| Author | Message | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 483 Registered: 6-2002 |
Well, what is it? I was looking for infomation on Aeolian harps today, (I want one for my garden), and somehow came across something about tic tac bass sound. So I thought, hmm sounds interesting and went on a search and found a fender custom shop bass that is all ready for that tic tac bass sound. Lots of references to it but nothing that tells me what it actually is or sounds like. Any one got a clue? Jazzyvee | ||
| adriaan
Senior Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 953 Registered: 6-2002 |
IIRC in the 50s and 60s they used baritone guitars to double the double-bass lines on recordings, to add 'tic tac' to the UUMPH. | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 484 Registered: 6-2002 |
aaahhh now I see it. So I guess the modern equivalent is like the technique the Bob Marley and the Wailers used on their music by doubling the bass line with the electric guitar to give that distinctive sound. Jazzyvee | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 753 Registered: 10-2003 |
Yep. Usually it's muted, so the attack is prominent but you don't get an 8-string bass sound. Joey probably is the one to ask, tic-tac bass being a standard element of the old country sound. I forget the name of the guy who did tic tac for all the Opry performers, but the guy was absolutely killer on a Danelectro 6-string strung with flats. JT and I used to listen in stunned disbelief as the guy could play circles around EVERYBODY! John | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1441 Registered: 7-2004 |
I thought it's what you do when the bass player has bad breath! hehehehehehe Bill, tgo | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 754 Registered: 10-2003 |
If somebody offers you one, it is extremely poor form to refuse! John | ||
| chuckc
Junior Username: chuckc Post Number: 46 Registered: 7-2004 |
I think you could get a good understanding of the sound by listening to Clint Black's "Killin Time". I've seen Hayden Nicholas live playing the opening riff on a 6 string Danelectro, though there are seveal other country recordings where you can hear the sound as well........It's kinda interesting that Fender is promoting the Fender VI NOS bass as already set up for the tic/tac sound I only really remember Jack Bruce playing an original Bass VI in the very early days of Cream. There were a couple of other British Invasion groups that used them for a time as well. | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 521 Registered: 2-2006 |
I remeber the TIC-TAC sound all too well. Playing coutry bass in the 70's withy my parents band my dad used always want the tic-rtac sound. The other thing he used to harp on was to play a "walking" bass line. Especially when we were playing Patsy Cline or Bob Wills. | ||
| chuckc
Junior Username: chuckc Post Number: 47 Registered: 7-2004 |
Boy Olie, playing country music in Texas is tough on bass players. I still play a large amount of country tunes in my current band and the guitar player is always wanting to make sure I play a walking bass line usually on every George Strait, David Allen Coe and other " Texas outlaw" band music selections. | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 871 Registered: 9-2002 |
The 'tic tac' sound originated in the old days (the 40s and 50s) as the state of the art in recording studios was at the 'wish and a prayer' stage as far as recording bass. Remeber this predates the introduction of the Precision bass, and an electric bass alone could not reproduce this sound, anyway. This is what Will Lee means when he talks about the old records that the bass is almost 'implied', as it just wasn't recorded very well with the equipment of the day. The Nashville style operates on the principle that you record fast, and the different instruments draw on a small assortment of sounds and licks, simplified further since all the musicians played with each other all the time as well. The style is virtually as narrow as blues at this stage. Remember as well that this is the era of the three-minute single and one pass, mono recording. Giants walked the Earth in those days: When you hear Patsy's "Sweet Dreams", for instance, that's recorded all in one pass, mono, no dubbing over a clam in this track or another: there ARE no tracks. Until recently, the Opry staff band STILL played tictac behind the old acts that are still a part of the rotation on Friday and Saturday nights. Billy Linneman (upright) and Leon Rhodes (on an ancient six-xtring Danelectro) would pump that sound out. Strangely enough, it works well with bari over upright, not so well with bari over electric bass. And you use