For the Flea fans : Flea + EBMM Sterling bass

[jaylegroove]

I always thought that specific attack in Flea's sound (listen to "Give it away" to fully figure out what I'm talkin' about) came from a full rack of compressors. Now from this unplugged video, I can clearly hear it's all about Flea's fingers. One can actually hear that kind of compressed attack in this video. Amazing.

 

[jamie_funk]

Ummm...I THINK he is playing so hard because the bass is not plugged in/amplified

I have seen him play amped and although he is agrtessive, he (usually) doesn't hit the strings anywheere near that hard.

Jamie

 

[spencer]

I'm a huge fan of RHCP. I've loved them since I first heard Under the Bridge. Frusciante is amazing imho.

Here's another sweet Flea vid with the Sterling..

YouTube - Flea bass solo and Frusciante solo in Stone Cold Bush RHCP

looks like a stingray to me

 

[Multiversal]

looks like a stingray to me

Maybe so? I can't really see it.. all I saw was the headstock.

I'm from the guitar side.. don't shoot me.

 

[RobertB]

Ummm...I THINK he is playing so hard because the bass is not plugged in/amplified

I have seen him play amped and although he is agrtessive, he (usually) doesn't hit the strings anywheere near that hard.

Jamie

Yes he does. That's precisely why the Flea bridge was designed with deeper grooves in the saddles - so that he doesn't derail the damn strings (again, check out the bridge evolution page at the link earlier in the thread). Also, though, maybe it's a question of how long you've been listening to Flea/RHCP. If you're talking since & including Californication only ... yeah, maybe "on average", he plays less aggressively, to better suit their music since then. Or atleast he probably less often has to resort to filling holes in his fingertips with super-glue to get through a show.

 

[spencer]

Maybe so? I can't really see it.. all I saw was the headstock.

I'm from the guitar side.. don't shoot me.

LOL its cool, it could be a sterling, though I don't think he EVER played live with one, however its so hard to see with the bad quality, Im trying to make out the controll plate.. Hard though..

 

[oli@bass]

I'm pretty sure it's a StingRay. At about 10 seconds into the video you can see the control plate.

 

[jamie_funk]

Yes he does. That's precisely why the Flea bridge was designed with deeper grooves in the saddles - so that he doesn't derail the damn strings (again, check out the bridge evolution page at the link earlier in the thread). Also, though, maybe it's a question of how long you've been listening to Flea/RHCP. If you're talking since & including Californication only ... yeah, maybe "on average", he plays less aggressively, to better suit their music since then. Or atleast he probably less often has to resort to filling holes in his fingertips with super-glue to get through a show.

Fair enough - but in this case he is playing without an amp and I think harder than his usual hard playing to make it audible. I certainly would never say he uses a light touch regardless, so I agree with you oiverall

And not that it matters, but I've been listening to him/them since the mid 80s.

Jamie

 

[strummer]

I like rhcp, I just recently started listening to them, and I like he singers voice (sorry jack)

 

[tombboy]

looks like a stingray to me

Yep.. right at the start you see the chrome control plate. Plus the upper horn is too fat for a sterling and the headstock is too rounded.