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planningtojazz
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Re: Help: My bass players tone SUCKS!

Post by planningtojazz » Sun Mar 20, 2016 8:11 am

øøøøøøø wrote:does he play with fingers or pick? If the former, does he keep his fingernails trimmed?

Has he tried flatwound strings?
he plays pick and he has not tried flats. my biggest complaint is that he doesnt have enough power behind his tone. i can hear the OD of his bass more than i can hear or feel the low end and low mids in his sound.

i am looking at a peavey vb 2 225 for him. Is this a good start?

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planningtojazz
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Re: Help: My bass players tone SUCKS!

Post by planningtojazz » Sun Mar 20, 2016 10:17 am

what about the SVT3 PRO

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Re: Help: My bass players tone SUCKS!

Post by gutter rock » Wed May 04, 2016 9:05 am

I think bass is the easiest instrument at getting good tone both live and recording. One thing I do believe for live bass is you need WATTS. More watts than you think you will ever need. Gotta feel the thunder! Seriously, bass needs headroom and therefore high watt amps in band situations. Also, fender bass into Ampeg, done.

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Re: Help: My bass players tone SUCKS!

Post by s_mcsleazy » Wed May 04, 2016 6:55 pm

keep in mind bass is a hard instrument to get to sit right. 9/10 the squiers really need a good set of strings and a good setup. i think maybe also telling him to turn down the gain would be a good idea. how hard does he play by the way? most times i find non-bass players play harder because they think that's what the instrument calls for but a softer touch can make all the difference.
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planningtojazz
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Re: Help: My bass players tone SUCKS!

Post by planningtojazz » Mon May 16, 2016 1:03 pm

Yeah he definitely picks hard. He's running a svt non pro into a ampeg 4x10. Sounds much better, any pickup suggestions?

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Re: Help: My bass players tone SUCKS!

Post by beauzooka » Mon May 16, 2016 1:23 pm

planningtojazz wrote:Yeah he definitely picks hard. He's running a svt non pro into a ampeg 4x10. Sounds much better, any pickup suggestions?
Picking too hard can give your sound too much treble and overwhelm the fundamental and low end. I play with a lighter pick to counteract that.
What price range for the pickup?

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Re: Help: My bass players tone SUCKS!

Post by thenewromance » Sun May 29, 2016 2:10 am

Better amp, setup, a different pickup or strings maybe. I do suspect, however, that it's got a lot to do with his skill as a player. Just as with guitar much comes from the fingers. And bass isn't just a bigger electric guitar, despite the looks.

Still, he should sound better with a real amp (or good preamp pedal) and decent bass pickup. I can't recommend one as I have a Jazz Bass, but I'm quite sure any brand name product will do, maybe combined with new electronics. Or just get a used Squier CV 60s P.

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Re: Help: My bass players tone SUCKS!

Post by Larry Mal » Sun May 29, 2016 7:43 am

planningtojazz wrote: i can hear the OD of his bass more than i can hear or feel the low end and low mids in his sound.
Wait, how is he getting this overdrive? And why? Is he using a pedal to get it? That could be the problem right there. The overdrive that he's using could very likely come with built in compression (whether it advertises it or not) as well as built in EQ (whether it advertises it or not).

Typically, overdrive on bass doesn't do anything good for the low end or the "thump" of a bass guitar. It's kind of a special effect in my mind, a gimmick for the most part.
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Re: Help: My bass players tone SUCKS!

Post by planningtojazz » Mon Jul 04, 2016 10:07 pm

del
Last edited by planningtojazz on Wed Aug 03, 2016 11:22 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Help: My bass players tone SUCKS!

Post by MechaBulletBill » Tue Jul 05, 2016 2:42 pm

You could try going low. Get an octave generator, a big cab with 15"s, tune down to C or B. You could make it a thing. Or just mess with him for a laugh.

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Re: Help: My bass players tone SUCKS!

Post by marqueemoon » Tue Jul 05, 2016 4:12 pm

planningtojazz wrote:im starting to realize it is just him and his idea of what function bass is supposed to carry out in a band setting. The guy overplays and wants to be "heard" not felt and he likes when he stands out in the treble ranges. he picks with such ferocity to get that nasally bass tone and clicks from picking. I asked him why he has his lower bass frequencies down so quiet. He simply said its too muddy for him and he wants to be heard. Its not muddy, boomy yes bassy yes, rumbling yes. Not muddy.

It annoys the shit out of me thinking about it. Ive never been in a band where every show people tell me they cant hear the guitar. I get pushed right out of the mix every time. Does anyone have a way i can explain to the band good live mix fundamentals?
Yeah. Sounds like he needs adjust his playing significantly. If the parts aren't appropriate changing the tone won't help much. Have you done any recording with him or shared any music with him that's along the lines of what you're going for?

It should really start with the right bass line, then with where the bass sits with the other instruments, then dial in a tone that helps that happen.

Also don't forget that bass frequencies can sounds wildly different in a given room depending on where you are standing. It might be worth experimenting with how you're set up in your practice space. Maybe there's a sweet spot you haven't found yet.

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Re: Help: My bass players tone SUCKS!

Post by planningtojazz » Wed Jul 06, 2016 3:00 pm

i agree with you about room placement some venues sound better than our practice space, people love him as a bass player, but something inside tells me its misunderstood praise. frankly ive given up trying to influence other musicians. I can only work on my own stuff and hope people follow suit with whats best for the music at hand.

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Re: Help: My bass players tone SUCKS!

Post by crankheart » Thu Jul 07, 2016 5:43 am

planningtojazz wrote:
im starting to realize it is just him and his idea of what function bass is supposed to carry out in a band setting. The guy overplays and wants to be "heard" not felt and he likes when he stands out in the treble ranges. he picks with such ferocity to get that nasally bass tone and clicks from picking. I asked him why he has his lower bass frequencies down so quiet. He simply said its too muddy for him and he wants to be heard. Its not muddy, boomy yes bassy yes, rumbling yes. Not muddy.
It might be worth getting him to look at a new pickup like the SD Quarter Pounder. They have a lot of high mid breakup for the "presence" he's probably trying to hear, but with a nice, rumbley, harmonic resonance in the bottom end that should help fill the sound out a lot more for a better mix. They're a bit of a one trick pony, but do sound really good for rock genres.

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Re: Help: My bass players tone SUCKS!

Post by budda12ax7 » Sat Jul 23, 2016 11:45 am

New bass player + 10

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planningtojazz
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Re: Help: My bass players tone SUCKS!

Post by planningtojazz » Sun Jul 24, 2016 6:30 am

del
Last edited by planningtojazz on Wed Aug 03, 2016 11:21 am, edited 1 time in total.

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