nickel wounds on the Dano with a pick. And, oh yes, you would NOT want to get in a 'cuttin' contest' with Leon ! A lot of times on new stuff that sound isn't what it seems: That bari sound is not hard to get with a Tele or ASAT and a good pitch transposer. Play the head down in first position on the back pickup, kick an octave-down function in, 86 the original signal and use the effect only, and you're off to the races. You'll see this live fairly often if it's a band where you're not switching axes. A lot of guys also use the Jerry Jones Dano-copies, as they're made here and are built to a lot higher spec than the old or re-issue Danos. And of course, you can't have real country music without the Ray Price walking lines. This was of course a very simplified version of jazz walking lines built on the triads or pentatonic scales, connected by walk-ups and walk-downs. Intro in front, turn it around at the end, everybody two-step! People often rag on country music. Like any commercial music, there's a litlle of the sublime and inspired and heartfelt, and a lot of BS. Ray Charles certainly found the magic in it. But, country will teach you to say a lot with less, and that's always the great lesson we all need. Plus,(Olie, I KNOW you know this), there's certainly worse places to gig on a Friday night than a great dance hall / BBQ joint / beer garden in the Texas Hill Country, full of good-lookin' cowgirls, a plate of brisket and ribs, and a cold Lone Star, watching everybody two-step. Ok, boys, 'The Other Woman' in D . . . Y'All come back now, here? J o e y | ||
| 57basstra
Intermediate Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 138 Registered: 4-2005 |
very cool.... | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 872 Registered: 9-2002 |
Incidentally . . . I'll tell on myself: Those of you who are my age (51) and grew up in the 60s remember the old sitcom, 'Hogan's Heroes'. If you automatically hear bass in the mix like me, you'll remember that the theme music was anchored by a tictac line. Well, I never knew that's what it was, only the guy was obviously using a pic (and NOT knowing there was an upright on the next mic!). I chased that sound for years wondering how you did it. Came close in my biamp days: Real rumble in the low pass with sort of a disemboweled Chris Squire tone on top. It was kinda, sorta, maybe . . . never had a CLUE till I moved to Nashville and was shown the light, by which time I'd moved on to other tones. J o e y | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 524 Registered: 2-2006 |
Ray Price was my dad's favorite. I actually liked playing country bass. And I agree Joey, playing a Barn Dance in the hill country, man "ain't nuthin' better". Whats really cool about gigging in Texas is you can play just about any kind of music you want and the crowd will usaully love it. We've played Smash Mouth, Lenny Kravitz and Ernest Tubb all in the same set before. | ||
| 57basstra
Intermediate Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 141 Registered: 4-2005 |
One of my old bands used to play Pink Floyd and even some AC-DC at the local VFW and with a few walking bass lines here and there folks would be two-steppin'. We told them we were playing country music...(we just didn't say what country.)..By the way...tomorrow July 5 is my birthday (49). I'm a '57 model.... | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 526 Registered: 2-2006 |
Happy Birthday tomorrow David. Man I've played my share of VFW's, American Legions, Amvets... Been a while but I remember it well. Those old vets could really put their booze away. I remember playing an American Legion the night of my 21st B-day. When the vets found out they kept buying me shots of Cuervo. Woke up the next morning feeling like crap, blamed it on the cigarettes so I quit smoking and haven't had one since. That was almost 23 years ago. | ||
| 57basstra
Intermediate Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 143 Registered: 4-2005 |
Thanks for the Happy Birthday wish, Olie! (my last one on this side of half a century!??! !! ...what a looooong strange wonderful trip it continues to be!) | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 760 Registered: 10-2003 |
Happy Birthday, David! | ||
| 57basstra
Intermediate Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 146 Registered: 4-2005 |
Hey John. Thanks for the Happy Birthday wish! All in all it's been a pretty fun birthday (even though I did have to work a bit today.) I have been 'looking' to buy an Alembic Series and I was going to call it my 49th birthday present to myself. I am still looking, but got some great input from the guys on a couple that are spotted in 'our general neck of the woods.' .... |
