Joe Perry's 6-String Bass

[michelej1]

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/StevenTylerAndJoePerry/This is from a Gibson.com article where Joe Perry and Steven Tyler discuss Aerosmith songs:



“Back in the Saddle” (Rocks, 1976)

Perry: “I had heard [original Fleetwood Mac guitarist] Peter Green playing a 6-string bass, although he never really played it as part of a song. He would sort of jam with it. But that’s how I knew they existed. I figured it would be a cool instrument to play live. It sounded great, and I didn’t know anyone else who was doing it. I wrote that song so that I would have excuse to play it on-stage.”

[sharksfan2000]

We all know about Greeny's 6-string bass work on live recordings of "The Green Manalishi", but did he ever use it on a studio recording? Joe Perry may be correct that he never did that, but off the top of my head, I'm not 100% sure if that's true. Anyone know?

[slipkid]

We all know about Greeny's 6-string bass work on live recordings of "The Green Manalishi", but did he ever use it on a studio recording? Joe Perry may be correct that he never did that, but off the top of my head, I'm not 100% sure if that's true. Anyone know?

The instrument in question is called a Fender Bass VI. It was probably manufactured for popular surf bands in the early 60's such as The Ventures. They didn't want a heavy bass sound to their recordings. I know Jack Bruce plays one for the Beat Club "Strange Brew" with Cream (lip synced). The Beatles later used the instrument post Sgt. Pepper. You can see John Lennon playing the Fender bass during "Let it Be" (the song from the movie) since Paul McCartney is playing piano.

Ms. Moose pointed this out on another thread, but I believe "Before the Beginning" ("Then Play On") is an example where this instrument is used. You can clearly hear it during the middle of the song. It sounds like a bass, but it's tone is more like a guitar with a thicker E string. Another FM example is "I Can't Believe You Want to Leave" from the BBC sessions. You can't mistake it's sound when you hear it.

From Joe Perry's account, this proves he was in the audience when Fleetwood Mac visited the Boston Tea Party 2/70. Those tapes didn't see the light of day until 1985? I'm personally not a big Aerosmith fan, but I do know that Joe Perry's signature Gibson Les Paul on sale for the public has a flipped magnet in the neck pickup. Many think Joe Perry was a Jimmy Page fan, and he probably was, but it appears Peter Green hit Joe Perry with a 2x4 in the skull.

[Ms Moose]

Oh yes, fantastic sound that bass has...

In the Man of The World DVD, Peter Green himself talks about playing a six-string bass in the recording of Oh Well. I think he says he played all the instruments himself in the studio recording. He even "sings" the bit where it stands out in the recording.

This is the clip, and he says it around 7:53. By the way he is being interviewed by Mike Dodd, and the water behind him must be the famous swedish lake where to he retired to do some fishing....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_0-Y3r569s&NR=1

Ms Moose

[Ms Moose]

Oh yes, fantastic sound that bass has...

In the Man of The World DVD, Peter Green himself talks about playing a six-string bass in the recording of Oh Well. I think he says he played all the instruments himself in the studio recording. He even "sings" the bit where it stands out in the recording.

This is the clip, and he says it around 7:53. By the way he is being interviewed by Mike Dodd, and the water behind him must be the famous swedish lake where to he retired to do some fishing....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_0-Y3r569s&NR=1

Ms Moose

SORRY.....around 7:42

[ohwell]

Ms. Moose pointed this out on another thread, but I believe "Before the Beginning" ("Then Play On") is an example where this instrument is used. You can clearly hear it during the middle of the song. It sounds like a bass, but it's tone is more like a guitar with a thicker E string.


Yeah, the solo is call and respnse between a guitar and the fender vi. He used it alot on 'then play on' - rattlesnake shake, too. And 'the green manalishi' (studio version).

Does anyone know if it's the same bass he played on 'albatross'?

[michelej1]

Excerpt from an article about Joe Perry's tour:

http://www.expressandstar.com/2010/02/12/joe-perry-flying-solo-for-a-uk-debut/

Perry cites two English groups in particular as major influences on his playing – Bad Company and the original Fleetwood Mac, whose song Somebody’s Gonna Get (Their Head Kicked In Tonite) he covers on Have Guitar, Will Travel.

“That’s a song I can remember them playing that when they would come to Boston in the States in the late 60s,” he says.

“Fleetwood Mac has always been an influence on me, and Peter Green’s stuff, that approach to the blues roots but playing rock and roll. All of the people with the English bands were interpreting the American blues and it was so exciting for us suburban kids, we’d never heard anything like that . It was a whole new genre.