zujo Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 What tone sets you apart from other fellow bass players? How do you achive certain tones o your gear? Are you a tone freak tweaking per song overthe course of the gig? "Word to your mother" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmantmaj Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Classifying myself as an intermediate player, I haven't totally perfected my "own" tone yet. I'm still working on it. However, I do like to tweak my sounds from song to song while playing. I tend to like a good clean sound over an overdrive, cause something about an overdriven bass in church just doesn't fly! I achieve my sounds through the Bass Pod run into our sound system, and by mixing up the effects a little I can get a good clean, crisp sound with a little bit of dripping chorus and I think it sounds great for what we play. On softer songs I like to use the Jazz amp setting with no effects because it really sounds good. I'm still learning, and still perfecting that "me" tone. I'm sure I'll find it someday! "Remembers being small, laying under the table and dreaming...." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zujo Posted January 7, 2003 Author Share Posted January 7, 2003 Wee I geuss I shoulve posted mine too I like three basic sounds in oarticular. The classic 'mid scoop' for slapping a little heavier on bass than treble. The jazz 'mid tone' almost fretless like sound with little or almost no highs The rock "picking" tone with middle bass and mids boosted with somewhat highs just to enhance presence. I find that you can play almos every gig interchangin between these three. "Word to your mother" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmantmaj Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Very true, and my favorite sound of those three is probably the Jazz tone, although I just love all the tones in a bass! That good clean fretless jazz sound is hard to beat, though. "Remembers being small, laying under the table and dreaming...." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenLoy Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 My sound's hardly unique...although people often comment positively on it, so I must be doing something right. I use a Stingray, and favor that thick, bottomy sound that's more dependent on low-mids than highs to cut through the mix. I love Jaco, Tony Levin, and John Paul Jones...so I tend to go for a sound somewhat like these three guys, although I lean towards the latter two in terms of thick bottom. On upright, I try (and fail) to sound like Mingus. Does that make sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewstermaniac Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 I use an EB Musicman stingray 4 string, with a rosewood fretboard. Tried both solid maple and this - i much prefer the "zing" this mofo has. It's got the 3 band eq, so completely cut the mids. 0. i crank the low, and tweek the high to suit the song. I play through a Hartke cab, which has a sound all it's own. At first I didn't like, but then I put new strings on, played with the eq for about 2 weeks, and then hit the sweet spot. Mind you, you must play for the song, you don't want lots of treble when playing come together, so I tweek the highs right on the bass to suit. Add in a Boss Bass Chorus, mostly just to thicken it up. This makes me very happy. It's excellent for funkin' out, one of my fav things Check out my work in progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cup Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 I play a Ric 4003 thru an Ampeg SVT3 and an Ampeg cab. I don't understand much about Hz's or Db's.. I monkey about with the sounds coming out of my amp..every few weeks I seem to find a "new" sound! I remember the old ones, play with the new, I suppose I'm finding the sounds available thru' this equipment. I only have one pedal, a DS-1 boss distortion box, I only use this very rarely, it's so hard to get "right". CupMcMali...this monkey's gone to heaven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanYmaL X Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Originally posted by CupMcMali: ...//...I don't understand much about Hz's or Db's.. I monkey about with the sounds coming out of my amp..every few weeks I seem to find a "new" sound! ...//... CupMcMali...this monkey's gone to heaven That's me in a nutshell... seems like every time I find a sound I like for a particular song, it doesn't quite work for the next song at least not to my ears... so I just have to keep looking... I do like that fretless Jazz sound mentioned above, though. Im in the process of adding and experimenting with different equipment to try to improve my sound, though. Seems like a never-ending journey... DX Aerodyne Jazz Deluxe Pod X3 Live Roland Bolt-60 (modified) Genz Benz GBE250-C 2x10 Acoustic 2x12 cab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Jew Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 I'm with my bro CupMcMali on this one... Except I screwed around with my knobs until I found a cool sound, and then I left it alone. I rarely mess with it anymore unless