Jabinski Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 I have brought some Phillips headphones to practice with at night but I've noticed that my bass doesn't sound very in tune when I play through it. Does anyone have any idea at all why this is? Yes, the bass is in tune! Thanks in advance I'm back in bass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 Explain your set-up with bass, pre-amp, FX etc so that this might be diagnosed. Does sound odd. "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 Your intonation is probably out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloclo Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 can you cut the bass frequencies of the signal going to your headphones? does it still sound out of tune? just thinking maybe the small speakers cannot handle the amount of bass, stressing them out and giving of the wrong frequencies? just a wild guess... Marvelas Something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prague Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 Originally posted by Jabinski: Yes, the bass is in tune! Are you sure? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicklab Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 Originally posted by getz76: Your intonation is probably out. I'd be inclined to agree with this, but there's also the possibility you're playing with gorilla technique. If you're gripping the strings too hard there may be a chance that you're bending them out of tune. This could be one of several possible causes of your tuning issue. Obligatory Social Media Link "My concern is, and I have to, uh, check with my accountant, that this might bump me into a higher, uh, tax..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uber Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 are you playing fretless?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Daddy from Motown Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 Headphones are usually pretty brutal in showing off all of your(or your basses) technical flaws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabinski Posted November 1, 2005 Author Share Posted November 1, 2005 Thanks for all replies. My setup is a warwich rockbass corvett going through a Gallien Krueger backline 112 into my phillips headphones. No effects. No offence taken, but it's not my technical flaws, as the out of tune sound occurs when I play any string however simply. What is strange is that throught the amp speakers it sounds fine. A guy at my local bass shop did recently raise the action and he tinkered with the struss rob to straighten it. I am pretty ignorant but my feeling was that it was something to do with the headphones... I'm back in bass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabinski Posted November 1, 2005 Author Share Posted November 1, 2005 OK I've done some rudimentary work with my tuner to see if there's any intonation probs. The only discrepency seems to be the 5th fret of the E string. The A there seems to be slightly sharp against the open A string. All the other strings seem to be ok in this regard. I don't see this accounting for how it sounds all over the fingerboard. Experiment 2 was to roll the bass of on my bass and amp controls. It is improved through the headphones, ie sounds more in tune. Where are we at now? I'm back in bass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabinski Posted November 1, 2005 Author Share Posted November 1, 2005 OK I've done some rudimentary work with my tuner to see if there's any intonation probs. The only discrepency seems to be the 5th fret of the E string. The A there seems to be slightly sharp against the open A string. All the other strings seem to be ok in this regard. I don't see this accounting for how it sounds all over the fingerboard. Experiment 2 was to roll the bass of on my bass and amp controls. It is improved through the headphones, ie sounds more in tune. Where are we at now? I'm back in bass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabinski Posted November 1, 2005 Author Share Posted November 1, 2005 The tuner also says that the E string is in tune at the 12th fret and 12th fret harmonic. I'm back in bass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassric Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 Might have something to do with the headphones: I remember reading in a interview with a virtuoso fretless player that it was impossible to get good intonation with heaphones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabinski Posted November 1, 2005 Author Share Posted November 1, 2005 bassric, that's interesting, but it contradicts what Big Daddy from Motown said. Also, I'm not using a fretless... I'm back in bass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Daddy from Motown Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 I practice fairly often thru headphones, fretless and fretted basses. I due however run thru a Pod XL. I've never noticed any tuning problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil W Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 I frequently practice fretless bass with headphones and obviously in the studio sometimes through cans. I don't encounter problems. I concur with Big Daddy. I don't see any logical reason for headphones afecting the sund of fretless bass. http://philwbass.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabinski Posted November 1, 2005 Author Share Posted November 1, 2005 Well I can say that turning all the bass controls down has helped a lot, which does point to the headphones... I'm back in bass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 I play through headphones often; both fretted and fretless. I've never encountered the problem you are having. Try another set of headphones. If that alleviates your problem, then it is the headphones... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassric Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 I was simply reporting one thing I have read. I thought it could be useful considering it was coming from a bass player (A. Caron) reputed (amongst other things)for his intonation on the fretless. Without any more detail, I thought that this piece of information simply added weigth to the idea that playing fretless using headphones might cause problem with intonation - and that the problem might reside with the headphones. I personnally do not experience such a problem when playing my fretless with headphones, but how would I know ? - given that I am pretty sure that my intonation sucks anyway, with or without headphones... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 Yes, I am unable to listen to any of my CDs or mp3 that have fretless bass on them through headphones. Furthermore, I can't practice my fretless bass through any cabs that have smaller speaker in them. 15s sound in tune, 10s are starting to sound pretty poorly intonated, and those six inch speakers really sound HORRIBLE. I mean, really... /me searches for examples of doppler shift and its relationship to low EQing and resonance . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabinski Posted November 1, 2005 Author Share Posted November 1, 2005 I'm not playing fretless!!!!!!! I'm back in bass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 Actually none of my CDs or mp3s with bass guitar sound good through headphones. That must be why keyboard bass really got popular back in the eighties - in conjunction with the popularity of Walkmans! Coincidence? I think NOT. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabinski Posted November 1, 2005 Author Share Posted November 1, 2005 Are you a professional comedian greenboy? I'm back in bass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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