The Sails of Charon Bass Cover

[@har234908234]

As a guitar player who's had a go at this, I can relate! I've enjoyed watching your channel for the diversity while I've been got a bit more serious with the bass. Learning lots of tricks from you.

[@TJH3113]

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one. Thanks so much.

[@crashkamio5819]

Well damn that was impressive as hell! May have to dig into some old Scorpions music. Never got into them much besides the hits, but I gotta give them another go that was some killer stuff, and you nailed it! Great job as always! One reason I love watching your videos is because they are so varied. I love the Rush and prog stuff but also love the other more pop/rock orientated stuff as well. You have even broadened my horizons introducing me to new stuff! Always look forward to your videos no matter the genre. There's so much music out there it can be fun to learn/listen to stuff we normally don't.

[@TJH3113]

Thanks. Same... I know "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and a few others... didn't know they had deep cuts like this. Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to leave such a great comment.

[@darrenbaugh6579]

My wife and I have broadened our musical taste as the years have passed as well. Always something new around the corner, even if it was introduced 50 years ago. Thanks for the contribution. We always love your videos.

[@TJH3113]

That's cool! In the past year we've seen Tom Jones, Culture Club, Tommy Emmanuel... and always find something to appreciate.

[@HighlandViking]

Right on 🤘😎 Great Scorps tune 🎶

[@TJH3113]

Thanks!

[@sleepyb65]

Absolute classic, one of the best Uli Jon Roth era Scorpion songs. You did this justice, great playing as usual!!

[@TJH3113]

I'm really happy you liked it! Thanks!

[@alacajun007]

Yes! This is a classic....

[@TJH3113]

Glad you liked it!

[@algorman982]

I have never heard this song, have now, love it. Thanks for doing it.

[@TJH3113]

It's cool, right?

[@McBurnside6380]

One of the best eras of the Scorpions, in my opinion. Welcome to the fold.

[@bonecreatureify]

I got really excited when I saw this one pop up on my phone.. made my night.. I appreciate your videos😉

[@TJH3113]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@nickharland3795]

Love it!!! Can't go wrong with the Uli era of the Scorpions. Great job!! Thanks.

[@TJH3113]

Awesome! I think the oldest Scorpions I've ever heard was The Zoo. Thanks a lot!

[@Professional-fh1ow]

Great classic by the original Scorpions! The video is fantastic with Uli's amazing guitar work pre EVH and Yngwie plus Herman Rarebells rock faces. No coincidene that Francis Bucholz sounds like a classical composers name, nice one to cover man!

[@TJH3113]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@SamA-yf7up]

Great job, Troy. The bass sounds angry and mean, and I love it.

[@TJH3113]

Thanks a lot! This bass is one of my favorites.

[@davidgold6407]

Francis and Uli what a team!!

[@ChanceC5]

He is a very underrated bass player.

[@TJH3113]

Glad you liked it!

[@Twobarpsi]

Wow! What a great jam and track! Sounds like a tough one. Great playing Troy 🤘😎🤘!!

[@TJH3113]

Glad you liked it! Thanks a lot!

[@crazeyjoe]

Great song choice and excellent playing, Troy!

[@TJH3113]

Thank you very much!

[@lesdavis3596]

Taken By Force. Great Scorpions LP! Good call, Troy!

[@TJH3113]

Glad you liked it!

[@stickywicked447]

That was awesome Troy!

[@TJH3113]

Thanks so much!

[@JamesHenri99]

Love this one! Great playing!

[@TJH3113]

Thanks a lot!

[@Zane_Doe]

HELL. YESSSSS.

[@TJH3113]

THANKS.

[@themadbassist795]

Awesome 👏

[@TJH3113]

Thank you!!

[@samhelsel443]

Wow!!! Old Scorps! Haven't heard this one in a while. You nailed it... As usual.

[@TJH3113]

I'd never heard it? Thanks Sam!

[@artrogers3985]

Wow! I should learn a few of those licks. That’s some fancy playing 👏👏🎸

[@TJH3113]

Why not?!

[@artrogers3985]

@ I’ll try it after I master the Lemon Song 🤣😂🤣 🎸

[@nhormus4010]

You will always be the Rush bass guy to me (lol), but it makes me happy to know you are playing what you like. Thats how it should be!

