BottomE Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I was at a gig the other night and there were two (very good) bands. One guy has a beautiful Wal bass and the other has a Squier Precision. They both play through the same amp and have a touch of front of house as its a pretty small venue. I was really surprised to discover that there was very little difference in the sound from both basses. Ok, i understand all the mitigating circumstances but really! Whats the price difference between the two? I know the chap with the Precision paid around £100 of of the Ebay. It got me thinking about all this GAS and the search for a sound. Given i am a bass player (allegedly) I am probably more interested in the qualities of the basses. I am sure that the punters though would not have made any distinction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Can happen all too often. The Precision, no matter how cheap, always seems to work well in the mix. And re the punters, unfortunately, no matter how much we all love the bass, it`s just a guitar-looking-thing that goes "booooom" to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Indie night? 5 bands through the same gear? Interesting observation but that's not the ultimate quality test that I'd rely on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeyboro Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Predictable replies from Precision and Wal owners! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 [quote name='Mickeyboro' post='1302755' date='Jul 13 2011, 07:26 PM']Predictable replies from Precision and Wal owners! [/quote] True, but I do understand the post. It always hurts when someone sounds great through cheaper gear than I've got!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeyboro Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 And there's always someone who plays better than me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_B Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I went to a gig awhile back where a Stingray, and Precision and Jazz were going through same amp during the course of the gig. They all sounded the same. That said, the amp was a Laney combo of some description, so I dunno if that's a factor Often as not, even at other gigs with a mix of basses, I can't really tell the difference alot of the time. Such things seem to be more defined when recorded - but not always. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRBboy Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I guess it kind of backs up the theory that as a player, the feel of a bass is probably the single most important thing. Whatever you've got, it'll look and sound like a bass to everyone else, and when you're stood on that stage the feel, comfort and ease of playability of your bass is key. If it doesn't feel great to play and inspire you, you're never going to get the most out of the instrument or realsise your full potential as a player. On that note, I'd better think about advertising my Jazz! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 A lot of bassists come from the standpoint of low end holding and unfortunately so do a lot of sound engineers it's only inevitable that basses and bassists will sound similar. If I go to a gig I make a point to make sure the engineer mixes me in the FOH how it sounds through my rig, otherwise the band ends up sounding like every other generic Indie pop rock band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 [quote name='Prime_BASS' post='1302906' date='Jul 13 2011, 09:41 PM'][b]A lot of bassists come from the standpoint of low end holding and unfortunately so do a lot of sound engineers it's only inevitable that basses and bassists will sound similar.[/b] ...[/quote] Well said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blind pilot Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I can buy that, my uber cheap tanglewood, through a bddi, absolutely nails Justin's tone when I play songs like the grudge. I did not want to believe the "tone is in the fingers not the bass" but I am slowly subscribing to it now. But could it not also be a fact that the Wal can do precision tone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 Strings Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 In reality I have no doubt the basses actually sounded different and the players made them more so, but that sound gets rather swamped by drums, guitars and all sorts of other noisy things so subtleties ten to get lost, and they can all sound like, well, a bass guitar. There are definitely differences, I've heard countless bands and bass players, quite a wide variation in sound between them sometimes on the same night. Last night, Islington O2, first bass, Tanglewood Canyon, very solid, second a Mustang, very clanky and seemed to leave a hole in the bottom end (surely the sound selected not the bass). If you want to hear a marvellous jazz sound grab some Seth Govan on a Thursday in Chelmsford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted July 13, 2011 Author Share Posted July 13, 2011 It wasn't an indie night. It was more of a jazz/funk/fusion thing with no slapping on view . Not high volume and a nice mix. I am just saying that given the price difference between the basses it was a surprise that there wasn't a wow factor when the Wal was being used. Absolutely take on board the build quality, playability etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turk Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 [quote name='TRBboy' post='1302899' date='Jul 13 2011, 09:35 PM'][b][u]I guess it kind of backs up the theory that as a player, the feel of a bass is probably the single most important thing[/u][/b]. Whatever you've got, it'll look and sound like a bass to everyone else, and when you're stood on that stage the feel, comfort and ease of playability of your bass is key. [b][u]If it doesn't feel great to play and inspire you, you're never going to get the most out of the instrument or realsise your full potential as a player[/u].