Best strings for Precision Bass to play Shads tunes

[dave robinson]

I experienced the AC30X a couple of times in my early career, firstly our bass player had one when I worked beiefly in an outfit called The Four Blades in Sheffield just before I turned pro with Frankenstein & The Monsters (what a load of crap that was) anyway back to the amp. It was used with an Epiphone Rivoli bass and sounded bloody good with it's fifteen inch speakers compared to what we had heard before. I'm sure it had a Top Boost circuit as well.

The second time I came across one of these beasts was when I saw The Cresters from Leeds during 1964, with the amazing Richard Harding on lead guitar. He used a Grestch White falcon through a Green Binson Echo unit and sounded more like Chet Atkins than Chet himself - absolutely red hot ! Richard sold the White Falcon and used a Country Gent for a long time and if anyone fancies seeking him out, I understand he is still playing in a band called 'Derringer' now using a Telecaster with a Fender Twin if I remember correctly.

There was a Vox AC30X for sale at Shadowmania around 2005-ish, I remember seeing it opposite the Burns stand and those memories came flooding back, I often wonder who bought it?

[cockroach]

Dave

Sorry to go off topic, but was it the Cresters who had that song out called 'I just don't understand'? It was in 3/4 time wasn't it? Good tune that..

[dave robinson]

Dave

Sorry to go off topic, but was it the Cresters who had that song out called 'I just don't understand'? It was in 3/4 time wasn't it? Good tune that..

Yes it was, great record !

. . . . . . . and here it is . . . . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3i6PhGqTV0

[dave robinson]

The Cresters bass player John, was the brother of Richard the lead guitarist and played a Hofner Violin bass with flatwound strings, great sound too !

[jimbojet]

Thanks for the help guys! I am so pleased my first posted topic as a site member caused so much disscussion and interest. See you next week at Shadowmania!!!!

[NatJag]

I know it's about 6 months since the last post on this thread, I thought I'd contribute anyway.

I currently use la Bella (jameson) flat wounds on my bass. They are a weird gauge, 52.73.95.110 (the closest any other manufacture does in flats in rotosound steve harris set, which I'm still to try). I tried la bella's as I'm a fan of motown's James Jameson. I didn't get the jameson sound with those stings, but had a great sound. 45-105 in flats don't quite get that thickness in the tone.

Jet Harris used round wounds on his bass in later years and once someone put those flats on his bass, it was back to the original Jet sound. Jet has played my bass and it sounds completely different to my playing even thought Jet wound be using the same amp. The person is a key factor in the sound. When Jet played it, it was Jets sound, when I played it, it was just a good bass sound. Jet really does hit the stings and a lighter gauge doesn't work so we with a heavy handed technique, which you do need to re-create Jets Style and sound.

[Iain Purdon]

For a recorded example of Jet using roundwounds and sounding quite different, check out Nivram from the Local Heroes first CD. Jet plays most of it and then Alan takes over for a second solo. It's a brilliant version and also gives Cliff Hall a good outing on jazz piano, which really suits the number. Oh, for extra points, see if you can spot the 'drop-in' Alan did during Jet's section

PS - to be fair they were both using Burns basses here, not Fenders, but the roundwound twang is distinctive even so.

[Iain Purdon]

And here it is

[MMStingray54]

Fabulous - thanks for posting - you can really hear those new Rotosound roundwounds! Excellent bass solos - Alan Jones's particularly technical (and I couldn't detect Alan's 'punch in' on Jet's part!)

[Iain Purdon]

Clue. Jet whacks the strings, so the sustain dies away quickly. Alan plays much more softly, so the sustain lasts much longer. That's how I spotted it, once I knew it was there to find.