in the right hands. Unfortunately, both are out of reach for my budget.
One of my favorite pictures of Roger Glover is the one of him with his Fender, a crumpled hat on his head and wearing raggedy clothes. The giant tuning keys were in the foreground, shining.
Classic.
April 1st, 2013 at 04:07T @ 6 – Yes, the Fenders I should have mentioned also, awesome sound in the older days! Was it the ‘Jazz’ or the ‘Precision” or both perhaps! Glover had a great sound back then! I am a big Yes & Squire fan, his bass playing is second to none in my book & in Sydney 10 years ago, his sound was devastating from where I was sitting. Geddy Lee also, brilliant player of melody & syncopated rhythms, Tony Levin with the Chapman Stick, now that is on another level, almost another guitar in many ways, or both! Always like a bass player who explores the neck on a regular basis, much more interesting from a listening perspective & more importantly for me, from a drummers perspective. Love it! cheers!
April 1st, 2013 at 12:36