[@TJH3113]

Thanks so much. I just might circle back to some Rush at some point.

[@handidrummed]

Cool song. Admittedly I haven't listened to any Scorpions outside of their stuff in the 80s on MTV. I'll check out the album.

[@TJH3113]

It's wild, isn't it?

[@ionlytalkaboutbass]

I think your playing on this is really good! And I enjoy the variety of music you put up on your channel overall, I really like having a reason to listen to different stuff I've never heard before. Agreed about Twitter too lol.

[@TJH3113]

Thank you very much! It's just that I never got comfortable with it... strange. Thanks again. I found myself still going on Twitter and regretting it every time, so I just deleted my account.

[@horrorshowbass]

What a tune❤❤❤❤

[@TJH3113]

It's wild, isn't it?

[@drew64rush82]

I have never heard that song… I liked the Scorpions growing up but my first album was Love drive??(I think) 🧐🧐time goes so fast..but anyways great cover as always…hope you have a good day..

[@TJH3113]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@amptechron]

The best of the Uli Roth era scorps! Well played Troy!

[@TJH3113]

Cool stuff! Thank you!

[@smilingwolf8196]

Nice! Didn't see that coming lol. Even used the signature P. Your not afraid to cover anything, one of your many musical traits. Thanks.

[@TJH3113]

Me neither! I hope you liked it.

[@smilingwolf8196]

@TJH3113 Sorry, of course I liked it. Thank you for doing that song. You really nailed it!

[@ultimatebasses]

Happy Saturday Troy. Here is one I'm not familiar with. A treat for the Scorpion fans no doubt.

[@TJH3113]

Same to you! I hope you liked it.

[@stratboy1000]

ULI JON ROTH!!! This is one of my fave guitar riffs of all time.

[@TJH3113]

Awesome!

[@69lucyfer]

Great choice, Troy. I adore this song ❤ What a perfect bass cover 💯💯

[@TJH3113]

Thank you very much! I appreciate it.

[@davidmst]

Great song! Also love your tone

[@TJH3113]

Thanks a lot!

[@jonathanchevallier7046]

Well done Troy !

[@TJH3113]

Thank you very much !

[@markdecker2112]

such a great guitar rif!

[@TJH3113]

It is, isn't it?

[@linda_guitar8869]

I think you played that great! I'd never heard it before. I agree with you that it's a cool song!

[@TJH3113]

Thanks so much!

[@michaeleverman3387]

I saw the video title and thought, "Wait, you mean that old Scorpions song from way back when they were proggy?" I'm always surprised when I stumble on this really old stuff in the wild. (FWIW, I thought their later stuff was good, too, but simpler and more polished.) Well done!

[@TJH3113]

I never knew they were proggy! Thank you!

[@michaeleverman3387]

@@TJH3113 I didn't know myself at first. (In my defense, I was 7 years old and more into Star Wars when TBF came out. 🙂) I found out when I started to look into their back catalog, which I like to do with bands. (Always interesting see how they started out!) They started out proggy and slowly moved away from it. This was the last album to really show that side of them, IMO. BTW, I wasn't much into Duran Duran or Elvis Costello either until I picked up the bass; now I'm a fan of both. As for disco, it's hard to complain: it's one of the very few genres in which the bassist is usually having way more fun than everyone else! 🤘

[@markmilner842]

Excellent job. BTW, I like your Bruce Thomas stuff (and Graham Maby, too). Keep doing what you find interesting.

[@TJH3113]

Thanks so much!

[@KraigwithaK2112]

Great song!! This to me is the Scorpions best ever song.

[@TJH3113]

Awesome!

[@WimRijksen]

You did well Troy! I know you aim high but this was really good.

[@TJH3113]

Thank you. Yeah, I just never really got comfortable with this song for some reason.

[@chlindh1]

Lovely! :)

[@TJH3113]

Thank you kindly!

[@chlindh1]

@TJH3113 Thank you! Your videos always helps me get through shitty days.

[@GuitarBassCigar]

I've got a few sympathy pains in the finger joints and wrist after watching that one. I'm not too familiar with the Scorpions from that era, and it looks like a good finger exercise track. Not overly technical, but a lot of momentum going on. Nicely done!

