"Rush" to Judgement about my tone!

nattiep · Post by **nattiep** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 11:14 am

I've had that habit for as long as I remember. I really grind in with my fingertips to make up for it. Sometimes I used to bite them so far back I couldn't play. Pushing on my fingers would hurt.

You want the Geddy sound? Hit the string with the tip of your finger (or fingernail) and then do and upstroke and hit with the back of your fingernail. Do it fast enough and you'll get his more recent sounds. Least that's what I do... heh.

The old Geddy sound.. I play over the neck pickup for the rhythm parts and for solo or a chorus I play over the bridge pickup.

Still.. great sound!

david_schwab · Post by **david_schwab** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 11:34 am

Rob, it sounds great! My one suggestion is to pluck harder! And maybe a bit more top end for bite.

edski · Post by **edski** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 11:37 am

Really nice...

It's not really a rip-off, although some of the guitar parts are defineitly "Lifeson exercises"...but it's really more an evocation of the style. Certainly a "fantasia" or "rhapsody" if I were to seriously analyze/name it as did the classical masters. Nothing wrong with that type of approach, I've done it myself oiften enough.

As for Geddy getting a rich tone that low, aside from the obvious Rick tone questions (which you seem to have answered very well), IMHO it probably was a lot of power...

bobcat · Post by **bobcat** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 11:43 am

Like I said before, nice drums. They fit really well into the song, and I'm surprised you did everything yourself! Also, Godin guitars are amazing . . . good to know someone is buying them, as I have yet to know anyone who actually plays one in a band. Once again, it sounds really awesome.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 11:45 am

the tone on "It's been awhile" starts with my 4004L5 bass ... http://www.3dentourage.com/425/93-4004L-5.htm ... it has been rewired with 2 1000k ohm volume pots and a 1000k ohm tone pot ... and with the finished maple fretboard give it a cold yes like bite and the 15k ohm hb1 pickups give it the full low end ... it was recorded with 4 sends from my bands in ear system into a tascam 424 cassette recorder ... after the bass I run into a line 6 bass pod 1 with amp 360 setting volume 3-4, gain 1-2, bass 8, mid 3-4, treble 8, compression 5, effect rat distortion, effect tweak 0, then I go into an ampeg b2r head and then into a 2x10 and a 1x18 cabinet, I mike one 10 with an sm 57 ... but in that room I am near several other mikes ... my guitarist has a very hot vocal mike and a hot mike on his cabinet and there are several drum mikes that pick up a little bass as well ... that was a live take in a rehearsal space ... no isolation ... no overdubs ... to a medium quality analog 4 track recorder ... also I use the Entwistle whacking/tapping technique for playing that song so I get a lot of attack overtones in the mellow part and in the heavy parts I just dig in and pluck the strings hard ...

sabbath_of_bass · Post by **sabbath_of_bass** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 11:55 am

I stoped biting my nails when i started playing bass... I also started to wash my hands 50 billion times a day. Gotta keep those strings like new I guess.

Love the song Rob.

nattiep · Post by **nattiep** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 11:57 am

I wash my hands before I play, but after about one song my hands start to sweat.. eww. I need to clean the back of the neck.. lol.

rpmartino · Post by **rpmartino** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 12:27 pm

Godins are fantastic... not only great values, but I find I'm not a fan of most conventional guitar body styles and they are really elegant looking. I used to have an LGX-SA when I was into the guitar synth thing and regretfully sold it, but I love the Exit 22... love the satin finish and natural maple/mahogany wood look, very versatile tone-wise too. The feel of satin finishes is what led me to ask about the 4001C64S in the other thread... but if the horseshoe is any mellower than the v63 (which seems to be the common opinion) I don't think I'd ever give up my current bass.

I became a hand washing nut too when I started playing stringed instruments, plus wiping the strings after I play every time (even if I only play for a minute or so).

Thanks again everyone for the kind words, I wasn't expecting all this love.

Rob
http://robmartino.com

rpmartino · Post by **rpmartino** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 8:59 pm

Well, while working on tweaking my Rick tone with Guitar Rig it inspired me to throw together another demo this evening. You guys were so nice I thought I'd share it here first.

Warning though, it includes some of my mediocre guitar soloing and keyboard playing this time.

http://wavearts.com/Rob/mp3/Differential.mp3

Rob
http://robmartino.com

nattiep · Post by **nattiep** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:25 pm

KICK ***! Wow.. I love it! The solos and the keys make it even better!

I wish I could write stuff like that!

david_schwab · Post by **david_schwab** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 9:07 am

Rob, great track! Your guitar and key playing is fine!

One thing to watch out with hand washing... avoid skin softening soaps... they will soften your calluses!

sabbath_of_bass · Post by **sabbath_of_bass** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 3:53 pm

Rob I love those tracks. They are awesome. Really great stuff.

David... Dude... You dont have to worry about that If you play enough they just come back as fast. Haha

.