it's too loud or not loud enough. That's what the volume is for... The tone I get is pretty basic (bassic?). It's a passive p-bass through a SWR Sm-500 and two mesa cabs (2x10 and 1x15). I like chunky low-mids with some slightly clanky top-end and just a little booty-push in the low-end. No pedals -- just a nice Monster cable. That's it. Works great for me. \m/ Erik "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." --Sun Tzu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cup Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 CMDN it's only recently I started experimenting with "new" sounds. When I first bought the amp and bass I was overjoyed at the sound I was getting thru the front pick-up, tone took totally off and the amp as "soft" as it would go with the super low on. After a while I got to walking whilst I was playing (in the rehearsal space) and noticing different feels. I mean I play a Ric for goodness sake, I was totally ignoring the Ric sound. These days I suppose I go for most of my sounds thru' the back p/u and I let the tone control on the bass and amp do the changing. I can't believe just how much room for manouvre I was missing out on....I can now hear the bass cutting thru' everything now. Saying that, in 6 months I'll probably be back to that original tone (melting choclate) I first loved CupMcMali...this monkey's gone to heaven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcr Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 I like to compare my sound with playing in melted butter on a teflon surface in zero gravity and with killer tone. Or something. Sorry, sorry, OLD joke... Actually, "my" sound is sort of changing--that's why I just got a Jazz bass, I wanted different tones, & also different sustain patterns from what my Ric offers. I like that heavy, crunchy prog type sound from my Ric, and a bright, jazzy tone from my Jazz. I go for a sweet, warm sound from my fretless, bright but not Jaco. More generally, I like a very "percussive" sound--staccato, ghost notes, etc.; lately I've really been after a clean, articulated sound (the Ric has almost too much sustain for this style, imho). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jode Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 I'll let you know what my sound is when my bass gets out of the shop. Time for a semi-regular trip to go under the Allen wrench. "I had to have something, and it wasn't there. I couldn't go down the street and buy it, so I built it." Les Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenLoy Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 I like to compare my sound with playing in melted butter on a teflon surface in zero gravity and with killer tone. Or something.LOL!!!!! That was a great thread...I remember my old zinger on that trend... "My Carlo Robelli is like raw sewage dumping into the East River on a hot summers day" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 My sound is what you get when you take the bass tone from the following songs: Baba O'Riley(Entwhistle), Siberian Khatru(Squire), Analog Kid(Geddy), and Throw Me A Bone(Beller), throw them all in a Veg-O-Matic and hit "Funkifize". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDL Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 I descirbe my sound as "JDL's juicy tone extravaganza" Sometimes, I like to copy other people's tone, for a certain song. Mostly, I use a different technique than most people(since I don't want it stolen, I will not describe it) My amp is mostly responsible for my tone. I like to change from fat-to thin very often. I love my tone, its me. JDL, Jan.11 JDL on Purevolume Bird\'s Eye View on Purevolume Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoot Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 loud Ah, nice marmot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KikkyMonk Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 i gotta fender fretless MIM jazz with bill lawrence pickups going into a john entwistle ashdown preamp into a mackie 16 channel board going to our PA speakers which are 3 way powered mackie thingies. Not enough booty!!! But its all going to change in a while Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Johnson Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 I mostly use DI tones and build gear to get 'em. Tried all kinds of stuff, too. For a while I was going to a lot of trouble to get a 'deep and bright switch on' tone, because it sounded cooler by itself. Then I got into using a tone that cut back on the extreme lows and instead of being like a pile of jello with a rope in it, it was like a steel cable- lacking in warmth, but made a freaking solid underpinning to a mix. Finally I doctored that to warm it up and got more of a velvet-covered steel cable, which I _think_ ought to do me for a while Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 I've finally found my sound, I don't think I ever searched for it, it just happened - it's the combination of me digging in fairly hard near the bridge, into 2 year old Labella 44-110 S/S rounds, picked up by EMG reverse P/Js on my 1987 Warwick Streamer (growl