Just what is a "tic tac" bass anyway?

Ed Miller Jr · Post by **Ed Miller Jr** » 1 May 2001 3:18 pm

I just bought a new Danelectro Baritone guitar. I love the sound...Believe it or not I play fingerstlye on it. The hang tag mention playing tic tac bass> I've heard the term but am unclear on the meaning. Can someone elaborate on this?

ED

Michael Holland · Post by **Michael Holland** » 1 May 2001 4:14 pm

The TIC TAC bass was used on countless records out of Nashville. It's a muted, picked part (played on a Danelectro short scale bass) that doubles the Fender bass line. Leon Rhodes overdubbed it on many great tracks.[This message was edited by Michael Holland on 01 May 2001 at 05:17 PM.]

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 1 May 2001 4:30 pm

And so did the great Pete Wade. I got to meet him about a month ago and I asked him the same question. And I got about the same answer.

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Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 1 May 2001 5:00 pm

So, it refers to the style of bass playing rather than to the Danelectro instrument itself, right?

Ed Miller Jr · Post by **Ed Miller Jr** » 1 May 2001 5:33 pm

So, can anyone give a few examples?

ED

KEVIN OWENS · Post by **KEVIN OWENS** » 1 May 2001 5:55 pm

"Thanks A Lot"--Ernest Tubb--"Crazy"--Patsy Cline--Great tic tac playing by Harold Bradley. Harold probably played tic tac on more session than anyone. Grady Martin also played tic tac on quite a few sessons.
It was used more with the upright bass to get an attack to go with the big bottom of the upright. Some say it only doubles the bass line but, if you listen to the older recordings, the tic tac adds certain notes that accentuates the bass line.
Also, listen to some Bert Kaempfert records. Pop tic tac

Kevin[This message was edited by KEVIN OWENS on 01 May 2001 at 06:58 PM.]

Dave Brophy · Post by **Dave Brophy** » 2 May 2001 9:19 am

Jim,Yeah it refers more to the style of playing than the instrument.It's played with a pick with the lows rolled off the amp and some mid and treble added,so it's not set up for a normal electric bass sound.More like playing a twangy Tele on the bottom strings while palm-muting the strings.But obviously an octave lower.The tic-tac just doubled the upright bass sound,and gave a bit of a "click" sound,or "tic-tac."
There are a few of Elvis' early 60's hits where it was displayed prominently.I just heard one recently on the radio;it might have been "Good Luck Charm" or "Return To Sender."
You could do it with any bass,but Harold Bradley's Danelectro was the classic sound.I could have this story wrong,but I think it was one of the instruments he rescued when his original studio burnt down.

erik · Post by **erik** » 2 May 2001 6:04 pm

I am familiar with the Harold Bradley tic tac sound. I think muting a P-bass and using a pick sounds good enough... in fact, much better - one instrument, both sounds.

Kenny Davis · Post by **Kenny Davis** » 2 May 2001 10:23 pm

I think that tic tac bass was developed originally to double the accoustic upright bass. It seemed to "define" the bass line. Don't forget the Fender Bass VI six string bass - It was used a lot, as well as the Danelectro.

John Anderson listed X Lincoln as the tic tac player on all of his earlier albums.

John Floyd · Post by **John Floyd** » 3 May 2001 4:49 am

BTW
X Lincoln's real name was Billy Tubb, ET's nephew. great picker.

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JCF (The Picker formerly known as Sleepy John)

[This message was edited by John Floyd on 03 May 2001 at 05:50 AM.]

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 3 May 2001 9:52 am

Back in the 50's, when I did play in a band on a very limited basis, our guitar player developed a way to emulate the "tic" sound of bass players. Later I heard a lot of country bands doing it.

Frankly I don't think it was a bass sound at all. I likened it to sounding similar to having a psuedo musical metronome going during the entire song.

I found it very pleasant to listen to. Later in our band, they hired a second guitar player and his sole job was to do the "tic" sound.

It was interesting to note that he had just purchased a brand new and gorgeous Gibson "Birdland" guitar and ALL it was used for is to "tic". Wow!!

Reminds me of how the steel is being used on some modern recordings. A little "pick" here and a little "pick" there.

But certainly no melody like days of old,

carl

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 3 May 2001 11:20 am

You learn everything on the forum. It just hit me what a "tic tac" was. And the sad part is I've done a lot of guitar where all I did was play I/V licks!

