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Cygnus X-1 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: chris squire
    Posted: September 02 2005 at 09:37

just wondering hows does chirs squire get that unique bass sound of his?

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2005 at 09:41
just a distorted rikenbacker isn't it?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2005 at 09:41
Rickenbacker with a pick?
"my kingdom for a horse!" (W. Shakespeare, "Richard III")
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2005 at 09:42
Yup, that classic Rick sound. Much like Geddy Lee in the 70s, or Lemmy
with a lot less fuzz.

The Rickenbacker has that distinctive sound that you either love or hate.
In guitars, too.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2005 at 09:47

Originally posted by Heptade Heptade wrote:

Yup, that classic Rick sound. Much like Geddy Lee in the 70s, or Lemmy
with a lot less fuzz.

The Rickenbacker has that distinctive sound that you either love or hate.
In guitars, too.

yeah the rics are great.

does anybody know what amp Chris used back in the days?

"my kingdom for a horse!" (W. Shakespeare, "Richard III")
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2005 at 10:00
from Wikipedia:

Squire's bass playing is noted for being aggressive, dynamic, and
melodic. Squire's main instrument is a Rickenbacker 4001, which he has
owned and played since 1965; it was the third Rickenbacker 4001 ever
imported into Britain from the United States (the first was bought by Paul
McCartney). This instrument, with its warmth and distortion, is a
significant part of Squire's unique sound which is achieved by a technique
known as 'bi-amping'. By splitting the stereo signal from his bass (which
divided the signal from the pickups into dual high and low frequency
outputs) and then sending the low frequency output to a conventional
bass amplifier and the high-frequency output to a separate lead guitar
amplifier, Squire produced a tonal 'sandwich' that added a growling,
overdriven edge to the sound while retaining the Rickenbacker's powerful
bass response. Squire (who is self-taught) was also one of the first rock
bass players to successfully adapt electronic guitar effects such as
tremolo, phasing and the wah-wah pedal to the instrument. Squire's
vocals are also key to Yes' music, providing important harmonization with
Jon Anderson's distinctive countertenor.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2005 at 10:16
The two amps Heptade mentions is probably a major part to it, maybe more important than anything else.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2005 at 16:59
Damnit! The one bass i always want and they cost a bomb over here.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 02 2005 at 23:10
I always thought basses sound the same. It's just a low "thlump". I also find it hard to respect a bass player, but I guess that's just me.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 03 2005 at 10:33

Originally posted by CalamityDaemon CalamityDaemon wrote:

I always thought basses sound the same. It's just a low "thlump". I also find it hard to respect a bass player, but I guess that's just me.

very wrong pal!!! I suspect you're not much into musical instruments...

"my kingdom for a horse!" (W. Shakespeare, "Richard III")
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 03 2005 at 18:12
I've got a Rick 4003, and you can definitely hear the difference. Much more trebly, plus it has the signal splitting "rick-o-sound" thing on it so you can bi-amp. However, it also depends greatly on the amp. I have an extremely cheap and crappy amp (a result of my getting a Rick: didn't have enough to also get a good amp afterwards), so it blurs the sound quite a bit. When I play with just one amp, I'll use an effects pedal to boost the treble even more to get the Squire sound. Otherwise, I'll plug into two amps and it works almost perfectly. Unfortunately, the y-cable I have is also cheap and crappy, so it'll pop and fizz a whole lot through it all, so I'm usually forced to use only one amp and the effects pedal.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 03 2005 at 18:20

Oh a pick, his strings, the Rickenbacker and watch a vid...he plays the strings very close to the start of the frets, so he gets maximum twang but does not lose the bottom end. Entwhistle is obviously (and he said it many times) his main influence, listen to the Who, especially 'Quadrophenia' and (even though Entwhistle was a finger guy, not a pick guy) you can hear that twang and 'lead bass' especially in 'The real me'.

Chris then took it to another level..jeez, wish they would play 'On the silent wings of freedom'...the WHOLE song...love his playing that.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 04 2005 at 00:01
you know, I could've sworn he played fingerstyle...
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 04 2005 at 04:09

Originally posted by penguindf12 penguindf12 wrote:

you know, I could've sworn he played fingerstyle...

He only plays with a pick on occasion

The bass sound does not only come from his bi-amp splitting, here is his petal board setup:
On the floor in front of Chris is a custom pedalboard with buttons to activate preset effects combinations, as programmed by guitar tech Richard Davis. One button also toggles his combination Taurus/Dutron bass pedals, which sit off-stage.

The pedalboard is connected to a pre-programmed custom effects rack that organizes such things as a custom-built tremolo unit, a Maestro fuzz, a T.C. Electronic Stereo Chorus/Flanger, a Lexicon LXP-5 multi-effects, a Roland SRV 2000 reverb, an MXR 1500 delay, a Morley volume pedal, an octave divider, and an ADA preamp EQed for the low notes on the Tobias basses.

Also keep in mind his 1965 Rickenbacker 4001 is 2/3 the weight of a factory one due to a decal being sanded off in Soho before going on tour with Yes, which also gives his signature punch.

"It's amazing that we've been able to put up with each other for 35 years. Most marriages don't last that long these days."

-Chris Squire
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2005 at 06:40

Originally posted by Damen Damen wrote:

He only plays with a pick on occasion

On Fragile, no?

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2005 at 11:40
Originally posted by Eetu Pellonpää Eetu Pellonpää wrote:

Originally posted by Damen Damen wrote:

He only plays with a pick on occasion

On Fragile, no?

Yup, most noticeably on Roundabout.

"It's amazing that we've been able to put up with each other for 35 years. Most marriages don't last that long these days."

-Chris Squire
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2005 at 13:01
Originally posted by Damen Damen wrote:

Originally posted by Eetu Pellonpää Eetu Pellonpää wrote:

Originally posted by Damen Damen wrote:

He only plays with a pick on occasion

On Fragile, no?

Yup, most noticeably on Roundabout.

 I actually even meant that song! I always mx the names of that song and the album it opens! I have so fragile mind...

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2005 at 14:16
Originally posted by Eetu Pellonpää Eetu Pellonpää wrote:

Originally posted by Damen Damen wrote:

Originally posted by Eetu Pellonpää Eetu Pellonpää wrote:

Originally posted by Damen Damen wrote:

He only plays with a pick on occasion

On Fragile, no?

Yup, most noticeably on Roundabout.

 I actually even meant that song! I always mx the names of that song and the album it opens! I have so fragile mind...

 I thought so, but he does use a pick on Five Percent for Nothing and The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) on the Fragile album as well.

"It's amazing that we've been able to put up with each other for 35 years. Most marriages don't last that long these days."

-Chris Squire
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2005 at 23:39

How about the drum / bass sequence in the end of "Ritual"?

I found his (and Fripp's ) 70's gear listed in some book from local library once....

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 06 2005 at 04:43
Had to spin TFTO again to refresh my memory, and it indeed sounds like he's using a pick during that sequence, and some other parts of it.
"It's amazing that we've been able to put up with each other for 35 years. Most marriages don't last that long these days."

-Chris Squire
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