[@TJH3113]

Yeah, those quick runs are tough on the lower frets. Thanks a lot!

[@mikemacheese7174]

Awesome!

[@TJH3113]

Thanks!

[@juansalgueiro6517]

I’m not a Scorpions fan either but That’s a great bassline. Better still, you played it on the Bruce Thomas. Mine now has Fralins and LaBella flats on it. Sounds so good!

[@TJH3113]

I'm glad you liked it. I thought it was a cool song/bass-line. I've thought about swapping the pickups out, but keep stopping myself. Dave Hope said that if you find a bass that gives you 90% of what you are looking for, then you should stop looking. But, he added, human nature doesn't allow that to happen... we're always looking for the little bit extra. This bass gives me 90% of what I look for in a bass, so I'm trying to resist messing around with it. I'm really glad you like yours. It's a fantastic instrument, isn't it?

[@JimmyJames714]

I think you did a great job, Troy. The thumbnail and deep breath before starting cracked me up. I’ve messed around with that song before, it’s a tough one. Sometime in the ‘80s, I told a friend how I was sick of hearing Rock You Like a Hurricane and some of the other Scorpions hits. He played this song for me. It’s much older than their hit stuff. I always watch your uploads and enjoy them. But, it’s nice to hear something a little heavier once in a while. How ‘bout Invaders by Iron Maiden 😉

[@TJH3113]

Thanks Jim. I played adequately, but I really wanted to tear this one up... just couldn't do it. I never would have dreamed that The Scorpions were capable of something like this. The first song I ever heard by them was "The Zoo" and I remember thinking to myself, "If I had to play this, I would die." I'll check out Invaders, but it's doubtful. I bought "Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)" a few weeks ago... started on it and thought, "Why would I do this to myself?"

[@JimmyJames714]

@ I was going to ask about Losfer Words, but I couldn’t do that to you. Man, that song is relentless 🤣

[@MegaBassfunk]

Nice choice!

[@TJH3113]

Thanks!

[@GunnerHove]

Phenomenal

[@TJH3113]

Thank you

[@mickgreenwood7158]

Not heard that before, like it though, quite proggy for Scorpions, great playing as usual.

[@TJH3113]

Thank you very much.

[@stvnfour]

Terrific! Great cover. Lovedrive has equally as cool bass riffs.

[@TJH3113]

Thank you very much! I'll check it out.

[@bonez420]

Awesome thanks

[@TJH3113]

You bet!

[@andrewmarino7563]

Taken By Force is an incredible record. You should check out Fly to the Rainbow. This Is My Song has a ridiculous bass line.

[@TJH3113]

Hard to believe that it was their 5th album! I'll check it out. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@millertimedroid]

Great, menacing bass line.

[@TJH3113]

Truth!

[@thumbpickfingers]

Amazing playing of this tune, Troy. While it's not my go to genre melody-wise, I appreciate the complexity they sometimes hide in the parts. I'm quite surprised that a bare bones, traditional P-bass has become one of your favorites.

[@TJH3113]

Thank you Roland! As you mentioned, there was definitely more happening beneath the surface of this song that I initially thought. Well, I've tried a few Precisions over the years and never thought I sounded like myself on one, but this bass is different. It has a tone that cuts through (I found most Precisions to blend in too nicely) and it has a lot of character... it really reacts easily and dramatically to dynamics. One thing that might sound strange, is that it's comfortable to play, but not TOO comfortable... it makes me work a little bit and, for some reason, there's something I like about that. This bass is what inspired the last bass Joe built for me... single P (reversed), pushed back towards the bridge a bit, and a vintage style (threaded rod saddles) bridge. I also really like the fact that this was such an affordable bass and a great value.

[@thumbpickfingers]

​@@TJH3113 You're welcome, Troy! I completely get what you mean about a bass that makes you work a bit-it can really push you to dig deeper into your playing and dynamics. It sounds like this Precision has some unique mojo that stands apart from the usual ones. About the vintage-style bridge, the threaded rod saddles are an excellent choice! Being made of hardened steel gives them a tonal edge-more sustain and a tighter, more focused sound compared to softer materials like zinc alloy or brass that you often find on other basses. And the pickup is another big factor. The right inductance is key-not overwound, so it keeps all the clarity and nuance intact. A balanced wind lets it cut through and stay dynamic without becoming harsh or muddy. Joe really seems to have dialed in all the right details on your custom bass.

