Where would you say MOST of your sound comes from?

[jakenewmanbass]

[quote name='ped' post='229979' date='Jun 30 2008, 07:55 PM']But I think the actual SOUND comes from other things more than the player's technique. A Musicman sound, for example, cannot be achieved on anything else (apart from a V bass obviously lol)[/quote]
I think the truth is Ped that everyone is right in their own way as it is actually a personal thing. Some people are more capable of working equipment and will get a great sound out of gear therefore they will err on the side of gear, I am pretty sh*t when it comes to technology so I rely on personal physical elements to produce my sound. In fact I think there is a certain disadvantage to my outlook as if for environmental reasons I can't get my sound then that has an effect on my music, a more technologically advanced player would stand a better chance of getting out of that fix

[Dread Bass]

i think its a mix of factors really. A good bass player can get a good sound out of a cheap bass but a less capable bass player will struggle to get a good sound out of even the best bass.

That said i think you are only as good as your weakest part of your signal i.e. great player + great bass + great amp = great sound if any of these factors are weak then the sound will be weaker.

[ianrunci]

I would have to say based on my own 30 years of experience playing live that its down to the individuals technique.

I have heard brilliant players sound brilliant playing a bag of old sh*te through another bag of old sh*te and at the same time I have heard poor musicians sound sh*te through the best gear you can buy.

You generally find that most really experienced players can get virtually the same sound no matter what they are using, that would indicate to me that technique is all important. that applies to guitarists as well as bass players

[waynepunkdude]

That Victor Wooten cd i have played though the back of my amp.

[Jase]

[quote name='ianrunci' post='229992' date='Jun 30 2008, 08:07 PM']I would have to say based on my own 30 years of experience playing live that its down to the individuals technique.

I have heard brilliant players sound brilliant playing a bag of old sh*te through another bag of old sh*te and at the same time I have heard poor musicians sound sh*te through the best gear you can buy.

You generally find that most really experienced players can get virtually the same sound no matter what they are using, that would indicate to me that technique is all important. that applies to guitarists as well as bass players[/quote]

+1

[alexclaber]

My brain, usually a sub-conscious bit if things are going well.

Alex

[onehappybunny]

The biggest impact on my sound is where I pluck the strings on my bass. Near the bridge = thin weedy sound; near the neck = luvverly deep reasonant thud

After that it's probably strings (TI Flats rule ), amp, then bass

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='ped' post='229979' date='Jun 30 2008, 07:55 PM']But I think the actual SOUND comes from other things more than the player's technique. A Musicman sound, for example, cannot be achieved on anything else (apart from a V bass obviously lol)[/quote]

But can a player make a Stingray sound like something else? If you're going for a Stingray sound using a Stingray then the Stingray is the most important part of your sound. If you're not going for that sound then it probably isn't.

[SteveK]

In the mid-late 80s I joined a band that that worked mostly abroad. We didn't truck our backline. The contract would specify what gear was to be supplied, about 20% of the time we would get what we asked for, the rest of the time there would be whatever the promoter could get hold of (Eastern Bloc countries were always interesting).
Providing the gear was of a known brand and reasonable power, and that I had a couple of minutes to tweak the knobs - the rigs made very little difference to the sound.

Rocco Prestia on my rig would still sound like Rocco Prestia.

Flea on my rig would still sound like Flea.

JJ Burnel may have a problem though

Steve

[6stringbassist]

It's mostly down to the bass and the EQ settings on the bass, my amp is usually set flat, sometimes a bit of bass boost on the amp.

I always sound like me regardless of which bass, or who's bass I play, ie. choice of notes, timing, phrasing etc, but the actual sound is mostly as above.

I mean playing a precision strung with flats, and then playing my Sei strung with round wounds just won't sound then same, or am I missing something ?.

[alexclaber]

Given a bit of EQ and strings that aren't totally dead I'd say I can make most basses sound close enough to most other basses that you'd rarely be able to tell in the mix.

Alex

[ARGH]

Switching the Amp on......

