Lately I've been using pedal preamps like the JHS Punchline or Tech 21 Geddy Lee MP-40 (bassically a YYZ), but the other day I decided to fire up my old blue/red-knob F-2B that I purchased in Japan. Used it with my Fender Donald "Duck" Dunn Signature Precision Bass to do a Steely Dan bass cover.
Had the volume and bass at 11:00, mid at 10:00, treble at 9:00 (and tone knob on the bass down about halfway) - still getting some split-coil P-Bass growl, but I think it fits the track pretty well.
Sounds fantastic.
Lovely P tone, Harry! (Not all P tones are, so - well done, my friend.
Peter
Cool! Nice fat tone, and nice playing! Great tune; chord progression, sudden changes; had to go look up who played bass on the original; Chuck Rainey. Think I'll go listen to the original now!
Quote from: cozmik_cowboy on October 15, 2026, 07:22:18 PMLovely P tone, Harry! (Not all P tones are, so - well done, my friend.
Peter
Thanks! I agree, I have heard some P Bass sounds that were thin (though probably just as much the production values - I was a teenager in the'80s) - the F-2B played a big role in my bass journey!
Quote from: David Houck on October 15, 2026, 07:55:40 PMCool! Nice fat tone, and nice playing! Great tune; chord progression, sudden changes; had to go look up who played bass on the original; Chuck Rainey. Think I'll go listen to the original now!
Aja is an amazing album - definitely check it out! The Wikipedia entry says people often used this album to check out hi-fi systems, the production is immaculate.
Interesting, I've tried up loading a number of my Steely Dan and Donald fagen covers and most have been blocked straight after uploading and others were originally fine but later blocked.
Oddly, I didn't get the YT notification. Just went there and reset those. That happens a lot anymore.
Great Harry! That tone would sit real nice in a mix.
Quote from: hieronymous on October 15, 2026, 06:38:44 PMTech 21 Geddy Lee MP-40
I'm a huge fan of those pedals. It was my primary tone-shaping preamp until I bought a Mesa 800D at the beginning of this year. Turns out, I was essentially emulating the 800D (or the old 400+) with the MP-40. After dialing in the 800D to my liking, I switched over to the MP-40 preamp (bypassing the internal 800D pre) and the tone change was barely perceptible. Completely by accident. I guess that's the tone I really like.
That P through a F-2B sounds great, man.
Quote from: hieronymous on October 15, 2026, 09:52:27 PM...
Aja is an amazing album ...
Yes, been listening to it ever since it came out. My housemate at the time worked at a stereo store. He had a very nice system.
Quote from: David Houck on October 16, 2026, 04:27:10 PMQuote from: hieronymous on October 15, 2026, 09:52:27 PM...
Aja is an amazing album ...
Yes, been listening to it ever since it came out. My housemate at the time worked at a stereo store. He had a very nice system.
I like
Goucho a little more - but
Aja got a spin in the car just a few days ago (as did Pretzel Logic, for that matter; She's in the hospital recovering from another spine surgery, so a lot of windshield time to listen......).
[edit after being forced to dip my toes into the Dan rabbithole] Becker & Fagan's 1st band together was Leather Canary - featuring Chevy Chase on drums! I did not know that (nor even that Chase played).
Peter (who needs to get
Katie Lied so he can burn a CD with the good stuff off every one)
Quote from: cozmik_cowboy on October 16, 2026, 05:37:32 PM... She's in the hospital recovering from another spine surgery, so a lot of windshield time to listen......).
I hope the recovery is going well.
Quote from: David Houck on October 16, 2026, 06:32:40 PMQuote from: cozmik_cowboy on October 16, 2026, 05:37:32 PM... She's in the hospital recovering from another spine surgery, so a lot of windshield time to listen......).
I hope the recovery is going well.
Frankly, could be better (it was a 2-day surgery; 1st day was Sept 8; She's still in. And still can't walk.
Aetna, in their all-powerful wisdom, have deemed that She needs a higher level of care than She could get at the (quite excellent) subacute place She was last year, so they won't approve a transfer - but thy also say She isn't progressing fast enough at the acute place, so She has to leave Tuesday......
Capitalist bastards; come the Revolution, we'll have them against the wall! (As me old Pap - who was a union man back Revolution was a possibility - used to say. And I love to quote.)
She cannot climb a single step; hey, Bill - you've been here a few times: How well do you think our house will work for someone who can't make it up one step, eh?
