Help needed for one of my videos (Chris' 8-Strings)

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miguelbass
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Help needed for one of my videos (Chris' 8-Strings)

Post by miguelbass »

I'm planning a series about Chris and the 8 string bass and I would like to hear some of your opinions/knowledge.

1-When did Chris started to tour with the Ranney bass? 1978 or 1979?

2-Was the Going For The One tour (1977) the last in which Chris has played the 8-string Rick?

3-There is an 8-string on two Paris sessions (1979) but its sound is quite different from what we are used to hear from the Ranney. Could it be still the 8-string Rickenbacker? (see video links)

Thanks for your help!


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RickyBubba
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Re: Help needed for one of my videos (Chris' 8-Strings)

Post by RickyBubba »

The 8-string Rick is in the 9012Live DVD! Toward the end…you see a little more of the body, and only briefly the headstock.

Tried quick search on YouTube but didn't spot it. I'll have to dig out the DVD this weekend.
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aceonbass
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Re: Help needed for one of my videos (Chris' 8-Strings)

Post by aceonbass »

RickyBubba wrote:The 8-string Rick is in the 9012Live DVD! Toward the end…you see a little more of the body, and only briefly the headstock.
By the time 9012Live came out, Chris' 4008 had been retired. The Ranney 8 is the only 8 string bass I've seen in the video.
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Lefty4003S8
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Re: Help needed for one of my videos (Chris' 8-Strings)

Post by Lefty4003S8 »

I've seen YES on both of the above mentioned tours.
I saw Chris use the Ric on "Going For The One" tour
I saw Chris use the Ranney on "90125" tour---NO Ric. (At least in the performance I attended)


Don't forget, Chris used the triple-necked Wal to play the 8-string parts on "Awaken".

I too, have an interest in Chris's 8-string basses.
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cheyenne
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Re: Help needed for one of my videos (Chris' 8-Strings)

Post by cheyenne »

Chris played the 4008 on the Drama tour. The white/black plastic is what inspired me to get my first Rick.

*Edit: He only used it on Roundabout.
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RickyBubba
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Re: Help needed for one of my videos (Chris' 8-Strings)

Post by RickyBubba »

I failed to get the DVD out this weekend.
miguelbass
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Re: Help needed for one of my videos (Chris' 8-Strings)

Post by miguelbass »

This is quite exciting - it looks like that between 78 and 80 Chris had been using either one or the other on tour - but I think just one per show/tour(?)

In studio it seem that there was no alternating use of both - the Ranney appeared on 90125 and one of the XYZ sessions.
The 1979 Paris sessions' "Friend of a Friend" and "Golden Age" do sound more like the Rick...

Thank you everyone for your contributions so far, we keep searching on!

Miguel
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jps
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Re: Help needed for one of my videos (Chris' 8-Strings)

Post by jps »

Chris played the 4008 when I saw Yes on June 22, 1976, in Pittsburgh, Pa. for the two encore songs, Roundabout, and I'm Down (side note: I jammed with Jon Anderson that afternoon). I do not recall whether he used it the three previous times I saw Yes, all during the Relayer tour, first one on November 15, 1974 in Indianapolis, In (side note: that is when Chris invited my two friends and I up to his room for a long chat).
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RickyBubba
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Re: Help needed for one of my videos (Chris' 8-Strings)

Post by RickyBubba »

Finally remembered to dig out the 9012Live DVD last night, and it wasn't in there after all. I'll keep looking at my other DVDs as I know it was there in more modern times….unless he had a later production 4008? The one I recall was white with black binding on the body.
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pekka
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Re: Help needed for one of my videos (Chris' 8-Strings)

Post by pekka »

RickyBubba wrote:Finally remembered to dig out the 9012Live DVD last night, and it wasn't in there after all. I'll keep looking at my other DVDs as I know it was there in more modern times….unless he had a later production 4008? The one I recall was white with black binding on the body.
I think he only had the prototype "potatohead" version with strings the "right way round" (octave string first, tuned eE-aA-dD-gG), Entwistle had the other with strings vice versa. The first pics I've seen him using it were dated 1974 so my guess is he started to use it live for "Roundabout". The first time it was on the album was on "Safe", right?

Miguel, do you know when he did start to use the alternate tuning with the 8-string (eE-aA-aD-dG)? Was it with "Going For The One" (the song) or later? It's definitely on "Changes".
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RickyBubba
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Re: Help needed for one of my videos (Chris' 8-Strings)

Post by RickyBubba »

This interview with Chris seems to imply he did it 1st on 90125?

He talks about the 8-string around 24:25

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cprcYnffK_o
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Billsbro
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Re: Help needed for one of my videos (Chris' 8-Strings)

Post by Billsbro »

pekka wrote:
RickyBubba wrote:Finally remembered to dig out the 9012Live DVD last night, and it wasn't in there after all. I'll keep looking at my other DVDs as I know it was there in more modern times….unless he had a later production 4008? The one I recall was white with black binding on the body.
I think he only had the prototype "potatohead" version with strings the "right way round" (octave string first, tuned eE-aA-dD-gG), Entwistle had the other with strings vice versa. The first pics I've seen him using it were dated 1974 so my guess is he started to use it live for "Roundabout". The first time it was on the album was on "Safe", right?

Miguel, do you know when he did start to use the alternate tuning with the 8-string (eE-aA-aD-dG)? Was it with "Going For The One" (the song) or later? It's definitely on "Changes".

So Chris used an 8-string on "Safe" from "Fish Out of Water"?
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Billsbro
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Re: Help needed for one of my videos (Chris' 8-Strings)

Post by Billsbro »

This probably doesn't help much but here is an article about the technical side of their 1979 shows...and it mentions the Ranney.
http://zenponies.com/yitp/1979/mar/mar_79.html
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Re: Help needed for one of my videos (Chris' 8-Strings)

Post by miguelbass »

Hello Everyone!

First of all thank you for your valuable research and your knowledge!

I have prepared the video for the Ranney bass and it's already online.
Shall I make a separate post or do you think it's better to carry on on this topic?

To answer some of your questions - Chris did use the 4008 in Safe (FooW) and Going For The One all with the regular tuning.

I am sure that Chris used the Ranney in 79 (Live in Philadelphia video as example).
The Ranney comes in one of the pictures of the inner sleeve of yesshows, but this doesn't mean (or does it?) that it was used in 78? I mean - are the photos from 78? Can anyone confirm this?

Miguel
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cheyenne
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Re: Help needed for one of my videos (Chris' 8-Strings)

Post by cheyenne »

Never seen this pic before:
!cid_image001_jpg@01D18B36.jpg
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