I need a bigger fatter sound!

[FourStrung]

Hi lads,
I'm looking for some direction from the more experienced among you as usual.
Been playing blues rock in a 4 piece but one guitarist if off soon and we wlill continue as a 3 piece. Shouldn't be too much trouble as most of the stuff we played is more suited or originally for 3 piece anyway.
But the guitarist is suggesting thay I try and make my bass sound bigger and fatter so when he plays a solo I am filling out behind.
Is he being over concered here of should I be looking for effects here?

I am runing an Ashdown Mag Evo II 300 115 + 115 cab only pedal is a bass drive.

[xgsjx]

Get a multi fx & find out what you're gonna use.
For thickening, you could add chorus, octaver (wet & dry signal) or another gain effect or all of those.

[LiamPodmore]

I use my Behringer preamp which seems to add an extra depth to my tone, along with the octave up on my Joyo fuzz and a Marshall Jackhammer on a low gain setting.

Liam

[TG Flatline]

Clean blend on the drive, light chorus after the drive and before the amp - both good places to start IME

[lettsguitars]

What bass you using? Jazz? Active? Passive humbuckers is what you want.

[bassist_lewis]

just turn up the volume and/or the low mids (the dial between 'bass' and 'middle'), your brain percieves mids as louder than other frequencies. and FWIW leaving space in the mix between the bass and guitar isn't a bad thing

[chris_b]

A 3 piece for a Blues / Rock band is good. I haven't played with a second guitarist for years. They're just not needed.

Are you playing a Precision? That would help. 5 string? That would help even more. Fat strings? The biggest gauge you can manage would be good. Get your guitarist to tune down to Eb, as SRV did. Playing in Eb and increasing the gauge of strings gives the band more power and punch.

Put all your controls at 12 o’clock, now add low mids, a little bass and balance it out with a little top until it sounds right.

You can do this without pedals. I do.

Also you can't sound like a 4 piece so don't try. You're band will sound emptier but that is a good thing, and don't overplay.

Edited June 12, 2012 by chris_b

[thisnameistaken]

You don't want to use effects for that. They would sound weird in a blues/rock band anyway.

In my experience in a three-piece the drummer is the one who makes up the extra noise when the guitarist solos, although given that the drummer will be playing something busier it will probably make sense for you to play something busier too, to drive things along. Fun. And way more satisfying than turning on a pedal.

[FourStrung]

Ok, so a mixed response.
I am playing a Fender P and a Squire Pro Tone P with J & P pups with a jazz style neck, nicer to play than the P but cant beat the P for that legendary sound.
The amp has an octave effect built in but I dont really like it much, maybe a pedal would be better sound?
I like the sound as is but maybe boosting the mids on the EQ may lift it bit more, I like that beefy bass from the P.
But I like busier on drums & bass as an option - it does seam a stupidly simple a solutuion but I like thoses fixes.
I also get the half step down idea too, but not sure how that would work with some of the songs, hey but another option that doesnt need me adding pedals I dont really want.
Waiting for a set of heavy strings for the Squire to see how that works too, should be here later today.
Thanks for the support guys, I am feeling more armed to argue my corner at the next session.

[RandomProddy]

EQ?

Edited June 12, 2012 by RandomProddy

[chris_b]

What numbers are you playing?

Ashdowns through 15's can go pretty full and fat, as I recall. Unless your EQ is very bass lite I can't see how your guitarist thinks you need to fatten up the sound.

Would turning up the volume make him happier? Maybe he is worried that the band will loose its power and he’s trying to compensate for a problem that doesn’t exist.

[mikeh]

Try a Fishman Fission,

bass in, clean out goes to your rig, then you can put the effect sound into the PA, the effect sound is an octave above your note, then you can add a 5th above, 4th below or both!! built in distorion, although Im thinking of adding something like a Marshall Jack Hammer to improve the built in distortion. There you go a rhythm guitarist in a box!!

[xgsjx]

I don't get why blues rock means you can't use any fx? I used to play blues rock & used fx.

[EskimoBassist]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1339498123' post='1689230']
I don't get why blues rock means you can't use any fx? I used to play blues rock & used fx.
[/quote]

+1 I see no reason why fuzz, chorus, reverb etc. wouldn't fit in nicely. I'd definitely be using an octaver.

[cheddatom]

if I wanted something simple, i'd get a compressor and set it always on, but so that it just lightly touching the attacky peaks. Then, get an EQ pedal and set this to a mid boost before the compressor. Turn that on when you wanty to get fatter.

Last time I gigged was with 12 pedals and I thought that was simple!

[Lozz196]

I`d echo chris b`s first post, and cheddatoms above, higher gauge strings, the whole band drop the tuning to Eb, and have a compressor on all the time.

