The rare fretless Cutlass 2 bass! I thought it was a Sabre at first but after a much clearer video, which got taken down, the headstock really did say it was a Cutlass 2. Apparently this variant had their necks made by Modulus, which were made of carbon fibre as well as graphite rods inside the neck to keep it more resistant to varying temperatures that could warp the neck. It's kinda similar to John Entwistle's Buzzard bass neck!
Nice lakland! I have a 55-02 that I love! If I could marry a bass tone, it’d be Tony Levin’s but it’s just not appropriate for anything I do. Levin’s sound is just so meaty.
Super vid Dan. I attended a producers session years back and they played Tony's isolated sledgehammer bass over some top quality sound system - blew our minds :) You mention Tony using upstrokes, and it looks like a heavy gauge pick you used (black Dunlop Jazz 2.0??)... which got me wondering if Tony had studied gypsy jazz guitar or is a 6-string shredder on the side... bit of a stretch i know. Working my way through your Motown baselines book at the moment - excellent content & format/structure - just starting into Don Duck Dunn section (no relation)
Thanks so much, Rod. Glad you’re enjoying the book. 👍 I've no idea what pick he uses but a close engineer friend of his just commented on an Instagram post of mine. He says Tony likes to use upstrokes to get more of a plucked tone. Makes sense! I don't think Tony plays guitar - he plays all kinds of basses though (hence The Emperor Of Bass).
Great if you are able to do some Mick Karn from Japan... fretless stuff. Like Tony Levin, he had his own sound and highlighting Bass players who do has to be worth learning about as we seek out our own individual sounds. Still, I just love the lessons that you do. Ultimately, i learn something new from each one. Thank you, You know a quick guide on how you use an octave pedal and compression would also make for top notch learning content. Also, will you be pulling out a Chapman Stick?
@@OnlineBassCourses Dare to dream me, I have no idea if I could make sense of one but heck if one turned up I too would love to have a go. If I win lotto I promise to send you one.
Tony played Sledgehammer on a Cutlass ii Fretless longstory short. BUT in one interview he claimed it was a sabre (wood neck) and he replaced the neck with a graphite cutlass one. Other than that he said he played a cutlass. What is the actual bass? Maybe someone can help me out
I've no idea! He would have turned the knobs until he and the producer (and Peter Gabriel) liked the sound. He's not massively into precise settings - just what sounds right.
Good video. But keep "how to play it" and "how to get the tone" separate please. I am sure, that getting the tone exactly nailed is considerably harder than playing it. Most videos, even by Scott Bass Lessons, all lists "pedals used" but without any settings revealed. Totally useless info. I am interested in the compressor settings as well as other settings. If Levin used roundwound strings or flatwounds is also crucial in getting his tone. I doubt you can achieve that tone with flats. So here's my take: 1. Music Man fretless Cutlass with those special MM pickups that they always have. it has/had a carbon fibre neck which could take the beating from round wound strings. 2. Roundwound or half wound strings. Definitely not flatwounds. 3. Pick - a hard one. 4 . TWO Compressors or a 2 channel rack stereo unit like the "Distressor" you use, or "dbx" that can have different settings on each channel and you can connect them in seies, i e channel one (L) goes into channel two (R) with different settings. The compressors must have a) super fast attack settings b) enable to have sidechaining activated for use of a parametric EQ insert. It's the super fast clicky attack, that these compressors brings out. 5. Octaver pedal. Since playing in Eb on a regular tuned bass turns out a little bit too high up. This one might have to be placed before the compressors above though, since it must track the signal from the strings cleanly unaffected. 6. There's debate on whether a chorus is used at the end or not. If it is it's so subtle that it is neglible. Maybe a "Dimension D" set at its most mild setting is used on top. Chorus on bass always lose the bottom end methinks. So for me it's a no-no. So: your settings on the distressor plugin please?
Now, since it seems inevitable that a caveat must be brought up, since time seems to put facts askew. A "warning" to future commenters below: There where/was no funk fingers used on any track of the album So. Especially neither on "Sledgehammer" nor "Big Time". They werent invented yet, at the time. Period. While "Big Time" sure can be played with Funk Fingers, Sledgehammer cannot. It's incredibly hard to dampen the ghost strokes and dampen notes, to make the short, as you can't dampen the notes fast enough with funk fingers. With a pick or fingers you can get all these fast stops, ghost strokes, and dampening sooner and faster. Rest strokes and whatnot. It's incredibly hard, if not impossible even, to use funk fingers with rest strokes. Since you hit the strings from above all of the time. Now then, let's move on from that pesky detail. Again: No funk fingers at all.
He historically used his funk fingers, which used to be available for sale to play this baseline. Listen to it… You can hear the impact of the wood on the strings. There was no plectrum. Also there’s a note incorrect in the last fill- there is no re-attacked note. Sorry, I’m a stickler for this baseline since it came out.