[/b] On that note, I'd better think about advertising my Jazz! [/quote] Yep, that's how I see it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 In psychology there are arguments about why someone has a particular behaviour. However 9 times out 10 everyone is wrong. Tone is not in the fingers, or the pickup, or the electronics, or wood, or the frets, or the strings. It's a combination of it all.. I sound like me sure, but if I play a jazz, I sound like I'm playing a jazz not a stingray. The very fundamental basic of basics of "tone" is in the string and how and where the string is plucked struck caused to vibrate. Then that "tone" is effected ever so slightly with pickup types, wood types, EQing blah blah. Jaco won't sound like Jaco on a EB-0....... He'll sound like he is playing an EB-0. Anyway. Back on topic. Still I'm sticking to my firm belief that what ever mix it was the EQing done to the basses just made the sound like generic bass sound which is ever so popular intodays "pop" music. Watching jools holland, band A use a stingray through ampeg band B use a P bass through ampeg, both play with a pick but you'd still expect a small amount of "characterful tone" to cone through. No, you get the same inane low end druelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Put them in a studio though and it will soon become clear that one is an el-crappo P bass and the other is a Wal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bh2 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 God I miss my Ray!... That sounded like a Ray every time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_B Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 [quote name='Chris2112' post='1303147' date='Jul 14 2011, 03:29 AM']Put them in a studio though and it will soon become clear that one is an el-crappo P bass and the other is a Wal.[/quote] It'd be interesting to put that to a blind test, and see how many people guess correctly Either way, if they both sound pretty much the same live, then it becomes a moot point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 [quote name='Prime_BASS' post='1302906' date='Jul 13 2011, 09:41 PM']If I go to a gig I make a point to make sure the engineer mixes me in the FOH how it sounds through my rig, otherwise the band ends up sounding like every other generic Indie pop rock band.[/quote] This. Sooo many times I've been to gigs where the bass is just lost in an overly loud kick drum and the bassist could've been playing a tea chest with a piece of string and a broom handle for all the care the FOH guy takes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bh2 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 [quote name='ezbass' post='1303191' date='Jul 14 2011, 08:43 AM']This. Sooo many times I've been to gigs where the bass is just lost in an overly loud kick drum and the bassist could've been playing a tea chest with a piece of string and a broom handle for all the care the FOH guy takes.[/quote] Yes... half an hour to soundcheck the kit, and three mins on the rest of the backline... usually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon1964 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 [quote name='ezbass' post='1303191' date='Jul 14 2011, 08:43 AM']This. Sooo many times I've been to gigs where the bass is just lost in an overly loud kick drum and the bassist could've been playing a tea chest with a piece of string and a broom handle for all the care the FOH guy takes.[/quote] Agreed - but for me this is where the classic Precision tone comes into its own. It just seems to sit right in almost any mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 [quote name='Jerry_B' post='1303184' date='Jul 14 2011, 08:25 AM']....It'd be interesting to put that to a blind test, and see how many people guess correctly Either way, if they both sound pretty much the same live, then it becomes a moot point....[/quote] The Squire could easily have sounded better but how many people would tell the difference while getting their ears battered by a band and a house PA system? I wouldn’t judge the ultimate quality of basses based on a “weekend warrior” thrash in a pub. An engineer in a studio would be able to tell the difference between a Squire and a Wal every time. I've had my Wal picked in a studio over my Lakland and the studio's pre CBS Precision, which the engineer "loved". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 (edited) I dont have this problem anymore because we do our own sound, and we all like to be able to hear each part of the band (no overbearing guitarists!). I will admit though, the SR P bass (currently on sale) nailed it live, despite the fact it doesnt have the quality of a USA P or similar. Edited July 14, 2011 by Musicman20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 [quote name='Prime_BASS' post='1302906' date='Jul 13 2011, 09:41 PM']A lot of bassists come from the standpoint of low end holding[/quote] Isn't that what a bass is for? Especially a Precision... Jaco Harmonics and Stanley slapping asides of course, which presumably the Wal would be more suited to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Sometimes yes and sometimes no. If it's a good sounding room and the bass is going through a decent P.A. (and the amp is just for onstage monitoring) then a good sound engineer will bring out the different qualities of the bass. As far as Wals are concerned I recently I played a gig at a venue here in Edinburgh and after my band had finished our spot I was standing around chinwagging with my back to the stage when the next bands bassist started his soundcheck. WHAT A SOUND!!! I went back to see what on earth he was playing that could sound that good...and guess what......it was a Wal MKIII. It also sounded great with the band. But I have to agree that the average punter will not know the difference between a £95 Squire and a £3000 Wal. And frankly it's not what you play it's also how you play it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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