Additionally, a good pedal for valvey warmth is a DHA (Dave Hall Amps) VT1 - though not sure Ashdowns really need any extra warmth. As with the compressor, keep it switched on all the time.

[chris_b]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1339498123' post='1689230']
....I don't get why blues rock means you can't use any fx?....
[/quote]

Moi?

I didn't say that. My point was that reaching for an effects pedal isn't the answer if there are things you can do first with your bass and amp that gets the job done.

I don't use pedals and last Monday was asked to turn down as I was vibrating the glasses off the shelves. Just my experience.

Maybe I’ve read this wrong, but I think the guitarist is barking up the wrong tree. The OP probably sounds just fine and the guitarist is worrying about feeling exposed when he looses his "safety blanket".

[Adrenochrome]

In my experience of playing in bands with 1xguitar/bass/drums is not to add effects to your main sound, just get a decent full range sound and make sure you're loud enough in the mix. Still use your effects for passages where they were needed before.

[xgsjx]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1339503026' post='1689346']
Moi?

I didn't say that. My point was that reaching for an effects pedal isn't the answer if there are things you can do first with your bass and amp that gets the job done.

I don't use pedals and last Monday was asked to turn down as I was vibrating the glasses off the shelves. Just my experience.

Maybe I’ve read this wrong, but I think the guitarist is barking up the wrong tree. The OP probably sounds just fine and the guitarist is worrying about feeling exposed when he looses his "safety blanket".
[/quote]

Sorry Chris, it wasn't really directed at anyone. What you & others have said is a very valid way of working if you don't want to use effects, but I find (depending on the song of course) that adding some drive or having the octave set with a little sub added to the clean can boost the overall sound just enough without being noticeable to the listener.

[Hamster]

There's a good compressor in the for sale section here - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/178543-trace-elliot-smx-dual-compressor/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/178543-trace-elliot-smx-dual-compressor/[/url]

Also IMHO something like an Aphex Bass Xciter or BBE Sonic Maximiser will really thicken your sound up.

[Truckstop]

The tiniest touch of slapback will help to fatten out the passages when the guitarist is off doing his own thing. If you can stick it in the effects loop or have a delay with a blend control, you can keep the slapback volume nice and low to avoid it actually becoming integral to your sound, and rather acts as something that provides a little thickness and air to your sound.

Truckstop

[Sibob]

I think you have to be a tiny bit careful with effects in a 'traditional' setting.
You listen to any old blues rock with a single guitar & bass, when the guitar solos, the bass doesn't really change much, check out John Mayer's trio album for a modern example of Pino rocking this minimalist approach. Embrace the sonic space .
If you're adament you want a little bit 'more', I suggest a smidge of overdrive, something like a VT-Bass or even better a Wren & Cuff Phat Phuk... just to open up your sound a bit, get a bit of edge & grind on it.

Si

p.s.
Our very own Al Heeley makes a great BassBoost Preamp pedal, everything from slight grind to full overdrive. I LOVE mine!

[phil.i.stein]

[quote name='Hamster' timestamp='1339511126' post='1689569']
Also IMHO something like an[b] Aphex Bass Xciter [/b]or BBE Sonic Maximiser will really thicken your sound up.
[/quote]

that's what i was going to suggest. pretty cheap too (used), arond £50.

[Hamster]

[quote name='phil.i.stein' timestamp='1339519558' post='1689825']
that's what i was going to suggest. pretty cheap too (used), arond £50.
[/quote]

I was amazed when I first used mine - how the hell does it do what it does? - It gives a big FAT yet spacious sound. Mines never been off my board since the day I bought it.

[FourStrung]

Set includes: Country Home, Mary had a little lamb, Hoochie Coochie Man, Walking by myself, Need You Love So Bad, Mercury Blues, Wishing well, Like a hurricane, Moving On, Black Magic Woman, Crossroads, Rockin in the Free World, Whiskey in a Jar, Feel Like Making Love, Oh Well, Red House.
I use the the amp with plenty of bass and boost the mids too, leave highs at 12o/c. But maybe not enough on the mids? The overdrive gives me a nice sound for the more rocky songs. The amp has compression but not sure quite how good this is, but do use it all the time on just less than quarter turn but enought ot make a difference. My view is that often in-built effects are not always as good a pedal for the job. I like the thought that I need to be louder. I must confess to have been looking at an octave pedal (maybe the boss oc-3) But have been through the loads of pedals with my tele and now trimed to a few, trying not to repeat the same route on the bass. And I do like the bass just with the amp and the od pedal. I love pedals but just trying not to get caught up in the pursuit of the right pedal for me mission again.