Thanks for the comment! It's definitely not Funk Fingers - it's a plectrum. There's an interview on the Classic Album series where he demonstrates the tone plus numerous interviews where he mentions using a plectrum. Here's live footage of him playing Sledgehammer with a plectrum: th-cam.com/video/ptmDZ5JiLf0/w-d-xo.html. He actually changes up the second fill throughout the song.
no, they weren't invented yet, at the time. FFS, Tony himself has produced videos where he always played with a pick. While funk fingers may give you the "right pop" today, TL has never used them on fretless or when playing Sledgehammer live. A similar sound can be heard played by Bakithi Kumalo on Paul Simons mega hit - of the same 80s period - "Call Me Al" but just during the verses, not the choruses and not on his world famous bass fill break at the end. You can hear the same clickety compressor sound, and Bakithi just thumbed his way all through that song. No pick, no drumsticks, no funk-fingers. Just bare flesh from his thumb.
@@pascalgrenier4171 No, it was Jerry Marotta who kneeled down and played "drum rolls" with his drumsticks while the bass was mounted in of of those stands that can hold it in plaing position. the bass had to remain stiff so he didn't miss that small spot that a string area consist of so Tony just fretted it without dislocating the bass the slighest. Subsequent live videos shows Tony holding a drumstick proper, then Gabriel came up with the idea, and it was invented later on, the funk fingers. Live he just plays the intro build up part with them, then resorts to play synth keyboard bass with the bass guitar still hanging round his neck until song finish.
Tony Levin is amazing. You could easily do a series of these videos on just his bass lines.
He’s my favourite player. I could do a whole TH-cam channel on him!
The rare fretless Cutlass 2 bass! I thought it was a Sabre at first but after a much clearer video, which got taken down, the headstock really did say it was a Cutlass 2. Apparently this variant had their necks made by Modulus, which were made of carbon fibre as well as graphite rods inside the neck to keep it more resistant to varying temperatures that could warp the neck. It's kinda similar to John Entwistle's Buzzard bass neck!
Sounds incredible Dan! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!
Thanks for the comment, Lewis!
Thanks Dan much appreciated 👍
Thanks for watching!
Nice lakland! I have a 55-02 that I love! If I could marry a bass tone, it’d be Tony Levin’s but it’s just not appropriate for anything I do. Levin’s sound is just so meaty.
Careful and thoughtful, note-by-note analysis of these great bass lines. OutStanding as Always, Dan!
Thanks, Ernie. 🙏
COOL I NEVER PLAYED A FRETLESS OR 5 STRING BASS
Super vid Dan. I attended a producers session years back and they played Tony's isolated sledgehammer bass over some top quality sound system - blew our minds :) You mention Tony using upstrokes, and it looks like a heavy gauge pick you used (black Dunlop Jazz 2.0??)... which got me wondering if Tony had studied gypsy jazz guitar or is a 6-string shredder on the side... bit of a stretch i know.
Working my way through your Motown baselines book at the moment - excellent content & format/structure - just starting into Don Duck Dunn section (no relation)
Thanks so much, Rod. Glad you’re enjoying the book. 👍 I've no idea what pick he uses but a close engineer friend of his just commented on an Instagram post of mine. He says Tony likes to use upstrokes to get more of a plucked tone. Makes sense! I don't think Tony plays guitar - he plays all kinds of basses though (hence The Emperor Of Bass).
Very nice! Thanks. Distressors are made by Empirical Labs, by the way.
Thanks, Ari! That’s actually one thing I do know… did I say something different??
Great if you are able to do some Mick Karn from Japan... fretless stuff. Like Tony Levin, he had his own sound and highlighting Bass players who do has to be worth learning about as we seek out our own individual sounds. Still, I just love the lessons that you do. Ultimately, i learn something new from each one. Thank you, You know a quick guide on how you use an octave pedal and compression would also make for top notch learning content. Also, will you be pulling out a Chapman Stick?
Good ideas, and thanks very much for the lovely comments! I would LOVE a Chapman Stick. I've wanted one for years. One day...
@@OnlineBassCourses Dare to dream me, I have no idea if I could make sense of one but heck if one turned up I too would love to have a go. If I win lotto I promise to send you one.
@@tomislavkefecek4443 Ha! Fingers crossed. Although, save up a
little bit and in a while you'll be able to get one. Good luck!
Super
Tony played Sledgehammer on a Cutlass ii Fretless longstory short. BUT in one interview he claimed it was a sabre (wood neck) and he replaced the neck with a graphite cutlass one. Other than that he said he played a cutlass. What is the actual bass? Maybe someone can help me out
Your slides are really smooth. Are you using flat wound strings?