However, after 30 years and finally finding out, I'm not sure I really wanted to know.

erik · Post by **erik** » 3 May 2001 1:47 pm

As stated by Kenny Davis, tic tac bass, was a baritone guitar used to mimic the beats of the upright bass. It is not a bass instrument sound on it's own. You may recall during the piano years that the players also many times mimicked the bass line with the left hand.

Tic tac is a cool sound that worked in the era it was employed. Today, if you wanted a similar sound, you can just mute a P-bass and play it with a pick. Or use your palm as a mute and pick.

Michael Holland · Post by **Michael Holland** » 4 May 2001 10:30 am

done by the guitar player before there was a Drummer doing rim shots

B,

Are you thinking of guitar accents on the backbeat (2&4) like the drummer plays on the rim (called a 'sidestick')? If so, those are called "chinks". No disrespect meant to any of Asian origin; that's what they're called.

[This message was edited by Michael Holland on 04 May 2001 at 11:34 AM.]

Max Laine · Post by **Max Laine** » 4 May 2001 11:28 am

Was the tic-tac bass tuned E to E (an octave below regular guitar) or B to B like the new Danelectro as it comes from the factory? I have both tunings on my two Danelectros and I'd go for the E - E tuning for tic tac...

Max

KEVIN OWENS · Post by **KEVIN OWENS** » 4 May 2001 9:53 pm

Tic-Tac was played on a 6 string bass, mostly a Danelectro Baritone guitar. A P-bass played with a pick is a P-bass played with a pick. A telecaster played with a pick is a telecaster played with a pick. The classic "Tic-Tac" sound was made with a combination of the Danelectro Baritone guitar and a Fender Deluxe reverb amp (the splash of the reverb has a lot to do with the sound). The guitar can be tuned to E or the factory B (Andy Reiss of the Time Jumpers has two Danelectro Baritone guitars one tuned each way). Harold Bradley was the most recorded Tic-Tac player with Tommy Allsup also doing many sessions. I will say again "Some say it only doubles the bass line but, if you LISTEN to the older recordings, the Tic-Tac adds certain notes that accentuates the bass line." One can play a Tic-Tac line on any instrument but, to have the Tic-Tac sound one must use certain pieces of equipment.

I don't mean to sound like a smart a_s but, it really bothers me when information gets so distorted. I think it's very important to keep the history of country music alive and as close to the facts as we can. "Who played on what, when was it recorded, what equipment was used? " The answers to these types of questions helps keep our of music alive.

Kevin

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 5 May 2001 3:52 pm

For Michael Holland re: the "chink" sound. In the mid sixties, Nashville studios had a guitar player who's entire job was to accent the offbeat, usually playing either the bottom 3 strings, or the bottom two strings. and muting after striking the strings. This produced a "chink" sound. This was after Tic Tac started falling out of favor. I do believe that tic-tac done on a lead guitar was started back in the days when country bands did not use drums. Hank Williams music used the technique on practically all of his hits.

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 5 May 2001 6:15 pm

It is highly possible we are talking about different things. I don't know.

But in the band I played in and the ones all over town it was done on a regular guitar and it was called tic tac guitar!!

And Cole is correct I heard it first on hank Williams recordings. And many Ray Price recordings. Again we may be talking about 2 different sounds.

And on an album that brought the cherokee cowboys back together with BE, Tommy Jackson, Buddy Spicher and others the liner notes refers to it as Tic Tac. And the sound I hear is the same sound our guitar player used to make. It sounds just like a metronome only it is pitched rather than just emulating a rim shot by a drummer.

And let's do get together and play checkers B Cole. actually I would rather play chess.

Does ANY body play chess any more? Or has it gone the way of the Accordion?

God bless you all,

carl

erik · Post by **erik** » 5 May 2001 6:34 pm

Kevin, there is almost a slap back quality to the sound. I do notice that.

I see no reason to be uptight about people discussing whatifs, hows, and maybes. It's what discussion forums are for. It reflects real life.

KEVIN OWENS · Post by **KEVIN OWENS** » 5 May 2001 10:36 pm

When someone asks a question I think they deserve a factual answer. I'm just trying to present accurate, factual information.

Kevin

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 6 May 2001 1:07 am

Isn't it kind of a "cool minty-flavored" bass line?

(sorry gang,it was there to "jump on".)

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