The ultimate in multi-bass!

Bill, tgo

If you haven't already, subscribe to Hieronymous' YouTube channel... he puts up some pretty cool content every week or so. I enjoy getting the notification. Often wait until I go for a walk to give them a proper listen.

Quote from: pauldo on August 16, 2025, 04:46:27 AM
Just reviewed all 3. 


I think the Jam Band could have 2 basses and still sound slick... just sayin'.   

I actually suggested something along those lines - it's currently 2 guitars, bass (that I was subbing for), and drums. So why not make it a double trio?!! 2 guitars, 2 bassists, 2 drummers!!! cozmik_cowboy and Bill TGO gave two examples of multi-bass, and Magma is a third - they would have earth bass and air bass!

Here's another snippet from one of the jams with the improv band I was subbing with:




This time featuring MXR M288 Bass Octave Deluxe and Earthquaker Devices Blumes Low Signal Shredder distortion - you can see me bend down, I had turned on the distortion but level wasn't set correctly - I adjusted it in the multitrack audio, so you don't hear any difference in the video. I've also got the Tech21 Geddy Lee MP40 SansAmp going as an always-on, you can hear the just the bass and that (well, CAE/CAJ V-Comp tube compressor too) at the end.

Something a little bit different - played with the improv band for the first time in a month, and the first time as not a sub. Didn't get any video, so put this together:



This one is the AlFeXteMBoses with the CAE/CAJ V-Comp tube compressor, a touch of 3Leaf GR2 envelope filter (signed by Bootsy Collins) towards the beginning, and JHS Punchline amp sim. I have a longer segment of the jam (which was originally almost 15 minutes) up on Soundcloud too:

I was having difficulty with my 3Leaf Proton envelope filter - took it off the board, then realized I wanted to give it another try. It's smaller too, so allowed me to also put the Tech21 Geddy Lee MP40 SansAmp on too, which I really like.



I turn on the "boost" on the MP40 at about 0:44, then switch it off near the end at about 2:26 - the MP40 adds a nice amount of fur with my clean sound, I love it with the boost and the Proton! Glad I had the presence of mind to turn it on - and off!

Well that was something cool. I never expected a bass with overdrive/distortion would sound that groovy.
Just exposing my ignorance. Is a Jam band basically like pure improvisation with no pre-conceived ideas of what you are going to play. Or is there some structure that you are improvising around like jazz?

Quote from: jazzyvee on September 25, 2025, 11:04:53 AM
Well that was something cool. I never expected a bass with overdrive/distortion would sound that groovy.
Just exposing my ignorance. Is a Jam band basically like pure improvisation with no pre-conceived ideas of what you are going to play. Or is there some structure that you are improvising around like jazz?

Can't speak to Harry's band, but in general it's improvising off a song - though THE jam band, the Grateful Dead, had a section of every show, early on called "Feedback" (Mickey Hart said that back then it was "when everyone got confused, and the guitarists shoved their instruments into the amps"; that's "up close" not actually "into", a la the Who.....) and later called "Space" that was pure, freeform improv.

Peter

Quote from: jazzyvee on September 25, 2025, 11:04:53 AM
Well that was something cool. I never expected a bass with overdrive/distortion would sound that groovy.
Just exposing my ignorance. Is a Jam band basically like pure improvisation with no pre-conceived ideas of what you are going to play. Or is there some structure that you are improvising around like jazz?

I think that generally jam bands include improvisation, whether within a song or in between and linking songs. The Grateful Dead were masters and maybe even archetypes, though I think one could look earlier to the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Cream. The Dead probably took it furthest out to near Free Jazz territory sometimes, as cozmic_cowboy mentioned.

This band I've been playing with is very improvisational - we almost never say anything before playing, we just start playing and find our way. But I wouldn't call it "pure improvisation" - I'm not convinced the drummer is really listening deeper than the general mood, we often follow him - in fact, it's almost like we are playing so that the drummer can play! But it's fun and open and we do listen and react to each other. At this point there are no plans to play out - the drummer doesn't want to, I think mainly because he doesn't want to have to move his drums - which is partly why I got the 360 degree camera that you see in the most recent video, so that I can document the music beyond just audio.

The AlFeXTeMBoses (Alembicized MIJ Fender PJ with Hipshot Xtender & Moses graphite neck) has been my main bass for several months - I even got to gig with it! I like this first pic focusing on the bass:


photo by Mark Shigenaga

Also this pic of me performing solo - note the "olympic white" finish, in distinction to the white in the b&w pic above:


photo: Koichi Mizushima

One more shot, with less of the yellow - I'm sure lighting conditions and the camera play a part.

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photo: Mark Shigenaga

The improv band is playing again on Wednesday - this bass has been my go-to for the past few sessions, including the following video. But for this next session I plan to bring my 5-string Stanley Clarke Signature Squared.

I like the nice mellow jam in this one - spontaneously manifested out of the ether!

Oh and I missed one - this is the first thing we played at this particular session - it was a new room to me, and my first time recording with both the 360 degree video camera and recording this group with my Zoom H6, but I'm glad I did! My drummer buddy Greg DeGuglielmo always recommended recording the first thing - that's often when magic happens!

Enjoyed those greatly, Harry; thanks!

Peter

Very nice bass tone!  The H6 recording sounds good.

Quote from: David Houck on October 14, 2025, 04:55:59 AM
Very nice bass tone!  The H6 recording sounds good.

Thanks everyone and anyone that listened. My bass was recorded direct, going through my pedalboard - the Tech21 MP40 SansAmp is always-on, I think that is a key element of the sound. The guitars and kick were mic'd with good mics from one of the guitarist's collection, unfortunately the rest of the drums were just with a stereo mic capsule on the H6. Wish I had a couple more channels to be able to get some nice overheads, plus one of the guitarists plays in stereo. I'm going to try and utilize another recorder (H2n) to try and get the toms & snare.