4001CS and The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices

[miguelbass]

Hello All Good People,

My latest video is not a another Chris Squire bassline cover, yet it features the 4001CS, and after consulting Jim Boyle, I'm announcing it both on the Chris Squire/Yes section, where I usually post, and on the Rickenbacker Bass section, hoping the more general "bass" subject will interest some you.

It is what I called "Bulgarian electric Bass Ensemble", based on the incredible bulgarian choral vocal harmonies, only in my version the voices are bass guitar timbres. The 4001CS was used on the lowest part section of the choir, and on the second half of the video was doubled an octave lower, which brought out an 8-string like result.

I tried to keep the sound of the basses, their voice after all, with no added effects (I just plugged them to my sansamp DI) and that's the idea... to let them sing with their natural voices and to create a choir of basses. Then making an arrangement of the piece, respecting much of the original version (dynamics included) - that I transcribed by ear - and adapt it to each bass guitar playability, so the will still sound like basses being played as I usually like to play them.

Finally, for those who are into vocal harmonies or just discovering different stuff, I really recommend you to discover the real thing, the wonderful bulgarian folkloric music. If you are into odd-meter stuff and rich harmonies this can be something interesting for you. I have some examples on my youtube favourites and you can guide yourselves from then on.

the video link is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdVXl8SUiKw

the general links are

www.youtube.com/miguelbass
www.myspace.com/miguelfalcao

Thanks for reading and wish you a nice weekend

Miguel

[johnallg]

Once again Miguel, an inspiring piece of work. I love the concept, I love the sounds of the basses, and it is well executed. Kudos! Oh, I also love the growl the CS gives at just the right times.

[dog]

Very nice Miguel. I found myself watching your videos one after another. You do justice to Chris Squire's licks.

[libratune]

Very unusual -- and it works!

Looks to me like a fretless JB and a reissue Bass VI were the other basses that you used. Correct?

[woodyng]

wonderful,miguel! love the way you blended those tracks,and your playing precision is impeccable. thanks for posting that!

[jps]

Absolutely fantastic, Miguel!

[ram]

Miguel - once again you have done it! This might be your best yet (although I did like the 8 string ditty you had). The covers are great and masterful, but I think that these 'concepts' of yours truely reveal the talent driving your hands! Bravo!!

[ivan]

Very cool, Miguel.

[rickenbrother]

Very cool, Miguel.

+1!

[s4001]

I enjoyed that.

[cheyenne]

I love it! Very nice Miguel! You are a very talented man.

[miguelbass]

Thank you very much for your comments, it was a warm surprise to read from you all such positive feedback.

In reply to Ron O'Keefe, I'd like to add that I used the Fender VI re-issue (japanese), correct. The fretless is a cheap jazz bass copy that I transformed into a fretless after I bought it second-hand. The brand of this bass is "vester" and it even has a serial number which is still smaller than the number of dead spots on the neck... otherwise it feels really good (the neck). The body is pure aglomerate and I replaced the pickups with some seymour duncan active model... it's not really the best fretless but there you go... looks like the Jaco Pastorious model

Miguel

[cassius987]

Best YouTube video displaying a Rickenbacker in a non-traditional sound? It definitely competes with Miss Ginger at least! Loved it very, very much. Thank you.

Going to link to it on another forum--the concept is awesome. Did you get out sheet music from the original performance?

[miguelbass]

Going to link to it on another forum--the concept is awesome. Did you get out sheet music from the original performance?

Hi! I took all the notes by ear and made a transcription out of it. Then I adapted some of the playing to the instruments involved and changed very few notes. That's because I had to make that all that mid-low range frequencies shouldn't colide with eachother, the second pair of 4001CS playing on the second half of the lower octave doesn't exist on the original vocal arrangement (it's a female choir) but It helped to make the piece somehow "evolve" to a greater sound and allowing to use a broader and more natural spectrum of the bass timbre.
Thanks for your enthusiasm and support!

Miguel

[aceonbass]

Simply awesome