BassAdder60

This is spot on .. I have the HiMass bridge on my Pbasses and when called for palm mute nicely. I too can play my whole set ( even the Trooper ) with fingers and it sounds decent but .. to really hear tone differences I find the clarity of a pick is hard to beat. Using a good compressor with a pick adds to the thump too 👍 Keep practicing and it will become easy after a time. I think incorrect holding techniques will hamper any progress and you’re more likely to drop the pick or miss a string !

I actually really like playing Zombie especially with a pick. Simple but a song that always goes down well if you have a good female vocalist ( which we have thankfully)

Resurrecting this old thread as I’ve been on this road of discovery for the last two years One thing I didn’t read or see mentioned was playing with a PICK ! Ive discovered that a PBass played with a pick is very different in EQ content compared to finger style, in my case very different The PICK played PBass as an example would sound massively mid heavy if you didn’t pull back something such as high Mids or treble etc The sense of reduced bass fullness with a pick also needs some EQ tweaks and also a compressor can help with initial note attack etc. I still see the Pick as the best method to squeeze out the tone of the amp ( especially a valve amp ) and bass and it provides clarity that finger style smothers. The challenge is filling the band with the right bass EQ to sit with the drums and guitars So I think “ you need the mids” depends on many factors and in reality is too many Mids is harsh and too few is lost in the mix. The effect mids have on perceived bass is immense, turn mids down and it sounds more bassy, turn them up and it’s less bassy !! I think typical amps have limited EQ points that suit everything hence why I use a floor preamp with sweepable mids etc for a bit more tone control

Try a triangle shaped pick Tortex or Ultex and practice on the E string and A string only at first alternating between the two with 8th notes Don’t grip the pick too hard and I find anchoring my picking hand on the bass helps a lot. If your picking hand is floating around or hovering you will be very hit and miss !! Also pick closer to the bridge as the tension is higher on the strings and reduce string bounce. On a PBass just over or behind the pickup is best for me. Finally adjust your EQ as it will sound weak and bass lacking if not !

Love a black PBass .. very nice I tried the CS62 in my player and found it lost a few high mids The stock pickup went back in and they do the job well. Lovely looking bass 👍

Well I’m going to try my third Keeley Bassist Compressor later when it arrives this week The first one I reported an odd crackle noise and it went back. Second one came and same fault ! Tried the MXR as an alternative but didn’t really like it so third time lucky with the Keeley I had tried the first one with the band and it worked very well either as mild compression or limiting. The noise issue wasn’t really noticeable at rehearsals volume etc but it showed me how good it was at its job. That should be my final addition to my board and I’m happy

I too live about an hour from Peach Guitars and have used them before. They offer a very good service and I plan to visit them again as I’m itching to add a third bass !!!

Post gig update Yep it works very well I’ve got better EQ control over my CTM100 head plus a little push into the amps input for more valve goodness. Added the MojoMojo and I have all pedals ON and back off my bass volume slightly so I can increase at will depending on song

Yep it flashes Red if clipping Green is normal input It does sound a bit distorted though where as my old one was very clean ( with drive off )

We do Hotel California and we have a single guitarist It sounds fine if you adapt the bass line in the chorus and solo to fill it out

No Maiden then !!!

Anything from The Trooper to Superstition ( rock version ) The usual rock band classics and crowd pleasers

Sorry to hear about your back struggles. It must be tough choosing gear from a weight point of view but understandable of course. Your health is important and so is your mental wellbeing so find a solution that works just as long it doesn’t result in gigging from a chair ! I went from light cabs to heavy cabs and it’s a pain late at night loading the van up but I do love the old school thump and volume so it’s a price I pay. I only gig twice per month tops and rehearse ( more for social band reasons ) once a week. I don’t think I could gig more frequently based on how exhausted I feel the next day but then again I’m 62 !!

I tried Flats on two basses and just didn’t get on with the smooth finish in regards to my plucking hand and the different sound / tone On a PBass for rock I find Roundwounds in the main just sound better even though Steve Harris plays flats on his PBass !! I love the fresh chime of new roundwounds and the rougher string feel just suits my rough old hands !!

Just resurrecting this old thread about the MXR M81 Im liking mine a lot and I have two drive pedals running as a light drive ( nearly clean ) after the M81 Anyone tried putting drive before the M81 and what did it sound like ? The reason I ask is access to the DI connection is restricted with a pedal after the M81

The vital point too about playing live / gigging is to remember you are part of the booked entertainment !!! Staring at the floor or fretboard all night doesn’t make for a good visual performance. It must sound right but look right too in keeping with the band style etc

Why not try a preamp pedal instead ? I’ve recently purchased the MXR M81 and it’s superb in front of an amp.

I found that, but could minimise it by turning back the compression which also seemed to add drive as you turned it up. A very nice amp and easy to get a good tone

Yes for sure .. both the TC pedals work well even with minimal drive. The advantage of the CTM100 head is I can hit the input with extra signal and it adds to a lovely tube warmth and drive. With extra EQ points too it all seems to open up more tones. The MXR M81 preamp is amazing and works very well in a simple format

That’s true and using a full fat valve amp I get input compression the harder I hit the input ! Definitely couldn’t hear or see any real advantage using a compressor live. Perhaps in a studio maybe ?

Well after trying three compressors and not liking the results at all I’ve changed back to using the MXR m81 pre amp and added some pedals after for various volume boosts and further EQ options Ampeg Opto Comp - did a decent job but added a warm high end cut off Keeley Bass Limiter - superb but I didn’t feel it was doing much MXR M87 compressor- also nice but just couldn’t dial in a sound that didn’t kill my dynamics I now have a board as below giving me Clean Preamp ( MXR is superb ) Spark Booster ( adds a lift and hits my CTM100 input a little harder MoJoMoJo ( adds more grunt and deep low end tone ) They all play nicely together and each one in turn improves the sound which was naturally my aim I must stop now and be content with the result !!

My simple pedalboard but it does what I need very well

The MXR bass preamp proved to be a great success at last gig Gave me so much more EQ adjustment with my CTM100 Excellent pedal and quiet in operation

Orange LBT is indeed a great amp Very loud 500w and in my opinion a nicer tone compared to the Terror series