Peter (who will pass on his almost daily trip to the horsepistol - another from Pap - so a friend can come over & help wire an outdoor outlet to power the chairlift we're putting on the front steps)
Thanks for listening everyone! Thought I'd share this Rick Beato interview with Chuck Rainey:
Definitely worth watching, especially if you are a fan of his playing with Steely Dan - he addresses it in several sections.
I'm performing tomorrow with a singer-songwriter and had a rehearsal today - while listening to part of this interview, I realized that Chuck Rainey is definitely part of my musical DNA - I definitely have musical habits that are very informed by r'n'b bass playing like that found on Aja via Mr. Rainey.
Quote from: cozmik_cowboy on October 16, 2026, 06:58:21 PM...
Frankly, could be better (it was a 2-day surgery; 1st day was Sept 8; She's still in. And still can't walk.
Aetna, in their all-powerful wisdom, have deemed that She needs a higher level of care than She could get at the (quite excellent) subacute place She was last year, so they won't approve a transfer - but thy also say She isn't progressing fast enough at the acute place, so She has to leave Tuesday......
Capitalist bastards; come the Revolution, we'll have them against the wall! (As me old Pap - who was a union man back Revolution was a possibility - used to say. And I love to quote.)
She cannot climb a single step; hey, Bill - you've been here a few times: How well do you think our house will work for someone who can't make it up one step, eh?
Peter (who will pass on his almost daily trip to the horsepistol - another from Pap - so a friend can come over & help wire an outdoor outlet to power the chairlift we're putting on the front steps)
Thanks for the report; hope things get better real soon. Glad you've got help with the chairlift prep.
Quote from: hieronymous on October 16, 2026, 07:18:17 PMThanks for listening everyone! Thought I'd share this Rick Beato interview with Chuck Rainey:
Definitely worth watching, especially if you are a fan of his playing with Steely Dan - he addresses it in several sections.
I'm performing tomorrow with a singer-songwriter and had a rehearsal today - while listening to part of this interview, I realized that Chuck Rainey is definitely part of my musical DNA - I definitely have musical habits that are very informed by r'n'b bass playing like that found on Aja via Mr. Rainey.
Thanks for posting this; I had missed it when Beato first posted it, but I'll try to watch it tonight.
Quote from: cozmik_cowboy on October 16, 2026, 06:58:21 PMQuote from: David Houck on October 16, 2026, 06:32:40 PMQuote from: cozmik_cowboy on October 16, 2026, 05:37:32 PM... She's in the hospital recovering from another spine surgery, so a lot of windshield time to listen......).
I hope the recovery is going well.
Frankly, could be better (it was a 2-day surgery; 1st day was Sept 8; She's still in. And still can't walk.
Aetna, in their all-powerful wisdom, have deemed that She needs a higher level of care than She could get at the (quite excellent) subacute place She was last year, so they won't approve a transfer - but thy also say She isn't progressing fast enough at the acute place, so She has to leave Tuesday......
Capitalist bastards; come the Revolution, we'll have them against the wall! (As me old Pap - who was a union man back Revolution was a possibility - used to say. And I love to quote.)
She cannot climb a single step; hey, Bill - you've been here a few times: How well do you think our house will work for someone who can't make it up one step, eh?
Peter (who will pass on his almost daily trip to the horsepistol - another from Pap - so a friend can come over & help wire an outdoor outlet to power the chairlift we're putting on the front steps)
I'm really sorry to hear that - missed it the first go-around. Hope she recovers soon! I twisted my ankle a couple of weeks ago - fortunately I it wasn't that bad and it healed quickly - but it aggravated an older foot injury that finally seemed to heal this morning. But it made me aware of how much I take my health for granted. There's more but I'll save it for another post, if not another thread!
Thanks, Harry. And sorry for the hijack.
Peter
Quote from: cozmik_cowboy on October 17, 2026, 07:40:47 PMThanks, Harry. And sorry for the hijack.
Peter
No apology necessary - that's what friends and (Alembic) family are for!
Harry, I can't remember if your Al-Fem-Bic has alembic electronics or has P bass electronics plus a blaster. If it's the former could you show the settings you use so i get a starting point for my investigations into the tone on my bass.
Steely dan cover from the same album that made it through the blockade. P- style pickups and flats, gives an idea of the tone I get.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axb94f2FFO0&list=PL83iJEMd_7jx2iUOzPOaa-4lpYFh4IepY