dave mcdowell | blog

As a longtime guitar-player, I know a fair bit about guitar tone. And, frankly, it kind of sucks knowing all the tricks. But, with the bass, I am still blissfully ignorant enough to trust what I hear. A great bass tone doesn't have to be fancy. Unlike many of the classic guitar sounds, the best bass tone is usually bereft of effects. Just a player, a bass, and an amp. And many times, not even an amp. Without much to obscure it, you can really hear the attack or the signature sound of certain players.

So, without further ado, my favorite bass tones:

• James Jamerson on What's Goin' On by Marvin Gaye. As a member of the Funk Brothers, the famous Motown backing band profiled in the documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown, James played on over 70 number one hits, more #1s than The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, or Elvis. Tormented by alcoholism, legend has it he recorded the bass line for What's Goin' On while lying on his back in the studio. Most of his Motown recordings are straight to the board using a Fender P-Bass, with the bulk of the notes, no matter how fast, played with his index finger, which James dubbed 'The Hook.' Unmistakably round tone, so bouncy and melodic, but still holdin' it down. James famously abused his instrument, which was apparently so warped as to be deemed unplayable by other players. It goes to show that 80% of tone comes right from the player. Put Eddie Van Halen through a Peavey Rage and he will still sound like Eddie Van Halen. Put James Jamerson on a tuba, and he could probably still bring the funk.
• Geddy Lee on Tom Sawyer by Rush. Laugh all you want, but this is wicked bass tone. It takes the Jack Bruce model of aggressive, in-your-face bass tone to its pinnacle. Where the tone really shines is during the guitar solo, where the bass is strong enough to hold the place of rhythm guitar, the true test of any serious bass tone. Actually, this song might be better without any guitar at all.
• Bob Lovecchio on Five by The Waystation. If you can't enjoy your own work, why make it in the first place ;) Seriously though, I challenge anyone to find a song with only a few acoustic guitars, upright bass, and a drum kit that brings it quite like this song. Since this album was made with a very limited instrumental palate, the tone of each instrument was really important. To get this tone, I think we ran Bob's bass through his little Gallien-Krueger combo, took a signal direct to the board, and mic'd his upright from a few different positions in the live room. Even though the bass line is simple, I love how the bass swells to fill the chorus like a Hammond organ would. And, the bridge really shines -- how often do you find an upright bass that punches through the mix like that?
• Duff McKagan on Nightrain by Guns N' Roses. Can you find a better bass tone where the bass player is using a pick? A punk bassist with chops, Duff kept it simple, but with enough flash to hold his own standing next to a guy like Slash. I love the combination of wet, slinky rumble from the GK/Jazz Bass combo and definition from his downstroke picking style.