No. These are stainless steel, I think.
What settings did he use on the Boss Octave pedal ?
I've no idea! He would have turned the knobs until he and the producer (and Peter Gabriel) liked the sound. He's not massively into precise settings - just what sounds right.
chorus?
Not sure on the original - maybe!
Sounds like he used some flanger as well
El sonido del fretless lakland no se parece en nada al sonido musicman
Very true. It’s a different bass though so that’s pretty obvious.
Good video. But keep "how to play it" and "how to get the tone" separate please. I am sure, that getting the tone exactly nailed is considerably harder than playing it. Most videos, even by Scott Bass Lessons, all lists "pedals used" but without any settings revealed. Totally useless info. I am interested in the compressor settings as well as other settings. If Levin used roundwound strings or flatwounds is also crucial in getting his tone. I doubt you can achieve that tone with flats. So here's my take:
1. Music Man fretless Cutlass with those special MM pickups that they always have. it has/had a carbon fibre neck which could take the beating from round wound strings.
2. Roundwound or half wound strings. Definitely not flatwounds.
3. Pick - a hard one.
4 . TWO Compressors or a 2 channel rack stereo unit like the "Distressor" you use, or "dbx" that can have different settings on each channel and you can connect them in seies, i e channel one (L) goes into channel two (R) with different settings. The compressors must have a) super fast attack settings b) enable to have sidechaining activated for use of a parametric EQ insert. It's the super fast clicky attack, that these compressors brings out.
5. Octaver pedal. Since playing in Eb on a regular tuned bass turns out a little bit too high up. This one might have to be placed before the compressors above though, since it must track the signal from the strings cleanly unaffected.
6. There's debate on whether a chorus is used at the end or not. If it is it's so subtle that it is neglible. Maybe a "Dimension D" set at its most mild setting is used on top. Chorus on bass always lose the bottom end methinks. So for me it's a no-no.
So: your settings on the distressor plugin please?
Flat wounds?
Rotosound stainless steel on this one.
Now, since it seems inevitable that a caveat must be brought up, since time seems to put facts askew. A "warning" to future commenters below:
There where/was no funk fingers used on any track of the album So. Especially neither on "Sledgehammer" nor "Big Time". They werent invented yet, at the time.
Period.
While "Big Time" sure can be played with Funk Fingers, Sledgehammer cannot. It's incredibly hard to dampen the ghost strokes and dampen notes, to make the short, as you can't dampen the notes fast enough with funk fingers. With a pick or fingers you can get all these fast stops, ghost strokes, and dampening sooner and faster. Rest strokes and whatnot. It's incredibly hard, if not impossible even, to use funk fingers with rest strokes. Since you hit the strings from above all of the time. Now then, let's move on from that pesky detail. Again: No funk fingers at all.
Never realised it's actually kinda of a rip off from "tell me something good"
He historically used his funk fingers, which used to be available for sale to play this baseline. Listen to it… You can hear the impact of the wood on the strings. There was no plectrum. Also there’s a note incorrect in the last fill- there is no re-attacked note. Sorry, I’m a stickler for this baseline since it came out.
Thanks for the comment! It's definitely not Funk Fingers - it's a plectrum. There's an interview on the Classic Album series where he demonstrates the tone plus numerous interviews where he mentions using a plectrum. Here's live footage of him playing Sledgehammer with a plectrum: th-cam.com/video/ptmDZ5JiLf0/w-d-xo.html. He actually changes up the second fill throughout the song.
@@OnlineBassCourses Well that pic really does sound like funk fingers then!
Which pic? He gets quite a percussive tone and uses lots of compression which does sound a bit like Funk Fingers actually.
no, they weren't invented yet, at the time. FFS, Tony himself has produced videos where he always played with a pick. While funk fingers may give you the "right pop" today, TL has never used them on fretless or when playing Sledgehammer live. A similar sound can be heard played by Bakithi Kumalo on Paul Simons mega hit - of the same 80s period - "Call Me Al" but just during the verses, not the choruses and not on his world famous bass fill break at the end. You can hear the same clickety compressor sound, and Bakithi just thumbed his way all through that song. No pick, no drumsticks, no funk-fingers. Just bare flesh from his thumb.
@@pascalgrenier4171 No, it was Jerry Marotta who kneeled down and played "drum rolls" with his drumsticks while the bass was mounted in of of those stands that can hold it in plaing position. the bass had to remain stiff so he didn't miss that small spot that a string area consist of so Tony just fretted it without dislocating the bass the slighest. Subsequent live videos shows Tony holding a drumstick proper, then Gabriel came up with the idea, and it was invented later on, the funk fingers. Live he just plays the intro build up part with them, then resorts to play synth keyboard bass with the bass guitar still hanging round his neck until song finish.