Hello guys how's it going?
Today we are discussing the legend none other than Steve Harris from Iron Maiden.
Welcome to the first episode of 'Know Your Bass Player'.
My name is Alfie Williams and it is my job to dissect world class bass players.
We go through their gear, their styles and the techniques they use to achieve their sound.
Let’s begin today’s video with a rig run down that Steve Harris is known for.
Steve is known mostly for playing Fender Precision basses and has done since he first started playing
After joining Maiden, in the following years he moved onto the Ibanez Roadster.
Most notably this is seen in the video for "The Trooper" and used on the the
1983 album peice of mind
It has a P/J pickup configuration and Steve has stated at the time that it sounded cleaner
than the Fender Precision. He also used it for it’s higher volume output.
In nineteen eighty four the Powerslave record was released.
Interviews for the production say that he and the band wanted to try new sounds for
the record.
It was during this time Steve was endorsed by Lado basses.
Lado created two custom basses for Steve. The Superfalcon and the Unicorn.
These basses carried more sustain than other models thanks to their Neck Thru construction
and high quality craftsmanship.
Since that time to present day Steve has gone back to customising Fender Precision basses
from the 1970's
They are continually refurbished with new paint work and fitted with Badass II Bridges
and Seymour Duncan custom pickups.
His paintwork, whilst being aesthetic has made his bass instantly recognisable.
From royal blue with a mirror scratch plate to his current model which boasts West Ham’s
colours.
A Glossy White finish with maroon-blue-maroon pinstriping
the body is home to Steve’s beloved West Ham United F.C. crest.
Steve's Amplifier rig consists of a Trace Elliot Series 6 head with GP12X pre-amps.
In the past his rig has used C-1 audio power amplifiers.
On stage he has up to 8 custom Marshall 4x12 cabinets.
These are fitted with EVM 12L speakers and they weigh 11 kilograms each.
That is a heavy metal cabinet(!).
Steve has been known to use Flatwound Rotosound strings since the beginning.
These days he has his own custom set the SH77 Flatwound heavy gauge,
This set has been based on Steve’s custom
gauge preference and is designed to boost the low and middle end.
This solidifies Maiden's lower range from the guitars.
Contrary to popular belief, the treble from a Steve's tone comes from his technique of
bouncing the strings off the fretboard, not from the strings themselves. More on this next
Let's go ahead and jump right into the technique Steve is known for, that is the Heavy Metal Gallop.
Whilst the harmonising guitars might be the
focal point of the music, it is the gallop that brings out the rhythm of Iron Maiden.
The gallop is most notable on the songs "Run to the Hills" and "The Trooper".
This is performed by eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes at fast tempo.
The first note is played louder than the following notes.
To get the right accent on the note played, Steve will drum his fingers on the strings
rather than plucking them. This combined with low action, gives a percussive
slap or a rattle that gives him his unique tone.
During many of Maidens songs there are various fills played by Steve.
More often than not they follow the Minor Pentatonic shape.
You can play it forwards, backwards or just the root notes like we've marked in red
When played in the middle of a Maiden chord progression it fits perfectly.
Examples of this are in "Aces High", "Rainmaker" and "Hallowed be Thy Name."
Combined with the fills, you will find many of the bass lines have hammer ons and pull offs
This technique is used by quickly changing a fretted note
to another note on the same string in a quick action
The opposite of this method is the pull-off where you lift off a fretted note whilst it’s
still vibrating to allow another fretted note behind it to ring out.
This technique also facilitates very fast playing because the picking hand does not
have to keep up with the fretting hand.
Coordination between the hands need only be achieved at certain points.
This is well demonstrated in the prechorus to "Aces High".
There you have it guys, that will do for the guide today.
I hope you’ve learned a little more about the legend that is Steve Harris
and the tools he uses to achieve one of the most distinctive tones in the world.
If you liked the video, please give it a a thumbs up and subscribe.
If there's a rig run down you'd like to see in the future. Please let me know in the comments down below.
Thanks for watching and I shall see you next time.