[@Tracer9GTRider8]

Very nice cover of a kinda odd line...it's good though! And I agree with you on the pop stuff...I never really gave it much of a look because I felt it was just throwaway stuff. Then one day I watched a video of some pop artist (I can't recall who) and the talent was beyond what I would have expected and it was then that I realized many of them are super talented, but sometimes (as Blues Traveler says) it's the hook that brings you back & in order to make a living you have to appease the masses...unfortunately. Also, agree completely on Twitter...that place is an absolute cesspool now....

[@TJH3113]

Yeah, I never really got comfortable with it. The arrangement is pretty odd and, for some reason, it never sunk in. Yes, so much great music out there that I totally overlooked when I was young. If I was doing this for views, I'd do nothing but Red Hot Chili Peppers. I would keep popping on Twitter every now and then and getting disgusted. I finally just deleted my account.

[@TheStuport]

As far as music goes, I've always figured we ALL can't like the same stuff as that would make The World one ridiculous boring place and that goes for just about anything and everything in my world. Was never a Fan of Metal or Bands like The Scorpions simply because my musical needs were already taken care of. Raising my hand as well in being ignorant of past groups, artist's and their style of music and then later realizing just how talented they were back in a time when I thought I knew everything. I myself use only KZbin for my needs and Facebook to keep up with my kids and extended Families! on occasion! LOVED watching the reflection off your Bass face plate of what you see when you are gazing outside while playing Troy! MOO Bruddah👋

[@TJH3113]

Thanks for weighing in, Stu!

[@patrickgil3589]

Troy - great playing as always….i had not heard this song before but when I heard the opening guitar riff I immediately thought Uli Jon Roth. The time you get is amazing … do you have an updated vid on your signal chain … including what strings you are partial to these days?

[@TJH3113]

So, that's Uli's trademark sound and style? It's definitely unique. Everything in my setup is essentially the same, but I use a Genzler Magellan Preamp sometimes instead of a SansAmp (this was the Genzler). I've been using D'Addario EXL220's for many years now. I use a slightly heavier gauge on this bass - EXL170's. I love them. They go on bright, but not too bright, and keep their life for quite some time. Used to be able to get a two-pack from Amazon for $24, but they're up to $34 now. JustStrings.com has a two-pack for $29.

[@patrickgil3589]

@ I really am only familiar with his work from the live at budokan album where he does a bit of singing too … check out Polar Nights … but he’s definitely more bluesy and groove oriented than say Michael Schenker or Matthias Jabs … thanks for the rundown of your signal chain… I’ll have to look into the EXLs !!!

[@ericlagarde3807]

Alright... Disclaimer: Francis Buchholz has never been as good as a bass player as you are... Just sayin' (then he was The Scorpions' financial "advisor" and f'd it up...). What a great cover of yours! Awesome. Thank you.

[@TJH3113]

Haha... I don't know about that. I did not know about his status as financial adviser. There's not a lot on the web about it, but I found an article that said he got them into a bit of legal trouble and cost the band a few million in unpaid taxes. Thanks and take care!

[@JacobMartinez-k5p]

may i request no opportunity necessary by yes?

[@TJH3113]

I'll check it out. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@sensimonteiro]

One of the most underated song but its a great song

[@TJH3113]

Yeah, I'd never heard it before and thought it was really cool!

[@kenouif]

Hi Troy - could you cover Holiday Road?

[@TJH3113]

By Lindsey Buckingham? I'll check it out.

[@stephenadamsmusicalinterpr4203]

Mad thumpIng.

[@TJH3113]

Thanks!!

[@pulsarlights2825]

Scorpions of the 70s were a totally different band than the Scorpions on the 80s, in a lit of ways. Have the Scorpions played one song live from any album prior to "Love Drive" since 1980?

[@TJH3113]

I'm just discovering that myself!

[@jokerdiamondz8981]

I've always thought these should be called " with extra bass line" because they're not truly covers

[@jokerdiamondz8981]

This guy could truly jam with practically anybody

[@TJH3113]

Too late to change things now. Back when I started my channel, in 2010, that's what everyone called them, so I just fell in line.