city!) through a TE Dual Compressor pedal (about 3:1 compression on the lows, none on the highs except when I slap) into an SWR Grand Prix with the controls set flat apart from the Aural Enhance at 10 o'clock. It's not the prettiest of sounds, a bit like Jaco with less roundness and more bass and top, but it really cuts through and allows me to drive the band, and really express myself. I tend to really work the note lengths (staccato to legato) and tones (ghosting, muting, vibrato, bending, slides) and like to drop out and leave spaces hiphop style. I do mess with it quite a bit, sometimes going to extreme reggae sounds by softening up and playing near the neck and tweaking the onboard tone controls, and then I've got a whole bunch of pedals which are a unique combination to that allows me to add more colour and head further into the realms of guitars and synths and other mid-range instruments. When I slap I tend turn up the onboard bass control to make up for the loss of bottom (I wish those top few frets would go away to give me a deeper slap tone, but come back for chords and high register widdling) and although I've experimented with LHS and other fancy techniques I've found that due to the thick strings and my desire for big sounds I use conventional RHS technique, though my thumb is pretty fast letting me put in the odd 32nd note flurry, and I also slap and pop across all the strings. (I have a particularly fun 'flash' lick in one song intro (which has a high energy 'around the world' type vibe) which consists of a TTP steady 32nd note pattern (at about 110 bpm) on the G-string whilst I fret the octave and hammer grace notes on the minor 9) I also play a lot of diads and have been investigating voicing more complex chords on the bass. Oh yes, and for chords I pluck with 3 fingers and sometimes my thumb, and also strum using my index and middle finger nails for the downstroke and thumb nail for the upstroke. This lets me play funk guitar-esque parts on the bass and seems to groove better than when I try to use a pick (I've bought some but they don't really get on with my Warwick which starts sounding vicious when attacked with anything harder than a human hand.) And where does this all fit? I'm writing my own material since leaving my last band (which degenerated into a lazy covers band i.e. one with a very small and boring repetoire) and focusing on getting together a trio with a jazzy rhodes player and a hiphop drummer (and myself singing and bassing - isn't it hard doing both simultaneously!?) Once I've recorded some demos I'll post them up here and you can send me your creative criticisms (scared!). And one more thing - my sound is loud; almost Flashlight loud in the mix, which live achieved courtesy of a Mackie M1400i and two Acme Low-B2's. Alex P.S. Do I get a prize for the longest tone post yet? Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthPark Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 I try to follow one rule. Be low. Low down. Bass as low as possible, and kick drum a couple of Hz higher. Then I get a really good punch when the kick drum and bass play together. And you don´t disturb the g**tars when you stay down there. That way the whole band can get a good and clear sound. *You know, it happens sometimes that people just explode- natural causes.* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassplayer7770 Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 I typically play with the same tone for an entire gig. Of course, I currently play a passive bass. When I get an active bass I'll probably tweak the tone a bit more. Rig: Ernie Ball Musicman Sterling Fender Deluxe V (Bartolini pickups and BTB-01 preamp) Schecter Diamond Series Model T Eden WT-400 Avatar B410 NEO Boss ME-50B The Mac - My cover band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattC Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Anyone familiar with Ibanez active electronics? That bass knob is killer- I've got to roll that back a touch (maybe about 1 hour) and boost the mids (about 2 1/2 hours)- that makes the bass pretty even. I run a low-pass filter at about 1200 Hz and boost the 120Hz range about 4dB, 80Hz by about 2dB. Bottom line is that my bass is quite low, but by no means too low for a pleasant sound. I'll usually scoop out the mids on my amp (GK800RB) onstage to help the mix, and I might add some subtle flanger if I'm feeling really crazy! Here's the kicker, though- I never need to tweak the rig, except maybe a little EQ depending on the place and possibly the compressor, depending on how much juice my active bass has left. Preset #161 is the tone that compliments everything! (only took me 8 months to find) ...think funky thoughts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally Malone Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Originally posted by alexclaber: P.S. Do I get a prize for the longest tone post yet?Alex, groove gurus are expected to have long posts on subjects such as tone. Wally I have basses to play, places to be and good music to make! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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