Saw YES Last Night

gaboik · Post by **gaboik** » Mon Aug 19, 2002 4:40 pm

Nothing comes close to a Rick with two SVT set up.
I used that set up for 10 years while on tour in the early eighties. I had two SVT heads, two V-6B bottoms, with the Rick in stereo. What a sound!!!
Those were the days before they started adding HF horns to bass rigs. I didn't need no stinking horns. In my early days of studio gigs, the engineers would cringe whenever I showed up with a Rick. they just didn't get it. After running it in stereo, a little compression here and there, the bass kicked butt. Those were also the days when engineers would insist on recording basses direct. Ricks just didn't work direct. My set up in the studio was a B-15 for the bass side, and a Marshall 50 watt guitar amp for the treble. I remember seeing Chris squire on the Drama tour, and I think he was using a Fender/ Sunn combo. It sounded fantastic. You gotta admit, a Fender sounds like a Musicman or like an Ibanez, or like most any other good sounding bass, but nothing sounds like a Rick. You can tell that sound anywhere.

craigv · Post by **craigv** » Tue Aug 20, 2002 3:49 am

Charlie, your comments echo what I read somewhere about one of Squire's recording rigs when he recorded at his home. He had the neck p/u running through a miked amp (I don't recall what it was) in the room with him, and isolated a Marshall 100w + 4x12 in another room, also miked, for the bridge.

I'd love to get a two-SVT rig, but at the going prices, this is a long way off!

gaboik · Post by **gaboik** » Tue Aug 20, 2002 5:02 am

Craig, I just sold my SVTs on Ebay around two months ago to a guy in Denmark. What a production it was having these amps shipped there. The good thing was that they were in Anvil road cases. The amps sound fantastic, but the older you get, the heavier they are. I now use a Carvin 2-10 Combo. I did keep one of my Ampeg V-6B cabinets for bi-amp purposes. You gotta hear the Rick out of this Carvin Amp in bi amp mode with the Ampeg bottom.
I have even converted my good friend Felix Robinson, who used to play bass in the Casablanca Records 70s band called "Angel". He was a Musicman/ SVT guy, who heard my set up and was blown out by it.

levykev · Post by **levykev** » Tue Aug 20, 2002 9:59 am

Hey guys, great conversation. Do all of you have your Rick's wired in stereo to get that pickup separation? Do you consider that the most important adjustment? Did Chris Squire make that modification in the mid-seventies or did he have the mono changed to stereo early on? That SVT rig sounds fantastic by the way. Thanks-

gaboik · Post by **gaboik** » Tue Aug 20, 2002 6:25 pm

Something magical happens when you connect a Rick in stereo. I always play it that way. I have a very old article on Chris Squire, dating back to the early to mid seventies. In that article, he states that his Rick is wired for strero only. He then goes on to say that his treble pick up goes to an effects pedal board, then to a Fender amp. His bass pick up goes directly to a Sunn set-up.
There is a picture with the article that shows Chris playing live, and you can see a short Y cord follwed by two coiled guitar cords. Looks to me like a home made Rick-O-sound set-up. I currently use an insert cable that I use for my recording console. the cables is made by Hosa. It has two quarter inch mono plugs on one side, and one Stereo plug on the other. The cable works just fine for 10 bucks.

craigv · Post by **craigv** » Wed Aug 21, 2002 4:38 am

My guess is that a big part of the sound is the use of tube (valve) amplification. All of Squire's rigs have either Sunn, Fender, Marshall or Ampeg tube amps. I think it's safe to say that each of these brands has a distinct sound, with the possibility of the Sunn sounding somewhat Fender-ish by merit of being a close cousin. I'd further guess that using a more vintage speaker is another key element.

My SWR combo is so far from this ideal it's not even funny. The clean crisp sound does nothing for the bridge pickup at all. In fact, I experimented the other day, running the bridge through an old pioneer stereo's auxiliary. It sounded no different than the SWR! Again, this goes right back to what Charlie Castro says about studio work...a Ric doesn't sound right DI'd.

gpatt5762 · Post by **gpatt5762** » Thu Aug 22, 2002 2:37 pm

So is that a 3-conductor jack in the tail of THE RICK?

I was standing stageside when Squire triumphantly held "The Bass"- sorry Beatle fans- up to show the jack to the audience.

And, did he remember to re-install ALL THREE star-washers when he re-assembled his bass?

Garry

gpatt5762 · Post by **gpatt5762** » Thu Aug 22, 2002 2:51 pm

Craig,

A SansAmp BassDriver DI gives a fairly close semblance to a Fragilistic sound with a Rick.

I have the same problem. My F****r's (pardon the language, folks) sound wicked thru my Rev. A Redhead; the Rick gets dissed by it.Using the SansAmp AS a preamp, and plugging it into the "Return" jack on the rear of the SWR, serves as a viable option as well, though SPL's suffer that way.

Which is why I own a V-4b and a Treble-n-Bass 50 Mk II.

The "Instant 4001S" sounds as Geddy and Chris intended thru those!

Garry

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Thu Aug 22, 2002 6:37 pm

Garry,
I've been thinking of getting one. Is there a "4001" setting in the manual?

Nigel

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Thu Aug 22, 2002 7:25 pm

Nigel, just set the SansAmp to the SVT setting, plug in your 4001, maybe add a little more on the drive pot, you'll soon be smiling from ear to ear!

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Thu Aug 22, 2002 9:42 pm

Sold! I'll get one Friday. Gig on Saturday.

Nigel
4001CS(LH)
4001S(LH)
4003(LH)

craigv · Post by **craigv** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 2:43 am

Garry,

Thanks for clueing me in! I've been spying the SansAmp for a little while...even wondered if two of them running through a Crown power amp would make a decent stereo Fragile sound. It certainly would be less expensive than two SVT's! Anyway, now I have an excuse to go try one.

gpatt5762 · Post by **gpatt5762** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 5:29 am

Tell us how you do- YOU'LL GET SOME LEG TONIGHT FOR SURE!!!

ahahahahahaahhahahahaaha..

Garry

levykev · Post by **levykev** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 6:49 am

Hey Guys-

Check out this interview with Chris Squire from a few years ago. It's from the main YES site. Most of you have probably already seen it, but he talks a lot about his Rick, picking technique, etc. Pretty cool to hear about how his Rick has had some rough times.

http://nfte.org/interviews/CS200.html

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 2:03 pm

OK just got thru tweeking my new SansAmp BassDriver DI. This is exactly what I've been looking for.
I'm in a Beatles tribute band, but on the side I've just got into an original music band. We kinda sound like The Church, and I decided I was gonna go with Squire's sound. I needed an amp to use with this new band and so I got an Ampeg BA-115. My 4001CS into Sansamp into Ampeg is a great sound. As far as settings on the Sansamp; I started with the "SVT" setting in the manual, increased the treble and drive slightly, and reduced the bass slightly. Probably have to do a little more tweeking at venue tomorrow.
Thanks for the advise.
Nigel