Rig Rundown - Yes' Chris Squire & Steve Howe

[miguelbass]

Enjoy the view

Miguel

[Billsbro]

What an excellent way to spend 39 minutes! Thank you!

Don't you just love Steve Howe's approach? I could listen to him all day.
And Chris is delightful too...he focuses on the music and the performance, not the details of gear.

[pekka]

Does he say he used the Telecaster bass on "A Venture"? Listening to original now and it sounds a bit same like "South Side Of The Sky", another rumoured Telecaster Bass track. It seems also that he uses a Jazz for the live version of "A Venture" and that would make sense because the Tele with and added bridge pickup wouldn't sound too different from it (the pickup locations are very close).

Surprising to see that the 8-string Ranney has a 4-string bridge.

[cheyenne]

Chris really isn't very technical is he? I love how a man in control of such tone turns out to be a real simple guy.

[just_bassics]

I think it may be more correct to say that he's not that technical anymore. These are issues he worked out long ago and just doesn't spend time dwelling on them now. But back in the early days I'm sure he was quite involved in the technical nuances that shaped his musical tone. Now he concentrates more on arrangements. The sound issue is established.

[cheyenne]

Agreed.

I hope my comment didn't sound insulting to Chris, I just really like his personality. He seems like a real down to earth kind of guy.

[Seans]

Superb, nice to know from Chris that he did actually split the output for the pickups. Interesting on the close up shot of the RM HS, the bobbin doesn't look like a 64, looks to me like a Reissue or a bakelite version?.

[Seans]

If it's of any use, the main Superbass controls will work out as 7 3/4 = full on, if of course the 0 is starting at 12 o'clock.

[just_bassics]

Agreed.

I hope my comment didn't sound insulting to Chris, I just really like his personality. He seems like a real down to earth kind of guy.

Not at all Scott. I just think there's a big difference in his approach to interviews after so many years of not having to think so hard about how he developed his tone, etc...

[pekka]

Superb, nice to know from Chris that he did actually split the output for the pickups.

Was there any doubt then?

Any comment on "A Venture"? Did he say he used a Telecaster on it or did I misunderstand the whole thing?

[pag]

By the way,
Thats not my Signature Ltd Edition microphone...........................

[pag]

Its a great piece of reporting though,and all credit to the guys at Premier Guitar for getting in there.
About the weight and slimness of Chris's RM..
I always think of how bulky Chris's bass must have seemed with all that stuff stuck to it compared with
the re-finished version.It would definitely feel lighter and slimmer without the wallpaper when he had it re-painted.

[miguelbass]

I remembered watching the Starlicks video for the first time and understood what was Chris' approach. The interviewer wanted the traditional type of conversation, expecting the "secret" scales, modes and gear settings list we all see in videos of the same era... and from Chris' humourous first reply, we can see that he is much more focused in his bass playing and composing than on technical details. I do think he understands much more about technical details and theory issues than he reveals - it's just many times interviewers focus too much on "gear", as if it was the "secret recipe for success" and Chris tries to say that the main thing is the music, the musical taste, so... to see exactly what the Rotosound strings are it's better to "go and look at the packet".

Other note for the Steve's "portuguese" guitar. It really doesn't look like any type of our "Guitarra Portuguesa". I checked with some friends, some of them more related to traditional instruments and I got the same answer (the one I was expecting) - It's most probably a spanish instrument. Also interesting that Steve calls describes his open tuning E major tuning as E, B and "A flat" (instead of G sharp) which also sounds less logical from a theoretical point of view.

Miguel

[just_bassics]

I agree, Miguel. Chris would just rather talk music than amp settings. He could also just prefer to keep some things to himself about his trade and perhaps has developed a polite way of steering folks away for these types of discussions.

As for Steve's "Portuguese 12 String" I believe that the only reason he refers to it as such is because it was a gift from his sister, Stella, who purchased it in Portugal. She must be happy to see that her gift is still in use.

The tuning that Steve uses on that instrument, as described in his book, has much to so with it's sound. I can play the opening to Your Move on 12 String in standard tuning, it sounds correct but lacks the chorusing tone that Steve gets from his tuning. I'll have to try his tuning sometime to see how that works out...

[miguelbass]

The tuning that Steve uses on that instrument, as described in his book, has much to so with it's sound. I can play the opening to Your Move on 12 String in standard tuning, it sounds correct but lacks the chorusing tone that Steve gets from his tuning. I'll have to try his tuning sometime to see how that works out...

Hello Jim, I was referring to the fact that "G sharp" (as the major third of an E major chord open tuning) would formally make more sense than "A flat" , of course it's the same note in a guitar neck. That was also in the topic of being "too technical" and just focusing about the music. I agree with you, that Chris found this polite and also pedagogical way of focusing the sheer musical aspects of his work. (Yes he could well not want to give away all of his tricks too )

Another very interesting "revelation" was that the original top neck of the triple-neck bass was strung as a guitar. I think only Chris would think of turning it into another kind of bass.

Miguel