Rush The Camera Eye - Bass sound

frode · Post by **frode** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 8:59 am

Have you heard this track? Amazing cool sound.

jsod · Post by **jsod** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:35 am

I thought it was a 4001 for years, but it's actually a Jazz Bass played with only the neck pickup turned up.

I can get a very similar tone with my Jazz.

highway_star · Post by **highway_star** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:05 am

If memory serves me correctly, Geddy was phasing in his Jazz Bass during the moving pictures album.

jsod · Post by **jsod** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:09 am

I think he used it on "The Spirit of Radio", too...with both pickups turned up.

Yes, I do have a complete obsession with bass tone...

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:09 am

There is also a touch of distortion on the bass track of The Camera Eye. Geddy also used distortion on Red Barchetta.

bobcat · Post by **bobcat** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:18 am

"I thought it was a 4001 for years, but it's actually a Jazz Bass played with only the neck pickup turned up."

Actually, he's mentioned before in interviews that he used the Jazz for the entire album *EXCEPT* for "Red Barchetta" and "The Camera Eye", for which he used the Ric. Is it weird then that those were always my two favorite tracks on the album?

geddeeee · Post by **geddeeee** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:51 am

Definitely a Rick on 'Camera Eye' and 'Barchetta'. You can hear the 'grunt'!!

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 11:59 am

He also used a chorus effect on that, if I remember correctly. In the video for Limelight, he is playing the Jazz in the studio, IIRC.

cdaniel · Post by **cdaniel** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 12:10 pm

What Bobcat said. I believe it was brought up in this forum some time ago (and probably not for the first or last time) that most of "Moving Pictures" was recorded with Geddy's Fender Jazz bass, but two cuts featured his 4001, namely "Red Barchetta" and "The Camera Eye," if I remember correctly. His bass on those two sounds different (read "better," and without the farty Fender low end), to my ears anyway. "Vital Signs" still has me fooled into thinking it's a Rick, though.

jsod · Post by **jsod** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 2:55 pm

Yes, I believe I stand corrected...I must be confusing "Eye" with "Vital Signs", which was definitely done with a neck pickup-selected Jazz Bass.

I used to practice to the entire album with both a Jazz and a Rick; both basses had an outstanding tone.

I'll have to give "Camera Eye" another listen. Anyone know what Geddy used for the distortion effect? I'm wondering if it was a Tube Screamer of some sort...

You can definitely tell that "Barchetta" was done with a capped 4001, especially on the "wind in my hair..." part. One of the reasons I like Ricks so much is because of that section of the song, especially the "Exit Stage Left" version...very metallic, yet nasally tone...knocked me out the first time I heard it in early 1982 (before I even knew how to play bass).

jsod · Post by **jsod** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:18 pm

OK...this is way too weird.

I just went to my tape deck (yes...a TAPE DECK) and guess what tape was in there?

So I pressed PLAY...

Guess what song was cued up???

MOST DEFINITELY a Rickenbacker 4001 on "Camera Eye".

Ain't this Forum great?

Sorry, Frode...I hope I didn't throw ya off!

johnallg · Post by **johnallg** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 6:52 pm

That is quite a coincidence Alex!

frode · Post by **frode** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:20 pm

I must admit that I´m not a huge Rush fan, but I heard this tune on radio last night and the sound of that bass was great. I´m gonna get that record fast!!!
Thank you:-)

bobcat · Post by **bobcat** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:21 pm

Yeah. No offense to the J-bass . . . it sounds great on that album, but seriously, the Ric just owns it in every way. The only song where I dunno if it could be replaced would be "Witch Hunt", but then again, the Ric can do fat and low too.

geddeeee · Post by **geddeeee** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 2:04 am

Jazz basses are great instruments, but IMO it's all been done before, tonewise. Geds tone is good on Moving Pictures, but gimme Exit, Stage Left anyday. That Rick tone is THE best. Thanks Terry Brown!