[wizbat]

A lot of my sound comes from the way I fret notes on my left hand, I always press very hard I use a lot of string vibrato wether it be pressing the string hard against the back of the fret or pulling the bugger across the board and have a tendency to really bend a note up prior to fretting one higher.
I also use a very hard to find pick, hi modulus graphite picks ( the ones with the little cannabis logo,s on them) the original factory burned down (apparently) in the late eighties and i went round all the guitar shops buying up all the 1.00mm thick ones, still have around thirty original unused ones for gigs and recording and I used the pick boy copies for rehearsal.

[SteveK]

[quote]I mean playing a precision strung with flats, and then playing my Sei strung with round wounds just won't sound then same, or am I missing something ?.[/quote]
No, you're not missing anything. Of course different basses have different audio characteristics, as do amps and speaker cabs...[b]but that is only a small part of the picture.[/b]

John Entwistle, throughout his time with The Who, was always chopping and changing gear:

Fender, Gibson, Alembic, Warwick basses.

Marshall, Sunn, Crown, Gallien-Krueger, Trace Elliot amps and cabs

And for all that chopping and changing he always sounded like John Entwistle

All I'm saying is... don't get too hung-up on hardware. It's your fingers that do the talking .

Steve

[bassbloke]

me.

[Basszilla]

hell

[johnnylager]

[quote name='Basszilla' post='230268' date='Jul 1 2008, 07:49 AM']hell[/quote]
Beamed down by the Seraphim - straight to hell though, you're right.

[Chris2112]

My basses. My Spector sounds completely different to my fretless Hohner jazz, which sounds completely different to my Squier VM fretless. The biggest change in my tone comes when I change basses.

[6stringbassist]

[quote name='Chris2112' post='230453' date='Jul 1 2008, 12:22 PM']My basses. My Spector sounds completely different to my fretless Hohner jazz, which sounds completely different to my Squier VM fretless. The biggest change in my tone comes when I change basses.[/quote]

That's what I say, your 'sound' is a combination of the strings, the bass, cable, amp and speakers.

How you play, ie your fingers, how soft or hard your attack, playing position etc, have an affect on that sound, but they're not actually creating it.

Change any part of the setup, and you'll change your sound.

[ianrunci]

[quote name='6stringbassist' post='230460' date='Jul 1 2008, 12:32 PM']That's what I say, your 'sound' is a combination of the strings, the bass, cable, amp and speakers.

How you play, ie your fingers, how soft or hard your attack, playing position etc, have an affect on that sound, but they're not actually creating it.

Change any part of the setup, and you'll change your sound.[/quote]

That only applies if you don't have the skill and experience to change the sound using only your experience and technique. Obviously if your playing through a ten watt practice amp you wont get it sound like a bg rig. But i would be pretty suprised if most very experienced players can't get the same sound out of any semi decent instrument through a half decent rig

[thumperbob 2002]

I always used to think it was the bass and amp but now realize ( after 30 years of playing) thats in all in your head (ears ) and fingers- good gear helps and will probably give you that extra 5% but most of it is in the fingers and the WAY you play- the head/ideas?

[6stringbassist]

I don't see how.

Using my bass through my amp/cab sounds one way, if I use a different amp at a gig or a session, it will sound different.

No matter how I play it can't make the 'other make' 2x12 sound like my 4x10.

The playing will still be the same, same note choice etc.

[alexclaber]

[quote name='6stringbassist' post='230496' date='Jul 1 2008, 01:25 PM']No matter how I play it can't make the 'other make' 2x12 sound like my 4x10.[/quote]

Try harder!

Seriously, for all the obsessing that goes on over gear it is quite remarkable how if you understand all the sonic details of both the instrument you're playing and the amplification system you can generally get very close to the sound you want regardless of what you're using. Think of it as a big venn diagram where every combination of gear has a wide range of sounds depending on the user and most of these circles overlap significantly.

Alex

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Fingers for me.

Definitely

[jakenewmanbass]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='230501' date='Jul 1 2008, 01:32 PM']Think of it as a big venn diagram where every combination of gear has a wide range of sounds depending on the user and most of these circles overlap significantly.

Alex[/quote]

LOL
there are not many people who walk though life picturing venn diagrams Alex.
Or are there??
*Jake is suddenly paranoid about his mathematical inferiority*