Geezer Butler

nattiep · Post by **nattiep** » Mon May 23, 2005 4:29 pm

I just started yesterday. I'm trying to learn some Black Sabbath stuff for the hell of it. Nice way to get out of nothing but Rush for a year and a half. I only have the first two albums (Black Sabbath and Paranoid) and I'm not used to the bass sounding like his. Sounds kinda dull to me and the play over the highest frets thing is gonna bother me. Most bands I listen to have a Ric in there somewhere so I can hear the bass with a sound I am used to. Kiss is the exception.

His style I'm not very used to. I was going to learn some Who stuff but I found Entwistle to be kinda "crooked" sounding. Well Geezer I find the same way, with the string bending and other examples I can't think of right now.

I noticed he does the same moves alot. Reminds me of Steve Harris. Harris has maybe 5 for so "licks" and use beats the hall out of them. Every Maiden songs seems to end the same way.

Back to topic. I know he use a Ric a some point but on what album(s)? And what bass was he using on the first two albums? Big beefy sound. P-Bass? Thunderbird?

nattiep · Post by **nattiep** » Mon May 23, 2005 4:30 pm

Just my luck... I posted in the wrong forum! Ha ha ha ha ha... Damn!

phlemmy · Post by **phlemmy** » Mon May 23, 2005 4:44 pm

geezer mostly used p basses from what i recall in the early days. never saw him with a rick. i enjoy playing along with some of his stuff, primarily the DIO era. i gotta use a pick tho, same with maiden stuff. *sigh* i wish my hands weren't always in such pain.

nattiep · Post by **nattiep** » Mon May 23, 2005 4:55 pm

I have fast enough hands. I can do the Maiden triplets with one finger! Doesn't sound correct though. More of a buzz sound a la Geddy Lee. Steve uses two. Fast man.

I read somewhere he traded a Thunderbird for a Rick.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Mon May 23, 2005 5:21 pm

Yeah I always saw him with a P basses especially in the early days and he did play really bassy plucking over the end of the neck, he was good though, I think he may have switched to Ricks somewhere along the line.

nattiep · Post by **nattiep** » Mon May 23, 2005 5:31 pm

I think he had a fireglo 4001 on the "Never Say Die" video but I'm not sure. He traded his Thunderbird for it?

heinpete · Post by **heinpete** » Mon May 23, 2005 8:37 pm

Black Sabbath might be a matter of taste, but I don't abuse my Rick for such a kind of dull songs...

Geddy Lee should not be mentioned in this connection...the difference is not only the sound... LEE CAN PLAY!!!

nattiep · Post by **nattiep** » Mon May 23, 2005 8:43 pm

"Geddy Lee should not be mentioned in this connection...the difference is not only the sound... LEE CAN PLAY!!!"

Amen to that brother!

heinpete · Post by **heinpete** » Mon May 23, 2005 9:41 pm

Hi Nate!

... to get out of the Rush stuff try some Nazareth (e.g. CD "No Jive" or "Boogaloo").
Pete Agnew also uses Ricks on certain recordings.

phlemmy · Post by **phlemmy** » Tue May 24, 2005 1:40 am

i'd put both geezer and steve harris up against geddy any day of the week. all are great bassists in their own right with 3 different styles.

no one can match steve's 4 finger attack. plus his movement live on stage playing like that is impressive.

hieronymous · Post by **hieronymous** » Tue May 24, 2005 2:51 am

I'm with Phlemmy - Geezer Butler really has his own style and feel - I love his playing and wouldn't even think of comparing him to Geddy - apples and oranges. Plus, don't forget that Geezer was a real trailblazer - the first album came out in 1970.

Don't forget Geezer's see-through Dan Armstrong (actually, he had two according to the Ozzy issue of "Mojo Classic") - plus a custom-looking SG/EB3 shaped bass, various (?) B.C. Rich basses and currently Vigier...

"I had two of those Dan Armstrong guitars but one of them was stolen... I normally played a Fender Precision but when we flew into Toronto to play a gig in Canada some kind person opened the case and smashed my bass to bits. It was the only one I had with me and this was on a Sunday, so none of the music shops were open. But the promoter phoned round, got some bloke out of bed to open his shop and the only decent bass he had was this Dan Armstrong plexiglass..." (Mojo Classic, pp. 52-53)

teeder · Post by **teeder** » Tue May 24, 2005 3:06 am

Very good Harry!

I have a very early poster with Geezer playing a Dan Armstrong.

I had one for a few years. It was pretty dull and lifeless tonewise. It played very well and looked cool! I just couldn't deal with the tone.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Tue May 24, 2005 3:13 am

Yeah all those guys were good in their own way. Some black Sabbath stuff is not the easiest music in the world to play and it's got feeling.

beatlefan · Post by **beatlefan** » Tue May 24, 2005 10:53 am

Hey Nate.....Geezer used to play a SHADOW

....anyone have those pics laying around???

incubus2432 · Post by **incubus2432** » Tue May 24, 2005 11:07 am

I have to agree that Geezer (and Steve Harris certainly) can play quite well. To throw out that Geddy Lee is superior is simply small minded. It is a matter of taste plain and simple. I find nothing appealing to Geddy's style, or that of Chris Squire or Paul "what's-his-name" from the Beatles

.....but for me to say that there is a difference between them and Lemmy because Lemmy knows how to play is somewhat rediculous.....even if Lemmy's style is more to my liking.

(sorry...I just find that kind of attitude insulting)

.....now back to the regularly scheduled discussion.....