F B I with the TVS3

[roger bayliss]

The bass line is a big part of FBI the more you listen to it.

I always thought the bass line went dum dum - dah dah dah - dum , yet the sheet music I have seen, seems to put it at doing dum dum, dum dum. etc .Unless there is an extra guitar line in there reinforcing the bass line and playing some extra notes ?

The bass is right up front in the mix which is unusual and more in middle than at sides. I would say it had been treated with llimiting too as is often the case with bass recording to tame transients.. The rhythm guitar sits behind the bass adding to the sound , but not anywhere near as loud as the bass. I think the bass line and the way it is recorded, is what gives FBI its sound mix. Still fantastic after all these years.

[roger bayliss]

https://youtu.be/n-OgRpH7o3s


Watch Jet's left hand on the fretboard, it seems to be too busy for a simple dum dum dum dum pattern , there is more going on there.
Jet made a real difference did he not !

Also Jet seems to use his plectrum and at least one of his fingers on righthand ?

[dave robinson]

That clip is the live version that we all saw on the day, but there's the same clip of film out there with the record dubbed to it, which is what I mentioned before.
This is useful to try and work out what Bruce & Jet were playing and where on the fretboard.

For those interested I will start a new thread to discuss when I remake the track myself and attempt to play all the parts.

[Tigerdaisy]

The thing about FBI that's it's impossible to reproduce the very short sustain of the main theme especially in the second verse where you play in a lower register (at the neck position). It gives the melody an almost menacing sound- I don't know if this can be got but using compression of some sort or a limiter to reduce the tail of the note. I generally liked your version, although you put your own interpretation into it in some places- similar to how Gary Taylor does.

[dave robinson]

Thank or those comments and valid observations, I actually didn't play it as close to Hank as intended as I used Paul's recommended echo settings that the compression expanded, but when I made the other version with me playing all the parts I think it's closer, probably becase I had spent some time watching the 1961 video. I keep reminding folks that it's fine margins that make huge differences. It's quite strange that there sounds to be a lot of 'wetness' to the guitar sound but is so easy to over cook.

[phil kelly]

sounds great Dave,
best Phil

[dave robinson]

Thank you Phil, it means a lot when someone who knows what they are talking about tells me that.
I actually think my other one sounds closer as I reduced the tail on the echo.

[Spike]

Great stuff Dave...really enjoyed it. Great playing as usual!!

Cheers
Spike