Rex Brown and a Tbird

[Chris P.]

https://www.ernieball.com/stringtheory?video=rex-brown&utm_campaign=stringtheory&utm_source=email&utm_medium=brand&utm_content=rex_standalone

I saw this vid of Rex brown. Seeing the gold tuners, gold bridge and EMG's, I was wondering if this could be special made for him.



Rex Brown. I never listened to his music but I got to know him a bit over the years. First days at a bass week he was kinda bullying me, but it seemed he was trying me out. When he said something bad to me again, I said I would beat the hell out of his skinny ass in a fight or something like that (I'm quite tall, he sure is skinny). After some seconds he laughed and for the rest of the week we were drinking buddies haha! Once I saw him at the hotel breakfast and I joined him. I loved one certain quote:
'Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. It's not true. It's all a rumour. I was much too busy for that. I was much too busy with women, coke, making music.'
I think he believed what he said in a certain kind of way.
Great guy:)

[Basvarken]

'Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. It's not true. It's all a rumour. I was much too busy for that. I was much too busy with women, coke, making music.'
I think he believed what he said in a certain kind of way.

He does look a bit unhealthy. 

Thanx for the link Chris.

[gearHed289]

Didn't know he jumped ship from Spector.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Rex was the glue, musically and personally, that held Pantera together for as long as it did. He is THE most often overlooked aspect of that band ignored for their success: Phil had the big mouth and Dime and Vinnie were the brothers behind the machine when in truth, it was Rex and Vinnie. Dime came later, as did Phil. Rex never seems bitter, but he's said a few things in interviews that hint at him being tired of having the band he built being credited to others.

[66Atlas]

That red Warwick if pretty crazy, Almost looks like a reverse Entwistle explorer.

I was only a casual Pantera listener but someone gave me a copy of Rex's photo book last year.  It's a really cool book to page through and see the history of the band.  The spandex era pictures are great 

[OldManC]

That was a really good clip. Thanks for posting it.

[4stringer77]

A signature Rex Brown Thunderbird would be cool. It's possible Gibson did it for him or he could have gotten a standard bird modded for himself. I see a stacked pot where the tone pot is. I'd think Gibson would have used a Babicz instead of a hipshot bridge but who knows?

[Dave W]

I doubt the TBird was made for him by Gibson. More likely just a couple of simple mods done after purchase.

Too many Warwick/Framus products in that clip, right, Chris? 

No, I won't try EB Cobalts no matter who recommends them.  It's a shame that string companies feel they have to come up with new formulas to top each other. It's mostly snake oil.

[amptech]

No, I won't try EB Cobalts no matter who recommends them.  It's a shame that string companies feel they have to come up with new formulas to top each other. It's mostly snake oil.

Just wait a year, they'll throw in a dash of Aluminium too. AlNiCo strings, how bout that?

[gearHed289]

Rex was the glue, musically and personally, that held Pantera together for as long as it did. He is THE most often overlooked aspect of that band ignored for their success: Phil had the big mouth and Dime and Vinnie were the brothers behind the machine when in truth, it was Rex and Vinnie. Dime came later, as did Phil. Rex never seems bitter, but he's said a few things in interviews that hint at him being tired of having the band he built being credited to others.

Typical bass player. 

Rex always seemed like a cool guy, and he got some killer aggressive bass tones.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Forgot to mention: he just released a solo album and it's NOT featuring him as a bass player. I've not heard it, but EVERY promo shot for it shows him with a guitar. Rex also has a current Framus/Warwick endorsement deal.

[Chris P.]

Yes, they made some expensive Reverso's for him and you can buy the cheaper ones too. Reverso is like a reversed Explorer. I saw him play, mainly with a Streamer. Great tone. I think all came out of a VT Bass.


http://warwick.de/en/Warwick---Products--Instruments--RockBass--Artist-Line--Reverso-Rex-Brown-Artist-Line--4-string--Pictures.html

[uwe]

The Cobalts just sound different, not better - kind of a middish-metallic quality, horses for courses. Works well on some basses, but not all. OTOH, with the amount of distortion he uses, he could be strumming shoe laces. 

Me, I'm no cobalt worshipper, bomb or otherwise ...



- there is neither speech nor language, yet his voice is heard among them ...  -, but I have a few sets (of cobalt strings, not cobalt bombs I hasten to add!) lying around which I sometimes use without any all too revelatory acoustic orgasms ensuing.

The appeal of (heavily) distorted bass escapes me. I like an amp with as much headroom as possible so it doesn't distort no matter what I do, distortion is something I had to live with back when my rigs were too small, not going back to that, thank youl!  Even though I have an Orange Little Terror, I find myself playing my Ampeg SVT (never set by me to distort) and Markbass a lot more, I tire of the Orange's distorted sound after about three songs.

[bassilisk]

I have to say I agree with you Uwe. I've never cared for overdriven tones - as you said, it only showed I didn't have enough amp/speakers to do what I really wanted. Plus, truth be told, the music I play doesn't warrant that kind of sonic assault. I'm sure it works for a lot of people but I'm too much of a traditionalist to be one of them.

Give me a good solid defined bottom, muscular mids and a nice fat G string, all while still cutting the mix and I am right where I want to be.

[Rob]

I have to say I agree with you Uwe. I've never cared for overdriven tones - as you said, it only showed I didn't have enough amp/speakers to do what I really wanted. Plus, truth be told, the music I play doesn't warrant that kind of sonic assault. I'm sure it works for a lot of people but I'm too much of a traditionalist to be one of them.

Give me a good solid defined bottom, muscular mids and a nice fat G string, all while still cutting the mix and I am right where I want to be.

Hmmm a well defined bottom, muscular-mids, and a G string.  I see where this is headed